The Shocking Truth About Ramsey Read online

  THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT RAMSEY

  by Jennifer L. Ray

  Prologue

  June 10, 1993

  The baseball landed somewhere on the other side of the fence. Ramsey swung around to face the makeshift home plate where Jackson stood. He shrugged his shoulders and dropped the bat.

  "Don't be shrugging your shoulders. We gotta get that ball or Talmus is gone be mad," she said.

  "Well, come on then girl," Jackson said irritably.

  He and Ramsey had been close friends since kindergarten. Their houses were next door to one another and she was the only kid in the cove his age. The situation had remained the same over the years and they had eventually become inseparable.

  "Who’s going over? I sure ain't," Ramsey said.

  "Yeah, you're going over all right. I'm gone give you a hand up and then when you get the ball just throw it back over. I'll hang over the fence to pull you up." Jackson was used to telling Ramsey what to do. She was a quiet girl with a meek temperament for the most part. Sometimes she'd lose her temper with him, but that was rare. So, as usual, she did exactly what he said.

  The problem came when it was time for him to pull her back over the fence. He'd underestimated his height and his strength. First of all, hanging over the fence was no easy feat and reaching her hands was impossible. In the end, after enduring her screams of terror as long as he could, Jackson did what any sixteen-year-old boy would do. He jumped over the eight-foot fence and joined her on the other side.

  Jackson hadn't seen Ramsey cry in ages and the sight of her crying now undid the burgeoning manly side of him. He wrapped his arms around her and cooed. "Aww, Ramsey. I wasn't gone leave you over here. I know you scared of these woods. Why you so scared of 'em anyway?"

  Ramsey's face rested in the crook of Jackson's neck and she could smell the musty scent that she'd grown used to. It wasn't bad. It wasn't good either, but she liked being in his arms. Her feelings for Jackson were all tangled. He'd gone from being her playmate to something more in the last two years. So, when he pressed his lips awkwardly against hers she didn't resist. When he pulled her shirt up and squeezed her breast painfully, she only whimpered. She looked into his face and he wasn't even looking at her. He was too busy fumbling with her clothes. His intensity was interesting, but worrisome.

  Jackson also had stopped thinking of Ramsey as just a playmate. He didn't know when things had changed, but being close to her did things to him. He liked the way she smelled. He was aware whenever they touched like never before. Just now when she had cried and put her wet face and moist lips into his neck, he'd been polarized with lust. He wanted something he didn't know how to get from her. Jackson was so caught up that he didn't see the frown on her face or the nervous tremble of her lips.

  "Ramsey, let me see you," he begged huskily. He went to his knees before her and Ramsey could feel his breath against her stomach as he undid her jeans and pulled them down. Everything after that was a blur and a pain; a pain Ramsey never forgot. He disappeared after that and she had not asked about him, but it was the last time she let her guard down with any male person for fear of a repetition of the travesty that occurred June tenth, nineteen ninety-three on the other side of the eight foot fence surrounding Maple Cove.

  CHAPTER 1

  (May 2006)

  Ramsey Laughterdale was twenty-nine years old and a self-appointed confirmed spinster. She had no wish at all to marry, ever. As a result, her interests were broad and diverse. She was well traveled and well connected. Having finished her formal education one year before, she bought a small house on the outskirts of her hometown. Southaven, Mississippi was known as a retirement community and this suited Ramsey's needs just fine. She joined a team of doctors who specialized in geriatrics, the care of elderly people, and quickly became one of the "favorites." Her clientele soon became a host of close friends instead of patients. But, watch out now, because her good reputation and popularity was about to cause a bit of trouble in her carefully constructed safe haven. Her life was about to be tilted upon its axis.

  #

  Jackson Henry Steele sat across the kitchen table from his elderly grandfather and frowned. At seventy-six, dementia had taken over the once very, very sharp mind of Maximus Steele. He no longer recognized his only grandchild and couldn't dredge up any exciting stories about the old days of working on the railroad. Jackson watched as he struggled with trembling hand to bring the spoon to his mouth. His experience as a physical therapist kept him from intervening and taking over the menial task. He knew it would only add to his grandfather's debilitated state, if he took over even the simple activities that he could still do. So, he watched patiently as Maximus finished feeding himself.

