Page 86 of Call It Home

I am happy to let you know that the date for the parole board hearing for Trey Caldwell has been set for 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 6. In accordance with the Commonwealth of Virginia, the victim’s family was notified the required 30 days beforehand, and I expect they will, at the very least, send letters requesting his sentence be carried out in full. However, I am very hopeful that with Trey’s excellent history at the prison, finishing his GED, and starting more classes, he has a good chance. With that said, I must caution you that early parole is often rejected. It would be most beneficial if we can prove that Trey already has a job lined up with a place to live. In my last meeting with him, he informed me that you plan to bring him on as an employee. Would you please forward me any documents of proof of your business as well as financial plans for his employment?

Yours very truly,

Christian McGuire

Attorney, McGuire and Stephens Law Firm

At the bottom, he had attached the letter from the Commonwealth of Virginia with the official hearing date.

It was a mixture of news. It was great that Trey might get out early. After all, he wasn’t a violent criminal, and everything that had gone down had been an accident. But the wife—I couldn’t call her my ex because she’d never really been mine—had freaked out when the accident happened and had completely turned on me and Trey. It was as if her fun had been taken away from her. How I could have seen her as anything but the cold-hearted bitch she’d turned out to be, I’d never know—nor would I ever forgive myself. Thanks to her twisted game, a man was dead, and another was in prison.

But now, I also had a new problem. I didn’t actually have a business set up. And I had less than a month to put it together and be legitimate.

At least, now I’d have something to throw my new spare time into.

* * *

“Hey, Mac. The boss lady wants to see you.” I looked up to see Will approach, looking a little put out. “I’m here to take over for you.”

I nodded that I’d heard, but my stomach immediately felt like it had turned into one of the cinder blocks I was helping to lay for a new foundation. I’d been able to avoid Cameron every day since she’d left by going directly to the work site and leaving from there to go home. I knew the day would come eventually that I was going to have to seek her out. She was probably looking for my resignation. I grabbed the folder that contained the letter I’d typed up to hand in.

Feeling resigned in more ways than one, I hopped into my truck and drove back to the edge of town, where Sterling Construction was located.

“Hi, Mac,” Sue said when I walked into the office area. “She’s waiting for you.”

“Thanks.” Her voice didn’t give anything away, so maybe Cameron wasn’t too pissed.

I pulled in a deep breath and knocked on her semi-open door. “Hey.”

She looked up, and for a brief moment, she looked happy to see me. Then her face quickly morphed into something neutral. “Hi.”

Her blonde hair was pulled up into a neat bun, and her makeup was as perfect as usual, but I didn’t miss the dark circles she’d tried to hide. But she still looked beautiful, and my arms ached to hold her. “How are you?” I finally asked when she didn’t say anything else.

“Fine. You?”

“Fine,” I lied.

This had to be the most awkward conversation on record.

“What have you—”

“I just wanted—”

We’d both broken the silence at the same time. I relaxed a little while she laughed, albeit a little nervously.

“Go ahead,” she said.

“No, ladies first.”

“Okay.” She gestured to the seat in front of her desk while she moved to the one behind it, similar to a conversation we had months ago, back when I first said no to her proposal. Only now, I knew there wasn’t anything she could as of me that I’d refuse—except the one thing I knew she wanted most. For me to stay.

“I’m sure you know the final pre-recorded episode aired last night.”

I nodded. I didn’t have a TV, but I’d been so desperate to see her face, to hear her voice, that I watched it on my computer.

“Which means,” she continued, “that we have a two-week hiatus, then a crew will come here to film the last episode live.”

I nodded again. So far, it wasn’t anything I didn’t know. “How do you want to handle that?” I asked.

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