Chapter 13
Valerie Masterson
After Wyatt dropped me off Saturday evening, I felt like I was walking on cloud nine.
It was the first time I tried country dancing.
I admit, I was intimidated at first. As he gently grasped my hand, a wave of nervousness washed over me.
I couldn’t shake the unsettling fear of stumbling and sending us both tumbling to the ground.
My nerves slowly melted away as the music played and we began moving. In no time, I was twirling and laughing without a care in the world as the rhythm swept me away. At the end of the night, I felt a sense of exhilaration and accomplishment, grateful for stepping out of my comfort zone .
When the evening ended, we wanted to spend another night wrapped in each other’s arms. Although we knew with Emily being dropped off the next morning, that it would put everyone in an awkward position.
I couldn’t shake the lingering joy after we said goodbye.
The experience left me with newfound confidence and a desire to explore unfamiliar things.
I learned how to dance a two-step and ride a horse, all in the same day.
What other exciting things can I learn? As I lay in bed, I replay every moment of the day, especially having sex out in the middle of nowhere, and I couldn’t help smiling at the thought of being in Wyatt’s arms, hopefully again soon.
∞∞∞
The town hall meeting was scheduled for this morning.
Yesterday, I worked all day with Devin on getting prepared.
I can honestly say that I’m looking forward to meeting up with the mayor and the residents.
In the past week, I have met some incredible townspeople, and I hope that I have won them over.
Now it’s my chance to make a great impression. I’m eager to share our plans and hear their feedback. The support of the community is crucial, and I’m optimistic about the positive changes we can achieve together.
Even though it was against my better judgment and style, I decided to change my appearance.
I dressed in blue jeans and a green button-down blouse.
The color green signifies calmness, thoughtfulness, and tranquility.
I pulled on my black cowboy boots and added a single-breasted, mid-length coat to match them.
I kept my makeup to a minimum. The green blouse flatters my eyes. A knock on my door signaled it was time to leave. Devin looks pretty dapper in a suit and tie, with a laptop case in his hand .
“Wow, you look great! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in jeans.”
“Thank you. You look fabulous, as well.” I shifted my feet. “I was thinking.”
“What about?” His eyebrows narrowed as he wore a worried expression.
“Let’s attend as observers. I know, I know, we did all that work yesterday and it feels that it’s fallen by the wayside.
Give me a minute and listen to my thought process.
We don’t want to come off as pushy or overbearing.
We can gather valuable insights and feedback from residents without imposing an agenda.
By understanding their needs and concerns, we can better address them at future meetings. ”
“Okay, I’ll follow your lead.”
“Do me a favor?”
“What is it?”
“Can you bring your notepad and take detailed notes during the meeting? It’ll help us capture all the key points and sentiments expressed. ”
Devin was a quick study; he nodded. He adjusted his tie before slipping it off, along with his jacket, which he draped neatly across the bed.
With deliberate movement, he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, allowing the crisp fabric to fall open slightly, giving him an effortlessly relaxed appearance.
“Got it. Let’s do this!” He removed a notepad and pen, leaving his laptop case by the door.
As we made our way downstairs and rode the elevator, I was reminded of the wild horses.
I can’t believe I forgot to tell Devin the one detail Wyatt shared with me.
I filled him in on the horse details and the area where they roamed on our way to the community center.
I emphasized that the area was off limits.
We made a quick stop at the bakery and purchased coffee and donuts to go.
As we made our way inside, my eyes roamed the room, hoping to see Wyatt, but he was nowhere in sight.
The room was filled with mostly unfamiliar people, with the exception of Abby and the mayor.
We sat and listened as the meeting began.
They went over complaints about paved roads needing repairs and the possibility of raising taxes.
There was an audible groan that came from the attendees.
However, they remained calm. It was quite different from seeing the crazy stuff I’d seen on TV where council members get into fistfights.
I think the difference is that these are hard-working people from a close-knit, small town, just trying to make a difference within the community.
Once the agenda was complete, they opened the floor for anyone to bring up concerns.
An older woman stood up and walked over to the podium. Her silver hair was braided, and it came down to the middle of her back. She took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Am I the only one who is concerned about that newfangled company coming into town and shutting down businesses? ”
The mayor addressed her, “Margaret.”