  Jackson had been away from Southaven for over ten years. Upon graduation, he had deliberately chosen a college as far away as possible. California was far enough away for him. His parents, Janie and Frank Steele, eventually packed their bags and followed him. He had been ecstatic to have his family live in the same city. Everything had gone well. He'd finished college and began his practice. Janie and Frank had opened a Bed & Breakfast. Life was good, full of momentum, and at its peak for them all and then Maximus had a stroke. Frank took it upon himself to delegate Jackson as the caretaker and sent him back to Southaven, Mississippi to convince Maximus to come to California.

  "If you can't talk my stubborn father into coming here, then just stay there and take care of him. You owe him that much. After all, he got you out of that trouble you got into. If he hadn't talked some sense into Pamela, you would most likely be living a totally different life," Frank reminded him.

  "Dad, you didn't have to bring that up. I would have gone anyway," Jackson mumbled.

  So, he had taken a one-way flight back to Mississippi. He'd found his grandfather living in something very close to a pigsty. It had taken him a week to clean out old food and piles of trash. He'd washed clothes and bed linens. After that he had scrubbed the walls and the floors. Windows had to be pried open and left open for days in order for the foul odor to completely disappear. Then he had to go through piles of mail. He paid bills that had been neglected. Jackson fired the lady who his dad had hired to watch after Maximus. She was an alcoholic and he was sure that the empty beer bottles were hers. Maximus had never drunk alcohol to his recollection.

  As he watched his grandfather eat, Jackson knew that this would be his new life for a while. It would finish Maximus off to have to move to California. Jackson loved him too much to ask that of him and he wasn't attached to anyone or anything anyway, so the sacrifice was his to make.

  He decided that after the doctor's visit, he would call his dad and let him know he was staying. He was sure his dad wouldn't be surprised. He'd probably known before he sent him how things would turn out. Maximus would never have agreed to leave his little three bedroom house in the woods. He had lived here for fifty years. He'd brought Jackson's grandmother to live here when they were young and they had raised their son Frank and daughter Brooxie right here.

  Jackson looked at the scribble on the piece of paper and tried to make out the doctor's name. It looked like he was to see a Dr. R. Dale located at Winsome Room Geriatrics on Goodman Road. The appointment time was clear enough to read; ten o'clock, which meant if he didn't hurry, they would be late.

  #

  After bathing Maximus and getting him dressed, Jackson had little time for his own grooming. So, he took a quick shower, brushed his teeth and threw on a pair of blue scrubs and tennis shoes. It was nine-thirty and it would take all of thirty minutes, if not more, to make it to the doctor's office. Mrs. Casey had explained to him nonchalantly that this would be Maximus' first visit with this doctor. The
doctor had been referred to her by the emergency room physician as one of the best for elderly patients. After getting as much information and updates as he could from the woman, Jackson had taken great pleasure in firing her and sending her on her way. She hadn't shown the least bit emotion and had gone into the refrigerator and taken out stacks of frozen meat before leaving. Jackson had not said a word, but instead had watched in disbelief as she filled at least two bags with groceries before finally taking her leave. He was more than happy to see her go, even though she had taken virtually every bit of food in the house with her.

  #

  It was ten minutes past the hour, when he pulled up to the office building. By the time, he and Maximus made it to the desk; it was twenty minutes past the hour. Maximus' slow, shuffling gait, made walking more a mental chore than a physical one. Jackson had to keep reminding himself to be patient and not to rush his elderly grandfather.

  "Who is his doctor," the receptionist asked.

  "Dr. R. Dale," Jackson said.

  "Oh, you mean Dr. Ramsey Laughterdale," she corrected him.

