Shattered Justice (37 page)

Shannon. “That musta made you mad.”

His smile grew a little. “Didn’t make me happy. And unfortunately, it didn’t stop me. It took a while—a long while—but I finally realized she was right. Mrs. Hunter, that is. I did let you down. And Shannon.”

Jayce could tell how much that hurt him.

Yeah. Sure. He makes you feel sorry for him. Thinks everything can be like it was
.

The voice grated on Jayce’s nerves. He wanted to tell it to shut up. But instead he stared down at the ground, wrestling with the knowledge that lay like a lead pipe in the pit of his gut.

Things would never be like they were.

“Shannon’s gone.”

Jayce’s head snapped up. Exactly. And without her, how could things ever be right again?

“So is Aaron. It took me a while to accept that.”

Jayce recognized the rough sound in the deputy’s voice. That’s what you sounded like when pain grabbed you by the throat.

“And to accept that I’m still here. And so are you. I think God brought you and me together for a reason. Maybe for you. Maybe for me. I don’t know. But I want to find out. Or try.”

The deputy pushed away from his cruiser. Took a step toward Jayce. “I know I let you down, and I know saying I’m sorry doesn’t change that. But I
am
sorry. And I’m here.”

His gaze caught Jayce’s and held it. “I’m here, Jayce. For
you. I’m not saying this is a permanent situation. We both need time before we make that kind of decision. But I’m asking you: Give me a chance. That’s all. Just a chance.”

Forget it! Take off. He said you could. Just listen, then you can leave. Remember? So go!

Jayce might have been more inclined to listen to the voice if it didn’t sound quite so panicked. That fact combined with the look on the deputy’s features made up his mind.

“Okay.”

“Oh, thank heaven!”

Jayce and the deputy both looked at Miss Wilson. She clapped her hands over her mouth then took a step farther back. “I’m just over here. Don’t mind me.”

The deputy turned back to Jayce. “You sure?”

Say no! Get out of here! Run!

Jayce clenched his hand into a fist.
Shut. Up. Just … shut up. I’m not stupid. I’m sure not saying I trust him. But his house is as good a place as any to stay while I figure out what to do next
.

Besides, there would be pictures at the deputy’s house. Pictures of Shannon. Of them camping. He’d never had a chance to see those pictures. And he really wanted to.

“I’m sure.”

With that, Deputy Justice turned and unlocked the car. “Then let’s go home.”

I CAN’T TAKE THIS!

The thought repeated in Shelby’s mind, and yet she didn’t stop. She just kept walking. Up the driveway. To the front door. Where she rang the bell and waited.

The door opened and Dan stood there, that welcoming smile on his face. “Hey, come on in. We’ve been waiting.”

Not as long as I’ve been waiting for you
.

Shelby pushed the rebellious thought away and pasted an easy smile on her face. What was Judge Richards thinking? Bad enough that she had to see Dan at church every week, but spending time with him like this?

It was harder than she ever imagined.

“Jayce, Miss Wilson is here. You ready to go?”

Shelby didn’t have to force a smile that time. The warm tone in Dan’s voice as he called to Jayce lifted her lips with ease.
Whatever the judge had been thinking to put her in the position he had, he’d done the right thing putting Jayce with Dan. These last two months together had been good for both of them.

A person would have to be blind to miss how much Dan cared for the boy. Shelby was certain Jayce felt the same about Dan, but those walls of his were still as high and thick as ever. With Dan, anyway. At least he didn’t have any walls with her. The phone call from him last week proved that.

“Hey, Miss Wilson. It’s Jayce.”

“I know.” She smiled into the receiver. “I recognized your voice.”

“Cool. Listen, we—Deputy Dan and me—we want to take you out. You know, for Mother’s Day.”

She’d been stunned. “Mother’s Day?”

“Sure. I mean, I know you’re not really my mom, but you’re the closest thing I’ve ever had. So what do you say? Wanna go?”

