Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Andi
“What makes you think I’m running?”
Belle arched her brow and smirked. “Hon, you’re as jumpy as a scared rabbit.”
I didn’t know how to answer, so I just stared at the coffee cup she placed in front of me.
“Let me guess,” she said, tilting her head as her smirk grew. “You go by the name of the Lipstick Bandit and you’re on the run because you robbed a bank. And that was your getaway car.”
Despite myself, I laughed. Belle seemed like such a friendly woman, almost motherly.
Lord knows I would’ve confided in my own mother in this situation, had she still been alive.
As I basked in Belle’s warmth, I suddenly felt the urge to spill my whole life story.
And who better to talk to about this than a stranger?
People did it all the time with bartenders, so would it really be any different talking to a waitress?
“No, I’m not a bank robber,” I said. “And I’m not running, I just…” I let out a long sigh and glanced around the room. Seeing as no one was paying attention—finally—I slowly lifted my hand to remove my sunglasses and, with the same hand, shielded my face.
Belle’s breath caught. “Oh, honey,” she whispered, her gaze softening at the sight of the fading bruise around my eye. “Who did that to you?”
“Doesn’t matter now,” I mumbled, staring down at the counter before looking back at her. “I got out, and that’s what matters.”
“Life has a funny way of settlin’ debts,” Belle said, gently laying her hand over mine. “And bastards who hit women always get what’s coming to them eventually.”
I wanted to cry. “Thank you for that.”
She gave my hand a squeeze. “Now, are you just going to sip on coffee all day or would you like something to eat?”
My stomach growled at the mention of food. “I guess I’ll take a burger and fries. If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Too much trouble?” Belle huffed, amused. “Hon, you’re in my diner. That’s what I do.” She turned to the open window that separated the dining area from the kitchen. “Hey, Ches! I need a burger and fries!”
My chest felt lighter, and even though I hadn’t gone into detail about Heath or the nightmare I’d endured, simply letting someone in on the secret I’d kept buried for so long felt like a breath of fresh air.
A few moments later, Belle placed a steaming plate of food in front of me. The savory aroma hit me like a tidal wave, and my stomach growled again in response. Only then did I realize just how hungry I truly was. Without a second thought, I dug in.
“Slow down, hon,” Belle said with a soft chuckle. “You’re gonna make yourself sick eating that fast.”
I nodded around a mouth full of food.
Belle filled a cup with soda and slid it across the counter. “This will wash all that down better than that coffee will.”
I thanked her and took a deep drink from the cup, halfway emptying it before setting it back down.
“I know this isn’t my place and all,” Belle started, but hesitated for a moment, “but you kind of seem like you’re wingin’ this. Do you have any kind of plan as to what you’re going to do?”
I swallowed a bite of burger and shook my head. “Not exactly,” I admitted. “The only thing I could think about was getting as far away from…” I almost said his name but thankfully caught myself. I didn’t want to give him space in this new life I was trying to build.
Sure, I’d written about him, plenty. Page after page, my journal held the ugly truths I still couldn’t bring myself to say out loud. I’d started writing after my mom died.
Someone once told me grief needed somewhere to go, and I guess the fear did, too.
But speaking the words? Naming what he did? That felt different. Like if I said it, it would make it more real. And I wasn’t ready for that. So, instead, I said, “Him.”
Belle didn’t say anything, but I could feel her watching me. Not with pity, thank God, but with the kind of patience that said, I know. When you’re ready. “Where were you headin’, exactly?”
I let out a small, embarrassed laugh. “Honestly? Heaven, Texas. I thought maybe it was a sign, you know? Like, maybe I’d find peace there, or a fresh start.”
Belle gave a warm chuckle and propped one hand on her hip. “Well, bless your heart. You missed it by a good forty miles.”
I blinked. “Seriously?”
“Mmhmm,” Belle hummed with a wink. “But don’t you worry your pretty little head. Things aren’t so bad down here south of Heaven.”
That pulled a real smile across my lips—small, but genuine.
“And to prove that, I’m gonna help you.”
My eyes widened as shock and confusion overwhelmed my senses. “I’m sorry. What?”
“I said, I’m going to help you.” Belle held up a finger before I could respond. “Hang on a sec.” She stepped away to ring up a customer. “Thanks, Charlie. See you tomorrow.”
