Disclaimer- I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories Emotion, Old Friends, Family and Difficult Decisions.
It was a hot, bright, late June summers morning in Trinity SC. The warm early morning breeze rustled the dry leaves on the trees surrounding Gail Emory's house and the songs of the morning birds could be heard all around.
Gail sat comfortably on her porch swing wearing a small white pair of cotton shorts and a small maroon vest, with her long brown hair draped loosely over her shoulders. She was admiring the calmness of the morning with a fresh cup of herbal tea in her hand, before she would have to get ready and make herself presentable for the day. It had been over three weeks since she had inadvertently chosen to stay in Trinity and she was reflecting on how that decision had impacted her life, to take her mind off the upcoming anniversary of her parent's deaths.
After Gregory had returned to Charleston, it did not take long for Gail to receive a formal letter terminating her current contract with the Charleston Post. Gail had to laugh at how little her previous loyalty to the Post counted in their decision, or she would have cried. A few days later she had received a text message from her old boss Barton, offering her the opportunity to still provide them with articles on a self employed basis and they would pay her well for each individual story that was published. It was evident that Barton had felt guilty over how the matter had played out and was trying to give her something to hold on to.
Gail was not weak or stupid, she had saved more than enough money over the years to enable her to look after herself and her cousin comfortably, she certainly did not need hand outs. Gail had turned down several offers from different newspapers in the past and knew she was more than capable of finding a new employer; however, at this moment in time she was trying to be content with doing nothing and making the most of the time she had to herself, although this was not in her nature.
It appeared to Gail that Lucas was trying to make the situation work for him, as he had offered to step in and make it clear that he would not let her worry financially. That little display of dominance had resulted in her disregarding him for over a week, which prompted her to consider what she hoped to gain from their unusual relationship.
The one thing Gail hated the most was pity and she would not allow anyone to mistake her as vulnerable. Even Billy had attempted to offer her council and support, believing she was not capable of looking after herself. The only man that had not been treating her like a 1950's housewife since her employment was terminated was Ben.
Gail laughed out loud, these men had no idea what she had to endure in the foster homes that she was forced to stay in growing up. Between the attempted late night visits from her first foster father, to the mental and physical abuse that some of her foster parents tried to make her endure. She was amazed that she managed to escape without being more damaged than she was.
She appreciated that people mistook her for sweet and innocent, that had always worked in her favour when working a story but her true self was so far from that. Yes, Gail liked to think of herself as kind, loyal and pleasant to others; however, in addition to this she was also driven to a fault, stubborn, she did not suffer fools, she had very little patience and she was relentless in her pursuit of the truth no matter who it hurt along the way. Gail knew she could also be very detached and could come across as cold to anyone that she felt was a waste of her time, but she tried her best not to display that side of herself too often.
No, Gail did not need anyone's help. She was tougher than everybody took her for and if the men around her wanted to behave in such an old-fashioned manner, she would not hesitate to insert her own dominance like she already did with Lucas. It was a blessing really, she was beginning to enjoy the time they were spending together too much and was started to let her guard down with him, thankfully his true nature shone threw and it gave her a chance to step back from their relationship, to ponder over what she actually wanted from him.
Gail did miss Lucas at night and whenever he found a way to insert himself into her activities, her body ached for his touch; however, she would not allow herself to be controlled, therefore, her independent side took charge and gave her the strength to turn him away. It had been good for her, it meant she had more time for Ben, Billy and Matt.
Not spending most of her free time with Lucas had also freed her up to figure out what she wanted to be for Caleb. Her cousin had been distant in school the last few months and she had given him a pass on this, due to all the tragedy he had endured previously; however, now that she had more time to consider the situation, that had to stop.
Gail had tried to be there for her cousin ever since she came to Trinity, but she was not his mother and she had no idea how to deal with children. They had both been strangers and somehow managed to find a way to come together as family, it had been hard and there had clearly been a lot of obstacles in their way.
