Loves Legacy: The Legacy Series: The Beasley's Book Four Read online

  Snapping out of the day dream he was in, Lance told him, “I hope you are right.”

  “I have no worries,” Shelby said with a confidence she did not really have. Bringing Lance back to the present. “Let us get going so that I can get home tonight for dinner with him. Thanks, Lance, I promise we will have lunch next week.”

  “No problem, sweetie, it was good to see you again, Mrs. Beasley,” Lance said to Sarah.

  As they pulled back into the moderately fast flow on Main Street, Sarah said, “Shelby baby, can I say something?” Looking over at her in shock that she would even ask that question, Shelby said, “Of course you can, Momma.”

  It was minutes before Sarah actually spoke again. “Don’t give up your soul for the legacy of this family. Don’t get lost like your father. You may never find your way back, and it’s not worth it,” she said. Sarah’s voice cracked as she finished her statement, rubbing the back of Shelby’s hand that was on the gear shift between the seats. One of the things that Shelby had always admired was her mother’s complete and utter loyalty to her father and the Beasley family. Shelby knew for Sarah to be saying that to her, there had been a drastic change. ‘What in the hell happened the night Daddy was shot?’ she thought.

  CHAPTER 3

  Shelby was walking as fast as she could in the pencil skirt she was wearing toward her office so that she could talk to Greyson before the Board meeting started. She had decided to change into a “power suit” as Cassidy liked to put it if she was going to be facing the Board. So much was going on that Shelby still did not feel comfortable in the position yet but she knew she could handle it. She noticed people looking at her out of the corner of her eye. Phones were ringing, copy machines going and you could hear the key strokes on the computer but she still felt like she was the center of attention.

  Opening her office door, she found Greyson sitting behind her desk with his legs propped up on the corner of the custom made desk that Cassidy had ordered for her.

  “Good afternoon, Grey,” Shelby said. She had stopped in the middle of the large office with her purse and briefcase in one hand and the other on her hip. “Is there something wrong with your office that you need to be in mine?” As she came around one side of the desk, Greyson went around the other adjusting his tie.

  “No, I knew you would want to talk before the meeting so I figured I would wait for you here,” Greyson said. Greyson had been acting weird for months but he had really been acting like, well, an ass since she was appointed CEO of Beasley Holdings.

  “Well, I appreciate the consideration to my time but I would appreciate if in the future, you let me come to you; how’s that?” Shelby said to her brother taking off her suit jacket and sitting in her chair.

  “So what is so urgent that you needed to call a Board meeting today?” Shelby said to her brother. Greyson was standing across the room looking at a picture of Shelby, Savannah and Greyson together at the Kentucky Derby when they were children. Greyson had always said that he wanted to be like their father. In that picture Greyson was wearing the same jacket and hat that Jackson had on that year. He had made a special request to his mother to have one made. He was so quiet for so long Shelby did not think that he would answer her.

  “How is Dad doing?” he said to his sister still staring at the picture. Greyson had not been to the hospital to see Jackson yet; he had not even called. He had at least gone to visit Sarah in jail to promise her that they would get her out of there.

  “He is not doing well. Daddy’s body took a good beating and the five gunshot wounds and his age are not helping his recovery,” Shelby said to her brother, standing up and walking around her desk getting closer to him, “But you would know that if you went to the hospital,” Shelby said softly taking a deep breath. Greyson sat the picture down and started to pace.

  “Grey? What’s wrong?” Shelby whispered. Greyson had become like a caged animal and he was about to explode.

  “Grey, it’s me, talk to me. I want to help you if I can,” she whispered.

