“For the love of God, Tully, why would you want to own a wild dancehall?”
“You didn’t know this, but I used to listen at the vent when you got home from work. Most of the stories you told Mama were about Honky Tonk Heaven . . . and the Hennessys. And I guess they fueled my imagination. I started talking to everyone in town about the dancehall. People showed me old photographs and retold me stories their grandparents had told them. I know you think it’s silly, just like you thought Mama’s obsession with depression glass was silly. But everyone needs something that sparks their interest.”
Daddy stared at her for a long moment before he sat down and sighed. “Your mama’s obsession with depression glass wasn’t silly. I should have never acted like it was. Just because I didn’t understand her wanting to hunt it down at every thrift store and garage sale in the county, that didn’t make it wrong. I guess the same goes with your obsession with Honky Tonk Heaven. Although I wished you’d talked to me before you gave money to those no-good Hennessys.”
It was the perfect segue into the next subject she needed to discuss.
“Daddy, I love you, but you’re wrong about the Hennessys. In the last month, I’ve gotten to know them. And while they’re loud and outspoken and rambunctious, they’re also hardworking, good people. Good people who are trying their best to live down the reputation they got when they were just kids.”
“A reputation that was well deserved. Believe me, I know. I was the one called out constantly for something those kids did.”
“Kids, Daddy. Because that’s what they were. Just kids who didn’t have any parental supervision. Yes, they were troublemakers, but they aren’t those kids anymore.”
“Jaxon wasn’t a kid when he robbed the gas station and started that tire fire.”
She didn’t want to have this conversation, but she knew there was no way around it. “I know you think you saw Jax at Mickey’s that night. But believe me, it wasn’t him.”
“And just how do you know that? And since when are you on a nickname basis with Jaxon?”
She took a deep breath before she spoke the truth. “Since we’ve been seeing each other.”
Her daddy’s eyes widened and his mouth opened as if he wanted to yell. But then he snapped it shut and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “I’m assuming it’s too late to tell you what a bad idea . . . dating a Hennessy is.” She nodded and he sighed again. “Okay, so if it wasn’t Jaxon I saw driving his truck, who was it? Dawson? Huck?”
As his daughter and a law officer, she should tell her daddy it was Dawson he saw leaving Mickey’s that night. But if she did, she was afraid her daddy would hold that against Dawson like he’d done with Jaxon. And that wasn’t right. Especially when she didn’t think Dawson was guilty. He was too heartbroken when he thought Jaxon didn’t believe in his innocence.
“It doesn’t matter, Daddy, since the statute of limitations has already run out for prosecution. What matters is that it wasn’t Jaxon. Believe me, Daddy. He’s innocent.”
He studied her for a minute before he nodded. “To be honest, I never felt right about that arrest. I let past experiences with the Hennessys color my better judgment. I realized it as soon as I sat down to fill out the report and didn’t have a speck of evidence, besides seeing Jaxon’s truck leaving Mickey’s. And it was Jaxon’s truck. But you’re right. I didn’t see clearly who was driving. I just assumed it was Jaxon. Especially when he didn’t put up much of a fight when I arrested him.”
Her heart ached at just the thought of Jaxon accepting the blame so easily for his siblings and being handcuffed. Some emotion on her face must have clued her father in on her thoughts.
“He didn’t protest too much because he was taking the blame for one of his siblings, wasn’t he?” When she didn’t answer, he cursed under his breath and rubbed his eyes. “I should have known. Jaxon always took the blame.” He lowered his hand and looked at her. “I screwed up, Tully. I’m sorry.”
“You always taught me that everyone makes mistakes, Daddy. It’s how you deal with those mistakes that count.” She paused. “Have you dealt with the mistakes you made with Mama?”
At one time, she’d thought her parents’ separation was all her mama’s fault. Now she knew how complicated relationships were and that breakups were never just one person’s fault.
His eyes turned sad. “No. But I think it’s too late. She wants a divorce.” He quickly changed the subject. “What’s going on between you and Jaxon?”
The words came easily. “I love him.”
His smile faded. “You know he probably won’t stick around now that they won’t make the deadline, right?”
“Yes. But I also knew you were going to be disappointed when I told you I was quitting.” She shrugged. “So maybe Birdie is right. Maybe the only way you can achieve your dreams is to have the courage to go after them.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
The damage done to Honky Tonk Heaven wasn’t nearly as bad as Jaxon had thought. According to the fire department, the electrical fire had started in a wall in the kitchen. Which explained why the kitchen was gutted and the rest of the dancehall only suffered a small amount of smoke damage.
Still, rebuilding the kitchen wall, fixing the electrical and making sure it was up to code, and cleaning up the smoke damage would set the dancehall's opening back by at least three weeks.
Which would be a week too late.
Jaxon had thought he hated Honky Tonk Heaven. Now that he was losing it, he realized how wrong he’d been. It wasn’t the dancehall he’d hated. He’d hated all the time his mama had spent there. All the attention she’d given to a building that she couldn’t seem to give her kids.
Unless they were there working side by side for her dream. Then she had been different.
Jaxon almost forgot those nights they’d spent together closing up the bar. While they placed the chairs on the tables, totaled out the registers, swept the floors and mopped them, they’d bitch about what slobs people were or laugh about some funny thing that had taken place that night. It was the most attention he’d ever gotten from his mama.
