Strawberry Wine ✓

Chapter 17

"Why are we sneaking into his office in the dead of night?" Jimmy asks again, holding the flashlight beam on the doorknob of the back door of Damon's office two nights later.

"Because we couldn't really break in during the day." I say through my teeth as I concentrate on getting the door open. I hear the lock click out of place and let out a triumphant humph before we slip inside and head to his desk.

"Ok, now what specifically are you looking for?"

"Damon was too shifty when I started asking questions. If he's not behind it, he knows who is." I say, shifting through his paperwork.

I noticed a checkbook of his under some official looking documents. "What do we have here?" I mumble as I pull it out. "This doesn't make sense. My dad has been giving him extra payments for years. Why?"

"What are you two doing in here?" A voice from the doorway made us both jump in the air. Damon was standing there with an officer.

"Why the hell was my dad making extra payments to you for years?" He paled slightly.

"You can leave now. I can handle this." He tells the officer before shutting the door after he left.

"They're gone. Now explain!"

"Well, Dad was paying me for my silence." He says. He smiled as he watched my face go through all of the emotions as I realized what he was insinuating.

"Absolutely the fuck not! There is no way in hell he's your dad too."

"Think about it. Your mother couldn't stand the sight of me. And you have to admit I look exactly like the bastard." I looked at him, really looked at him, and I did see Dad. I saw it in his smile, although on him it didn't look right. And even I couldn't deny that the eyes looking back at me matched mine.

"Oh for fuck's sake. Seriously? You?" He nods. "But that still doesn't explain why the amounts changed. So what did you do?"

"Well dear old Dad wanted to cut me off. And I couldn't let that happen. So I continued to make those payments to myself. And after that little brat nephew of mine was born," Jimmy went to hit him but I held him back, "Dad didn't pay as close attention to the books. So it was easier for things to just disappear. But Dad caught on. He should've known better than to go driving on slippery roads at night. Killing your bitch of a mother was just an added bonus."

I couldn't help it, I saw red. I flew at him, my fists connecting with his face repeatedly. I only stopped when Jimmy pulled me off of him. "I understand that you're upset but you'll be doing yourself no favors if you beat him to death." He says before going over to the phone and dialing 911.

Later that day, we were exiting the police station, having given our official statements. Given the evidence against him, we wouldn't be charged with breaking and entering and I had spoken with our family lawyer about the potential assault charge that might get thrown at me.

We spotted Cressida and her father eating at the café across the street and I couldn't contain the growl that escaped my throat. "Easy tiger. We figured it out. There's no way you won't get your family's money back so she has no power."

"Jimmy!" She calls and we have no choice but to go over. "Have you given any more thought to my offer?"

"I have Cressida. Your and your father's offer is no longer necessary."

"You're making a big mistake Jimmy. That farm will fold in less than a year." Cressida says.

"And how would you know?" I ask, suspiciously. "Because the only way you'd know for certain is if you were in on the plan with Damon as well. And I'm sure there's proof if the police know to look." She pales at this. "It's a good thing they have a slam dunk case against Damon already, or else I'd be tempted to sing like a canary." Her and her father visibly relax. "Remember this kindness Cressida, and leave my fiancé alone." I say before grabbing his hand in a way that shows off the ring as we leave.

...

Two months later and Damon was currently sitting in prison for the deaths of my parents and the embezzling of family funds. I had gotten most of the missing funds back as a result and the farm was fine, for now. We needed another successful racing season next year, and I was also in talks with a trainer to work with some of the retired race horses to get them into showing quality. It would take a little bit but there was a lot of promise for the future.

A DNA test confirmed that Damon had been telling the truth. I wasn't sure what to make of it. Dad had lied to me, they both had. And of course I had a million questions that couldn't be answered now.

Jimmy and I had planned our wedding and it'd be taking place at the end of that summer. I was so excited to be Mrs. Dobyne, finally.