Gail had gotten used to being independent and only thinking about what she needed, hence all the time she had spent with Lucas even after she found out he was Caleb's father. This whole situation had forced her to re-evaluate her life and Gail believed she was in a good place with her relationship with Caleb and it was time that she took responsibility for him. She knew Lucas would have something to say about her plans; however, she was Caleb's guardian on paper, not Lucas and unless he wanted to declare Caleb's parentage to the whole town he would have to take a step back.
Gail took a sip of her herbal tea and sighed, she was not looking forward to the day ahead. She heard a slight creak coming from her front door and looked over to see a tired Caleb walking slowly towards her, wearing just a long T-Shirt and his underwear. Gail smiled, 'Morning, how did you sleep?' she asked.
Caleb sat on the porch swing next to Gail and reached for the glass of juice that she had already prepared for him. 'Good, your bed is comfier than mine...' he said taking a sip of his juice, '...you look different'
Gail gave him a sarcastic quizzical look, 'Well I've not put my war paint on yet and my hair has a life of it's own first thing in the morning'
Caleb laughed, his cousin was normally fully dressed with her hair and make up done when he saw her in the morning, it was nice to see her relaxed and completely natural. It was not often that he stayed over at his cousins house, she normally dropped him off at the boarding house even if he had been out late; therefore, he had been very surprised that she drove him back to her house after they had been to the new Cinema to watch a movie. 'It's nice here in the morning' he said, looking out onto the street.
Gail nodded, 'It is, I find it's soothing to sit out first thing and admire the peacefulness before the working day starts'
Caleb smiled, it truly was. He liked his special spot by the pier because of how peaceful it was, he had never thought that he could just get up a little earlier and sit in the garden to get that same feeling. 'I really enjoyed Avenger's' he said, moving his legs to make the porch swing start to swing.
The sudden movement of the swing made Gail grab her drink tightly and she gave Caleb a warning look. He stared back up at her with a cheeky grin and she could not bare to tell him off, even though she had nearly dropped the hot tea on her bare legs. 'I thought you'd like it, I can't believe you'd never been to a Cinema before; although, the old one here did close down a while ago'
'Can we go again?' he asked.
'Of course, providing your good in school and your homework is kept up to date' she said standing up to stretch her legs and walking down the porch steps to inspect her garden. 'How did you find it in my spare bedroom?' she called back to him.
Caleb stood up and followed his cousin, 'it was nice, I liked having the whole of upstairs to myself'
Gail smiled, this house was far too big for her and she had never really settled upstairs. She had a big bedroom and bathroom downstairs, not to mention her living room and kitchen; therefore, she did not need to move her belongings upstairs. Gail had been used to living in small apartments all her life, after she had been old enough to leave her foster home. When she moved in here, the vastness of the place was daunting so she chose to class the downstairs as her apartment.
Gail and Caleb were very similar, they had each grown used to their own space due to past experiences. The upstairs of her house had three bedrooms and a large bathroom, that would be more than enough room for Caleb. He would have everything he needed for the privacy he liked and would not have to invade her personal space, unless he was hungry or thirsty.
Gail would have to consider Caleb's permanent living arrangements sooner or later, the boarding house was only supposed to be a temporary solution and he had been there for over a year. Before she committed to taking him, she would have to consider what she had with Lucas. She did not want him finding a way to use her to get close to her cousin and she would certainly not allow him to visit her at night if Caleb was here. She decided that she would ponder on the matter when Caleb was not around, as it would be easier for her to weigh up their options.
Caleb came beside Gail and gave her a hug. Gail was taken aback by the unexpected gesture and looked at him suspiciously, 'What was that for?' she asked.
Caleb shrugged, 'Nothin', just wanted to I guess.'
Caleb was aware that his cousin had not mentioned the date and this made him a little worried about her as it was coming close to the anniversary of her parent's deaths. His cousin had been so focused on her parents death's when she came to Trinity, there was no way she could react well to the anniversary. Last year she was preoccupied with him, she would not have that distraction this year so Caleb made a mental note to keep an eye on his cousin over the next few days.
