4. Elka
Chapter 4
Elka
I ’d never lived anywhere other than the house I grew up in. But now, after two hours of unloading boxes from my little trailer and putting them into the rooms where they would live, I understood the universal hatred of moving. It was a long and tedious process and the worst part was, there were no shortcuts. Of course, if I had friends like most normal twenty-four-year-old women, then maybe this part of the job would be done already.
It didn’t matter. I wasn’t a complainer. Complaining about having no friends wouldn’t magically make them appear, just like complaining about moving the boxes wouldn’t get them into the house any faster. It was a lesson that had been drilled into me from an early age; one I still couldn’t seem to shake. Which was how I ended up with the little silver trailer. I’d taken the time to paint a tie-dye daisy on it because it made it feel like mine. I’d had to get away from those voices who encouraged me to keep quiet and accept my fate, rather than trying to change it.
Now I was taking steps to make my own fate and to shape my life how I saw fit. It sucked that I had to do it alone, but I preferred to think that was a temporary problem. Once the cute little blue-and-white cottage I’d rented was set up and my workspace was all laid out, maybe there would be time for friends.
Maybe even a boyfriend. That would be nice. Dating hadn’t been allowed because it was too risky. Too many new people meant germs that could make things worse for Austin. He had been my whole world, so I’d gone along with it happily, not knowing how abnormal it was. How restricting and isolating it had been.
“That was the past,” I told myself and grabbed another box from the back of the trailer. I set it on the edge before I jumped down to grab it and carry it inside. It was already so warm out and noon was still a couple hours away, making me glad I’d opted for cutoff jean shorts and a light cotton tank top. It wasn’t exactly how I wanted to meet the neighbors but I didn’t think passing out on the front lawn was a great introduction either. With Elton John singing about how lonely it was out in space, I carried more boxes inside and thought of Austin, smiling down on me. Feeling happy and proud that I was taking steps to living. Finally.
It would take at least a week just to get all the rooms unpacked and arranged how I wanted them. Most of the picture frames and knickknacks were brand new, bought with the dreams of a young girl who wanted more than life had to offer her. Now they had shelves and walls to adorn. I had to figure out how to make it look nice, not cluttered or overwhelming. Time was the one thing I knew I had—barring some kind of catastrophic event—so I would take my time and slowly make this place mine.
I had a few weeks worth of surplus inventory but I wanted my workspace set up as soon as possible. Even if I only worked a few hours each day, I could keep my inventory stocked enough that there would be no downtime. It took too long to get all the boxes down to the basement where I would work because it was cool and not overly sunny, the perfect environment for my creations.
The one thing that made moving by myself bearable was that I was in excellent shape. Thanks to a lifetime of eating healthy and more than regular physical activity, I could probably run a marathon and not get winded. At least I could if not for the suffocating Texas heat.
The sound of the bell ringing startled me; I hadn’t expected any visitors, mostly because I’d never really had any. But that’s what this move was all about so I wiped my damp hands on my shorts as I made my way to the door, realizing at the last moment that I looked like someone who’d spent the morning hauling and unloading boxes. I pulled the door open and stared in shock at the beautiful brunette with green eyes. “Hello?”
“Hi.” She flashed a welcoming smile that immediately disarmed me. “I’m Penny Ford, Mayor Ashford’s assistant.” She held out a hand and I took it, smiling. This woman was confident and capable.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Elka.”
“I know. The mayor wanted me to extend his welcome to Tulip and invite you to our upcoming chamber lunch. It’s a small event we do to keep in touch with local business owners, allowing them to network and talk to other business owners.”
Business owner. Those words didn’t feel like an accurate description of me but I nodded. “I mean, I’m not really a business owner. I just make things.”
Penny sighed and put a hand on her hip. “Elka’s Essence did more than fifty grand in sales last year and you are the sole owner and operator, correct?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Then I’m sorry to break it to you, sister, but you are a business owner. This will be good for you too. You can meet some people in town and see how you can help one another succeed.” It was an excellent point and based on her smug smile, she knew it.
