Chapter 7 #2
Otto let out a huff of humorless laughter and reached up to scrub his hands over his face in frustration.
“My dad doesn’t know how to build a bomb,” I said incredulously.
“I don’t know what kind of life you guys live—” I glanced around the room.
“But we’re not like that. We go to church and go to work and watch television and our family vacations are in Seattle where the regional meetings are.
My dad has two guns, an old vintage revolver and a rifle that he uses for hunting.
He never even served in the military. Where the heck would he learn how to build a bomb and why would you ever think that he’d put one anywhere near me? ”
I just flat-out couldn’t understand what their goal was.
They said that the guns in my cabin were theirs and I’d believed them and given them back—so why was I in their little clubhouse being interrogated?
I obviously hadn’t stolen anything from them.
Rationally, I knew they were telling the truth, but I still couldn’t make myself believe it.
Maybe the guns hadn’t been theirs at all.
Maybe they had belonged to someone in the church and Otto’s club was stealing them now.
Could that be why they were trying to convince me that my dad had tried to hurt me?
So I wouldn’t tell him who’d stolen the rifles?
Eventually, I’d have to go home, though, and explain where exactly they’d gone.
It’s not like crates of weapons would just disappear.
Though, I could play completely clueless if my dad asked about them. I wasn’t even supposed to know that they were under the floorboards and it was only bad luck that I did.
Because of the absolute unreality of the morning, I hadn’t really had time to take in that it was Otto who had shown up at the cabin.
The man I’d been thinking about for months.
I hadn’t fully processed that he was finally in my orbit, that he knew we were having a baby after that insane encounter in the front seat of his car, that he was still as handsome and magnetic as that night at the bonfire and he still made my skin tingle whenever he brushed against me.
But more important than all the rest, I hadn’t quite realized how absolutely safe he made me feel.
All of it hit me, though, when he leaned forward and cupped my face in his hands. From the moment he’d turned around in the driveway of the cabin and I’d seen his face, deep in my gut, I’d known that everything was going to be alright.
“Calm down, baby,” he said soothingly. I hadn’t even realized that I was breathing like I’d just run a marathon. “It’s alright. Look at me. It’s all gonna be fine.”
“I prayed you’d come get me,” I blurted, my eyes on his. He was so close I could smell the mint gum on his breath. “When I first got to the cabin.”
“I looked for you,” he replied. “If I’d known, I woulda come.”
“I don’t understand any of this.”
“I know you don’t,” he replied grimly.
“Are you going to call my dad?”
“Why would we do that?” he asked, his thumbs brushing along my cheekbones.
“To find out why those guns were in the cabin.”
“Don’t think he’s gonna give us any straight answers, sugar.”
“You’re just not going to say anything?” I asked dubiously. “Don’t you think he’ll notice? He’ll have to come back eventually. It’s not like he won’t notice that they’re missing. Or that I’m missing. At some point they’ll come out to check on me again.” At least I hoped that was their intention.
“We got time to figure all that out,” Otto murmured.
“If you’ve got all your stuff back,” I said softly, grasping at straws. “Can’t you just bring me back home? I won’t use the phone.”
I was tired and uncomfortable and I needed some familiarity around me to try and work things out in my head.
The cabin wasn’t my first choice in a home, but it was my home and I felt a little desperate to get back there to my fireplace and my plaid couch and the wood I still needed to split and the wonderfully consistent meal schedule.
Once I was there, I could hopefully make sense of what was happening.
Otto’s eyes darkened as he scowled. “You’re not goin’ back there.”
“But you guys said that everything was taken care of—”
“You’re not steppin’ foot back in that place, Esther,” he snapped, his hands dropping away from my face. “It was fuckin’ wired to blow.”
My cheeks felt cold once his hands were gone.
“Why are you angry at me?” I asked, the strain of the morning finally showing in my voice.
I’d been pleasant and accommodating and everything I’d been raised to be, especially in regard to men.
I’d answered their questions and helped them and let Otto drag me into town.
I’d kept my voice even and my tone easy.
But this was infuriating.
“That cabin doesn’t have electricity,” Otto barked, his voice growing louder.
“Lots of people don’t have electricity,” I pointed out, widening my eyes at him. “You get used to it.”
“Like hell you do.”
“That’s where I live, Otto. It’s my home!” He stood up and I followed him, jumping to my feet. I hadn’t raised my voice, but I could feel it quivering with disbelief and anger. “You don’t get to just—”
“I sure as fuck do.”