Gail narrowed her eyes at him, 'You look like your planning something' she said.
'Me? Nah' Caleb said smiling.
Gail shook her head, 'Come on, we both need to get ready and I need to drop you off at school' she said and put her arm around him to lead him indoors.
Lucas sat on his porch with a fresh glass of pure orange juice, admiring his garden. Gail had given in to his constant suggestions to make his garden more inviting and had began planting flowers around the place a few weeks earlier, which had made the garden look more colourful.
He glanced over at the gargoyle statue by the opening of his gate, which was where she had started her little project and reflected on how she seemed to be drawn to the statue. Gail had asked his permission to look through some of his private books to see what information she could find, as the statue had intrigued her; however, he did not believe she was ready for the content of his books just yet.
Lucas smiled when he recalled the disappointed look she had given him and the acts he had performed on her to make that look disappear. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair as he thought of her taste, the softness of her skin and the intense passion she brought out of him. Lucas was struggling to keep his urges under control during this 'break' she had forced on him. It had been too long since he had been inside her and part of him wanted to march up to her, bend her over and just take her, no matter who was watching. Unfortunately, that would not go down well in securing their future romantic encounters, so he decided he would just wait this out.
Gail had become offended when Lucas had offered his assistance to her, she had lashed out and told him to leave her alone while she figured out where they stood. He could not fathom out the reason for her reaction, he had only tried to reassure her that he would ensure she was well taken care of financially and she would not have to worry. That somehow had resulted in this 'break' and she had not allowed him to have more than 5 minutes of her time since then.
Lucas was beginning to feel pent up, he had gotten used to their regular encounters and was not impressed when she withdrew completely from him. Part of him had considered visiting Selena to get a release, as he knew he could always have her whenever he wanted; however, he would be loyal to Gail, they were meant to be together after all and this would be the perfect time to get used to the terms of a relationship.
Gail had not ended what they had in her usual fashion, which was surprising as she liked to shield herself from believing they were in a relationship and he knew her instinct with everything was to run; therefore, he chose to assume that this was his first official lover's quarrel.
It felt strange, he had never cared what a woman thought and he certainly would not be controlled by one. To him an argument was just another form of control and the winner was the one that chose to back down first; however, Gail did not seem to be trying to control him, she appeared to be hurt by his offer and he supposed this was her way of setting the relationship boundaries. Lucas believed if he respected her wishes, she would finally accept that they were in fact in a relationship, therefore, he had chosen to try and give her some space.
So here he was, admiring her work in his garden while reminiscing about what it felt like to be inside of her. He could picture her at home with his son, wearing a small pair of white shorts which could easily be pulled down for easy access to her sweet spot. He could stop by before she had a chance to change, drag her discreetly into her bedroom while Caleb got ready upstairs and have his way with her, she would probably even enjoy it after she got over the initial shock of the intrusion; however, he chose to remain sat on his porch looking out into the garden, attempting to push his urges back down.
Ben Healy had chosen to settle himself down on a high stool outside his favourite coffee shop and placed the two cups he was holding down on the table beside him. It was a lovely morning and he wanted to catch some sun before he had to head indoors to the Sheriff's Station. He glanced at his watch to confirm that his friend would be arriving any time soon and took a sip of his coffee while he waited.
Gail rushed down main street quickly, trying to ignore the advertisements for the fourth of July celebrations in most shop windows. She could not stand the run up to fourth of July at the best of times and had been hoping for some sort of a distraction.
When she spotted Ben, she strolled up to the table casually and climbed onto the stool next to him, pulling down her dress to ensure she kept her dignity. She was wearing a short, loose peach dress and her hair was tied in a loose bun at the top of her head, in an attempt to keep cool on this hot day. She took off her sunglasses and gave her friend a smile. 'I nearly didn't make it here on time, that cousin of mine takes longer to get ready than me!' she said laughing and reaching for her green tea.
