4. Hayes
Chapter four
Hayes
Sleep did not come easy last night. When Lennon staggered down the driveway and passed out, that was the end of the party. I had my sister come pick up Rosie, and Shelby’s parents took her and Cash’s kids home with them. The woman that showed up yesterday is not the same Lennon that left home to get her journalism degree. And I’m not even talking about all the bruises that adorn her body. Her light has been completely blown out and in its place is a shell of a person. Her skin was paler than I had ever seen it, like she never goes outside. Her once bright, big, beautiful, brown eyes were almost lifeless. Like life had beaten her one too many times and she had given up.
I stuck around until after Scottie was done getting her statement. While they were talking, I started to clean up from the party, needing something to do. My blood was boiling, and I know Cash was about to explode. He has always said that his sister was his favorite person, even when she was twelve and trying to go to a high school party with us. Well, Shelby wanted to go with us, and Lennon went where Shelby went.
I kept Rosie home for a little while longer this morning, trying to soak up some goodness. And Rosie is my goodness. I’ve always tried to be a good person, but I’m human and have made some mistakes along the way. But now that I have this tiny human relying on me, there is no room for mistakes.
“Daddy… why did everyone have to leave the party yesterday? Did Crosby get in trouble?” I knew the questions were coming, and I have been trying to figure out the right way to answer. Just like I’m trying to be a better person for Rosie, I also never want to blatantly lie to her.
“No, Crosby didn’t get into trouble. You know Lennon, Crosby and Saylor’s aunt?” I wait for her to nod before I continue, trying to come up with how I am going to respond next. “Well, she was running late and when she got there, she was hurt. So, Cash and Shelby needed to make sure she was okay.”
There, not a lie. Just not the full truth.
Rosie stares at me for a few moments before she runs over to her art desk and starts pulling out paper and crayons. “I’m going to draw Lennon a picture, so she isn’t sad. You tell me how my pictures make you happy. I want to make her happy, too!”
So that’s how we spent our morning. Rosie drawing multiple pictures for Lennon, while I got caught up on laundry. Before I know it, it is time to bring Rosie to my dad’s so I can spend a couple hours at the shop. I help clean up her art desk and grab her favorite purple backpack while we head out to my truck. I didn’t know that a five-year-old had to accessorize, but my sister has started my daughter young on all things fashion.
When I pull up to my dad’s, he is sitting on the porch waiting on us, his dog Red sitting next to him. Dad found Red tied out behind the warehouse he worked at, and after he took him to the vet and found out he wasn’t microchipped, he brought him home and has loved him for five years now.
“Red! Pop Pop!” Once I get her out of the seat and down from my truck, Rosie races off for the deck. I’m surprised she even acknowledged my dad with Red sitting there. My girl loves animals, especially dogs. We steer her and the dog to the back yard, where they can run around in the fenced area.
“What the hell happened at that party, son?” Now if I was still sixteen, this answer would be completely different. Me, Cash, and Scottie, got busted at a lot of parties when we were in high school. But that is the life of a high schooler in a small town. You pick someone’s barn or field and cross your fingers you don’t get caught. And if you happen to get caught, you run until you make it to wherever you are staying the night.
“Lennon showed up. Pop…it was bad. Her boyfriend. Well, hell, ex-boyfriend now, I guess.” I grab a bottled water and sit down across from my dad, where I still can see Rosie. “I don’t know very many details. He obviously has been hitting her. Repeatedly. And she escaped, took a greyhound bus, and now she’s home.” I have so many questions about what her life has been like and what made her stay, but last night was not the night to get those answers.
“Shit. This would break her parents’ heart if they were here. Well, we got her now. Ms. Lennon will be okay, but son…it’s going to take time. You need to tell Cash to give her some space to deal with this.” Mr. and Mrs. Sumner were hands down the nicest people. They always gave Tess and I presents for Christmas and our birthdays. Whenever I went there for dinner, I would be sent home with an extra tray of food. They never made it seem like charity, always acted like it was something that they genuinely wanted to do. Their deaths rocked the whole town.
We get caught up talking about my restoration project while we watch Rosie and Red tire themselves out running after each other. After about another twenty minutes, I give Rosie a hug and a kiss and promise to see when I can drop the pictures off to Lennon, and head to the shop.
My life is a juggling act, and I’m really hoping that I don’t drop any balls.
After spending the afternoon helping my staff get caught up on the influx of cars that were brought in today, I finally get a chance to sit down in my office and pick up my phone, scrolling my missed texts.
Cash
She hasn’t come out of the apartment today.
Cash
I hope you have bail money for me if this fucker comes to town.
That earns a light laugh, because we both know that unless Cash murdered the guy, he wouldn’t be getting arrested in this town. Hell, Scottie would probably be right next to him, handing out vigilante justice. If people were to ever find out the things teenage Scottie did, the fine people of Pine Creek would be in hysterics.
You know I have your back.
Lennon just needs to rest. She will come to you when she is ready.
I hope she is ready soon, because her brother is not a patient person. He has a short fuse for people not in his circle, and I’m glad that I have always been in that circle. Not too many people are. I notice that his wife, Shelby, has also contacted me, likely to ask me to talk Cash off the ledge.
Shelby
Can you talk some sense into your friend?
You mean your husband, that friend?
Shelby
You know who I’m talking about!
Shelby
I’m worried I’m going to leave him unattended, and he is going to drive to Indianapolis and take matters into his own hands.
Yeah, that was my fear, too. But like me, Cash has shown some personal growth since getting married and becoming a father. Instead of getting rowdy at a bar, he goes running in the morning and a couple nights of the week, goes to the gym.
I’ll see if I can get him to meet me tomorrow night. Tess is keeping Rosie.
Shelby
Thank you, Hayes.
I push thoughts of Lennon out of my head and focus on work so I can get back to Rosie. She loves spending time with my dad, but my dad has smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day since he was a teenager and keeping up with her wears him out. I make sure to catch up with Travis before I leave, about coming over to my house in the morning so he can help me with my current restoration project. He had no experience when I hired him, but he has proven to me that he is hungry to learn. And to me, that is invaluable.