“That’s Mrs. Bishop to you. As an elder in the community, I should be addressed as so.”
“Yes, ma’am, my apologies, Mrs. Bishop. As you know, Phoenix Construction has sent over representatives. You are welcome to ask them questions or voice any concerns you have.”
I may have visibly swallowed, waiting for her to take her wrath out on us. She turned and spotted Devin and me as we stood out like a sore thumb. I did my best to give her a natural, calming smile.
“I’d like to know if you’re planning on buying up business and shutting us down?”
I stood so that I could project my voice.
“Mrs. Bishop, I’m Valerie Masterson, and this is my associate, Mr. Devin Appleton.
We were sent here to locate property for a hotel and golf resort.
However, after meeting the lovely people of Skybrook, I honestly can say that’s not what is needed here.
I’d like to talk with the owner of Phoenix Construction and give him my feedback.
Afterwards, I’d love to share what we have come up with at the next town hall meeting.
” Mrs. Bishop’s eyes softened slightly.
“I don’t know the protocol, but I brought coffee and donuts to share.
” Before I knew it, the mayor spoke loudly, “Meeting adjourned,” and hit the gavel.
I asked Devin to find a place where we could put the refreshments to share.
When Mrs. Bishop walked by me, I asked if I could see her for a minute.
“I hope all your questions were answered. If not, please feel free to give me a call.” I handed her a business card. The room darkened as the previously shining sun was now hidden by clouds. I stepped closer and looked out the window, the sky darkened ominously.
A storm suddenly rolled in, and the atmosphere shifted dramatically. The mayor takes a step closer. “I think we better call it a day and have everyone go home. I don’t like the looks of those clouds.”
Being from California, I’ve never seen anything quite like it, so I don’t know the dangers. The only thing I can think of is lightning and heavy rain. “Mayor, I agree. Thank you for inviting us.”
After everyone had left, we cleaned up the discarded coffee cups and napkins and headed over to the Skybrook Inn. As we made our way up the steps, we ran into Abby. Her face was stricken with worry.
“Em! Emily!”
“Abby, what’s wrong?”
“I lost Emily.”
“Where do you think she’d go?”
“The cemetery.”
It was a strange place for a four-year-old to go, but I didn’t question it. “I know where that’s at. Let me go find her.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodded my head and ran downstairs. I hopped in my car, pulled up the cemetery address on my GPS, and proceeded to drive.
I needed assistance finding it, especially since the first time I passed it, I was riding on a horse from a trail.
I turned on the wipers to keep up with the steady trickle of rain that came down.
A few minutes later, the cemetery came into view.
I parked in the lot, turned off the ignition, and ran to the gates.
My heart pounded. I still had no idea why Emily would be at a cemetery, by herself, let alone, during a storm.
I yelled her name and ran up and down the rows, looking for her. Then, I spotted a bright yellow romper.
She was on her knees, her hands covering her face, her shoulders shaking. I took a step closer and read the headstone.
Lauren Woods, wife and loving mother, gone too soon. Jacoby Woods, son and brother, taken before life began. I grasp my chest and finally understand Wyatt’s heartache. I pushed aside my thoughts for the time being .
“Emily?”
She looked up and wiped her eyes, although it didn’t do much good with the rain coming down. “Pretty lady. What are you doing here?”
“Everyone is looking for you, and I think you gave your grandmother a scare. Let me take you back, okay?”
“Okay.” She wiped her eyes again from the tears, not the rain, and it broke my heart. I held out my hand, and she took it. As we got to the gate, there was a crackle in the air. The sky lit up, and there was a loud booming sound. Emily covered her ears; it was so loud.
I was comforting Emily from the loud thunder, and the next thing I knew, lightning struck nearby, and a tree crashed down onto my rental car.
“Holy shit!? That was a close one.” I dialed up the phone number for the inn.
“All circuits are busy, please try your call again later.” I tapped Devin’s number on my cell phone and it rang once. He picked up immediately .
“Valerie. Where are you?”
