Chapter 2 #2
Mrs. Patchett leads me into the kitchen, gestures towards the table and begins to make tea. “Have a seat. Start at the beginning and tell me everything.”
Her kindness is exactly what I need to get me talking.
In a desperate push, words come tumbling out of my mouth.
I realize almost immediately it’s a jumbled mess, so I try again.
“I know this isn’t going to make any sense, but I overheard my stepfather on the phone just now.
He owes someone money. I heard him offer to trade me to pay off the debt in full.
He said I’m beautiful, like my mom and they could do whatever they wanted with me.
He sounded so happy about it.” My voice cracks and I begin to cry.
“I ran because I didn’t know what else to do. ”
Her expression shifts to one of horror and the cup she’s holding clatters to the counter, shattering.
“That father of yours is a damn menace. I wish more people could see him for what he is,” she responds bitterly, before calling for her husband. “George, come here quick.”
He’s at the door in a matter of seconds. “What’s going on, Caroline?”
“I need you to pull my car out of the garage and put Beth’s car in there right now.”
He glances from her to me and back again before asking, “Are you sure about this, honey?”
She gives him a decisive nod. “Yeah, do it right away, just in case he’s looking for her.”
Turning back to me, she says, “I’ve been watching those True Crime shows. Do you think he’d try and track you? What about your phone?”
My eyes go wide, and I begin fishing it out of my duffel. “I don’t know. I didn’t think that far ahead. I don’t think he knows about technology.”
My hand wraps around it and I yank it out, handing it to her like it’s the enemy. My stepfather isn’t a nice man, but he’d never do anything like that. Then again, I just heard him offer me up to someone like I was a possession.
She turns the phone off and then removes the battery. “Do you have a laptop or anything else electronic he might be able to use to track you with?”
“No, I just grabbed some clothes and left.” I rake my hands through my hair, annoyed with myself for not thinking this through more thoroughly. “I hope I didn’t make a mistake coming here. I feel like I’m making my problems your problems.”
“Nonsense, sweetheart. We just have to make sure your stepfather can’t find you until we can process this situation properly and decide what to do. Should I call the police?”
I shake my head, “I just overheard a conversation. There’s nothing to prove anything, they wouldn’t believe me.”
Worry eats away at me as she goes back to making tea. I turn the situation over in my mind, realizing how outlandish it all sounds. Before I can get my head around it, she presses a mug of hot tea into my hand.
“Here, drink this. It’ll make you feel better.”
I take a quick sip and start talking again.
“He wants to traffic me to settle a debt,” I tell her with tears spilling down my face.
“Do you realize how weird that sounds? If it weren’t happening to me, I wouldn’t believe it myself.
It sounds like crazy talk. Everyone thinks he’s a righteous man.
He’ll spin this as just me getting lost in my grief or something. ”
She reaches out, takes my free hand and begins untangling the rosary. When she’s finished, she drapes it around my neck and looks me in the eyes. “I believe you because I’ve always thought he was no good. Don’t think for a minute that we’re going to let him get away with something so wicked.”
“Thank you,” I choke out, fighting back more tears. “You’re right about him being no good. No one will ever know what my mother and I went through since she married him.”
She takes a sip of her own tea and then speaks again.
“I always suspected your stepfather wasn’t right in the head and this proves it.
Your mama was a good woman. She never said one bad word about him.
But she made me promise that if anything happened to her, I’d look after you. This is me keeping that promise.”
Still panicking inside, I tell her, “I’m afraid my stepdad is gonna just pick me up one day and I won’t be able to stop him.”
“We won’t let that happen. Do you know who your stepfather was talking to?”
I shake my head. “He didn’t say, and I never heard their voice. I could barely hear my stepdad’s side of the conversation. To be honest, I can’t imagine it’s anyone decent. They were talking about human trafficking like it was just another business transaction.”
“We’ll figure something out,” she assures me.
I wish I had her confidence.
“I know someone who can help. My son.”
An image of him rises in my mind, making me blush. He’s a lot older than me. I’ve always thought he was smart, strong, and extremely attractive. “You mean Solomon?”
Her mouth curves into a proud mama smile. “Yes, he’s the only son I have. Everyone calls him Patch now.”
