The Way Home Read online

  “Can I help you?” she asked, in a tone that suggested she wasn’t going to be much help at all.

  Before she could answer, a younger woman who shared Jo’s same dark brown skin with close-cropped hair that showed off large eyes that were so dark they were almost black came through another doorway marked Mayor.

  “Grace, have you seen the printout for… Oh, hello,” she said with a friendly smile.

  “Hi, I’m Josephine Martin.” Jo extended her hand. “I’m here looking for…well I’m not exactly sure.”

  “I’m the mayor, Mae Colton. Come on back to my office and we’ll see if we can figure out what you need.”

  The administrative assistant cleared her throat. “Mayor Colton, I can take care of this for you.”

  “Grace, I know you’re busy looking for the contract from the county for garbage disposal I asked you for two days ago,” Mae answered, with a raised eyebrow. “This way, Ms. Martin.”

  Grace pursed her lips and glared at them as Mae led her past the front desk and into her office. Jo looked around and wondered if she had just wandered onto the set of Mad Men. Mae took her place behind a huge oak desk that dwarfed her petite frame. There were two chairs covered in dark burgundy vinyl to one side and a smaller version in front of the desk. “Take a seat,” she said gesturing to it.

  Jo sat down and pulled the envelope from her bag. “I’m here about Halcyon.”

  “The old plantation house? What about it?”

  She cleared her throat. “I’d like to see it.”

  “Well, this is interesting.” Mae sat back. “Can I ask why?”

  Jo handed Mae the envelope. “I recently came across some documents that show my family has a connection to the house.”

  Mae looked down at the handwriting on the front and drew in a breath. She pulled out the sheaf of paper and started reading. She looked from the letter to Jo and back again. “Holy shit,” she whispered. “Grace,” she yelled, still looking down at the letter.

  Grace popped her head in the door.

  “I need all the files you have on Halcyon, including the tax records, and current title holder. If you don’t have them, call the county office and have everything sent here.”

  Grace frowned. “What do you need it for?”

  Mae stared the woman down until the older woman stepped back with her lips pressed into a thin line.

  “Sorry,” she grumbled when Grace left. “I was just appointed as mayor after…well, there was an incident a couple of months ago and the town was put into receivership. I was asked to serve as interim mayor and—” she held her arms out “—here I am. It’s been a bit of an adjustment for some people. We’re a small town with limited resources so there’s only one administrative assistant. Grace is used to working with Judge Beaumont and we’re struggling a bit to find our footing together.” She tilted her head toward the doorway.

  Jo gave her a sympathetic smile. She couldn’t begin to imagine the challenges of running a small town. She could appreciate what Mae had to deal with as a young Black woman, trying to change the status quo.

  Mae carefully folded the letter and put it into the envelope, handing it back to Jo. “You realize what this means don’t you?”

  “That we’re related?”

  “Yes, we must be cousins.” She smiled. “The roots of the Colton family tree run deep and are so damn tangled it’s hard to figure them out. But if you’re Black and you descend from one of the enslaved people who worked on the Colton Plantation, odds are we’re related.”

  Jo held up the letter, pointing to Ada Mae’s name in the corner. “She could be your namesake.”

  Mae tapped her lips. “I was always told Mae was a family name but I never knew who it was from.” She sat up straighter and grabbed her phone. “Are you free for dinner?” Jo nodded as Mae held up a finger. “Hi, Mom, I’m bringing company for dinner tonight. No, not him, it’s a surprise.” She hung up the phone and rubbed her hands together. “Now that that’s taken care of, let’s take a drive over to Halcyon.”

  As they drove out of town Mae pointed out that the park across the street was named after Colonel Absolem Madden Colton.

  “I have to admit it’s strange to see a park named after a man who owned our family.”

  “Parks, monuments, and schools—the South is filled with reminders of the Confederacy,” Mae said.

  “You’d think they won the war.”

  “There are still folks out there who have a hard time letting go of the idea of a South that never really existed. They’re the same people who think slaves and plantations like Halcyon were just like what they’ve seen in old movies.”

  Mae’s Jeep zipped down the road toward the mansion. She explained that Halcyon was only ten minutes outside of town and the way she drove it was even quicker than that. They turned down the long driveway and Jo got her first glimpse of the plantation. They pulled around a large oak tree that stood at the center of a circular driveway to the front of the house.

  “Are you okay?” Mae asked when Jo took a deep breath, hesitating before she got out of the car.

  Jo gave her a shaky smile. “I’m good.”

  “I’m sorry we can’t go inside, but we can walk around the exterior.”

  Wide upper and lower verandas were supported by four large columns on three sides of the house. The shutters that remained hung precariously at different angles, but the front door stood solid under the large arched window. Although worn with time and half overgrown with weeds, the house still had a whisper of how impressive it must have been. How could something that was once so beautiful and grand have been built from so much pain?

  When they finished their tour, Mae turned to her. “I don’t get it—what do you think you can do with this place?”

  “I don’t know yet. I can’t explain it but I feel like I’m supposed to be here.”

