Chapter 3
CHEWIE
I thought about what Juni had said while I helped Sugar with the morning chores and spent way too much time trying to figure out what it was about that woman that had gotten under my skin.
I wasn’t a knight in shining armor by any means, but I still hated to see a woman in distress. Give me a dangerous situation - a stalker, a bully, or even just an obnoxious neighbor, and I’d ride to the rescue. But a meltdown? I generally avoided those at all costs.
Samara’s mother had been one for theatrics, and as a young man who was head over heels in love, I always felt I had to jump in and rescue her.
I couldn’t see it then, but hindsight made me see that those situations always ended with trouble that included me in handcuffs.
The last time I came to her rescue, I ended up in prison for fourteen years.
I knew it was my fault, though. I committed the crime, so it was only fitting that I served the time. It did make me feel better to know that the lies I’d been fed for the months leading up to that day had also sent Juliette and her mother to prison, and neither of them seemed to fare well at all.
Then again, depending on how you looked at it, you could say that Juliette and her mother thrived in prison.
At least it seemed that way since they were both still incarcerated and making poor decisions so consistently that it didn’t seem likely they’d ever get out.
In light of our history, with the full awareness of my stupidity to have repeatedly believed her, I was glad to know she was still locked up so she couldn’t find some other poor schmuck to pull into her web of lies and drama.
I shook out my hands as I walked toward the greenhouse, where I was supposed to meet Sugar now that I was done checking on the livestock.
Once I got through the doorway, I stopped to take in the humidity and heat after spending so much time out in the bitterly cold air.
Once I had my gloves, coat, and hoodie hanging from the hooks near the door, I walked into an entirely different world than the one I’d left outside.
Even in the middle of winter, there were plants flourishing all over the greenhouse, with tomato vines snaking almost all the way up to the high ceiling and a pumpkin vine that had taken over an entire corner of the vast space.
I found Sugar in the seed starting room and could tell that he was counting something, so I waited until he was finished to speak. “What’s next on the agenda?”
“I know you didn’t travel all this way to become an unpaid employee, my friend.”
“I’m not gonna sit on my ass inside while you’re out here working.”
“When is your stalker set to arrive?” Sugar asked.
I chuckled before I said, “I wouldn’t consider her a stalker as much as an admirer, although the idea of who she probably thinks I am is completely wrong.”
“I’ve started listening to some of the books Juni narrates, and I’ve heard a few of hers.”
“You know, I never thought to ask Juni about her name!”
“I don’t know her real name. She writes under a couple of different pseudonyms. One is J.R. Corbin, and another is Evelyn Marie.”
“So, she’s three different people, huh?”
“Chewie, she’s a woman. That means the number of personalities contained within her is directly related to her experiences, stage in life, and the amount of trauma she’s been through.”
“Does Juni know you think she has multiple personalities?”
“I have no idea, but I’ve talked to at least five of them in the last three days. Six, if you count the person she is in the morning before she gets her first cup of coffee.”
“She keeps you on your toes, I’m sure.”
“Living with her and Claire has turned me into a skilled ninja.” The exasperation in his tone made me snicker. He scowled and flicked a seed at me before he said, “If you had a girlfriend for longer than two weeks, you might get it.”
“I’ve had plenty of girlfriends over the years.”
“Someone who is available for sex on demand and has no expectations beyond that is not a girlfriend. Get real.”
“Some women find autonomy and availability equally sexy,” I assured him.
“Besides, I’ve been a little busy the last few years.
Vincent’s house needed more work than I could’ve imagined.
I’ve finally managed to repair it enough to stop it from collapsing before Samara decides to come back from the dorms. I also didn’t realize how time-consuming it would be to work for Ajax. ”
“That man’s always got something going on, but I’m glad he’s got you on his payroll now, especially since he and Sandi are together.”
“Did you hear that they met up with a bunch of the guys down in the town where Tiny’s been living?”
“I did. Sounds like they had a lot of fun. I bet it was good to catch up.”
“It turns out Dice’s old lady has a connection to Tiny’s, as does Rooster’s. I don’t think they’re related, but they’re from the same town, which means they’re able to get together often, unlike some of us.”
“Speaking of getting together, how are things going with Navy? It’s been a while since I talked to him.”
“They’re going well. I introduced Samara to the young lady who is related to Dali, and they were instant friends. I report back to her mom now and then to let her know her daughter is adjusting well and all that.”
“You’ve turned into quite the caretaker.”
I scoffed before I said, “I’m not exactly raising children or anything, but it’s good that they know they’ve got someone watching out for them. I’ve gotten to know some of Samara’s friends, and they seem pretty cool. Loud but cool.”
“Earbuds are a man’s best friend when he’s in a houseful of women, especially teenagers. When they all start talking at once and it eventually turns into that screeching that’s like nails on a chalkboard, keeping your ears plugged is the only way to survive it, other than running away.”
"Claire's a sweetheart. So is Sweetie. You lucked out, my friend.”
“I did. We’re gonna have a few more too.”
“Really?”
“Nothing firm yet, but it’s in the works. We’re trying every chance we get.”
I barked out a laugh and said, “Good luck with that.”
“If you really want me to put you to work, I wouldn’t mind some help pruning and fertilizing.”
“I’m at your service. Just show me what to do.”
◆◆◆
TAYA
I listened with one ear as my friend Kaylee talked through a scene from her current work in progress with our other author friend, Lynn, and let my mind wander in the hopes it would give me some ideas to help her through the bump in the road she’d hit while writing.
Lynn chimed in now and then with a suggestion as she scurried around her bedroom packing her luggage before her trip tomorrow.
I was happy we’d all been able to accept the invitation to the writers’ retreat from my audiobook narrator.