“Thank god I got through. I tried calling the inn, but all circuits were busy. I found Emily. Looks like we’ll have to head back to Wyatt’s house on foot. Please let Abby know Emily’s with me.”
“Why aren’t you driving?”
“Small problem. My car got hit by a fallen tree.”
“That’s crazy! Wait…hold on.” I could hear someone in the background. “Valerie! You’ve got to find cover now!”
“From the rain? It’s no big deal. We’ll get dry once we get to Wyatt’s.”
“Nooo! They’re talking about a severe weather event. You know, a tornado warning?!?”
Fuck! How could I forget we were in tornado alley?
The last thing I wanted to do was freak out Emily.
I spoke in what I hoped was a calm voice since Emily was holding on to my leg.
“I understand, but there is nowhere to take cover. We’re just going to head back to Wyatt’s.
Please let Abby know. And if you see Wyatt, tell him as well. ”
I know Devin understood why I wasn’t freaking out and he calmly replied to me, just in case Emily could hear. “Valerie, be careful.”
“Will do.” I slipped my cell phone into my back pocket. I took my jacket off and tried to cover Emily’s head. “Okay, Emily. Time for us to run back to your daddy’s house.”
I didn’t know how many miles it was, but I was determined to make it there. “Hey, sweetie, how about I give you a piggyback ride?” I squatted down, and she jumped on my back. Somehow, she held on to me while keeping my jacket over both our heads.
My boots hit the path, and I ran as fast and as far as I could. Emily’s assistance was greatly appreciated as we made our way back toward the house. Especially at one point when I was about to go the wrong way. I’m so glad she knew her way back to her house !
I knew we were close when the apple orchard came into view. Then, an ear-piercing siren sound came out of nowhere. The sound could be heard from miles around, I was sure. Even though I was not from this area, I knew from watching movies that it was a warning that a tornado was nearby.
I put Emily down and told her we had to run, run as fast as we could.
The wind was strong and whipped us around, but I had to keep pushing us forward.
I followed her towards the house. It felt like we had been running forever when I heard a screeching of tires and a truck coming to a stop.
I turned to see Wyatt jumping out of the truck yelling for us to get in.
We opened the door and jumped into the truck as fast as possible, and didn’t even worry about our seat belts.
“How did you know where to find us?”
“I didn’t. Home was the closest place for me when the tornado touched down. Why were you together and where did you girls come from? ”
“Daddy, I went to the cemetery, and she came to get me.”
Once he pulled up to the house, he told us to take cover as a tornado had touched down on the outskirts of town. We hightailed it out of the truck as quickly as we could and ran towards the cellar.
However, he was running in the wrong direction and went into the barn. I helped Emily open the cellar door.
“Get inside, I’ll be right back. Don’t leave, sweetie.”
I ran to the barn only to see Wyatt opening the stall doors. “What are you doing?”
“I’m setting them free, so they won’t get hurt. They have a better chance at surviving out there, than in their stalls.”
I ran over to Hubs and opened the gate. I led him out, and he followed the others. The siren wailed again. We both started running to the house when I slipped and fell in the mud. All my weight landed on my left wrist. I didn’t have time to assess the damage.
Wyatt pulled me up with his strong arms and grabbed my right hand.
Behind us, I could see a dark funnel cloud looming and it was getting closer by the second.
With my adrenaline pumping, I didn’t have time to think about the danger we were in, and I forgot about the pain in my wrist. My only concern was us getting back to Emily.
We ran down the steps and into the cellar.
He closed the door behind us, placed a large piece of wood over the door that was secured by heavy-duty metal brackets, and flipped a light switch.
I observed the room; it was filled with supplies, and from what I could tell, there were no visible windows.
Then I saw Emily crouching down in the corner.
When she saw Wyatt, she ran over and jumped into his arms.
The sound of the wind picked up. I’ve been told that the sound of tornadoes is described as a freight train running right by you. But I’ve never had firsthand experience on the subject. This is not one of those bucket list items you ever want to check off.
We huddled together away from the door. All we could hear was debris hitting the house. As we waited for the passing of the tornado, we heard another large crashing sound. We didn’t dare to move. The lights flickered, and then we were left in the dark .