Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
GRACIE
I stare down at the dead flowers and the note that came with them.
You're next
There's only one person they can be from, and it's the reason I called Ang in a panic.
Now, Everly and I are playing hide-and-seek in her room until he can get here. I'm not sure if Jeremy is still in the area, so it's better to be safe and keep the little girl busy and hidden if someone were to break in.
"Gracie!" Ang's booming voice echoes throughout the house and has Everly popping out from her hiding spot and screaming, "Daddy!"
I scoop her up and head downstairs, but Ang is already on his way up the stairs and meets us halfway.
"What's going on?" He sounds out of breath, and for a hot second, I wonder if he ran all the way from the pub.
"Kitchen island," is the only response I give him and lead us that way.
When we get to the kitchen, Ang takes one look at the flowers and the note, and hollers, "Son of a bitch!"
"Daddy!" Everly exclaims loudly. "Cuss."
I'm grateful for Everly. She breaks the tension in the room with her word.
"Sorry, baby. Daddy forgot." Then he turns to me and pulls both of us in for a hug. "Did you hear or see anything?"
I shake my head. "We were going to go to the park. When I stepped outside, I found them."
"Park." Everly waves her arms back and forth as she repeats the word a few times.
"Soon," I promise, even though I'm not sure how soon that will be, considering. It's a good thing a three-year-old doesn't grasp the concept of time just yet.
"Gracie!" Owen roars from somewhere at the front of his house.
My eyes grow ten times bigger as I look at Ang. "You called my brother?" I understand why he did, but still?—
"I sent Annie over to grab him?"
I didn't think it could be possible for my eyes to grow any bigger than they already are, yet somehow they do. My voice takes on an extra octave or two in shock when I ask, "Owen knows Annie’s here?"
Well, this is just great. Now he has two reasons to freak out.
"I panicked when you called."
“I can see that.” I called Ang freaking out, so it only makes sense he would freak out, too. "Brace yourself." I give him a tight smile. "We're in here," I holler back to my brother.
Owen stomps through the house just seconds later. "Why the fuck was the door unlocked if there's a threat?"
I give an apologetic look toward Ang, who sheepishly looks at my brother. "That's my fault. I just ran in and didn't even think to lock it behind me."
My brother nods, and for a second I want to scream. How does Ang get off with a nod when I would have gotten a long-ass lecture for the same thing?
"Tell me what happened? Annie didn't have much information other than you were in trouble. And speaking of our sister … Yeah, we’ll come back to that little tidbit in a minute."
Annie rolls her eyes from where she stands behind Owen. She’s always been the one sibling who challenged our brother the most when it came to his overprotectiveness.
"On the island." I point toward the flowers and wait for him to take both them and the note in. When he gives a similar reaction to the one Ang had, Everly yells at him for cursing.
At least the little girl reprimands everyone equally.
"Do you know who sent them?"
"Jeremy," I answer sheepishly, and brace for the outburst I know is coming.
Sure enough, Owen doesn't disappoint.
"Are you kidding me?" I barely move my head back and forth as an answer. "Is he the reason you moved here?" Again I barely give a nod. "Is this the first threat he's made against you."
I decide it's better to answer with a simple, "No," than to move my head again.
I can see the metaphoric steam blowing out of his ears the longer the conversation goes on. He schools himself long enough to ask, "Is there someplace Everly can go so that I may speak freely?"
"I'll take her," Annie offers, and I pass Everly off to my sister, then lean back on the counter. "Is there a specific show she likes to watch?"
" Bluey ," Ang and I answer at the same time.
Despite everything going on, he looks over and smiles at me. Probably because I'm starting to know his daughter as well as he does.
"Got it."
Before Annie can leave the kitchen with Everly, Owen speaks up. "Don't even think about sneaking out until we've talked."
I try to suppress a laugh at how well he knows our sister.
Annie winks on her way out. Thankfully, Owen merely shakes his head at her antics instead of getting even more mad.
Owen shoves his hands in his pockets and rocks back on his heels.
"Start from the beginning. And this time include the specific threats, not just the million phone calls and texts.
" The look he gives me is a challenge, daring me not to tell him everything.
And for once, I heed the challenge rather than facing it head-on.
I spend the next five minutes going over every single text I've received from Jeremy and how they've escalated the longer I ignored him.
When I'm finally done, Owen turns to Ang. "First thing. Do you have a security system here? I didn't notice one when I walked up."
"No," Ang answers quickly. "But I'll get one ASAP."
It’s a small friggin’ town. Isn’t “small town America” supposed to be safe enough that people leave their doors unlocked? A security system isn’t even something Ang probably ever thought about.
"I'll have one installed within the hour." Owen pulls out his phone and shoots off a quick text before he turns his attention back to us. "How does Jeremy know where to find you?"
At that, I lift my hands up to my shoulders in the universal “I don't know” gesture. "I sure as hell didn't tell him."