  Jackson stared at her as if she had two heads. Surely, she couldn't mean Ramsey Laughterdale, his ex-childhood friend. He hadn't seen her since he'd taken her virginity. She had accused him of raping her and he had almost been sent to a juvenile hall because of it. If it had not been for his grandfather's intervention, he would have been destroyed. Maximus had talked to Pam, Ramsey's mom, and asked her if she would drop the charges if he removed Jackson from Maple Cove. Pam had agreed and Maximus had finished raising Jackson in the country. He had been sent to another school and had never seen Ramsey again. His parents had been extremely disappointed in him and to this day didn't let him forget how he had raped his childhood friend.

  The whole incident had left Jackson angry on the inside and suspicious of so-called nice girls. He'd only had relationships with fast girls who showed what they were and made no pretense of what they wanted from him after that. He had not raped Ramsey. If she said so, she lied. She had been his first too and he had fumbled and made a fool of himself, but he had not raped her. Now he was about to come face-to-face with his lying childhood friend who tried to ruin his life. Jackson had backed down once before, but not this time. He was now a man full grown and he decided suddenly that he wanted revenge.

  CHAPTER 2

  When Dr. Ramsey Laughterdale pulled the chart out of the rack on door six, she hesitated at the name. It was one she knew well; Jackson Steele's grandfather. She thumbed through the pages of the chart to find that his caretaker was a woman named Mrs. Casey. Relaxing only marginally, she turned the knob and entered the room.

  She recognized him the minute she walked in. She had sensed in the hallway that he was there on the other side of the door. He'd grown much taller since the last time she had seen him. He was no fumbling boy anymore. His body had thickened and hardened and so had his personality from the look he was giving her. If not for Maximus Steele, his grandfather, she may not have known who he was. He could have been any man, except he wasn't just any man. He was the one who had taken her virginity 13 years ago and left without even saying goodbye.

  "Hello, Mr. Steele. I'm Dr. Laughterdale. So, tell me what's going on with you today," she asked turning her back on the man lounging in her chair.

  "He has dementia and any questions you may have for him need to be directed towards me," Jackson said coldly.

  There was no avoiding it. She would have to face him. Ramsey took a deep breath and turned away from Mr. Steele to look into Jackson's face. He was in her chair and she knew he'd done so intentionally. He was wearing scrubs and she wondered what that meant. He knew who she was and she couldn't figure out what to say.

  "You’re in the doctor's chair," she said.

  "Do you make an issue out of it every time someone makes the mistake of sitting here or is it just me," he asked.

  She was beautiful and he didn't like it. She was just the right height. The top of her head would reach his chin. She was wearing her hair long and loose about her shoulders. Clothes couldn’t hide the curves that went on and on up and down the length of her body. She wasn't skinny and she wasn't fat. She was built. The mole was still there just to the left underneath her full bottom lip. It was flat and very small, like a pin hole. He still remembered intentionally sliding his tongue over it when he kissed her that one time. For some reason it had fascinated him. He had been so in love with her back then.

  "And you are?" she was asking incredibly.

  Jackson crossed his arms over his chest and slowly sat up. He narrowed his eyes and let his gaze burn into her. He'd mastered the art of intimidation a long time ago, when he'd run into the occasional bigot while in college. He was a tall, dark, extremely handsome, and extremely intelligent man. He didn't kowtow too easily.

  "That's Jackson, Ramsey. He's a good boy. Be nice to him," Maximus said. It was unfortunate that he'd gained a moment of clarity right then. Now all efforts at pretense had to be tossed aside. Ramsey didn't bother to act surprised. She just stared down at the man in her seat.

  "Get up, Jackson. You can take the stool over there," she pointed to a very low stool on wheels that sat in the corner of the small room.

  Jackson couldn't remember this side of Ramsey. She'd flippantly dismissed him and he was feeling a little childish about even sitting in her chair. The stool was hers too and he didn't relish folding his six feet two inches long self in such an undignified seat anyway. He would look even more foolish with his knees in his chest twirling around on the stool. So, he decided to just stand up.

  "You're a friendly doctor. No wonder they said you were the best geriatric doctor in town," he said sarcastically.

