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Dad’s old office. As he looked into his mother's eyes, Jackson made a silent vow to protect her at all costs. Then, as the situation settled and the fire trucks pulled away, Liv knocked on the door.
It was approaching six o’clock in the morning when Jackson opened it and welcomed Liv inside. “Mom, this is Olivia Everhart.”
“I saw you at the dedication and Jackson’s promotion and medal ceremony, but I remember you when you were a little girl.” Martha Reynolds smiled. “Can I get you something to eat or drink?”
“I’ll make some coffee,” Jackson offered. “Why don’t you and Livvy stay here in the living room?” Turning to his mother, his expression turned resolute. “Mom, we need to know more about the history of Waverly Junction. What do you know about what really happened between the Waverlys and the Ashcrofts? About my roots?”
Martha’s brow furrowed in thought. “Jackson, why are you?—”
“Mom, please,” he begged. “It’s important for our investigation.”
“You think the history might explain the recent fires—including our garage?” Martha sat in her chair and pulled a throw onto her lap. “I’ll start from the very beginning.”
She looked at Liv as Jackson went to brew the coffee. “The poverty and the scarcity of jobs in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains put many families, including the Waverlys and Ashcrofts, in a tough place. Faced with the challenge of making ends meet, they made a decision to leave behind everything they knew. Their only choice was to start a new journey.
“In the early 1800s, the Waverly and Ashcroft families, and some of their neighbors and friends, packed up everything they owned and set out across the country. Their destination was an area here in South Dakota, a place that held a fresh start and the potential for economic stability.
“Upon arriving, the exquisite landscape unfolded before them, vast and promising. They met challenges with grit, working tirelessly to establish themselves in their new surroundings and build a community. Surviving the trek across country created a sense of belonging and support, a glaring contrast to the hardships they faced in Appalachia.
“In their newfound homestead, the Waverly and Ashcroft families forged connections, finding work and contributing to the community they designed. One side of the river was Ashcroft Crossing, and the other side was Waverly Junction. They lived happily. In 1952, floods damaged most of the state. The Waverly River overflowed, destroying Ashcroft Crossing. Supposedly, that’s when the fight over the land began. When the waters subsided, it came up to referendum, and the vote was to call the town Waverly Junction.”
Liv’s brow rose. “Mrs. Reynolds, you said ‘supposedly’?”
“The Ashcroft Crossing land that survived the flooding was desired for its rich soil and location. It was ideal for agriculture and lucrative for development. The federal government sponsored the rail and highway development. The fight worsened when the Ashcroft family cited rights of first settlement. On their way west, they made promises to each other. Once they began to rebuild after the flood, the verbal promises were broken. The Waverlys contested the Ashcroft's claim, arguing that they had invested in the area and had plans for commercial and residential development that would greatly benefit the town's economy. That’s what made it into the courts.”
Jackson handed her a mug of coffee. “Thank you.”
Liv cocked her head. “You said that’s what made it into the courts.”
“Mom, what?” Jackson asked.
She blew out a breath and looked at Jackson. “The real fight was more personal.” She leaned down and pulled an album from beneath her chair. “This would have been in the garage before I moved the office upstairs. When we spoke last week, I got to thinking. I brought it in here to look at and to give it to you. Jackson, you deserve to have this.” She handed the book to him. “If I’d left it in the garage…it may have burned.”
She continued her story, “Generations ago, the feud between the Ashcrofts and the Waverlys went well beyond the property dispute. There were secret romantic entanglements and forbidden affairs between members of both families and some of the townspeople. The sad thing was the Ashcroft family wasn’t very prolific. The family started to die off.”
Jackson started to page through the book. It was filled with photographs and newspaper articles. He turned pale. “Mom, how do you know all of this?”
Liv knelt in front of him. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?” She pulled the book from his lap to see what he was looking at. The article, dated from 1975, was about the Waverly family and their rise in fortune. Pictures of the family included one of Sinclair Waverly, who, at the time it was taken, was about fifty years old. Jackson could have been his twin.
Jackson’s hands shook. “God, Mom, what did you and Dad do?”
“Honey, we adopted an orphaned infant. Rainey Bradshaw was working as a maid in the Waverly house. No one realized she was using her great-great-grandmother’s last name. After the Ashcrofts lost their legal battle, they picked up for Pierre. It was only after we looked to find relatives of yours did we realize none were left.”
“Mom, it’s a small town. How did no one recognize her, or, for that matter, me?” Jackson was confused.
“You were a source of speculation. But Sinclair Waverly made a declaration and even signed paperwork saying you weren’t a Waverly. As for Rainey, when Christopher declared her an Ashcroft, well, no one did background checks back then like they do today.
“There were countless rumors. No one knew why she was working in the Waverly home. All anyone knew was she was pregnant when she started to date Christopher Waverly. An unwed pregnancy in 1979 was a huge scandal. But Christopher and Rainey were really in love. He announced his intentions to marry Rainey after she had the baby.”
Jackson reached for Liv and pulled her from the floor. “So who is Jackson’s birth father? Christopher?” she asked.
Martha Reynolds shook her head. “David and I thought it was Christopher’s grandfather, Sinclair Waverly. He was a mean drunk. He’s probably in his eighties now and can’t attack women anymore, thankfully, but in his younger days, he was known to take what he wanted. Now he barely makes an appearance in town. Christopher’s father, Silas, was and still is a weak man. He is married to Jule, and she makes the decisions.
Martha turned to Olivia. “The fire at the Waverly mansion was terrible. When Jackson’s dad and your dad were wrapping up Rainey’s body, they found Jackson beneath her. He was in critical condition and couldn’t breathe without help.
“I was working in the NICU at the hospital that night. When they rushed Jackson in, I worked over him with a team of doctors, and then, when my shift was over, I sat beside that crib and prayed. He had this fighting spirit about him.
“His dad and I had been trying to have a child for years. The hospital social worker suggested we adopt him, so we contacted an attorney, Robert Kendrick.”
