Chapter 6 #3
Despite the fact she’d only been officially single for two weeks, it felt like a lot longer than that to Gretchen, whose heart had checked out of her relationship with Briggs years ago.
It didn’t help that she used romance novels as an escape from her shitty existence, so that eighteen-year-old girl—who’d chosen so fucking wrong—was now twenty-four and couldn’t help dreaming big.
Couldn’t help but wonder if there was a man out there like the heroes in her books, who would love her for who she was, who would be kind and protective and… not hit her.
She pushed those thoughts away, because even if Theo was as nice as he seemed, he wasn’t the guy for her.
“Theo tells me he’s teaching you to drive,” Claire said.
“He is. I grew up in a city with good public transportation, so I never bothered to learn.” So far, everyone had accepted Gretchen’s explanation for not being able to drive at face-value.
Claire took a sip of wine. “My boys have been driving around the farm from the time they were thirteen years old, Theo even earlier. He was the third boy, after Levi and Sam, and I swear he spent his entire childhood trying to keep up with his big brothers. I knew it had gotten out of hand when I caught him behind the wheel of our old farm-use truck, sitting on one of the pillows from my couch to give him the extra inches he needed to see out the windshield.”
Gretchen’s eyes widened. “How old was he?”
Claire shrugged. “He probably wasn’t much more than ten years old.”
“Did he wreck the truck?”
His mom laughed. “Good Lord, no. The only reason I caught him was because I was hanging clothes on the line when he returned. That boy pulled up, cool as an evening breeze, put the truck in park, and climbed out like he was king of the universe. I told him flat out he was too young to drive, and that I’d better never catch him behind the wheel again.
Even threw in that ‘wait until your dad gets home’ line, because I was hopping mad. ”
Gretchen couldn’t help but grin as Claire told her story with serious country charm. “What did Theo say?”
“That scamp hadn’t just taken a joyride around the farm. He’d driven down into the valley!”
“What?” Gretchen couldn’t imagine a ten-year-old driving off the mountain, then around town, even if Gracemont was small and traffic was always light.
“He had the nerve to claim I couldn’t be mad because he’d done me a favor. Apparently, he’d driven all the way to the Mills’ farm to buy some eggs because we were out.”
“Mr. Mills didn’t take the keys away from him?”
After she asked the question, Gretchen glanced at Tim Mills and Edith, only to discover they’d finished their own conversation and were now listening to Claire’s story.
“Oh, I would have,” Tim reassured her. “But I’d been out in the field and my wife was in the kitchen baking.
At the time, we had an honor system on egg pickup.
Folks put their money in an envelope with their name on it and helped themselves to eggs.
When Claire called to tell me Theo had gotten eggs from us, I went out to the money box and sure enough, there was Theo’s name on an envelope, the cash inside. ”
Gretchen couldn’t help but laugh. “Wow. He sounds like he was a handful.”
“That’s what you took from that story?” Theo asked, joining their small circle.
“What should I have taken?” she asked.
“Obviously, that I was an extremely thoughtful, considerate child, and a brilliant protégé, destined to be a titan of industry or NASCAR driver or both.”
Claire reached over, lightly slapping Theo’s forearm. “I don’t know about all that, but I’ll agree you are thoughtful, and you can charm honey from the bees with that smile of yours. Gretchen, I swear he was so sweet and sincere as he handed me those eggs, I forgot to be mad.”
“ You might have forgotten, but Dad’s a tougher nut to crack. I spent the entire next day washing and detailing that truck, the tractor, and the family car. Every time I thought I was done, he pulled up another vehicle.”
“An appropriate punishment,” Claire said. “Theo had an aversion to cleaning anything. His room when he was a teenager was despicable. Told him he was living inside a trash can.”
“At least he’s gotten a little better about it,” Sam chimed in. “Of course, Levi and I had to nag the hell out of him after he first moved in with us, to whip him into shape.”
Theo snorted. “I thought this was a welcome party for Gretchen. Must have missed my invitation to the Theo roast.”
Sam threw his arm around his brother’s shoulders. “Seems only fair Gretchen has a clear picture of exactly who she’s working for.”
“Gretchen.” Theo shook off his brother’s arm, gesturing toward an old wooden picnic table that was laden with food. She had to hand it to the citizens of Gracemont. They sure knew how to eat. “Dinner is served. As the guest of honor, you get to go first.”