Ben smiled and shook his head. 'Ben Jr is going through the same thing, he takes an age trying to make his hair just right. God help him when he realises he may end up with my hairline one day'
Gail playfully slapped her friend on the arm, he was always putting himself down. 'Behave.' she said and took a sip of her tea.
Ben feigned a hurt look then grimaced at Gail's drink. 'I don't know how you can drink that, it looks like it tastes of dirt'
Gail laughed, 'I'm a woman Ben, this is what we do to be healthy and shed some weight. There's other not so pleasant things we can force ourselves to swallow and I don't hear you men complaining about that' she said sweetly, it appeared the heat was causing her to be in a playful mood.
Ben nearly choked on his drink with the surprising comment and blushed, 'Gail!' he said in shock. He was not used to talking to a woman in such a relaxed manner and it always caught him off guard when Gail made a rude comment.
'Calm down Deputy, the lady was only joking...' Lucas said approaching the pair, '...besides, I don't hear you complaining about the taste either Miss Emory'
Gail shook her head as Lucas came behind her and stroked her back gently. 'Well I can't expect you to have to endure such a thing if I won't, Sheriff' she said, temporarily forgetting about Ben being present.
Lucas smiled and stared down at her seductively, 'Oh for me it's a pleasure Darlin''
Gail attempted to hide the deep intake of breath she had to take, she had not been prepared for his presence this morning and had to try hard to force her guard up.
When she gathered her composure, she realised Ben was sat silently staring in any direction but at her and Lucas. 'Down boy' she said playfully to Lucas and turned her attention back to her friend. 'So, Caleb and I went to the new Cinema last night. He really enjoyed it and asked to go again, do you want to come with Ben Jr? Caleb's been asking about him recently and they seemed to hit it off when they met.'
Ben shifted uncomfortably on his seat. He did not like to be around when the banter started with these two, as he could never tell whether it would remain civil or if it would escalate to personal insults. They always kept a pleasant manner; however, after spending a lot of time with Gail, he could now spot the subtle insults or suggestions in their conversations. He pushed the thought aside and tried to focus on the change of subject Gail had given him. 'That would be nice for Ben Jr, but I'll have to see what Barbara Joy says'
'Why don't you scoot off to the Station now and get the lady an answer?' Lucas said, wanting to be alone with Gail and smiled when Ben got up obediently.
'OK...wish me luck' Ben said to Gail and headed towards the Sheriff's Station, glad to be away from the pair.
Gail smiled at her friend, then took a sip of her drink. 'I was planning on having a conversation with him, you know' she said, not turning towards Lucas.
Lucas moved closer to her. 'I didn't think you'd want to waste your time on mundane conversation with my Deputy, when you have more pressing things to be thinking about'
Gail laughed, 'Well it appears I have all the time in the world these days, so what more pressing things would that be Sheriff?' she asked sweetly.
Lucas glanced around to make sure they were alone and leaned in closer. 'I've been very patient Darlin'...' he whispered in her ear, '...it's about time you made your decision about what you want'
Gail bit her lip in an attempt to resist the urge to kiss him. She could sense how close his lips were to her neck and she could feel her guard beginning to waiver. He was right, he had been patient and given her time to regain her dignity after his initial offer had offended her so much. She had expected him to invade her space more frequently than he had; however, he had kept his distance most of the time.
Gail had not quite figured out what she wanted with Lucas, she knew he had no concept of morals and suspected that he had done some terrible things to the people in this town in the past. On the other hand he seemed loyal to her and Caleb, he could have ran to Selena when the urge hit him on their 'break'; however, she knew he had not done so and he seemed to be waiting for her.
Lucas had once told her that he would change, he knew from her relentless pursuit of the truth that she would not voluntarily be involved in anything untoward and it was not in her nature to be drawn to such a man like him; however, he was who he was and she was drawn to him in a way that she could not control, so how could she expect him to change?