  "Are you here to take up where some high-school nonsense left off or are you here to have your grandfather cared for," she asked tiredly.

  Jackson blinked a couple of times and decided she was getting the best of him, which was not acceptable. So, he decided to cut deep enough to draw blood.

  "There's nothing worth remembering about high school, Ramsey. I'm here to take care of granddad. I've gotten over my surprise at seeing you again. So, carry on with your examination."

  Ramsey's throat burned and her eyes filled with unshed tears. He'd managed to hurt her deeply once again. Her hands shook as she pressed the stethoscope against Maximus' chest. She'd spent a lifetime getting over the trauma of losing her virginity to Jackson and then losing his friendship. It had been torture looking out her window and waiting for any small sight of him day after day, week after week, enduring the direct cut from his father and mother, and being too afraid to ask any questions for fear of questions being asked of her. She'd never told a soul what happened between them and now according to Jackson, there was nothing worth telling.

  She felt his presence behind her back like a heavy hand against her shoulder. He was here in the same room with her after so many years. The fun-loving, dictatorial, sensitive boy was long gone to be replaced by a cold-hearted and cynical man. Even so, she felt his pull on her and wondered if she had lost her mind. She wanted to look at him some more and ask him a thousand questions about what happened; where he'd been; and what he'd been doing. She mentally shook herself and got on with Maximus' examination. She swallowed the hurt Jackson had inflicted and once again became the woman she'd trained herself to be; competent, thorough, and educated to a fault.

  #

  "Mr. Steele is dehydrated and he has a urinary tract infection. He will need to be placed into the hospital for a course of antibiotics and IV fluids. You can drive him over to Baptist Desoto Hospital yourself or if you’d like we can have an ambulance come and take him over," Ramsey said to Jackson as civilly as she could.

  Jackson wasn't feeling too good about himself. He knew he had hurt her feelings and he had watched as she struggled to keep her composure. He hadn't missed the frown of disapproval from Maximus and he felt confused. He wasn't supposed to feel sorry about anything. She owed him an explanation and an apology for r
uining his life not the other way around. But his comment had been rather ruthless. After all he had taken something from her that she could never get back.

  "Listen Ramsey, I didn't mean to sound --," he began, but she cut him off.

  "In the future, Mr. Steele, you may call me Dr. Laughterdale or Ms. Laughterdale. Whatever happened in the past is over and done with, but I can assure you that you and I will never ever be friends. So, please spare us both and don't make the effort. No apology is necessary. You've done nothing I'd consider atypical anyway," she finished scathingly.

  Jackson felt his jaw clenching and he knew his nostrils flared. She'd done it again; dismissed him. He refrained from sputtering by sheer will alone and when she let her eyes slowly roam from his feet, up his body, and back to his face, before letting out a derisive laugh, he could have gone into a howling rage. Instead, he stood there humiliated and watched her turn her back on him without him ever having answered the question as to whether he'd take Maximus in the car or allow the ambulance to transport him to the hospital. She was long gone when Maximus, himself, stood up and said, "Well, I guess you'll be driving me over, son, since you let the doctor get away."

  CHAPTER 3

  Pamela Laughterdale was a self-composed woman whose demanding personality belied her small frame. She'd raised Talmus her twenty-six-year-old son to be a man and Ramsey, her twenty-nine-year-old daughter to be independent. They had dared not let her down. Her standards had always been high for her children and she never ever wanted either of them to find themselves in the vulnerable situation of being dependent on some-one or some-thing. To that end she had stressed education and the futility of love.

  She had loved once and only once and what had it gotten her? A broken heart, two babies and an unfinished life. When her husband of eight years left her high and dry with Ramsey and Talmus to care for, she turned to pure ice. She had always been militant toward men, but now she despised them. So, she neither noticed nor cared that Ramsey had not had any male companions or offers of marriage. Everything was as it should be in her eyes. Ramsey was all she wanted her to be. She was a beautiful, strong, educated, woman and the fault was with the men. They were intimidated by her daughter and that was all to be said about that.