“Okay, yes. I would love to attend. Thanks for the invite.” I knew she wasn’t inviting me but it still felt nice. In Washington, I didn’t know any of our neighbors, but I’d seen them out playing and heard their screams and shouts of joy as they enjoyed their childhoods.
Maybe this was the first step to changing all that. A lunch with new people.
Make some connections and maybe even some friends.
“No problem. Here’s my card. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything, even to talk.”
I accepted the card and stared at her number scrawled on the back of the card. “Seriously? You’d let me call you just to talk?”
“Why not?” She shrugged like it was no big deal. “I’ve been here almost two years, so if anyone knows how you’re feeling, it’s me.”
Right. “Thank you.” I was so choked with emotion, the words barely came out above a whisper.
“No problem. Welcome to Tulip, Elka.”
When Penny made her way back to the street, I let a small smile escape. That was a nice interaction with a complete stranger, confirming once again that this was the right decision. Feeling better about things, I went back to unpacking until the trailer was empty.
Grabbing a bottle of water, I went back out to double-check the trailer was empty before I locked it up. Rusty still hadn’t called me back about picking up my car, which made it impossible to move the trailer from its present spot—a fact that made me groan. Back inside the house, I tried to call Rusty again, but the phone rang and rang. “Dammit!”
The sound of a fist pounding on my door shocked a scream out of me and it took a second to get my breathing under control. It was an ominous sound and I took my time answering it, happy I’d left the latch on the screen door so there was some distance between me and the angry knocker on the other side. A groan escaped when I opened the door. “Office Vargas, what can I do for you?”
“Your trailer is blocking the sidewalk,” he barked out, dark brows pulled into an angry V.
Seriously? “Yeah. I’m aware of that. Thanks.”
“Make sure it’s done. Today.”
This guy was unbelievable. “And if I don’t?”
“Then you’ll have to answer to me.” He was tall, easily over six feet, and the way he leaned in was an intentional act of intimidation.
“What are you going to do, continue to bully me? Big deal.”
“Just move the damn trailer.”
“I’ll get around to it. Eventually.” There was no way I would let this jerk push me around. That wasn’t the life I lived anymore. “Tell me what law I’m violating.”
“What?”
“You came over here in your official capacity as law enforcement to threaten me if I don’t move the trailer. So tell me, officer, what exact code does it violate?” He stared at me, his gaze growing darker by the second. My heart sped up at the look in his eyes. It was angry but it was also quite handsome. Stunning, really. “That’s what I thought.” Without another word, I stepped back and slammed the door in his face.
It felt good to stand up for myself and I smiled. It might backfire, spectacularly, but it let me know that I was capable of fighting back.
It was easy because Officer Vargas had been nothing but a jerk since he’d ambled up to me on the side of the road. He might have been handsome and brooding and sexy as all hell, but he was mean and a bully. And it didn’t seem to matter that I’d done nothing wrong. The man hated my guts.
Which was fine by me, because I didn’t like him either.
“Finally!” I took a step back and smiled at my workspace. It had taken a full day to get everything set up so that I could move seamlessly from the candle station to the incense station. There was a small, much darker room, off to the side where I would make my blessing and smudging kits, potpourri bowls, and all the other “spirituality mumbo jumbo,” as my parents called it. Excitement bubbled out of me and I was eager to get to work. It had been too long since I sat down and lost myself in a day of work. I was itching to get back to doing what made me happy.
This work allowed me to do what I wanted and to make a modest living doing it, but more than that, I was a completely self-sustaining organism. I could go days without leaving the house, as long as I had food and water.
Which I currently did not have, and therefore needed to venture outside of my home. Since I had to do it on foot, I changed out of another pair of cutoff shorts, and changed into an eggplant maxi dress with an empire waist and slipped on my favorite hemp sandals. I felt pretty and comfortable as I started out with my patchwork purse slung over my shoulder, filled with the necessities, plus cloth bags for my trip to the market.