  “I am not like you, Shel!” Greyson yelled at her. Shelby hated when people raised their voice at her. That was one of her pet peeves. If she could manage to stay composed when upset, then so could everyone else. But she knew that right now what Grey needed was to let it out. “How can you forgive them? How can you act like nothing has happened? You know I will never know my own mother? Think of the finality of that word. Never,” he finished still pacing. Shelby was not sure if he was done and got her answer when he started to talk again. “I love BOTH of them, they are Momma and Daddy. But I hate them at the same time and I do not know if that will ever change. My wife is a cheater, my kids are not mine and then I find out that my mother is not mine either and I will never know the woman that is, thanks to my father deciding to play God. I am finding that I can trust no one in my life,” Greyson said finally melting into tears as he sank into one of the plush “couch” chairs in the sitting area. Shelby rushed to her brother’s side and wrapped her arms around him. “Oh, Grey! I am so so sorry! I feel so terrible with all that has been going on. I didn’t even think to ask you how things are going with you and Leslie,” she said.

  Greyson cried for a little bit and Shelby could feel his pain and anger releasing from him. She knew he needed to do this; she had needed it too. Luckily for her, she had Logan and he had been her rock through all of this. Logan was amazing to, and for, her. Thinking of how happy Logan made her made Shelby wonder how happy she was making him. Probably not very, considering that she hardly saw him and when they were together, she was preoccupied with either work or the family. She had to admit to herself that she had not made him a priority lately.

  “How things are going is that my divorce will be final in a week. My soon to be ex-wife was sleeping with my best friend the majority of our marriage and I am not allowed to see the children that I thought were mine for the past three years because it turns out they are not mine and I have no rights to them. Top it off with my father and mother lying to me about my identity my whole life. My biological mother being dead and the mother that raised me pumped five hot ones in my father’s ass and I think you can say that is the shit sundae that is my life,” Greyson said sitting back in the chair.

  “Well, at least you can say you are a redneck without actually having a red neck!” Shelby said trying to put a positive spin on things. They looked at each other and both just started to laugh at the irony of their lives. They were wealthy educated upstanding members of the black community and could probably be considered more white trash than actual white trash.

  “Thanks, Sis,” Greyson said as he helped Shelby stand up from the kneeling position.

  “For what?”

  “For the laugh! I have not done that in weeks and I really needed it,” Greyson said.

  “Well, I am glad that I can help!” Shelby said adjusting her skirt. “Now tell me what this Board meeting is about that had to be done today?” she finished going behind her desk.

  “Basically it’s about the sale of the Mapping Division,” Grey said. “We have to get a vote since it’s such a large division and we are keeping a proprietary stake in the division.”

  Looking through the files on her desk, Shelby said, “I think I started reading about that last night. I just didn’t get through the report.”

  “Shel, you can’t do everything. Why don’t you let me handle the business?” Greyson said picking up the file she was looking for from the coffee table in the sitting area and handing it to her.

  “I could if you gave me a little help with the family,” Shelby said irritably. “I am sorry, Grey, I didn’t mean that,” she said resting her head in her hands. “I am just so tired.”

  “Shelby, I know you have to be the face of the company. But I can do this. I need you to trust me. I can’t deal with the family right now. Let me handle the business and you help Momma and we will keep each other updated,” Grey said.

  “Grey, you know Momma would love to see you esp
ecially with where she is coming from. You may be able to get her to tell me the truth,” Shelby said looking at her brother.

  Taking a deep breath and putting his hands in his pockets, Grey said, “I am not ready, Shel. I don’t think she did it either but I really am not ready,” Greyson said. “What about if I send her a text?” he finished chuckling as Shelby gave him the finger.

  Shelby knew she was going to have to back out of something and to be honest, she did not enjoy the business and she missed the students. She knew if she didn’t spend more time with Logan, she was going to lose him. She was not ready to ever let that happen.

  “Ok, Grey, I will draft a memo today and let everyone know you are the acting CEO. But I expect to be updated on anything big and I must be at all the Board meetings… deal?”

  “My big sister - a shrewd business woman,” Grey said shaking his head. “I never would have thought, deal,” he said shaking her hand.

