Beloved Readers - Thanks so much for being a part of this journey.  Your reading, commenting, voting and support have meant a lot.  If you have read but got so caught up in the story that you didn't vote or comment, it's not too late.  I would appreciate you taking a moment to do so.

Please feel free to read my other stories.  They are:

Committed to You

Only You

Again

For the Love of Patra

Not the It Girl (which is under revision to be reposted later)

The barn fire crackled and popped. Red orange flames shot out like a geyser and cut through the blackened sky. Everyone was huddled together enjoying the warmth. The wagon driver passed out blankets to everyone. Aiden quickly wrapped Jas in the blanket. A young girl stepped into the wagon carrying a tray of hot chocolate.

"Thank you." Aiden said, as he retrieved a cup for he and Jas. She sipped it carefully.

The crowd around them sang the old song, "This Land is Your Land." The melody brought Jas and Aiden back to their school days.

"We sold four hundred pies today."

"That's over two thousand dollars. Unbelievable, Aiden."

"We put a coupon in each bag so that the next time they're in a store they can get one free to share."

"I'm so proud of you, Aiden."

He laughed, "Proud of me? That pie represents your life and Nanna's life. All I did was..."

"Work with Nanna to develop the pie and send it across the globe. You deserve some credit." Jas looked up at him, pleased with his gentle smile. She lifted up and kissed him as if no one else was around.

***

"Very few people knew that I was pregnant because I rarely left the trailer and if I did I wore baggy overalls or something like that.  Occasionally Billy would bring me to the diner. I would protest, but he'd make me go. He had Myrna believing that he was doing a good deed for his cousin by taking her out to eat. But this one night all hell broke loose..." Deanna's mind drifted to Myrna waiting tables at the diner. 

Myrna had just placed two plates in front of the ladies in booth 12. She turned to go back to her station. Billy Bob and Deanna had just come in the door and got seated. Myrna was about to take their order when she heard the girl in the booth say something.

"Is that the girl?"

"Yeah."

"Boy, that Billy Bob is an ass. He's got both of them at his house?"

"That's what they say. I don't know if it's true because she doesn't look pregnant."

"The gall of a man to get two bitches pregnant and have them living in the same house."

Myrna's pen and pad clattered to the floor. The two women looked up startled at the noise. They knew that she'd overheard them and quickly gathered their things, slipped from the booth and left.

"I didn't know she was still standing there." One of the ladies said covering her mouth.

Myrna charged towards the table where Billy Bob and Deanna were sitting. It happened so fast they didn't have time to move. Myrna flipped the table on top of them. She shrieked to the high heavens. "That bitch is carrying your baby!"

Deanna recalled the sheer terror that over took her as all eyes in the crowded diner were upon them. Myrna plunged into Billy toppling him to the floor, she scratched and clawed at him. He was doing everything he could to contain her but could not.

"She's been living with us for eight months!" Myrna began pounding Billy in the face. A few men in the room ran over and pulled Myrna off of Billy Bob. His face and neck were bleeding. Deanna broke down as they pulled the woman kicking and screaming off of him.

"You! You!" She bellowed at Deanna.

Deanna stepped away from the booth. She hid her face in her hands from the embarrassment. Myrna scrambled hard to break away from the men.

"You! You're pregnant with my husband's baby."

"You're no more married to him than I am. You're a common-law piece of white trash," she said in a low scathing tone.

To this day, Deanna didn't know how she got the strength to say those words. Somehow what she said voiced all her months of humiliation and frustration. Myrna broke free. Her scream shook the diner. She charged toward Deanna, her arm was raised to strike her in the head. Billy scrambled off the floor and dived between them, his jaw catching the blow. It drew blood from his mouth.

"Enough!" Billy screamed. He stood up and grabbed Myrna's arm twisting it behind her back.

Just then two police burst through the door. When they saw Billy, they stopped. One of the officers looked at him.

"Billy. Billy Bob Johnson, what's going on here?"

"It's a domestic matter. I've got it covered."

Deanna stood against the wall cowering. People all over the diner glared at them shaking their heads. Deanna wanted to disappear.

The officers stepped away. The other officer picked up a napkin and handed it to Billy to wipe the blood off his mouth. "Handle your business, Billy Bob."

Billy looked at Deanna and Myrna in disgust. He grabbed Myrna by one arm and Deanna by the other and hauled them both out of the diner...

Troy's brows knit together. He gently stroked his wife's shoulder wishing he could wash away all the pain. Everything in his mind was clear now. He could see why she'd walked away from Aiden.  All of it was too much for a teenager to handle. Nothing could have prepared him for this. "Then what happened, darling."

"Billy pushed both of us in his truck and carried us back to the trailer. Myrna cursed and screamed the entire way back. When he got tired of it, he back handed her and told her to shut up. "I ain't the only man to get two women pregnant" was all that he said.