But first I decided to stop for lunch at the pub I’d seen when Sheriff Henderson towed me into town. Maybe there would be someone there to talk to If not, I had my eReader. Screw credit cards; I never left home without my Kindle. Pulling open the heavy wooden door of Black Thumb took some effort, but inside, it was cool and dark, and the greasy smells hit my stomach right away.
As soon as I jumped up on a leather stool, a blue-eyed woman with a lot of tattoos stood in front of me. “You’re new. I’m Nina. What can I get you to drink?”
I should have expected the question. It was a common enough question in a bar but still I drew a blank. “Um, I don’t know. What would you recommend?”
She blinked. “Wine? Beer? Booze?”
I shrugged and leaned in. “I’ve never had a drink before so I don’t know what I like. Can you recommend something? Please?” It was embarrassing to admit, and when she asked for ID, I handed it over as heat flared in my cheeks.
“All right,” she said with no judgment in her voice, as she returned to the table with my drink. “Let’s start with a beer. This one is dark and full bodied and it has a slightly higher ABV. Don’t make me regret this.”
I frowned. “Um, okay. Thanks.” She was tough, that much was clear. I wondered if she’d come by it naturally or if she had to learn to be that way.
There was something like pity in her eyes as she slid the frosted mug my way. “Why don’t you drink?”
“I wasn’t allowed to,” I told her simply. It was true enough but it wasn’t the whole story. Then again, how did you tell a complete stranger that you’d only been born to save your older brother’s life and therefore had to always be in optimum health? You couldn’t, so I accepted her pitying smile and took a sip of the beer. It was cool and slightly bitter. “Kind of chocolatey.”
She smiled. “Right?”
“Your tattoos are beautiful. Did they hurt?”
She looked down at her arm and shrugged. “Some. Sounds like you’ve experienced things that would hurt a lot more.” She stayed where she was, staring me.
I didn’t know what to say as she sized me up. “I’m Elka.”
“Nice to meet you, Elka. Welcome to Tulip.” Nina made her way down to the other end of the bar where two older men sat with empty beer mugs, and refilled them quickly, offering a flirtatious smile that had the old men laughing. “Guys, meet Elka. She’s new to Tulip.”
Both men offered distracted waves which I returned meekly. When Nina returned, I ordered some food just as a loud growl sounded. “I’ll have the black bean nachos with extra jalapenos, please.”
I ate my food alone and in silence, letting those old fears and doubts creep in. Did I really need to move so far away from home? What if a year later, I didn’t feel any different? Or, worse, what if I wasn’t any different? Those thoughts weren’t helpful, so I finished my nachos and my beer, left Nina a tip, and went on my way.
“Hey, Elka,” she called out and I turned with my hand on the knob. “We do trivia night every Wednesday at seven. It’s a great way to meet people, if you’re interested.”
“Um, thank you, Nina. Bye.” The sun hit my face as soon as I stepped outside, making me lift my face to the sky and smile. I slipped on my favorite sunglasses with the purple lenses and took my time walking the few blocks to the grocery store. Before I got there, I saw something that drew my attention: a statue that looked like it had seen better days. The closer I came, the more it all came into focus.
The statue was of a woman, or had it been, surrounded by a garden with a fountain between the two. I bet it had been beautiful when it was clean and functioning, but now it looked sad. “Tulip’s Tribute,” the placard on the ground said. I couldn’t believe it. This was how they treated the memory of the woman who’d started this town? It was unbelievable and I shook my head, heartbroken, as I walked away and slipped inside the cool air of the store.
Since I had to walk back home, I decided to pick up just a few necessities or else I’d have to stop every block to rest, turning my two-hour trip into a half-a-day ordeal. Most of the items in my cart were healthy because it had been my way of life for as long as I could remember. Every day I ate a salad, and at least three servings of vegetables too. As my mother always said, “You can’t help your brother if you’re not healthy.”
It had never mattered what I wanted. Only Austin.
“But that was the old you,” I whispered to myself and turned down the junk food aisle, grabbing potato chips, cheese puffs, and a variety pack of chocolates. Maybe I was a junk food person and maybe I wasn’t, but the only way to figure it out was to try.
I smiled to myself as I paid the cashier. Look a me, living my life.