Gail heard the deep intake of breath that Lucas took, clearly this closeness was affecting him to. She glanced around to make sure no one had become aware of them, then stood up and pushed him gently towards the coffee shop alley. She gently cupped his chin to bring his face close to hers and placed a soft kiss on his lips. When she pulled away, Lucas tangled his fingers in her hair then pulled her close and kissed her passionately.
After a moment, Gail pulled away from the embrace and feigned a warning look. 'I appreciate the space you've given me and I know what you want, but this is not the time or the place. I need more time to think' she said and took a step back.
Lucas exhaled in exasperation, it was taking all of his self control not to insert his dominance and he could feel is twin slowly rising, trying to take control of the situation. He wanted to believe he would never hurt Gail; however, he could not trust the actions of his twin in this matter, so he took a deep breath and pushed him down.
Gail watched Lucas carefully, clearly he was struggling with something and it was unfortunate that she was the one causing it. Although she would not admit it, she cared about how he was doing and she did not like to see him this way. It was a shame she had been sworn to secrecy over the Mayor's meeting today by her new friend Mary, otherwise she could have given Lucas something else to focus on.
Lucas shook off his pent up feelings and regained his focus. 'What meeting Darlin'?' he asked intrigued, reading her mind.
Gail shook her head, had she spoken out loud? she should not be getting involved in this and Mary would not trust her again if she believed she had betrayed her confidence. 'I didn't mention a meeting, you're hearing things Sheriff' she said, trying to back track.
Lucas stared at Gail for a moment, then opened his minds eye to the Town Hall. The Mayor appeared to be meeting with Calvin, the owner of the Jackson's Pharmaceuticals; however, he could not fathom what they would have to discuss. Lucas gently caressed Gail's cheek and placed a kiss on her forehead, then headed back to the Sheriff's Station.
'Damn it!' Gail said out loud to herself, as Lucas walked away.
Mayor John sat uncomfortably in his chair, staring at his friend in disbelief. He had known Calvin Jackson for years, ever since they had wanted the same girl in High School and he did not want his old friend to take the action he was currently considering. 'Calvin, think about what you're saying. Do you really want to go against Lucas Buck? especially with only a week to go before he's named Sheriff' he asked.
Calvin took a sip of water from the glass in front of him and smiled, his old friend was only trying to look out for him; however, his mind was already made up. 'I'm not scared of Lucas Buck, besides it's about time we had a change in this town'
'Is that so' Lucas said, leaning against the door to the Mayor's office with is hands in his pockets.
Both men turned towards Lucas and stared in shock. Neither man had heard Lucas enter the room and John could still feel the faint burning sensation behind his eyes from the last unexpected visit from the Sheriff. 'Sorry Lucas...' John said shaking, '...I didn't hear you come in'
Lucas smiled as he knew from their previous encounters recently that the Mayor would not be plotting against him; therefore, this must be down to the other man in the room. 'What changes do you believe my town needs Calvin?' he asked, ignoring the Mayor.
Calvin stood up, trying to stand tall with Lucas. If he was going to continue with his intended actions he would have to get used to challenging the man. 'I wanna run for Sheriff. You've been in the position for a long time and we appreciate what you've done for us all, but it's time for someone else to step up' he said, trying to sound confident.
Lucas laughed and shook his head, he could not believe someone else was stupid enough to contemplate going up against him. It appeared some people in his town had grown a pair and wanted to try to advance above their stations. 'And you think you're the man to make me stand down?' Lucas asked comically.
Calvin smiled, trying to hide his nervousness. 'I'm a good family man and I'm fair. I don't want to disrespect you Sheriff, but I'm willing to give the election a try'
Lucas could feel his twin trying to burst out and take control; however, he would not let him out to play just yet. He never usually let it get to the stage of an election when someone made the unfortunate mistake of believing they could run against him; however, with all that was going on between him and Gail, he could do with a distraction. Maybe a campaign would do him some good. 'OK Calvin, may the best man win' he said, shook the mans hand and left the Mayor's office.
Mayor John stared at the door in disbelief when Lucas just left, then let out a long sigh of relief when his office door closed.
-To be continued-