Chapter 29: Jason

The drive back home on Sunday took ten hours, but the quiet time with Di was relaxing and sweet. Sitting beside him in the cab of his truck, Jason noticed she kept playing with the diamond band on her finger, moving it to make it sparkle with a peaceful smile. They'd made some beautiful memories, some captured on the thumb drive in his pocket and the rest playing in his mind.

The wedding had gone off without a hitch. When she came out wearing that white lace dress he thought he was going to pass out. She had never looked so lovely. Certainly nothing like the girl he'd met in Tammy's muddy yard. His marriage proposal may have been rash, but in the weeks he'd known her, Di had become such a part of his life that it was impossible to imagine living without her.

Their day at the park had been magical. They rode roller coasters and slower rides, ate themselves sick on cotton candy and snacks, all the while wearing their Bride and Groom hats everywhere they went. Everyone they met had been so kind. He had never imagined how proud he'd feel looking at her glowing smile. They'd made something wonderful together and he would never be the same again.

When His phone rang, Di answered it for him with a grin. "Hey Michelle!"

Jason nodded as his wife and his sister discussed the details of their wedding weekend. Hearing her excited recounting of the events gave him a deep sense of satisfaction. He'd done the right thing, for both of them. Now all that was left was filing the paperwork to notify social services of her marriage and she'd be free. He was looking forward to seeing Lola's face when he dropped the bomb on her.

"Jason, Michelle wondered if we could stop by her house in Franklin on the way home," Di said. From the look on her face Jason could tell she wanted to.

"Tell her we'll be there in about thirty minutes."

In the time it took them to get to Michelle and Karl's house, Lauren and Alex had arrived with their kids as well. Jason got out of the truck and stretched his back while the whole clan rushed out of the house to welcome them. Both sisters demanded to see her wedding ring while Karl and Alex kept the kids from running wild.

"You're glowing," Michelle said with a laugh. Jason thought she was talking to Di, but she was staring at her brother.

"It was a great weekend," he said as he slipped his hand in Di's.

Michelle and Lauren glanced at each other before laughing together.

"What?" Jason asked as his face heated.

"Are you my aunt now?" Sophie asked Di, interrupting the moment.

"Yes," Di said as she touched Sophie on the shoulder. "Is that okay?"

"I guess," she said, then tried out the new title. "Aunt Di."

Michelle brought them all in to eat some brisket while Jason plugged the thumb drive in the television. The slideshow of wedding images stilled the whole group except for the sounds of eating and an occasional aww.

"Who's the blonde woman?" Michelle asked Di when a picture of her and Anne came up.

"This was supposed to be her wedding, but her aunt caught the groom and best man ... well, let's just say her wedding got canceled," Di said as she looked around at the kids. "Her name is Anne and she stood with me. You guys will love her when she comes up to visit."

"I wish we could have been there for you," Lauren said with a sigh. "It looks so beautiful."

"It was," Di whispered as she watched the pictures on the screen.

Jason smiled to himself as he stepped into the kitchen for another glass of tea. Karl was doing dishes at the sink.

"Have you talked to Dorothy yet?" he asked.

"Not yet. We're gonna push the paperwork through her mail slot on the way home and give her a call tomorrow."

"When I talked to her on Friday, she mentioned Lola being on the warpath all week."

"Yeah, Lola called after we left on Wednesday to threaten me for taking Di out of state."

"Well, she tried to get a warrant out for you, but Dorothy's assistant caught wind of it and submitted copies of the notification paperwork to the courts that Lola claimed she never saw." Karl put the last pot in the drying rack. "What's really going on there, Jason?"

The scrutiny in Karl's eyes begged an answer. Jason finished pouring his tea and leaned back against the counter. "I think Lola and Tammy are running a scam."

"Michelle told me about what Di said at Dorothy's office." Karl shook his head in dismay.

"It's bigger than we thought. We spoke to Di's father on Thursday. He said her grandfather was going to leave Di the family home and ruby mine up on 28. Tammy told me it was hers and I assume she has the paperwork to back up her claim."

Karl's eyes widened. "So maybe setting you up was just a way to keep Di from finding out about the will and make a little money off of you on the side."

Jason shrugged. "That's what I think. Now that we've pulled Lola's teeth we have the time to find out."

"Keep me in the loop," Karl said and clapped Jason on the arm. "We're her family too, after all."

"Thanks, man," Jason said.

After finishing dinner, Jason begged off dessert to get back on the road. They still had an hour to go and he was wiped out from the long day on the road. The side trip to Bryson City to drop off the paperwork at Dorothy's office only took twenty minutes, but Jason was having a hard time keeping his eyes open by the time they pulled into their home.