“Don’t talk to me like that,” I hissed, glancing over at the men who were watching us from across the room.
“You’re not goin’ back to that piece of shit cabin, Esther,” he said flatly, glaring at me. “End of story.”
“No, not end of story,” I argued.
I was frustrated and angry and so overwhelmed, but a small part inside of me reveled in the fact that I was sticking up for myself. It felt good. Another part, one I wouldn’t even acknowledge, was so relieved that I wouldn’t be going back to that place in the woods, that I could’ve cried.
“You like shittin’ in a hole in the ground?” he roared, flinging aside the chair between us. “That fun for you?”
My cheeks burned in embarrassment and that small bubble of good disappeared but I refused to look at our audience again.
“Do you like making other people feel bad about themselves?” I said quietly, my eyes burning. “That fun for you?”
“Esther,” he murmured apologetically, his shoulders immediately slumping in regret.
“It might not be the best place to live,” I admitted quietly. “But I made do. I made it work. I made a home for myself.”
“I know you did,” he replied, nodding. “I saw that.”
All of a sudden I felt so incredibly tired. I dropped back down into my seat.
“I’ve got a place,” he said, crouching down in front of me so we were eye to eye. “It’s not anythin’ fancy, yeah? But it’s better than where you were. You can stay with me.”
“I can’t live with you.” The idea of it was so outside the realm of reality that I shouldn’t have been surprised after the morning I’d had, but it still shocked me. “I barely know you.”
“We’re havin’ a baby.”
I opened my mouth to ask what that had to do with anything when I was distracted by a couple of women, loudly and unapologetically coming in the front door like they owned the place.
“Shit,” Otto mumbled under his breath.
“Otto,” the younger woman said breezily as she strode toward us. “Introduce me, honey.”
“Mom,” he replied cautiously, rising to his full height. “What are you doin’ here?”
“Your dad called me, obviously,” she said, smiling down at me. “Hi, sweetheart.”
“Hello,” I murmured.
She was amazing. Her makeup was flawless, black liner coming to sharp points at the corners of her eyes, and her hair was a vivid purple that somehow didn’t seem too young for her.
She was wearing a baggy hoodie with some kind of skull emblem and a pair of wide-legged jeans, but somehow didn’t look sloppy.
What was most striking about her was the way she held herself, head up, eyes blazing in a dare to anyone who messed with her.
I’d never seen anyone like her—not close up, at least.
“Mom, this is Esther,” Otto said with a sigh. “Esther, my mom, Heather.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said politely, getting to my feet.
“Oh,” she sighed, her eyes lighting up as she reached out a hand, almost touching my belly, but not quite. “Congratulations.”
My nose stung at the heartfelt word. It was the first time someone other than me had looked at my belly and felt joy at the sight. I hadn’t even realized that the lack had bothered me, I’d just expected the condemnation.
“Thank you,” I said, clearing my throat.
“Why the hell is she still sitting in the clubhouse?” Heather said, glaring at Otto. “You should’ve called me.”
“We had some questions,” Otto’s grandpa said, coming toward us. “What the hell are you doin’ here?”
“Grandbaby,” Heather said, pointing at my belly. “Trumps—” She waved her hand in the air. “Whatever the hell you guys are doing.”
“Wrong,” he snapped.
Heather just raised her eyebrows. “Did she answer your questions?”
“She did.”
“Then she’s done here.”
“We’ll say when she’s done.”
My head swung back and forth like I was watching a tennis match, but Otto just stood there looking bored.
“You know, Asa—” Heather said, her entire tone changing.
He lifted a hand to stop her. “Not sure she’s safe to go anywhere else,” he said, cutting her off. “We were havin’ that discussion when you interrupted.”
“Why wouldn’t I be safe?” I asked, staring at the older man.
“Were you not listenin’ to a word we said?” Otto asked me in disbelief.
“I heard everything you said.” Not that I believed all of it, but I’d heard them.
“I’m takin’ her back to Tommy’s room,” Heather said, her tone brooking no argument. “When you’re finished with whatever it is you’re discussing, let us know.” She turned to me. “Come on, honey.”
I followed her across the room and through the archway without argument, glancing at Otto as we passed him. He gave me a small nod and I was a little irritated with myself when I realized I’d been looking for his permission to leave.
“Sounds like you’ve had a hell of a day,” his mom said over her shoulder. She raised her voice. “You coming, ma?”