Tails of the Wander Inn & Farm (Aspen Hollow #1)

Prologue

Jolene

"You stupid bitch! What do you mean you didn't have enough money to get me my beer? What the fuck did you spend it on?"

A plate shatters on the wall, startling me.

I can hear Mama crying, my daddy's screams carrying down the hall to the kitchen, where I'm cleaning up our dinner.

From the sounds coming from the living room, it's safe to say I'll be helping Mama clean Daddy's dinner up later tonight, once he passes out.

I'm not supposed to eat until Daddy gets home, but Mama said it would be okay since he's so late and I have school in the morning. On nights like these, I usually eat in the kitchen so I can stay out of his sight. I just wish my poor mama wouldn't have to deal with him either.

The fighting is getting louder and harder to drown out as I rush to get all of the dishes clean. Mama's words are muffled by her crying and Daddy screaming about how worthless she is.

I may only be thirteen, but the only worthless person in this house is my daddy.

He barely goes to work, and when he does, he's usually so drunk that they send him home.

I don't know how he still has a job, but I heard Mama and Nana talking about him having something on his boss, so he can't get fired.

As for the money, I can almost guarantee Mama had to use it to pay off his ever-growing tab at the local watering hole. Why they continue to let him run up a tab is beyond me.

I hate my daddy. I know that's awful to say, but he's a loser. I'm not sure why my mama lets him stay. It's not like he has any rights to the house or the land.

Our farm has been in our family for generations.

It's supposed to go to the men in the family, but Nana's first husband passed away when my mom was just a little girl, and we have no idea where my step-grandpa is.

Nana said he went to work one morning and never came back.

Mom said that was a good thing since he was a mean son of a bitch.

I tried asking Mama why she lets Daddy stay, but she told me I wouldn't understand. I can tell it makes her upset when I bring it up, so I stopped a few years ago.

I'm so lost in my thoughts and getting the kitchen cleaned up that I don't recognize the screaming has stopped until fingers brushing my hair from my neck startle me.

I yelp as I spin around. "H-hi, Daddy. C-can I help you with something?"

His eyes are hollow as he stares back at me. I try not to fidget, but the man in front of me is not my daddy.

My daddy used to be the best. Mama said losing his job when the factory shut down was the worst thing to happen to him, and he hasn't been the same since. Instead of the warm, fun daddy I remember growing up with, this man is cold, mean, and abusive.

"You're such a pretty little thing, aren't you, Jo?"

He caresses my cheek, which sends a cold shiver through me. I'm trying to keep eye contact, but it's so hard to stare at someone who looks dead inside. I don't know what answer he wants. I'm so afraid to say the wrong thing and set him off.

" Answer me! " Daddy bellows in my face as his fingers grip my chin. Spittle flies from his mouth, the stench of beer on his breath. Fire flashes through his eyes as he squeezes harder.

"Daddy, please!" I cry out. "You're hurting me. Please stop." My hand encircles his, trying to pry it away, but it's like he's in a fog and doesn't hear a word I say.

"Too fucking pretty for your own good, just like you're good-for-nothing mother who thinks she can do so much better than me. Do you think that too? Just get rid of your old man and replace me?"

"N-no, Daddy. We would never replace you." I try to sound sincere, but I've never been a good liar. I wouldn't necessarily replace him, but I'd take my old dad back in a heartbeat.

Seeing through my lie, Daddy backhands me across the cheek, making me whimper.

Warmth spreads across one side of my face.

I raise my hand to touch it, and when my fingers pull away, they’re coated in blood.

It's not the first time he's hit me, and I'm sure it won't be the last, but this one will definitely be harder to cover up at school.

If Daddy's turning me into his punching bag, that means he must have done something awful to Mama. He only ever comes after me if she's not around or if he's already done enough damage to her.

Daddy has me by the hair and is dragging me through the kitchen to who knows where, but I'm fighting like hell. I've grown a lot over the last year; I’m almost as tall as him. Add the fact that he's hammered, and my flailing and fighting are making it hard for him to get me anywhere.

"Knock your shit off, you little brat." Daddy swings at me, but I let my legs go slack, so he misses and loses his grip on my hair. In his drunken state, he falls to the floor.

I scramble around him, aiming for the back door. The woods will lead me to Nana's and provide a safe space since Daddy won't follow me there.

But I don't make it.

He grabs my leg and pulls me back towards him.

I might be almost as tall as him, but I'm nowhere near as strong as him, so I can’t break free. We're each fighting for the upper hand.

