Chapter 8
Tawny
Stretching, then slumping back into the pillow, I draw a deep breath. A warm woodsy scent teases my senses followed by the smell of coffee. Then memory hits and I sit upright.
I’m at Gray’s cabin and in his bed. Glancing to the side, I realize I’m alone and the other side of the bed is undisturbed. Oh my god. I took his bed without thinking.
Dressing quickly, I ease the door open. He’s sitting at the table, a laptop open in front of him and a coffee mug in one hand. He glances up and smiles. “Morning.”
“I’m sorry. I took your bed. I meant to sleep on the couch.”
He shakes his head. “You slept exactly where you were supposed to. Can I get you coffee?”
“No! I mean, no thank you. I can get it. Have you eaten? I’ll make your breakfast. Anything special you’d like?”
“Yes. I’d like you to get yourself a cup of coffee or tea or whatever you like and come sit at the table with me. Take your time, there’s no rush. I’ve already seen to the chickens.”
It feels funny to just grab my own coffee and sit. There has always been someone demanding breakfast or coffee.
He slides a flat box toward me. “I charged it overnight. I hope the cover color is okay. If not, we can exchange it.”
I open the box to find a cell phone. “For me?”
“Yes. You should have one for safety purposes. There are a few places up here where connectivity is sketchy, but those are also places I wouldn’t want you to go on your own.”
“I’ve never had a phone.”
“Do you know how to use one?”
“Not really. My friend at school had one but... There was never anyone for me to call.”
He writes down a number on a pad and slides it to me. “That’s your phone number. I set the initial password to Jasmine since it’s your favorite flower. I’ll show you how to change it later if you want.
“I pre-programmed my number, Gerdie’s, and a few of my best friends who you can trust. I’ve already sent them your number.
I want you to always keep the phone on you as a safety measure.
When you don’t have a pocket, I got you a lanyard.
If you’re ever alone and scared, or lost, or if any of the Stumps show up, I’ve set a distress signal for you that will go to me and my guys.
We’ll go over that, too. Your safety is my biggest concern.
“After breakfast I want us to go apply for the marriage license. The sooner we’re married, the safer you’ll be.”
Clutching the phone, I nod. “About that, the-ah-marriage. I-ah-what do you expect.”
“I don’t expect anything. This is for your safety. We’ll play this out as long as we need. You’re still in school, correct?”
“Yes. I want my diploma so I can get a good job. And maybe later get more education.”
“You want a college degree?”
“Yes, but that’s expensive. So maybe just some classes in special area’s.”
“Tell me, what’s your dream?”
“You’ll laugh.”
“I promise I won’t”
“I want to cook and write cookbooks. I want to teach people how to make something tasty with not many supplies. I want to teach people when to buy certain items? What’s best to choose. So much food gets wasted because people don’t know how to store it or repurpose leftovers.
“A lot of people don’t have much but they could still eat healthy. There were lots of times we’d eat pasta every night, but we used different ingredients with it. I’ve known kids that never get fresh vegetables. They’re easy to grow in pots or window planters, and those are easy to build.
“Money is tight, but it doesn’t always take a lot to make your meals more nutritious. It was something that my mom was really good at. She loved growing her own food and cooking from scratch.
“If I could get a job at a place like that little coffee shop, maybe they’d let me try out a couple of my recipes.”
“You can practice on me as much as you want. How much school do you have left?”
“If I study hard this could be my last year because they’re letting me skip study halls to take extra classes I need to graduate. I might have to take a couple summer classes.”
“Millard didn’t like taking me to school. He was going to make me try and test out so he could keep me home when I turned eighteen.”
“Do you have a computer?”
“No, but they let me use one from school and it’s in my backpack. But... I don’t know why I’m even talking about this. I’ve missed so much school already hiding out with Gerdie. They may not even let me graduate. I have no money for college or cooking school.”
He places his broad hand over mine. “One step at a time. We get married and that protects you from Millard Stump trying to ... to force you home. We start that process today. Then we call the school and tell them you’ve been ill, and it will be a while before you can come back.
We get your assignments and you can start working on them.
We can pick up a printer while we’re out in case you need one.
I can help with your studies and so can Gerdie.
“It’s already late October and we don’t know how long the Stumps will be a threat. We might be better off to apply for home schooling to keep you safe.
“Right now, let’s go through the basics on the phone. Then you can practice with Gerdie while I drive us to town.”
It’s so much. Too much. “Why are you doing all this? Why are you helping me?