  Mae put her arm around Jo’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s head to my folks’ place for dinner. They’re going to want to hear all about this.”

  The wind rustled through the large oak tree on the other side of the driveway and the scent of eucalyptus filled the air. Jo could have sworn she heard a voice saying: “Your future is here. Welcome home, baby girl,” in the wind when she walked back to the car.

  Chapter Two

  Peanut shells crunched under his boots when Taylor Colton entered the dimly lit juke joint. The Buckthorn was legendary. Mysterious and forbidden when he was a child. Now at thirty he crept in as if he were afraid the grown-ups would catch him and throw him out. Mr. Wallace, the owner, gave him a slight nod. He continued popping the tops off beer bottles and pushing them toward the people crowding the bar without breaking his rhythm.

  A delayed flight had brought him to Colton later than he’d planned. He’d stopped by the town hall looking for the new mayor and was told she could be found at the Buckthorn. His lips quirked recalling the way the woman at the reception desk in the mayor’s office said the name of the establishment. She looked as if she had just taken a bite out of a lemon. Taylor got the impression the woman didn’t approve of the mayor leaving work early on a Friday to have a drink with her friends.

  He scanned the picnic tables covered in red and white checkered oilcloth, looking for the mayor. It didn’t take long to find her, sitting at a table toward the back along with several others including a stunning Black woman who momentarily distracted him from his task. The woman’s hair was parted in the middle and fell in a straight waterfall of deep brown past her shoulders. The style emphasized the high cheekbones of her heart-shaped face. She had large dark eyes and full pink lips. Very kissable lips. Her dark skin glowed against the simple black T-shirt she wore. Taylor zeroed in on the delicate circle of gold on a chain that nestled in the low neckline of her top and was seized by a jolt of attraction that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. He slowed down giving himself a minute to admire her before returning his focus to what he was here for. A few faces around the table were familiar while other
s he didn’t recognize. Taylor was certain he’d never seen the woman sitting next to the mayor before—he would remember a face like hers.

  It had been too long since he’d been back to Colton. His career took off at the same time his grandparents who lived in Colton passed away, bringing his summer visits to an end.

  He nodded and smiled at the people pointing and whispering. He made sure to make eye contact with a couple of women who were practically drooling as he crossed the room. It was a part of the job. Celebrity came with perks and he enjoyed every single one of them. As the host of one of the most watched home improvement shows on TV, he was used to being recognized just about everywhere he went.

  “Excuse me, Mayor Colton, I don’t know if you remember me.” Taylor offered his hand when he reached the table.

  Colton’s new mayor looked up at him with a bright smile. Mae Colton had grown up from the little girl he remembered into a young woman with a welcoming smile.

  “I may not remember you but I think it’s safe to say we all know who you are.” She tilted her head, with a curious expression. “What can I do for you, Mr. Colton?”

  “I don’t mean to interrupt your evening. I wanted to give you the news before you heard about it from anyone else or the press.”

  “Have a seat.” She gestured toward an empty spot at the table.

  “It’s good to see you again, Taylor.” His cousin Dax Ellis shook his hand. “This is my wife Callie.”

  Taylor remembered Dax from when they were kids. They were second cousins once removed or something like that. He’d have to ask his parents to send him a copy of the family tree they had a genealogist make a few years ago so he could keep track of everyone. Dax’s wife smiled while Dax looked down at her, practically glowing with love.

  Taylor sat down and a man approached with a tray of beers.

  “And, this is my brother Reid,” Dax said.

  “I embarrassed to say this but I didn’t remember you had a brother,” he admitted.

  “That’s okay. I was sent away to military school when you were little. I didn’t come back to Colton very often after that,” Reid said.

  “Until now. Reid moved back to Colton after Callie and I got married.” Dax grinned at his brother.

  Taylor shook Reid’s hand. “I hope I can get to know my cousins again while I’m here.”

  “What brings you to Colton and what do you need my help for?” Mae asked.

  He cleared his throat, eager for the excited response that would follow his announcement. “I’m going to feature Halcyon on the next season of my show.”

  There was an awkward silence and a gasp from the woman sitting next to Mae. He often got that response when people realized who he was. But, the woman looked anything but delighted.

  Taylor looked around the table in confusion. “Is there a problem?”

  “I…” Mae sat up and cleared her throat. “Apparently you haven’t heard yet. Ms. Martin here has filed a claim on the title for Halcyon,” Mae said gesturing to the woman sitting next to her.

  He stared at the mayor in disbelief. “What are you talking about? Our family has owned Halcyon since it was built.”

  “Taylor, this is Josephine Martin.” Mae introduced the woman sitting next to her, who was a lot less appealing than she’d been just a minute ago. “Jo filed a petition of probate to change the title of Halcyon into her name last week. Notice should have been sent out to your family by now.”

  “This doesn’t make any sense. How can you file a claim on Halcyon?”

  Mae shifted in her seat, exchanging a look with Callie.

