Redemption, H.L.B. Adams [grave mercy txt] 📗

Prologue

 

Ann Mackenzie, a tall pretty blonde standing about five eight, with green eyes and slight curves, stood there with tears rolling down her cheeks as the love of her life, Brandon Cooper, a tall, about six one, dark haired man with blue grey eyes and the lean muscular physique of a running back, packed up his life. He was leaving her and there was nothing she could do about it. “Why? Just tell me that Brandon, why?” Ann asked trying to find some explanation.

“I can’t stay here. There’s nothing here for me anymore,” Brandon said not looking at her.

“Brandon, I know you’re hurting. You’re parents just died, but you shouldn’t make any rash decisions. Just think about it a little longer. You have friends here, people who care about you.”

“I’m not leaving just because my parents are dead, Ann. I’ve been thinking about this for months. The only reason I waited this long was because of my parents.”

Ann took a deep breath and tried to control her emotions. He didn’t love her anymore, but she couldn’t just let him leave like this. He needed to think rationally. She didn’t want him to stay for her, but for himself. She just had to get him to realize that the best thing for him was to stay here. “Brandon, please just think about this a little longer. Are you absolutely sure this is what you want? Where will you go? What will you do? What about college?”

“I’ve made my decision. You’re not going to change my mind. Where I go and what I do is my business, not yours,” Brandon said finally turning to look at her. “I can’t stay Ann. Just let it go. We’re not going to have that happily ever after you’ve been dreaming of. It’s time we both realized that and moved on.”

All Ann could do was stand there in the Cooper’s house, the house that had always been like a second home to her, and watch as Brandon walked out loaded up his truck and drove out of town, and out of her life.

 

Chapter One

 

Six Years Later

Brandon Cooper drove his red vintage Mustang into town wondering what had all changed. It had been years since he had been back to Troy, Alabama. He never thought he would come back, but sometimes you had to go back to move forward.

As he entered town he noticed that his favorite burger joint had closed, but there appeared to be more businesses. “Well it looks like the college is bringing in more business. Troy might actually turn into a city instead of just some small town in the middle of nowhere,” Brandon said as he drove toward his childhood home. No matter how much he wanted out of this town, he couldn’t sell his parent’s house. There were too many memories there.

When he pulled into the drive memories swamped him, the good ones of his parents, and the bad ones like the day he was informed his parents were dead, and the day he left. No matter how many years it had been, he still couldn’t get the image of Ann standing in the doorway with tears running down her cheeks. “Well she’s moved on by now,” Brandon said to himself as he got out of his car. “It’s not like she was going to pine after me forever. She’s probably happily married by now.”

 

Ann Mackenzie stood outside the elementary school directing students to their parent’s waiting cars. Her own little one was waiting for her inside, having her afternoon snack. It was Friday and she couldn’t wait to get out of here. As much as she loved her job, she still loved the weekends, those days when she got to spend all her time with her daughter. Mackenzie Cooper was a very energetic five year old. Smart as a whip with the looks of an angel, a dark angel with dark brown almost black hair and blue eyes. ‘With her father’s looks,’ Ann thought with a small smile on her face.

The fair was this weekend and she couldn’t wait to take Mackenzie. Mackenzie loved the fair. She loved the noise, the excitement, the rides, the games, and of course the prizes. Ann always tried to give Mackenzie as much as possible, not everything she wanted, Ann couldn’t afford that on a teacher’s salary, but Mackenzie always had what she needed. And the majority of what she wanted. Ann always felt the need to make up for the fact that Mackenzie’s dad was never there. Ann knew that spoiling Mackenzie wouldn’t make up for the fact that Mackenzie had never met her father, and probably never would, but she couldn’t help but try.

 

Brandon had been home for a few hours when he saw a cop car pull into the drive way. He walked outside to see what the problem was. Jason Wright, a man standing about five foot ten with semi long dirty blonde hair got out of the car. “Well, here I thought I was going to have to run off someone who was trespassing only to find out that it’s the owner,” Jason said smiling at his best friend from high school.

“Who decided it was a good idea to give you badge? Whoever it is needs their head checked?” Brandon said laughing as he walked down the steps.

“Well, I decided to change my wild ways and become an upstanding citizen of our great town. Plus I couldn’t help but love the irony of it, the trouble maker turned cop,” Jason said and gave his best friend a hug. “So where have you been? We’ve missed your ugly face around here.”

“Here and there.”

“Oh come one, give me more than that.”

