Chapter 30
— chapter thirty
Another day had passed and Leanna hadn’t seen a sign of Evan. Not that she expected to see him. But she kind of hoped to.
She kind of hoped he wouldn’t give up on her.
Since Brenneman’s was still closed, Leanna decided to go ahead and go on that long walk she’d been meaning to go on the day Doreen had stopped by.
All she seemed to be able to think about was Evan, Edmund, the widows club, and Doreen’s pep talk.
She desperately needed to clear her head.
Maybe even get a break from the farm too.
She walked down to the phone shanty and called Miralee, an English woman who’d been her driver for many years.
“Hello?”
“Hiya, Miralee, it’s Leanna. Any chance you’re free right now? I’ve a mind to go hiking in Alliance State Park.”
“Boy, I could take you, but I couldn’t wait around to pick you up. I have another job this afternoon. I’m taking a couple to the doctor.”
Leanna thought quickly. “What do you think the chances are of me finding a phone near the park?”
“There’s a couple of shops and restaurants that stay open late, and I know that there’s a pay phone near the park’s entrance. I could give you a couple of numbers to call.”
Did she want to do this? Leave the house, go for a hike in the woods, and then hope she could get a ride home? It was a big chance.
But she needed to take this leap of faith. Reminding herself that she still had Evan’s number, she decided to take that with her. Things between them were rocky, but he had two sons who could drive. If she got desperate, she knew he’d ask one of them to help her out.
“That sounds good. Thank you. How soon could you be here?”
“I’m actually in my car now. I’m five minutes away.”
“I’ll be ready.”
As soon as she got off the phone, she hurried to put on her oldest pair of tennis shoes. Then she took Bumble out and made sure he had water and food. Just as she grabbed a little envelope with numbers and money in it, Miralee honked.
Not wanting to inconvenience her, Leanna decided not to take the time to put Bumble in his crate. He liked sitting on the couch better, and he would be fine on his own for a couple of hours.
After exiting the back door, she hurried toward Miralee’s van and climbed in the front.
“I’m so glad you were able to take me.”
“Me too, Leanna. It’s been too long since we’ve seen each other.”
As Miralee drove, Leanna asked about her family and her grown children.
Then they talked about her garden, and Leanna offered tips for her tomatoes.
Before she knew it, Miralee stopped at the park’s entrance.
“There’s the pay phone,” she said, pointing to a building that looked a lot like a phone shanty.
“I see it. And the two restaurants we passed aren’t far away.”
“I guess you’re all set, then. Are you certain you’re going to be okay walking by yourself?”
“Oh jah. I used to come here all the time with my mamm when I was young.”
“Oh, that’s great. I feel better now.”
After Leanna paid Miralee, she waved goodbye, then headed down the path. There was no visitor’s center. The park and the many pathways and trails around the ravine were well marked, but not all that popular. She didn’t see another soul.
But the air felt clean and fresh. “Look at me, Mamm,” she whispered. “I’m taking a walk to clear my head, just like we used to do when I was little.”
Feeling more hopeful than she had in weeks, Leanna increased her pace. She walked down a narrow path, then continued as the asphalt gave way to gravel and then eventually just packed dirt.
Her mind drifted as she walked. Flashes from her life with Willis .
. . smiles from Evan. Pieces from her recent conversation with Doreen.
Leanna felt as if her burdens were lifting instead of bringing her more worry.
She breathed easier. Eventually, she headed down a hill, veered right, and then slowed her pace as she carefully headed toward a steep slope.
Bent Creek lay at the bottom of the ravine.
When she was a little girl, she remembered scampering ahead, often ignoring her mother’s calls to be careful.
She’d rarely slowed down, however. No, all she’d been able to think about was sliding down the ravine’s walls and sticking her toes in the water. What little water there usually was.
All these years later, she was starting to realize that her mother’s warnings made perfect sense. There were more woods, more vines, and more craggy roots sticking up out of the ground than she remembered.
And with all the rain they’d been having, the usually muddy creek was practically overflowing.
By the time she made it to the creek bank, Leanna was winded. “This might have been a mistake,” she told herself as she looked at the gorgeous limestone walls above her. “It’s going to take you twice as long to climb back up.”
Sitting on the side, she took off her shoes and dipped her toes into the water. Just like she used to do when she would sit by her mother’s side. Unfortunately, the water didn’t bring back any fond memories. Instead, it just felt cold.
Pulling her feet out, she tucked them under her dress.
“Maybe this is what you needed, Leanna,” she whispered to herself.
“You need to remember that memories are not always accurate or crystal clear. And times change. Just like you, this creek is different than how it used to be. There’s nothing wrong with wanting something new. ” Like Bumble. Like a new relationship.
Like Evan.
Feeling more at peace, she reached for her shoe, then jerked her hand back when she spied motion in the dirt. Scrambling to her feet with a yelp, she hopped. Realized a snake had been just a few inches away.
She scrambled again, this time causing one of her shoes to slide down the bank and into the creek.
She gasped as it floated a few feet downstream, caught up in the current. “Oh no, you don’t,” she called out. “No way am I going to climb back up this ravine in bare feet. Come back here, shoe!”
She hurried toward it, not quite looking where she was going. As she tripped on a band of roots, she tried to brace her fall, but the action didn’t help. She heard a loud pop in her ankle.
Followed by a sharp, almost blinding pain.
Sitting down again, she closed her eyes, tried to block out the pain. But it was no use.
Leanna was pretty sure that she’d just snapped a tendon or broken a bone in her ankle. It was already swelling up something awful. She was all alone next to the creek.
And to make matters worse, no one knew where she was.