  “Taylor,” Dax said, taking his wife’s hand in his. “Jo is a descendant of one of the slaves from the plantation.”

  “Just like Mae and I are,” Callie added, quietly.

  And there it was: the unavoidable truth of his family legacy. Most of the people in Colton, Mississippi, belonged to two families—one White, one Black, both Coltons. His face heated with shame. He dropped his gaze, unable to look Josephine Martin in the eye.

  “She has a letter written by your seventh great-uncle Colonel Colton. He promised the house to Josephine’s sixth great-grandmother named Ada Mae,” Dax said.

  “I can show you the letter.” Josephine lifted her chin, with a challenging glint in her eye.

  Taylor was finally ready to take on the one project he’d always wanted to do and this woman could take it all away. He was numb. What could he say?

  “I um…I have some phone calls I need to make,” he heard himself say as he got up from the table. He walked out the way he walked in, ignoring the stares and whispers. He slammed his hand on the steering wheel as he drove away from the juke joint. “Dammit,” he grumbled.

  *

  He drove straight to Halcyon. The grand house was waiting for him, standing worn but still proud under the moonlight. It was his love of the house that had led him to study design and architecture in college. Taylor craned his neck, looking up at the grand columns that supported the structure. When his grandparents passed away while he was still in school, he begged his parents to keep the house until he had the time and money to restore it. He had the money, more than enough with the success of the show. But the show was a double-edged sword that also meant he never had the time. His parents gave him an ultimatum on his thirtieth birthday. Restore Halcyon or they were going to donate it to the state. Now he was out of time.

  Passed down through the generations, his great-grandparents were the last members of his family to claim the house as a home. His grandparents preferred to live in town but they kept the house and five acres of farmland that surrounded it. He’d spent hours exploring the rooms on every visit to Colton as a boy. The memory of playing hide-and-go-seek in the house with his brother brought a smile to his lips.

  Headlights bounced off the columns and a vintage gray pickup pulled up next to his rental car.

  “Thought I’d find you here,” the older man said getting out of his truck, pulling his Biloxi Shuckers cap down low over his eyes.

  He shook the man’s hand. “Uncle Robert, it’s good to see you.”

  Robert Ellis wasn’t really his uncle. The family tree would place him firmly in the cousin branch. But just like everybody else in his family and the town, he was known as Uncle Robert.

  “Dax must have called,” Taylor said, with a grimace.

  Uncle Robert nodded and went back to his truck pulling out a cooler. He gestured to the veranda steps. “I brought us some dinner. I figured you didn’t get a chance to eat yet.”

  His stomach rumbled in confirmation.

  They sat down and Uncle Robert pulled out two beers and a couple of roast beef sandwiches.

  “It ain’t fancy but it’ll fill you up.”

  Taylor bit into the sandwich, appreciating the taste of the tender, savory meat with a thick slice of tomato and just the right amount of mayonnaise. A container of potato salad appeared in front of him and he grunted his appreciation around a mouthful of his sandwich. No one made better potato salad than Uncle Robert. He set aside the empty container a few minutes later with a satisfied sigh. “Thank you, I needed that.”

  “I know how they fancy up potato salad in LA. Adding in grapes and kale.” He wrinkled his nose. “Those folks put kale in damn near everything.”

  Taylor smiled. “It’s good to be back.”

  “You haven’t been home for a long time. Are you sure this is a project you really want to do?” Uncle Robert asked.

  “I’ve always dreamed of bringing this house back to its original glory. I want people to be able to see it the way it was built. I’ve spent years thinking about how magnificent it must have been back in the day.”

  “Be careful, son.” Robert frowned.

  “I guess you’ve heard about the other claim on the house.”

  “I have.”

  “I can’t believe this. All I’ve ever wanted is to restore Halcyon and now this woman is going to try to take it away from me.”


  “She’s not trying to take it away from you. Halcyon isn’t a toy that someone is trying to steal. You need to realize, what you remember as being magnificent caused other people a whole lot of pain and suffering.”

  Uncle Robert’s reprimand was sharp. Taylor dropped his head, staring down at the weathered floorboards.

  “I can’t explain it but I know restoring Halcyon is what I’m supposed to do. It’s like a…”

  “Like a calling?” Uncle Robert asked.

  “It sounds crazy doesn’t it?”

  Uncle Robert lifted his cap and ran his hand through his gray hair before setting it back on his head again. “Who am I to question your dreams? If you feel strongly about fixing this place up then that’s what you should do. But—” Uncle Robert held up his hand when Taylor started to speak. “The young lady who filed the claim on the house also has a right to her own aspirations. Who knows, maybe you both have similar ideas of what you want to do with the house once it’s restored.”

  “I haven’t thought about it to be honest. I’ve only thought about the restoration and nothing more beyond that.”

  “Maybe you should start.”

  “Right now, I have to focus on the show. When it’s done Halcyon can be a tourist destination just like a lot of other plantation houses. It will bring tourists to Colton and help the town grow.”

  Uncle Robert gave Taylor a look that suggested he wasn’t very impressed with his idea.