I couldn’t wait to reconnect with them for a few days.
Of course, we’d socialize with the other authors attending, too, but knowing my friends, we’d find a way to sneak off together so we could hang out and decompress.
Since we lived in different states, we weren’t able to meet up for a weekend without hours of driving or a plane ride.
We only got to see each other once a year, if that often.
However, meetings like the retreat we were attending this weekend and the occasional author event in between regular video calls were enough to keep our friendship going strong.
Despite being at various stages in our lives, we were unified by our shared struggle and passion for writing. My children were all out of the house, Lynn’s kids were still lingering even though they were old enough to be out on their own, and Kaylee had school-aged kids that kept her busy.
“What do you think, Taya?” Kaylee asked, wondering if I had any advice for her plot line woes.
“I think you should go with the original storyline but tweak it a little. Instead of leaning into the drama, flip the narrative and tackle this with the sarcastic humor and wit you do so well.”
“That was the longest explanation of ‘I wasn’t listening’ that I’ve ever heard.”
“I was listening; I was just letting my mind wander.”
Lynn piped up and suggested, “Just put a pin in it and move on to some other scene in the book, or you could follow my example and just take a break. Plan an entirely different series, get completely involved working on that, and then come back when your mind is scrambled and your stress level is through the roof.”
I glanced at the phone when Kaylee sighed and said, “She needs medication and a keeper.”
“She has a keeper. Ray does an excellent job taking care of her, but the man can only be expected to do so much,” I teased. Changing the subject, I said, “I’ll be watching your flights tomorrow to make sure you’re on schedule. I guess I’ll see you soon.”
“I should let you go so I can finish packing,” Kaylee admitted.
“Don’t you mean start?” Lynn teased.
“I don’t need help from someone who packs, unpacks, and repacks her bags four times with enough for a three-week trip when she’ll only be gone for four days.”
“Have you been talking to Ray?” Lynn asked. She laughed before she said, “And I pared things down. I only have enough for two weeks, not three.”
“You are both crazy. I’m going to hang up so I can concentrate on the road. I’m coming up to Whitefish, and I’ve gotta be careful not to let my nav system get me lost in the wilderness while I try to find this place.”
“Be safe, and don’t let Sasquatch carry you off into the woods,” Lynn warned.
“Or let him. It may make a good story,” Kaylee suggested.
“I’m from Oregon. If Sasquatch were going to kidnap me, it would be more likely to happen at home rather than in the wilds of Montana.”
“That might make a good collaboration,” Kaylee suggested. “Different shifters would live in different . . .”
“Goodbye!” I interrupted.
They laughed as I disconnected, and I was still smiling as I followed the voice of my GPS and got off at the next exit.
I had traveled extensively and wasn’t afraid of a solo road trip, but this one had me feeling uneasy.
It was as if there was something ominous on the horizon, but I had no idea what.
Even though there was a dining hall at the resort, I decided to take a few minutes to stop for some writing snacks.
As I drove through the quaint little town, I saw a grocery store and pulled in, ignoring the complaints of the GPS.
That damn woman seemed to get frustrated every time I veered off my own planned course.
“In three hundred feet, take a left to return to the route.”
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” I yelled as I found a parking space near the front of the store.
When a woman who was getting into her car next to mine stared at me in shock, I realized I may be overreacting just a little.
I blamed it on the seven hours of driving I’d put in today on top of the seven hours yesterday.
But yelling at the car wouldn’t make me feel nearly as good as a large coffee and maybe a cookie or two.
Since I was nearing the point of being hangry, I knew this was probably not a good idea. Going into a grocery store in this state was a recipe for dietary disaster, but that didn’t stop me.
Of course, when I walked out of the store with three bags of junk food and two bottles of wine, I knew I had been right. I didn’t need any of this, but wanted it, so I told myself this really was a mini vacation, and Lynn and Kaylee probably needed snacks too.
I started up my SUV and felt immensely successful when I could make it back onto the street before that GPS bitch could start yelling at me.
After so many hours alone on the road, I was starting to feel a little unhinged.
It didn’t help that I’d been listening to the audiobooks from one of my favorite series about a female serial killer with a taste for revenge and a very vivid imagination.
When I got to a road that twisted up the mountain, I made peace with the GPS woman and started to appreciate her bossiness again.
Remote didn’t even begin to describe the location of Sweet Haven Resort.
Out of the way, off the grid, and damn near hidden away from the world were better descriptions.
I was glad I’d stopped for snacks just in case the woods swallowed me before I got there.
I thought about calling the girls again to tell them I was definitely in danger of finding the sasquatch they’d mentioned but decided that keeping both hands on the wheel and my eyes on the road was more important.
You’d think I’d be used to driving up and down a mountain and being surrounded by trees, considering I was born and raised in Oregon, but this little jaunt through the Montana backwoods felt entirely different.
The GPS announced that my turn was coming up, and I felt a little better about my chances of finding shelter before my inevitable kidnapping by a forest-dwelling maniac. When the Sweet Haven registration office came into view, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“You have reached your destination.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” I muttered as I turned off the engine and took a minute to look around as I tried to calm my nerves.
There were cabins set back from the drive, each with a path leading to it and parking spaces next to the buildings. I knew from talking to Juni that she’d reserved one for me that was set apart from the others, but still near the one that Kaylee and Lynn would be sharing.
The exteriors were so inviting that I couldn’t wait to get to mine and check it out.
I had a few hours before I was supposed to be at Juni’s for dinner, so I had time for a nap and a rejuvenating shower before I went to her place.
But first, I needed to check in and get settled, which couldn’t happen quickly enough as far as I was concerned.
A weekend surrounded by friends with no other responsibilities was exactly what I needed, and I was excited to get it started!