Jayce’s simple words had touched her deeply, so of course she accepted.

That’s why you accepted, eh? Because of Jayce? Didn’t have anything to do with going out with Dan?

Shelby gritted her teeth.
Shut u—

“Yo, Miss W!”

She gave a little yelp as she was engulfed in a hug, spun in a circle two times, then let go so abruptly she almost fell on her face. Only Dan’s quick action to catch her prevented a close encounter with the floor.

“Whoa!” Dan’s laughter brought her head up, and their eyes met. His arms around her tightened a fraction, then he pulled back, set her on her feet, and stepped away.

“You two ready to go? Don’t want to be late.”

There it was again. That brusque, dismissive tone he’d taken to using anytime they got too close.

“Hey, chill out, Deputy.” Jayce halted in the act of putting
his coat on. “No need to go postal on us.”

Dan blinked. “Postal? I wasn’t being postal.”

Jayce shrugged his coat on. “Sounded postal to me.” He glanced at Shelby, and she bit her lip.

“Maybe a
little
postal.”

Dan’s features clouded. “I was
not
postal.”

“Ooo, more postality.” Jayce pulled the front door open. “
That’ll
convince us—”

“Can it, Jayce.” At Dan’s low mutter, Jayce’s eyes went to the ceiling.

Shelby chuckled at the response. Did they know how much like father and son they sounded? “Okay, you two. Let’s not start out the night being disagreeable. It’s my special day.”

Dan’s hand at her back directed her out the front door, which Jayce now held open. Dan leaned close to her ear. “I am
not
being disagreeable!”

“Yeah,” came Jayce’s voice from right behind them as they walked toward Dan’s SUV. “And Santa doesn’t wear red.”

“You’re just lucky we’re still going to see a movie.”

Shelby cocked her head at that. “I am? Was there an alternative?”

Dan unlocked the doors to his vehicle. “This crazy kid wanted me to take you out to the old lumberyard for a candlelight dinner for three.”

“For three, huh?” She giggled. “Real romantic.”

“Hey, the deputy doesn’t exactly excel in the romance department. I figured you’d need me to coach him.”

She waved his teasing aside. “But the lumberyard?”

Jayce grinned. “I like it there, okay? I figured we could take a little table, set it up with candles and a tablecloth … but no. Mr. I-Hate-Adventure over here wasn’t interested. Too bad. I think he should check the place out. You know, for its romance factor.”

“It’s May, you nut. We live in the mountains. It’s still cold outside at night.”

Dan’s comment only broadened Jayce’s grin. He took hold of the door to the backseat, but Dan stopped him. “Jayce, you take shotgun. That’ll give Shelby the whole backseat to stretch out.”

Jayce stopped, his hand on the door handle. He looked at Shelby, who’d been about to open the door to the passenger seat. Touches of heat tinged her cheeks, but she did her best to look nonchalant as she traded Jayce places.

Fine. If Dan didn’t want her sitting next to him, it was no big deal.

As they started the drive to the movie theater in White City, an awkward silence filled the vehicle. Finally, Shelby tapped Jayce on the shoulder. “So, tell me what’s happening with you and school.”

Clearly grateful for the neutral topic, Jayce waxed eloquent for the rest of the drive. Shelby hoped it was because he was excited, and not because he sensed the tension between her and Dan. But when they pulled into the movie theater parking lot and Jayce echoed her relieved sigh, she knew her hopes were not to be realized.

They got their tickets, waited while Jayce loaded up on pop and popcorn, then made their way to the theater. Jayce and Dan stepped aside, letting Shelby in first. She sat down, then glanced up at the two guys. They were both just standing there, looking at each other. Jayce was nodding for Dan to take the seat next to Shelby; Dan was doing the same at Jayce. Shelby felt her face flame and glanced around to see if anyone had noticed this little interplay.

Not anyone.

Everyone.