“All right, first things first,” she said, moving back toward me. “We’ll need to find you a place to stay. There’s a little motel across town that should work for a few nights. Just until I can make some calls and see if anything more permanent is available to rent.”
That word…permanent…snagged something sharp in my chest.
“I’m not planning on sticking around that long.”
Belle gave me a look that said she wasn’t convinced.
“I mean it,” I said. “I’m only here until my car’s fixed, and then I’m gone.” I hesitated, releasing a slow breath as I muttered, “Whenever that ends up being.”
Belle stayed quiet, letting the words hang between us.
“And even the motel…Belle, I can’t afford all of this,” I admitted, hating how defeated the words sounded as they left my mouth. “The tire, the room…I barely had enough to fill the tank this morning and pay for this meal.”
“Then we’ll find you some work, too,” she said with a reassuring nod. “I’m well acquainted with the owner of the bar on the other side of town. One of his waitresses just had a baby and needed to take some time off. If you’re willing, I can put in a good word for you.”
I stared at the woman across from me, my throat tightening with emotion. No one had offered to help me in a long time, and here she was, this stranger in an apron, offering me shelter, work…hope. I didn’t even know what to say. “Why are you doing this?”
Belle sighed softly. “Look, you seem like a very nice girl, and you obviously don’t have the help that you need.
I’ve seen too many stories in the news about women who have gone through what you’re going through.
Their stories didn’t end well, and I can’t help but think it’s because they didn’t have someone to help them. ”
My eyes burned. I blinked fast, refusing to let the tears fall. But I nodded. Just once. A small gesture that somehow felt bigger than anything I’d done in months—well, except for leaving Heath.
“What’s the bar called?” I asked, silently giving in.
Belle smiled, like she already knew I would. “The Rusty Spur.”
I nodded, picking up a fry and dipping it into some ketchup. “Who do I ask for?”
“Ask for Red,” Belle said. “I’ll call ahead so he knows to expect you.”
“That would be great. Thanks, Belle.”
“No problem, hon.” Belle wiped her hands on her apron. “Now, who should I tell him is coming?”
“Andi,” I said, and felt a swirl of satisfaction in my chest. My parents had called me Andi, and I’d gone by the nickname my entire life until Heath came into the picture and talked me out of it.
He hated Andi, which is why I chose her now.
Never again would I be Alessandra, because that name belonged to the girl who let him take everything.
Belle tilted her head, still slightly skeptical. “A girl Andi, huh. Well, don’t that beat all.” She gave a small shake of her head and chuckled before heading over to the register to ring up another customer.
I finished the last bite of my food and reached for my wallet.
“Don’t even think about it,” Belle said, swooping in to take my plate. “It’s on the house.”
I looked up, touched. “Thank you. Really. I guess I better get a motel room and change before heading to the Rusty Spur.”
“I think that’s a good idea. No offense, hon, but you look like a streetwalker in those clothes,” Belle said, matter-of-fact.
I glanced down at my tight black outfit and smirked. “Thanks for the honesty.”
“I don’t sugarcoat. Never have. Probably why I never got married, because no man could handle this mouth.”
That made me laugh. Belle was blunt, but oddly comforting. My amusement faded as I thought of my overnight bag. “Unfortunately, this is pretty much the only kind of clothing I brought with me. I don’t suppose there’s a store nearby where I could get something different…and for cheap?”
Belle gave me a once-over. “You’re a size four, right?”
I blinked. “Uh, yeah.”
Belle nodded, already seeming to think ahead. “My niece left a bunch of clothes at my place for the church charity drive. She’s about your size. Swing by my house around five-thirty. I’ll give you the address. We’ll get you fixed up.”
I hesitated on what to say.
I was grateful, sure, but all of this “help” came out of nowhere so fast. It felt like emotional whiplash, going from fending for myself to suddenly having options and support. With Heath, generosity always came with strings. Expectations. Or worse, consequences.
But something in me really wanted to believe her and…trust her.
I stared at her, feeling completely overwhelmed, and said, “That would be…amazing. Thank you.”
Things were certainly starting to look up.
Two weeks ago, I’d walked away from a life that nearly broke me.
A half hour ago, I was cursing this tiny town and everything in it—especially that cowboy.
Now? I was borrowing clothes, applying for a job as a waitress at the local honkytonk, and accepting help from a forty-something waitress with a big heart and zero filter.
It was strange how quickly everything shifted. Maybe I wouldn’t be calling this place home exactly, but for now…it’d have to do.