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“I heard a bit about that myself,” Cameron said. “A new owner will work wonders for the place.” Then he glanced at B.J. “So how do you like working at the bakery?”
B.J. grinned. “I like it. Aunt Annie is awesome, and the free cookies I get are just fine, too.”
They laughed, even Aaron, who had been silent during the job discussion. But Rusty had noticed his reticence and was curious about the silence.
“So, Aaron, what kind of job are you looking for?” she asked as Shirley began serving slices of apple pie for their dessert.
He met her gaze, but it took everything within him to not duck his head in shame.
“Before Clyde Wallace’s crime spree, I was a police officer for the City of Conway. After Clyde’s trial and sentencing, they let me go. I always wanted to be in law enforcement. I had seven years on the force before Clyde’s killing spree. After all the bad press and publicity, I guess being the son of a killer tainted the badge and screwed up public relations.”
Rusty didn’t blink. “Well, that sucks, but we have a lot in common. I was an undercover agent for the FBI for almost ten years. It’s what brought me to Jubilee, and where Cameron and I reunited after meeting years earlier.”
Aaron blinked. “No joke? A Fed?”
“I liked it, but undercover work is dangerous, andI had too many close calls. I happily gave it up just to have a family again.”
Cameron had been silent through the conversation, but in a lull, he had to ask.
“Have you applied for a job here with the Jubilee PD?”
Aaron shook his head.
“Why not?” Cameron asked.
“We came here to get away from being Clyde Wallace’s sons. I don’t want to resurrect that again with a simple background check.”
Cameron frowned. “Your last name is Pope. That name goes a long way around here. Sonny Warren is the police chief. I grew up with him. He’s a good man and a fair man. If you want that career, then fight for it.”
“If I thought it wouldn’t make trouble for us all over again here, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” Aaron said.
“Every family has a cross of some kind to bear. Your reputation should have nothing to do with who you’re related to. Trust him. Trust us,” Cameron said.
Aaron nodded but stayed silent.
Rusty took a bite of the pie, then rolled her eyes.
“Lord, Shirley. This pie is delicious!”
Shirley beamed. “Thanks. B.J. helped me make them. He’s a good hand in the kitchen.”
B.J. nodded. “I like to cook. But I like to eat better.”
They laughed, and the moment passed, but after the meal was over and the table cleared, Cameron knew it was time to explain why he’d come.
“I know you’re all wondering why I needed to talkto you, so I’ll get right to the point. And I need to stress this, above all else…what I say to you tonight stays in the family…in this room. Everybody on the mountain knows it, but we don’t talk about it, because it has to stay a secret.”
It was the wordsecretthat got their attention, and in that moment, Shirley suddenly realized what this was about.
“What’s the secret?” Aaron asked.
“The entire town of Jubilee is a very successful tourist attraction, owned by a company called PCG, Incorporated. All of the businesses in town lease the property locations and pay monthly rent to the corporation. The land is never for sale, nor is the mountain on which we live. It’s how we are protected from investors and outsiders wanting to clear it for their own gain. That’s how it’s been since my grandfather’s time. And this is how it will always be. But nobody except the families involved know that PCG stands forPope, Cauley, and Glass.”
Shirley was smiling. “I’ve been gone from here so long I’d completely forgotten about all this.”
Aaron leaned forward. “What? What are you saying?”
Cameron glanced at Rusty, and then spoke.