Every eye in the theater seemed riveted on the three of them. Of course, neither Jayce nor Dan seemed to realize that. They were too focused on their little war of wills.

Finally a guy from two rows back, who looked to be in his twenties, leaned forward. “If you guys don’t want to sit with
her
, I
will. She’s too fine to sit there alone.” As Dan and Jayce started, then looked around, the guy winked at Shelby, who wished the floor would open up and swallow her. “Whaddya say, beautiful? Come sit with me and I promise to appreciate you.” He tossed his head at Dan. “That should be a welcome change.”

The effect on Dan was, to say the least, fascinating.

He straightened to his full height, shot the guy a scowl, and moved to take the seat next to Shelby. Sitting down, he slid his arm across the back of her chair, forming an effective barrier between her and her would-be suitor.

As Jayce took the seat next to Dan, Shelby glanced over Dan’s arm to the young man behind them. He caught her look and winked again, then settled back in his seat. “Hey, can’t blame a guy for trying.”

“Don’t encourage him.”

At Dan’s hissed chastisement, she turned to refute his accusation and found herself almost nose to nose with him. Their eyes widened, gazes caught. Eternity settled into a skipping heartbeat as they stared at one another. For the barest moment, Dan’s eyes softened, grew tender. “Shelby … I …”

At the ache in his tone, her heart constricted, her breath stalled.

But the moment shattered when Dan suddenly pulled away, turning to stare at the ads flashing on the movie screen.

Shelby turned to stare at the screen, too, but it was hard to see it through the sudden tears smarting her eyes. At least her voice was steady when she muttered, “I
wasn’t
encouraging him.”

Dan’s shoulder jerked. “Fine. But guys like that don’t know when to quit.”

“Yeah?” This low growl came from Jayce. “Well, at least they know when to start.”

Shelby couldn’t help it. She
really
wanted to agree. Especially when, the moment the lights went down, Dan removed his arm
from the back of her chair and sat there, stiff and distant.

The movie was typical guy fare—lots of action, explosions, and car chases. Though Shelby usually enjoyed those kinds of movies, too, this one couldn’t end soon enough.

The walk to the car and the drive back to Sanctuary were both painfully silent. Until, that is, they got back to Dan’s house. Shelby planned to hop in her car and drive home, but the minute they parked, Jayce jumped out of the car, slammed the door, and stormed into the house.

Dan and Shelby stared first after him, then at each other.

“What’s wrong with him?”

Before Shelby could answer, Dan was out of the car, stalking up the path to the front door. Loathe to leave these two in the moods they were in, she got out and followed. When she came inside, she found the two of them facing off, Jayce’s angry voice ringing through the room.

“Man, what is your
problem
?”

“Problem?” Dan scowled. “I don’t have a pr—”

“Oh, right! You don’t have a problem. Then why are you treating Miss Wilson like dirt?”

Oh, no! Shelby’s heart plummeted and her cheeks warmed. She snagged the boy’s sleeve. “Jayce, please—”

He pulled away. “No. I mean it, Miss Wilson. I’m sick of the way he treats you. The way he talks to you.”

If her cheeks had been warm before, they were nuclear now. “It’s really okay.”

Jayce’s jaw tensed. “Naw, man, it’s
not
. It’s really not.” He turned, his gaze riveted on Dan, who glared at them both. When Jayce spoke again, though, it startled Dan as much as it did Shelby, because in place of the anger was an undercurrent of thick tears. “It’s really not, man.”

Dan took a step toward the boy and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Jayce—”

He shrugged Dan’s hand off. “All she’s ever done is try to help us. Both of us. God knows she was there for me when no one else
was.” His pointed look at Dan was clear. “Anyone who looks at her can see how much she cares. About me.” He clenched his fists. “And about
you
, though I sure can’t figure why.”

“Oh, Jayce, please—”

The wretched look he directed at her stopped her words cold.