“Well, I ended up in Texas for a while, figured out I was good at construction and ended up becoming a contractor. The pays pretty good, and the jobs a little flexible. I pick my on jobs and when I finish a job I can take some time off if I want. I like it. It gives me the freedom to travel some.”

“So, is this just a visit?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet. I thought about just coming back long enough to sell the house, and then moving on to the next place.”

“Uh huh,” Jason said with a worried look on his face then he manned up and brought up the one person that he had to, the one person that he knew Brandon wouldn’t want to talk about, “So, have you seen Ann?”

“No, why would I?” Brandon asked feeling uncomfortable.

“Oh, well I think you should.”

“Why? She probably doesn’t want to see me. I mean come on we didn’t exactly end it on good terms.”

“You mean when you just up and left,” Jason said a little mad.

“I had to leave Jay. You know I couldn’t stay. It was killing me to be here after my parents died, and Ann and I were moving too fast. We weren’t ready for marriage and kids and that’s where we were headed. We were only twenty.”

“Yeah, well you need to at least talk to her. She’s probably still at the school. I think you should stop by there,” Jason said slightly ill-tempered as he headed back to his cruiser.

“Why? Give me one damn good reason why she would want to see me. One reason why I should want to see her.”

“Because you have a kid,” Jason mumbled as he opened the car door.

“What? Speak up. I didn’t catch that.”

“Look it’s not my business, but trust me you need to go see her,” Jason said and got in the car. He slammed the car door, and sped out of the drive.

“What the hell was all that about?” Brandon said aloud as he went back into the house. He went back to unpacking and placing calls to get the utilities turned back on. ‘Since when do you have to talk to a machine to get your power turned on around here,’ Brandon thought shaking his head as he punched buttons on his phone.

 

It was six o’clock and Ann was standing in line for the Ferris wheel, Mackenzie’s favorite ride and one of Ann’s least favorite. ‘She definitely didn’t get my fear of heights,’ Ann thought wearily.

After about ten minutes of waiting Ann and Mackenzie climbed into the bucket seat. Ann started counting her breaths to keep calm. ‘Oh the things we do for our kids,’ Ann thought as she made sure Mackenzie sat back in the seat. As they made their way up towards the top Ann started to shake with anxiety, and Mackenzie started to shake with excitement. “Momma, Momma, look you can see everything from up here,” Mackenzie said excitedly not noticing her mother’s discomfort.

When they got off Ann’s knees were knocking. So when she heard that voice call her name she couldn’t manage any type of composure. She seriously thought about ignoring it, and walking in the other direction, but Mackenzie pulled on her shirt and said, “Momma that man is calling you.” “Yeah,” Ann said and looked up into those deep blue grey eyes she saw on her daughters face every day. “Hey Brandon, when did you get back into town,” she said as calmly as possible without a smile.

He couldn’t believe it when he saw her get off the Ferris wheel. Ann had always hated the Ferris wheel. Brandon had never been able to get her to get on the ride, her phobia of heights was too severe.

‘She looks the same,’ he thought as he called her name, ‘her hair is a little shorter, but that’s it.’ “Hey,” Brandon said as he reached her. “Umm, today. So what have you been up to?” he asked looking at her and not noticing the child beside her until her heard the little girl say, “Mommy who is he?”

Brandon looked down and saw a little brown headed girl staring at him. “He’s a friend of mine from school.” “Oh,” Mackenzie said and then held out her hand, “My name is Mackenzie Cooper.” Brandon felt the blood drain from his face as he shook the little girls hand, he finally saw the resemblance, and looked up at Ann with wide eyes.

“What? When? Why didn’t you tell me?” Brandon asked in rapid succession. “Not now Brandon,” Ann said looking back down at Mackenzie. ‘Not in front of her,’ her look said.

“Huh, what are y’all talking about?” Mackenzie said looking up at Ann.

“Nothing sweetie,” Ann said, “How about we go play some games?”

“But what’s he talking about.”

“It’s nothing Mackenzie,” Ann said in a stern voice.

“Okay,” Mackenzie said. “So are you coming with us?” Mackenzie asked looking up at Brandon.

“No, sweetie I’m sure Brandon has to get back to his friends.”

“Actually,” Brandon said shooting a look at Ann, “I came by myself and I’d love to come with y’all.”

“Good,” Mackenzie said grabbing his hand and pulling both of her parents toward the ring toss.

Ann gave the guy at the booth the money and stepped back to watch her daughter play. “Why didn’t you tell me I had a daughter?” Brandon asked when