I'm somehow able to get to my knees and reach on the counter for anything I can use to get free. Feeling the heavy handle of the cast iron pan, I grab it and swing it behind me with all my might. There's a resounding thud as Daddy lets go of my leg and slumps to the floor.

I scramble away on my hands and knees, never taking my eyes off him. Blood is pouring from a wound on his head. Not knowing what to do, I skirt around Daddy and head to the living room.

I find Mama’s crumpled form on the floor. Gasping, I rush over to see if she's still breathing. Relief floods my veins when I feel her breath on my cheek.

"Mama, Mama, wake up!" I plead as I shake her, but all she does is moan. "Okay, I'll be right back. I'm going to go get Nana. I love you, Mama."

Kissing my mom's forehead, I push to my feet and head back to the kitchen. Daddy is still passed out, the pool of blood under his head growing larger with every second. Panic fills me at the sight, but I can't let it take over right now.

Racing past him, I burst out the back door and sprint along the path that weaves through the woods, from the main house to the older farmhouse where my Nana lives.

Flying up the front steps, I rip the screen door open and start hollering. "Nana! Nana, where are you? Please, Nana. I need your help!"

I'm just about to head into the kitchen when the swinging door opens.

Nana steps out. "Hush, child. I'm right here. What's all the fuss about?"

"Mama and Daddy had a fight. I-I…" my words drop off as the reality of what happened between Daddy and me sinks in.

Nana comes closer and inspects the cut on my cheek where Daddy struck me. "That's enough, dear. Go fetch my first aid bag from under the bathroom sink while I get the quad ready. Meet me out front."

I nod and rush down the hall to Nana's bathroom. For as long as I can remember, Nana has had a fully stocked medical bag ready for all of our needs. She always says life on a farm is hard, and if you can't fix your own bumps and bruises, it's going to be a helluva lot harder.

Flying back through the house, I bang the front door open just as Nana pulls up on her old four-wheeler. I jump behind her as Nana kicks it into high gear and races to our house.

"Where's your pa?" Nana is already off the quad and heading towards the front door.

"H-he's in the kitchen. I-I hit him with the cast iron pan. He's hurt, Nana. I didn't mean to, but he wouldn't let me go, a-and I just reacted. I—"

"Shh, child. It's okay. You did what you had to do, and there's nothing wrong with that. Let's check on your mother, and then we'll go check on your pa."

Rushing up the stairs with Nana hot on my heels, I burst through the front door. Instant relief floods my body when I see Mama sitting on the floor, her back resting against the couch. She's crying, but at least she's okay.

I dive at her. She yelps in pain when I squeeze her tight. I ease up and try to back away, but she pulls me to her chest.

"I'm so sorry, baby." Mama sobs as she looks at the cut on my cheek and the bruises I can feel forming on my chin. "Are you okay? I was trying to get up and come find you, but I'm pretty sure I have a concussion. Every time I stand, I fall from dizziness."

"It's okay, Mama. I'm okay. I-I hit Daddy with the cast iron frying pan. It knocked him out. I checked on you and then ran to get Nana."

Nana, sitting on the couch beside us, pats my back. "She did so well, Lottie. Our girl is strong." Nana smiles proudly at me.

"She is. Stronger than I've ever been. Have you checked on him yet?"

"No, dear. Let's go see what mess that man has made this time."

Nana and I help Mama off the floor before we all head into the kitchen.

The pool that was under Daddy's head when I left has almost tripled, and his color is very ashen.

I'm frozen in the doorway, trying to understand what is in front of me. "Nana, there's so much blood."

Nana guides me and Mama into chairs in the little nook in the kitchen. Then she heads over to check Daddy out. Her frown deepens.

Fear rises inside me. I'm shaking and fidgeting while I wait for Nana to tell me Daddy's okay. He's going to be so mad at me when he gets better. I might have to go stay with Nana for a while to avoid his wrath.

"Well, I guess we don't need to worry about how to get rid of him anymore," Nana drawls, confusing me even further.

"W-what do you mean, Nana?"

"Child, I need you to listen to me good, ya hear?"

I nod in understanding.

"Your pa isn't going to be an issue for you or your ma anymore."

"But why?"

"He's gone, child. I'm assuming all that alcohol in his system thinned his blood out real good. He lost too much and has passed."

"Y-you mean, I k-killed him? It was an accident! I swear. If we call the police, they'll understand. Won't they? What's going to happen to me?"