Chapter Thirty-five
Vaughn sat on the end of her bed, putting on her cotton pajama pants and soft Wrangler T-shirt. When she was dressed, she stood at her dresser and combed her wet hair. Her day had been long, beginning at five and going well past six. She was so exhausted that she could hardly keep her head up at dinner. Thankfully, June had poured her a glass of iced tea and the caffeine in it had seemed to help. But now it was nearing nine o’clock and exhaustion was plaguing her once again. She set down her comb and examined the dark marks beneath her eyes. She looked as tired as she felt. If not more so.
She headed for the door and winced, her back tightening in pain once again. When was it going to let up?
She reached the living room and sat to slip on her sneakers. June was sitting at the desk working at the computer, her wild mane piled into a loose bun.
“Going somewhere?” she asked, peering at her over her reading glasses.
“I’m going to go check on Midnight.”
“You just did that before supper.”
“I need to do it again. He’s anxious.”
“You’re not going to start sleeping out there with the horses again, are you?”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Vaughn, I was kidding.”
“Oh.” She stood. “I’ll be back in a few.”
“Alright. Go, if you must.”
Vaughn walked out the kitchen door into the cooling evening air. The sky was black with a few clusters of stars, the city lights too close for an exceptional view. She enjoyed looking skyward nonetheless, and she was doing so when she nearly ran into Natalie.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” Natalie said, carrying her laptop. She seemed out of breath. She, too, was in her pajamas, hers a matching set of dark green satin pants and a button up shirt. Vaughn wondered if the color set off her eyes in the light.
“You didn’t,” Vaughn said. “What’s up?”
“A lot. I’m a little panicked.” She glanced around, as if to check her surroundings. “I got an email. It’s—strange and I’m not sure if it’s authentic.”
“Okay,” Vaughn said, drawing out the word.
Natalie opened her laptop like she was going to show Vaughn, but seemed to change her mind. She closed it and breathed deep. “It says it’s from a detective. A Detective Marks. It says they’ve been looking for me for some time and that they’ve noticed my recent posts to my blogs.”
“You’ve been working?”
“I have to. I need the money.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? We could’ve worked something out.”
“Like what? You’re already helping me out by letting me stay here.”
“I don’t know. I could’ve paid you for managing the website and posting the job listings. Or for doing the chores. Something. We could’ve worked something out.”
“Well, I didn’t want to put you out, Vaughn.” She shook her head. “Anyway, this detective, he seems to have found me. Or at least seen that I’ve been posting. But I’m not sure it’s really a detective. I mean, what if it’s Allen or one of his cronies?”
“You didn’t respond, did you?”
“No.”
“Don’t. Not until we check this out somehow.”
“I’ve already done a search for Detective Marks. He’s a real person, a real detective. And the email address looks authentic, but I’m afraid. Even it it’s really the police, I don’t know if I should respond. Then someone will know where I am.”
Vaughn’s mind raced, searching for a solution. “Tomorrow, I’ll take you into town, to an Internet cafe. You can log on there and send an email. Tell him you’re fine but you don’t wish to disclose your location.”
“Think he’ll buy it?”
“I don’t see why not. It’s the truth.”
Natalie seemed to think it over. “I don’t know, maybe I should just remain silent.”
“If you do that, they may keep looking for you to confirm it’s you and that you’re okay.”
Natalie sighed. “Shit. I’m so scared, Vaughn.”
“I know. But I think this can be a good thing. Maybe you could open up a dialogue with this detective about Allen and your fears.”
“Not you, too. June keeps telling me I should talk to the police.”
“It’s not a bad idea.”
“If you knew Allen, you’d understand why I don’t want to take that risk.”
“But, Natalie, you’re safe here. No one—”
A sharp cone of headlights shone on them as a vehicle pulled in from the drive.
Natalie stiffened. “Oh, no. It’s him. He’s found me.”
“It’s not him,” Vaughn said. “It can’t be.”
They both watched, frozen in shock, as the vehicle pulled up and the back passenger door opened. A woman stepped out into the dim lighting of the porch light and came toward them.