"I'm so sorry, Deanna."

"Before we could make it to the door, Myrna went into labor. Billy was so scared I might go into labor from stress too, he packed us both in the car and sped to the hospital. She had a premature son."

"Dear God."

"Aiden was born less than two months later."

"What happened to Myrna?"

"She stayed. In a weird way, I get it. She loved Billy. He knew how to make you love him. I had loved him once." Deanna turned her head and looked woefully at Troy. "Myrna treated me and Aiden like shit, but I stayed too. There was a roof over my head. There was provision for me and the child. Billy didn't beat me, like my mamma said."

***

Several days had passed. Michelle was completely frustrated with Bruce vow of silence. He said nothing of the conversation between him and Nanna. Michelle drove over to the dock to talk with Ella.

"I'm sorry Michelle, but he hasn't said anything to me about the matter."

"He's been acting all weird since he came back and I can't stand it."

"Give it time, dear."

"I've done that and he's not talking. Can you ask Nanna?"

Ella walked behind the counter and turned on the computer. She started doing work. Then she glanced over at Michelle. "No way. Nanna got upset with me for telling you about when she called Aiden. I'm staying out of this one."

"But that man Ella, I just believe he's up to no good."

"Nanna's not a spring chicken. She'll be okay."

Michelle shook her head and rolled her eyes at Ella. "Why am I the only one that seems to really concerned about Nanna and what's going on at that inn."

"Take my advice Michelle, Nanna's a big girl. Leave the matter alone."

***

"Anna, would you please tell Jas that I'm not supposed to see the wedding dress before the wedding."

Anna put the chili that she was making on simmer. She dipped a spoon in the pot to taste it. "This is good," she said. Anna looked to where Jas and Aiden were sprawled on the rug near the fireplace. "He's right, Jas. That's supposed to be a surprise."

"I'm not telling him which one I'll be wearing. I just want to know what style he likes."

"I'm sure you'll look good in anything, Jas." Anna said.

Aiden looked mischievously at Jas, then leaned over and whispered in Jas's ear.  "Or nothing."

Jas smashed Aiden's face with a nearby pillow. "I ought to tell Anna what you said."

"What did he say?"

"He said that I would..."

Aiden quickly snatched the pillow from Jas and stuffed it over her face. "I didn't say anything, Anna."

Anna's eyes widened. "Oh, I think you said something. Listen you two I've got the pot on simmer. Eat anytime that you'd like." Anna went to the closet and grabbed her coat.

"You're not taking any for you and Ted?" said Aiden.

"He's taking me out to dinner tonight. See you all tomorrow."

A brisk wind chilled the room as Anna opened the door. Jas scooted closer to the fireplace. She picked up her I-Pad and thumbed through some more of the wedding dress pictures.  "I think I'm ready to tell Nanna about the engagement now."

"She'll be very happy about it."

"I don't know, Aiden. How is she going to make it without me?"

Aiden wanted to tell Jas so badly about Nanna and Major getting married. But he promised Nanna that he wouldn't tell. She begged him to let her do it in her own time. It was killing him to keep silent. Yet, seeing how unhappy Jas was about moving tugged on his heart. Aiden slipped beside Jas and placed his head in her lap.

He couldn't tell her the truth, but at least he could plant something in her head.  "What if Nanna wants to retire? Have you ever thought of that? She could certainly do that now without having to sell the inn." He watched Jas face flood with concern. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything.

"Retire?"

Yes, with a wonderful man, just like you'll be. "She's eighty-three, Jas. That wouldn't be a far-fetched idea, would it?"

Jas sat up straight and pondered his words. In all her years, she'd never conceived such a thought. Nanna and the inn had been together since she was a child. In her mind, they were one. Somehow, she'd never considered Nanna's age because the Nanna she saw as a child, was the same Nanna that she worked with day in and day out. The inn was keeping Nanna alive – keeping her from growing old.  Aiden's watched as Jas's eyes searched his and felt saddened that he'd upset her.

"Nanna is... the inn. She'd die without it."

Aiden reached up and stroked her face. "Babe, everyone wants to retire someday and enjoy life on their own terms."

"The inn is what is keeping her alive, Aiden. She's active. She stays busy. Most people retire and die. I don't want my Nanna to die."

Jas's face began to cloud. Why did I say anything?  He watched as concern over shadow the cloud.

"Did she tell you something, Aiden. The day she called you...is she sick.  Is that why you came because you know that she's sick and..."

Aiden could just imagine the whirlwind stirring in her mind creating all the worse scenario's. He had to be very careful answering the question, knowing that lying would be disastrous in the end. "Stop worrying. Nanna is not sick. She did talk to me, but just about life, not death.  Eternity will come before anything happens to Nanna."

Jas rubbed her temples. "There's that word again."

"What word?"