  Grey and Shelby spent the next hour going over the business for the meeting and solidifying her vote. Shelby signed her voting proxy and instructed her assistant of the memo to draft and send out and left Beasley’s Holdings in Grey’s capable hands.

  CHAPTER 4

  Shelby decided to stop by a local fresh seafood market on the way home. She knew that Logan would be upset with her for missing his opening, so she wanted to make him, Gia and her mother a special dinner. What she found at home was not what she expected. There was no sign of Logan and Gia but her mother was in the back yard. Shelby’s yard was the most detailed areas of her house. She had paid a landscaper a great deal of money to make it into a soothing and relaxing oasis; a place where she could go to read and clear her thoughts. The garden was set up like a rooftop lounge and a relaxing oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of downtown Georgia. Ample throw pillows made the outdoor beds ideal for leaning back to take in the view. Flowering vines add color and create privacy between cabanas that were set up in the yard. There was an outdoor swinging bed that was almost cozier than Shelby’s own bed in her bedroom. She kept a down comforter on top of it, making it more comfortable in the summer and warm enough to extend hammock season into fall and winter. Whether meditating or enjoying a cup of green tea, the daybed was set amidst the bonsai garden and was designed for ultimate relaxation. The red-and-brown bedding tied in perfectly with the yard's Japanese theme. In the far corner of the yard, there was clamshell-inspired sofa "upholstered" with grass and AstroTurf. Just past that area was what used to be, believe it or not, a carport that had been transformed into an open-air room into a lounging spot for a crowd with a custom-made bench outfitted with bright pillows. Electric or battery-powered hanging bulbs lit the entire yard giving it an enchanted and mystical appearance.

  After Shelby put the groceries in the kitchen, she went out to the yard.

  “Hi Momma! How are you doing?” she said as she leaned in to kiss her mother.

  “Hi, baby girl, I am doing as well as can be expected,” she said trying to relax.

  “Well, something is better than nothing,” Shelby said sitting down next to her. “Have you seen Logan and Gia?”

  “I did, we talked for a while this afternoon, baby girl.” The way that she said it turned on some alarm bells for Shelby that something was wrong.

  “He said he sent you a text message that he was moving back to his place and he never got a response from you,” Sarah explained to her.

  “WHAT?” Shelby yelled jumping up from the lounge chair. “I didn’t get a text,” she said as she was trying to pull her phone out of her pocket. She looked at her phone and true enough; he had sent her a text that said, “We need to talk. I think I should move back home.” That was four hours ago.

  “Baby, calm down. I am sure you can call him and work things out,” Sarah said. Shelby started to turn in circles in anxiety and go back and forth between starting to leave and sitting back down.

  “Momma, why did he leave? What happened? Why didn’t he call? Why didn’t you call?” Shelby said angrily.

  “Shelby, it is not my place to report the whereabouts of your boyfriend to you,” Sarah said sarcastically.

  “Well, I would know where my boyfriend was if I was not spending so much time keeping up with your wayward husband,” Shelby said nastily. She knew she had over stepped when she saw the look on her mother’s face. Sarah looked at Shelby like she had stabbed her repeatedly in the heart. She stood up and adjusted her top and turned to go in the house.

  “Wait, Momma I am sorry. Don’t go. I didn’t mean that. I am sorry,” Shelby said reaching for her mother. Sarah stopped mid-stride, hung her head low for a moment before turning to Shelby.

  “Baby girl, I see something happening to you and it’s breaking my heart,” her voice cracked with emotion. “I see you letting the pressure of being the “head” of this family turn you into your father and that is killing me. Shelby, your daddy was not always the man that he is today. If he was, I never would have loved him. But he let “legacy” of the family name and the money and power change him into the man he is today. Don’t let that be the Beasley Legacy; let love be the legacy that you carry,” Sarah said before she walked into the house and went to bed. Shelby sat there in the garden crying for the next hour. She finally decided that she was not going to just give up on her and Logan. Although it was late, she was going to his house and she was not going to leave until he talked to her.