I can’t help but smile. “It’s because he’s a doctor and patches people up for a living. And because his last name is Patchett. That’s such a cute nickname for him.”
Her expression takes on a cunning edge, and I’m not sure quite what to make of that. She’s a clever woman. So, I hope she’s scheming in my favor. “You were always nice to my son. Maybe it’s time for him to return the favor.”
“What? Solomon doesn’t deserve to be dragged into my mess. There has got to be another way. Maybe I can move off to the city or someplace where my stepfather can’t find me.”
“Going into hiding for the rest of your life isn’t a good plan, Beth. You deserve a nice life and that can’t happen if you’re always looking over your shoulder and worried about being trafficked by the very man who should be looking out for you now that your mother is gone.”
I sigh and take another drink of my tea, because she’s not wrong. “I’m sure that I’ll figure something out.”
Caroline insists, “What you need is a protector. And my son is too wrapped up in his work to enjoy life. He’s responsible, caring, and compassionate, but he needs something or someone to distract him from being a workaholic.
If you ask me, this could be the win-win situation you both need.
Whether you see it or not, I think the Lord’s brought you to my door for a reason. ”
The words roll around in my head as I try to make sense of what she’s saying. I’m desperate and don’t want to dismiss her idea out of hand but I can’t keep from shaking my head. “Solomon’s a busy man. He’s a doctor. I can’t ask him to babysit me.”
“You’re not asking. I am.” She pats my hand. “He’s a grown man who can make decisions for himself. Tonight, you can sleep in his old room. Tomorrow, we’ll tell him about your situation and see what he has to say. For now, you’re safe. That’s what matters most.”
“Thank you,” I choke out, fighting back more tears.
She leads me upstairs to Solomon’s old room. It’s got posters on the door identifying all the layers of the human body from the inside out. The bed has a black comforter, sheet set, and plump pillows just waiting to be slept on. All in all, it’s a very masculine room.
I glance over my shoulder at Caroline and ask hesitantly, “Are you sure he won’t mind me sleeping in his room? I don’t mind sleeping on the sofa.”
“Absolutely not. I won’t hear of it. Unfortunately, we’ve been storing supplies for the annual homeless backpack charity in my guest room. So, Patch’s room will have to do. My son would be offended if I put you on the sofa when his room was standing empty.”
I swallow thickly and turn to her as I set my duffel bag down on the floor.
“I don’t know how to thank you for taking me in like this.
We don’t have any family in the area. In fact, with my mother being raised in care and most of my stepfather’s extended family going no contact with him over the years, family members are thin on the ground in my world. ”
“Your mother was well aware of that fact and that’s why she made me your godmother. It’s also the reason she made me promise to look out for you if anything ever happened to her. Don’t you worry about anything. If Patch doesn’t want to help you, we’ll figure something out.”
I give her a tired smile. “You’re acting more like a fairy godmother than a plain godmother right now.”
She laughs and pulls an extra blanket from the closet, draping it across the bed.
Finally, she looks at me with an approving expression on her face.
“I’m no fairy godmother. I am a smart, resourceful woman.
Between the two of us, we can logic our way out of this situation if we keep our wits about us.
” Taking a step back, she adds, “Get some sleep and we’ll talk about this again in the morning. ”
The moment the door shuts behind her, my knees buckle. I sink down to the floor and just sit there for a long moment, trying to wrangle my emotions under control. Coming here for help was the most embarrassing moment of my life.
I eventually get up, strip down to my underwear and crawl into Solomon’s bed.
It’s even more comfortable than it looks.
When I turn off the bedside lamp, soft moonlight shines through the window, calming me.
My mind turns to all the stories I heard about human trafficking.
The only conceivable reason the other person is willing to forgive my stepfather’s debts in exchange for me is because he plans to use me to make money.
I don’t want to think too much on what that would look like, so I focus on the poster on the wall.
As I’m drifting off to sleep, I think of Solomon’s always serious demeanor, the way he patiently helps others without being asked and those rare occasions when he full on smiled at me.
A genuine smile transforms his face from ruggedly handsome to movie star gorgeous.
It’s breathtaking to see that transformation take place in real time.
This is the moment I realize I’ve had a childhood crush on this man for years. The thing is, I’m not a child anymore.