Episode 142
EPISODE 142
GRACE IS THE TRUE WEALTH
River
The soft light of dawn filters into my bedroom.
Beside me, Emily is sleeping, her bare legs tangled in the bedclothes.
Her hair, a halo of silvery blond waves, fans over the crisp white pillow. Her lips are slightly parted, as if the remnants of a dream whisper through them. I trace my fingers lightly over her cheek, careful not to wake her.
I sit up and pry my gaze away from Emily’s sleeping face.
I was dreaming.
I was dreaming about Rachel.
But it wasn’t what I expected.
Rachel and I, no matter what I thought when I first saw her, were never meant to be. I see that now.
I wish only the best for Rachel, and if she finds happiness with Ginger, so be it.
I’m concerned only with her safety. Though I was certain Misty was behind her accident and the anonymous threats Rachel and Ginger received... Now I’m not so sure .
I get out of bed carefully so as not to disturb Emily. The woman is far from an angel, but damned if she doesn’t look like one in slumber.
Funny.
I didn’t give her a look that first night. I had eyes only for Rachel. Rachel, with her unassuming beauty and unique dimples. Rachel, a scientist who loved to stargaze as much as I do.
Now Emily is the one who has edged into my heart with her headstrong personality, adorable bluntness, and feisty determination. Emily, with her fiery spirit and quick wit. Emily, an artist who breathes life into the highest fashions.
God, we’re different as night and day.
I walk to the window and gaze at the tropical sunrise. The sky is painted with hues of pink and orange, and the palms sway gently with the soft morning breeze. The serenity of this dawn contrasts sharply with my racing thoughts. I cast a look over my shoulder at Emily, so peaceful, oblivious to the turmoil that churns inside me.
I remember Rachel’s face in my dream, how it morphed into Emily’s. The dream felt like a bridge between my past and my present, but Rachel is hardly my past. We shared a few laughs, a few kisses. Nothing more.
No, my past is much more profound.
I walk to the closet, open the safe, and regard its contents.
Twenty Years Earlier...
I take the shovels and we head back out, each going back to our respective houses. When I get to the ranch, the sun is rising, and Uncle Bobby is no doubt already up. I stash the shovels in the barn and then begin my morning chores. My backpack is empty since the others all carried Larson’s cash, but in my pocket is a memento from Larson—one I didn’t tell Brett and the others about.
A moment later, Uncle Bobby enters the barn. “Riv? You’re up early.”
“Couldn’t sleep,” I reply.
“I slept like I was dead. Where’s that mutt of yours?”
Fuck. Ernie.
I never go anywhere without him, but obviously I couldn’t take him with me to Larson’s place. He’d have caused a ruckus. I left him closed in my room and hoped he wouldn’t make any noises to wake up Mom or Uncle Bobby. Clearly, he hadn’t.
“He’s around,” I say. “Excuse me for a minute. I’ve got to take a leak.”
I slip out of the barn, my heart pounding. I have to get to Ernie before he decides to start scratching at my door to be let out. If Mom hears him, she’ll want to know why he isn’t with me. I all but run across the yard, into the house, and to my room where I left Ernie. To my relief, the dog is sleeping peacefully on my bed, his tail thumping lightly against the mattress as I enter.
“Good boy,” I murmur, petting his soft head. A wave of guilt washes over me—for leaving him alone, for lying to Uncle Bobby, for what we did at Larson’s place...
But I shake it off.
What’s done is done, and I need to keep a cool head. We won’t meet to divvy up the cash until tomorrow. Let everything settle first. If all goes as planned, Larson won’t even know he was robbed.
I slide my hand over the pocket of my jeans, where my secret keepsake from Larson still sits. I take it out—his pocket watch, the one he liked to show off with a smug grin. I don’t know what it’s worth, but I wasn’t drawn to its value. I took it because it was Larson’s pride and joy. After all, the bastard took a shot at Ernie once. He deserves what he gets.
I flip it over. There’s an engraving on the back.
Grace is the true wealth.
I can’t help a scoff. Seriously? That mean old bastard who doesn’t trust banks and buries thousands of dollars in cash in a metal box? Who struts around showing off his gold watch?
What a crock.
It’s probably just gold paint. I shove it back in my pocket when my phone buzzes.
It’s Jake.
“Yeah?” I say into the phone, keeping my voice low.
“Riv, thank God.” His voice is agitated.
“What is it? Did you get home all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. But Marnie’s gone.”
“Wait. What?”
“She came here last night after she had a big fight with her mom and stepdad. They want her to get rid of the baby, and she doesn’t want to.”
“So you just left her there? Fuck, that’s why you and Seb were late.”
“Yeah. I told her Seb needed me. That his mother came home from a bender and passed out, and...”
“Does your mom know where she is?”
“My mom isn’t home.”
“Did you try calling her?”
“She’s not answering. What if she went after me?”
Chills slither up my spine. Despite the run-in with the bear, everything went off without a hitch. We got the loot. And now...
“She wasn’t there, Jake. It was just us. I watched the whole thing from Larson’s window.”
But even as I say the words, a feeling of dread comes over me.
This isn’t done.
Not by a long shot.