"I'll look into it. In the meantime, I want you to get a restraining order."
"Is that really necessary?" I don't need everyone up in my business, and a restraining order would certain do that. Especially in a town as small as Willow Creek.
"Yes," Ang and Owen say in sync. I take a page out of Annie's book and roll my eyes. This would be the one time they could gang up on me.
"Fine. Call whoever you need to and get it started."
I don't know the first thing about the inner workings of the local police department, and honestly, I don't want to. I much prefer to avoid them at all costs. I caused enough problems growing up to last me a lifetime.
I wait until Owen steps out of the kitchen to make his phone call before I walk straight into Ang's embrace. He must know I need a hug, because he's waiting with arms wide open.
"You okay?" He kisses the top of my head.
"I was more worried for Everly than myself. I can handle Jeremy."
"You shouldn't have to handle him, and this escalation in behavior worries me. There's no way he should know where you live."
I laugh at that. "The whole town knows where I live. It wouldn't be hard to find me once he realized I'm in Willow Creek.”
I can feel Ang shake his head. "No way would anyone in Willow Creek say anything. The people in town are fiercely protective of our own, and they consider you one of us."
That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I don't realize how much I needed to hear that until Ang says it. I want more than anything to call Willow Creek and this house my home.
"I want that more than anything," I whisper.
Ang kisses the crown of my head again just seconds before Owen walks back in.
"The sheriff is on his way over. He's going to file for an emergency PFA, a protection from abuse, considering all that's happened. Lex is also on his way over to install your new security system." The last part he addresses to Ang.
"I appreciate it. Just send me the bill."
I know what Owen is going to say before the words even leave his mouth. "Don't worry about it. Family doesn't pay."
I smile with gratitude at my brother for including Ang and his kids in our family.
"Let me at least help," Ang insists.
I know that devilish look when it pops up on my brother's face. He's up to something. "Oh you can help, alright. You can help me get my other sister to spill. Annie!" Owen hollers.
Our sister joins us in the kitchen, not the least bit impressed to be summoned. "Yes, old man?"
Shots fired.
I barely stifle a giggle at the nickname Annie uses when she wants to rile up our brother. It works as usual. And the snort laugh I can’t contain earns me a stony look from Owen.
He recovers quickly and turns his attention to Annie. "Cut the ‘old man’ shit and explain why you're here in Willow Creek."
"What? I can't just want to visit my siblings?" Annie tries for the innocent look, but even I can admit she doesn’t pull it off nearly as well as I normally do.
"Of course you can, but I don't believe for a second that's why you're here. If that was the case, you would've told me you were in town. And if not me, definitely Gracie.”
"Who says Gracie didn't know I was visiting?"
Owen spins on his heels and pins me with a stern expression. I put my hands in the air. "Don't drag me in the middle of this argument. I just found out not long before you did."
Annie sighs. "Fine. I didn't tell anyone I was in town because I didn't want your pity or your judgment."
That does the trick, and in a hot second, the tension in our brother’s shoulders disappears and he is once again putty in her hands. "Why would you think I would pity or judge you for coming to Willow Creek?"
My sister throws her hands up in frustration. "I don't know. Maybe because you and Nolen are friends and neither of you have ever approved of my relationship with Chase. Both of you would've gave me an 'I told you so' after we split."
"That's not true." Owen tries to defend himself, but Annie isn't having it. She's shaking her head even before the second word comes out of his mouth.
"Don't lie to me."
"Okay," Owen finally admits. "Maybe there would've been a little bit, but only because I knew this would happen. Chase isn't ready to settle down."
"He's forty-five, for Christ’s sake. At what age does a man finally decide to settle down?"
I can see the understanding in my brother's eyes, and know without a shadow of a doubt he's thinking about himself and how similar he is to Chase.
"Guys like Chase, Nolen, and me? We wait until after we’ve given our all to our careers. When we can devote time to someone rather than only giving them half of us."
Frustration is written all over Annie's face. "Plenty of bull riders get married and have families. I never understood why you guys had to be so different."
I don't expect our brother to answer. He rarely talks about his time in the Marines. He especially doesn't talk about the things he was forced to witness, so I'm surprised when he answers.
"Because some guys give everything to the lifestyle they choose.
Chase is one of those men. He threw himself into his career.
Being a professional bull rider is all he ever wanted.
And because of that, he didn't have enough left to love you the way you deserve.
That's why he never could fully give himself to you. "
Tears pool in my sister's eyes, but before I can walk over to give her a hug, she wipes the one wayward drop and composes herself. "Well, now it doesn't matter anymore. I'm moving here to be with both of you and I'm opening a pub on Main Street. I won't even have time to think about Chase."
We all know that isn't true. Annie is Chase's soulmate just as much as he's hers. Right now might not be the right time for them, but eventually it will be.
"Enough about me, though. Gracie's the one with a terrible ex who needs to be removed from the equation. So exactly how do we plan on doing that?"