Apparently, Gretchen picking up a paper plate was the signal to go, as the football game abruptly ended, everyone jostling for position in line to fill their plates.
She’d finished her second helping when her cell rang. Pulling it from the pocket of her jacket, her heart raced when she saw Brenda’s name.
Gretchen excused herself, stepping well out of hearing distance as she answered.
“Brenda. This is a surprise.”
“I wanted to see how your first week at the new job went.”
Gretchen hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until Brenda revealed her reason for calling. “Oh. It’s been amazing,”
“Thank goodness. I’ve been so worried. We haven’t talked since you left and?—”
“I’m sorry I haven’t called. It’s been such a whirlwind.”
“But a good whirlwind?”
Gretchen was touched by the tone of concern in her former boss’s voice. Brenda had really gone the extra mile for her these past six months. “So good. The place I’m staying is incredible. There’s a fireplace in my room.”
“A fireplace! Damn. I might come stay with you.”
Gretchen smiled. “And while the job is challenging, it’s also exciting and even fun. Everyone on Stormy Weather Farm has been so kind and inviting.”
Brenda released an audible sigh. “I can’t tell you what a load you’ve taken off my mind.”
“I can never thank you enough for what you did for me, Brenda,” Gretchen said.
“I should have seen what was going on much sooner?—”
“No.” Gretchen quickly cut off her boss, unwilling to let her wallow in regret. “I wasn’t honest with you, feeding you lies about the bruises.”
“And I should have seen through the lies. My dad’s a therapist and my mom is a divorce lawyer, for God’s sake.”
“Please. I can’t stand thinking you feel even an ounce of guilt after what you’ve done for me.
Everything happened the way it was supposed to, and in the right time.
I’m sure of it. My head…it wasn’t in the right place to plan and do what needed to be done for such a long time.
” Gretchen hated how many years she’d wallowed in her own self-loathing and misery.
“You deserve this second chance,” Brenda said.
Gretchen hesitated, torn over whether to ask the question burning in her mind. When she boarded that bus and got the hell out of Harrisburg, she swore there would be no looking back. But those words were easier said than done.
Despite feeling safe in Gracemont, she’d suffered too many moments of panic whenever she saw someone who looked like Briggs, or heard a voice that sounded like his, or whenever she woke up to one of the countless moans and groans—as Edith called them—of the old Millholland house.
The creak of a floorboard or a gentle bump in the night left her huddling under the covers, shivering, certain he’d found her.
In the end, she decided forewarned was forearmed. Since she was looking over her shoulder all the time anyway, it was better to know if her need for vigilance was called for.
“Do I want to know how Briggs took my leaving?” She’d left her old phone along with a letter on her desk at work, which meant Brenda would have had a front-row seat to his reaction.
“I don’t know,” Brenda hedged. “Do you?”
“How bad was it?” Gretchen felt that familiar weight pressing against her chest when she thought about her ex.
“I’ve known Briggs practically his whole life. And I had no idea he carried that much rage in him. I’ll be honest, he scared me for a few minutes. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you, living with him all those years.”
“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Gretchen was suddenly terrified she’d unwittingly put Brenda in the line of fire.
“No, of course not. But after he read your letter, he picked up your phone and threw it across the office. It smashed against the wall. I think he immediately regretted that impulse, because it made it impossible for him to go through your phone for clues about where you might have gone.”
“He wouldn’t have found anything,” Gretchen reassured her.
She’d all but hit the factory reset on the thing, only leaving the Find My Friends app active, so he wouldn’t suspect her plans.
She’d done the same thing with her computer at work, careful not to leave him the slightest trace of where she’d run to.
“He’s been all over Harrisburg looking for you, checking at the homes of friends, your parents’ place, even the old foster home where you lived.
My brother stopped by yesterday, unannounced—I’m sure at Briggs’s request—to make sure I wasn’t harboring you.
I told Douglas, Briggs was an abusive asshole, but apparently Briggs got there first, admitting to my brother that he’d done things wrong, crying on his shoulder, swearing he’d make it right if only he could find and talk to you,” Brenda murmured.
“Douglas, the fucking idiot, drank the Kool-Aid, then suggested Briggs talk to our dad. Douglas has always been one of those people who believes in second, third, and twenty-eighth chances.”