  She went into the house to change and let her mother know that she was leaving and may or may not be back later. She made her mother a salad, and just as she was about to leave her cell phone rang.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, Shel. How are you?” Cassidy said.

  “I am not good, Cass. Logan moved out and I have to go to his house and talk to him,” Shelby said distracted by trying to find her keys.

  “Normally I would want to get into what in the hell fire and damnation you did to that sexy ass man but I am calling for a purpose,” Cassidy said.

  “Oh Lord! I swear I can’t take anymore gas on this three alarm fire that is my life, Cass. What’s up?” Shelby said putting the phone down to put on her jacket.

  “Well, I don’t know if it’s gas but it damn sure ain’t water. Have you seen your sister?” Cassidy said.

  “Don’t you mean OUR sister?” Shelby said sarcastically, “and no, I have not seen Savannah since before the shooting.”

  “Ok, I have told you that I am in a state of complete and total denial about the she-bitch from the pits of Satan’s nut sack being my sister. I am going to need you to respect my wishes like it’s my Last Will and Testament,” Cassidy said.

  Shelby could not help but laugh at that little speech. “Ok, I will let it go being that I am still trying to figure out how the hell you come up with these sayings,” she said laughing. “Why are you asking if I had seen her?”

  “Momma is looking for her.” Cassidy said. “She had been trying to do the mother-daughter bonding thing with her, and she was supposed to go to Thailand for a week with Momma. She no-showed at the private airfield and no one has seen or spoken to her since.”

  “Well, I have not spoken to her in weeks and even if I did know where she was, I would not know what she was into. I am sorry. I wish I could help,” Shelby told her in a concerned but distracted tone. Cassidy could tell that this conversation was not high on Shelby’s priority list right now and she thought it was about time Shelby put herself first.

  “It’s ok, you get as slutted up as you know how and get your butt over there and get your man. I will talk to you later,” Cassidy said to her friend. As she checked her hair and make-up and pulled on her trench coat, Shelby wondered why no one had seen Cassidy in days. She thought about it a little on the drive over to Logan’s house but as she walked up his walkway, she put it out of her mind and decided to focus on only Logan tonight. She rang his doorbell and waited. She heard him say ‘coming’ from inside the house. When he opened the door, he did not look very happy to see her.

&nb
sp; “Can I come in?” she said to him softly. Stepping back so that she could walk in, Logan gestured for Shelby to enter. Logan had bought this house at auction and rehabbed it into a beautiful home. It was a four bedroom, three and a half bath Colonial-style house with white siding, red shutters on the windows and a red front door. When Shelby had asked him why he had bought such a big house, he had said, “so that we have room for our babies, of course.” Things being so hectic and crazy with her family, she had not bothered to ask him how the renovations were going or anything about the house for that matter. Now as she was standing there in his entry way, she doubted he felt the same way anymore. The project was a whole renovation where they added on an addition to the top level and moved a few rooms around. The home before was dark and quite closed off, so they opened up many of the rooms, increasing their size and accessibility. His home also lent itself to a few great features; the first and most prominent being the kitchen. With the use of custom millwork, they were able to work in a unique design that reflects Logan’s personality in the home. A few others include custom furniture in the master bathroom and custom millwork in the master walk-in closet. The original kitchen and keeping room were closed off to one another and structurally very different. With a few variations to the adjoining walls and the overall structure, Logan was able to open up the space tremendously. The end result is now a very quaint kitchen design that ties in the typical functionalities of a kitchen with the personality of Logan and Gia. The kitchen is now a central space for reading, cooking and entertaining. The family room was designed for a family who wanted this space to be functional for everyone in their family and all of their guests. The eclectic space was painted with a soft blue color complimented by a hide rug. The window treatments added a touch of whimsy to the space, and the leather ottoman was upholstered in a tough blue leather to be both functional and beautiful.