"Life. That's what Nanna said. She told me that she talked to you about life."

Aiden knew that he had to change the subject before she asked him something that he knew he couldn't answer. He'd planted a seed. That's all he wanted to do. Aiden slipped off her lap and walked to the kitchen. "I think I'd like a bowl of Anna's delicious chili. What about you?"

Jas scrunched her face. "Retired, my Nanna retired."

***

Michelle froze when she heard Bruce talking on the phone. She stood outside the bedroom door determined not to make a sound.

"Nanna, have you really thought this through? You can't leave.  What is Ellijay going to be without you and the inn?"

"Did you hear anything that I just said? The inn is going to be fine. We have enough money to take care of it now, if Jas wants to keep it. I'm good if she wants to sell it."

How can you say that you're okay with selling the inn?

Michelle's heart began to palpitate. She slid down the wall. Oh, my God.

"Bruce, these are my sunset days. I've given that inn my entire life. This is my chance for love and I'm going to take it. When and if you get to be my age, you'll understand."

Bruce sat in the chair with his shoulders drooped. He rubbed his temples. "You're right, I don't understand. This is going to be a major move for you. You're uprooting your entire life, Nanna. Have you considered Jas?"

"Now you listen young man. Jas is all that I've considered."

Michelle surely wished she could have heard what Nanna was saying. She couldn't take it anymore. She quickly got up. Michelle quietly walked down the hall, and grabbed her jacket from the closet. She's going to sell the inn. I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. Michelle slipped her jacket on then she quietly opened the door and ran to her truck, very upset.

Nanna was trying to keep her voice down, because she didn't want to wake Major who'd fallen asleep on the sofa watching the game. "Why do you think she's with Aiden, you pin head?"

"You set that up?"

"Every damn bit of it."

***

Troy lay in the bed smoldering over what Deanna had told him. He glanced over at his wife and placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder as she slept. He thought he'd be angry after hearing the story, but had no idea he'd be murderously enraged.

No wonder she kept this from me. His face contorted as he rolled over on his back staring up at the dark ceiling. My wife is scarred and our entire lives have been impacted by that man's arrogant deceit. Troy reached out and threaded his fingers through Deanna's. We'll get through this, darling. His mind painfully shifted to more of what she had revealed.

"I loved Aiden, but every time I looked at him I saw Billy's face. He was so much like Billy when he was young. I can't explain the pain - loving your baby and feeling so much pain just to look at him. Myrna made my life a living hell."

"How long did you live like that?"

"Three years. I tried to find work and couldn't get a job because of the rumors. I was losing my mind, Troy. I was isolated, no education, no money and no hope. What could I offer my child?"

Deanna walked to the window and stared blankly. Her body tensed, she held her hands over her face. "Billy, on the other hand had a good job dusting crops, he didn't mistreat Aiden, though it was clear he loved Myrna's child more. Billy could give him more than I could and if I were to survive I couldn't stay in the house with Myrna."

Troy knew all about survival. He saw it day in and day out at the hospital. The will to preserve self is powerful to keep you from the grasp of falling apart or death. Human nature wants more than anything to survive.

"I had nothing, Troy. I loved Aiden enough to let him go. It was the most traumatic decision I ever made. The guilt was overwhelming. I'm not a bad person, am I Troy?"

He walked over to the window and laid his hand on her shoulder. "No darling, you made a decision that you felt would keep him safe."

A tear trickled down her face. "There would have been no life for Aiden. He would have lived with a sad soul. Sometimes I could barely breathe. I cried many tears behind closed doors."

"Oh, Deanna. I wish there was something that I could say."

"Then you came along. My everything. When we built our life, and had our children I knew Aiden would hate me because he wouldn't understand. That's why I didn't want him with us, not because I didn't love him but because I didn't want to hurt him more."

"You didn't tell me about him until he was sixteen. If I had known I would have wanted him with us when he was younger. It would have been easier to mold and mend his heart."

"I was afraid to tell you."

"I know," Troy said running his hands through his hair.

"Yet the irony of him being put out of his home because Myrna got pregnant again and me being put out of my home because of my mother being pregnant is just crazy."

"Deanna, can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"So those times when you'd take trips – before you told me about him..."

"Yes, I came to Ellijay to see Aiden, until he was six years old. He asked me could he come with me. It broke my heart to tell him no and I never went to see him again. I couldn't bear it."

Troy rolled over and laid on his side looking at Deanna. I'm glad you stole Billy's money and got on that bus, Deanna. "Where would I be without you?" He kissed her forehead softly.  Things would have been so much different if you had told me earlier. But I understand now. We're going to fix this.

He pulled his wife close and tucked her in his arms. She stirred and her eyes fluttered open, stress was still in her eyes. "Deanna, I need you to believe me, everything is going to be alright," he whispered.  She nodded and then closed her weary eyes.