“Vaughn Marie, is that you, my darlin’?”
Vaughn stared, dumbfounded. “Mom?”
“Hey, sweetie!” She hurried up to her and threw her arms around her, hanging off her neck. Vaughn grimaced as her back spasmed, but she was careful not to make a noise.
“What are you doing here?” Vaughn asked, drawing away. Her mother released her, much to her relief, and smiled up at her.
“Surprise!”
Vaughn blinked in disbelief. “Are you really here?”
“I am.” She pinched Vaughn’s cheek.
“But—how?”
“It’s magic,” she said with a laugh. She squeezed Vaughn’s cheek again and spoke to the Uber driver who had retrieved her bags from the back hatch of the vehicle. Her mother took her two rolling suitcases and wheeled them toward the guesthouse, her gaze still on Vaughn.
“Are you surprised? I knew you would be.” She stopped mid stride as she finally noticed Natalie. “Who’s this?”
“This is Natalie. She’s—”
“I’m—”
“She’s a good friend who’s staying in the guesthouse,” Vaughn quickly said.
Her mother appeared confused for a second, but then seemed to recognize her somehow. “Oh, right. So you’re Natalie.”
“There’s room in the main house for you,” Vaughn explained. “You can have the spare bedroom.”
“It’s okay, Vaughn,” Natalie said. “She can have the guesthouse. I can go get my things.”
“No, absolutely not,” her mother said. She stepped forward and shook Natalie’s hand. “You’re fine right where you are. And I’m Vivian, by the way.”
“Natalie.”
“Hello, Natalie. My, aren’t you a cute little thing.”
Vaughn wasn’t sure if Natalie was blushing, but Vaughn sure was. Natalie was cute. Beyond cute. She was downright stunning, even in the dim light of night and it seemed her mother had noticed just as much as she had.
How Natalie could think that Em would ever turn her head was crazy. The cowgirl was attractive, in a young tomboy kind of way, but that was just it. She was young. Too young. And she was her employee. How could she get Natalie to see that?
Vaughn tried to take her mother’s suitcases from her. But she caught one look at the way Vaughn was walking and refused.
“Huh-uh, little miss. You look like you’ve done enough lifting already.”
“I’m fine,” Vaughn said, trying again to take the cases. But her mother shooed her away.
“Here, allow me,” Natalie said, stepping up to take the bags. She rolled them up onto the porch and opened the door. Vaughn watched as her mother smiled and joined Natalie at the door, touching her shoulder as she walked inside ahead of her. “And you’re an angel too.”
Vaughn followed them inside and called out for Gram. “Gram, we have a surprise for you.”
She came into to the kitchen and her eyes widened at Vivian. “Well, my goodness. I didn’t think you would get here as soon as today!” The two embraced and Vaughn eased into a chair, her back now in constant pain, whereas before the pain came in stabbing attacks. She stared them down.
“Wait a minute, you knew she was coming?” Vaughn asked.
Gram shrugged. “Maybe.”
“She told me all about what’s going on around here and I just had to come,” her mother said.
“As they say, wild horses couldn’t keep her away,” Gram said with a grin. She brushed Vivian’s graying hair away from her face and kissed her cheek. Soon, Vaughn thought, her mother’s hair would be entirely white, just like Gram’s. The two were so much alike, even in looks. The only difference, other than the age gap, was their creativity. Gram had a fondness for cooking and landscaping, whereas her mother had a passion for painting and sculpting. Both were incredible talents and Vaughn knew she’d inherited her own creativity with photography from both of them.
Natalie spotted her brief cringe from the pain in her back and came to her side.
“Are you okay?”
Vaughn gripped her lower back. “Don’t say anything, but I think it’s getting worse.”
“What can I do?”
“Get me that ice pack from the freezer if you would.”
Natalie gave Vaughn’s shoulder a squeeze and waited a moment for Gram and Vivian to head off toward the bedroom. She opened the freezer and dug out the blue ice pack, wrapped a dish towel around it, and brought it to Vaughn. “Do you want to sit in the living room? Maybe lie on the couch?”
“Can’t. I still need to check on Midnight.”
“I can do it.”
“Would you mind?”
“Not at all.”
“I really appreciate it.” Vaughn tried to stand, but she cried out at the immense pain. Natalie gripped her arm and helped her straighten.
“Holy shit, that hurt,” Vaughn said, finally able to move.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
“I’m not ready for bed.”
“Too bad. I’m making the call and I say you’re going to bed.”
Vaughn gritted her teeth as she moved, one foot slowly in front of the other. “I’m hurting too damn bad to argue with you. Just get me there.”
They headed through the living room and down the hallway. They were just about to enter Vaughn’s bedroom when Gram and her mother emerged from the spare room. They immediately noticed Vaughn’s stature.
“Your back?” Gram said, coming to her side.
“I’m fine,” Vaughn tried, not wanting to worry them.
“She’s far from fine,” Natalie said.
Vaughn gave her a look. Natalie didn’t back down. “Vaughn, you’re not okay.”
“Tell me how bad it is,” her mother said, walking up to her to touch her face.
Vaughn winced as she tried to turn to go into the bedroom. “It’s pretty bad.”
“She needs a doctor,” Natalie said. “But first, let’s get her to the bed.” The three of them helped guide Vaughn into her room and onto her bed. Natalie knelt and removed her sneakers, gently lifting and swinging her legs over onto the mattress. She waited while Vaughn rolled onto her side, then she placed the ice pack behind her and Vaughn eased back over. Natalie draped the covers over her and adjusted her pillows.
“I’m going to go get her some Aleve,” Natalie said, leaving the room.
Her mother came to her and took her by the hand. “Looks like you’ve got a pretty good friend there.”
“Natalie’s…special.”
“I can see that.”
“She’s heaven-sent is what she is,” Gram said, adjusting the ceiling fan speed with the remote. “You want it higher?”
“Low is fine.” She didn’t want to wake up cold. It was hard telling if she’d be able to reach for another blanket. “No need to fuss,” she said as she looked at the both of them.
“Nonsense,” her mother said. “Let us fuss. It’s our job, as your mother and grandmother.”
Vaughn closed her eyes, absolutely exhausted and overwhelmed by the pain. “Like I told Natalie, I’m in too much pain to argue.”
“I’m going to call the doctor’s office first thing tomorrow morning,” Gram said.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine come morning,” Vaughn said.
“Bullarkey. You’re going in and that’s that. No getting out of it this time.”
“You really should go,” her mother said. “Gram’s told me how bad it’s been.”
Natalie entered the room carrying two frosted bottles of water and a bottle of Aleve. She handed one water to Vaughn and dispensed an Aleve into her palm. “You want another? You can take two.”
“I don’t know if I should.” She didn’t like taking medicine. Didn’t like anything foreign in her body. She’d had to convince herself to take Advil on the regular, otherwise she couldn’t work. So, one Aleve was stretching it.
“You can hardly move. I think you better take two,” Natalie said.
“Listen to her,” Gram said.
Vaughn finally agreed, knowing she probably needed it, but also feeling ridiculous for all the fuss. She swallowed the pills with the water and returned the water bottle back to Natalie who set everything on the nightstand. “It’s all right here if you need it.”
“Okay. Thanks. And thanks for checking on Midnight. You’ll do that right now, won’t you?”
“On my way.”
“If he’s acting anxious, his calming supplements are on the shelf in front of his stall.
“Got it.”
“And maybe some of his sweet mix.”
“Of course.”
“And, Natalie? He likes it when you sing to him.”
Natalie smiled. “I can’t carry a tune.”
“I don’t think he cares. And will you come back and give me an update?”
“Sure.” She smiled again and left the room. Once again, her mother spoke.
“She really is an angel. Please tell me she’s more than a friend.”
Vaughn’s eyes began to feel heavy in the low lamplight. She blinked slowly, her mother going in and out of focus. “No.” She licked her dry lips. “Not yet.”