Chapter Two
SLOANE
THE brICK wall of the old, turn-of-the-century townhouse in an older part of town is hot against my palms as I barely poke my head around the corner.
My father’s sister, who he’d been estranged from since before I was born, lives in one of the houses in a row of houses that have been here since the age of dinosaurs.
Austin was always her favorite, I think it had something to do with his mother being her best friend when she was alive, but she was still nice to me the few times I saw her. I don’t know where else to go, I don’t dare go back to my apartment, so here I am.
There are two men in suits smoking and pacing along the sidewalk in front of her flat and my heart sinks. Fear skitters up my spine because I don’t know what to do. I’ve never been without a place to go before and panic starts to meld with the fear.
Tears threaten again as I try not to think about the fact that my brother sold me. I take a deep breath and turn to walk in the direction I came from, pushing back the emotions and the tears – something I became very good at after Mama and Daddy died.
Barely able to accept the news about the horrific car crash that killed my parents, fate added to my heartbreak as my brother stormed into the house and made my life increasingly worse. I learned that crying wasn’t going to help anything.
The bottoms of my feet hurt from running and the heat from the cement sidewalk makes the skin prickle with each step.
I cross my arms and move quickly to put distance between me and them.
The only other person I think might be able to help me is my friend, Amelia, she was my dorm mate in college and we danced together.
The university put us in the same dorm room the first year, but we became so close that we requested a room together every year after that. She became the sister never had and we did everything together.
Amelia sat on my bed and cried with me when I was blindsided by the letter from the university letting me know that repeated attempts had been made to contact my brother for payment. It was too late in the semester to apply for any financial aid and I had to leave.
She auditioned for the dance troop we wanted and made it, I cried happy tears for her and sad tears for myself when she left to go on tour. Sad tears because I was not only losing the person closest to me, but I was also losing the only dream I had.
The downtown city library is cool, especially on my feet, as I walk through the large, iron double doors to the front desk. The older woman sitting there stops whatever she is doing with the book in her hand and looks at me over her glasses that are perched on her nose.
“Can I help you, dear?” Her voice is strong, and she seems a little annoyed that I am interrupting her. I probably look like a big mess.
I lean over the counter a little, my sweaty palms are probably making ugly handprints on the marble countertop, “Uhm, yes, I was mugged just a few minutes ago and my keys and phone are gone, would I be able to use your phone?”
Her stern expression changes instantly as the tightness around her eyes softens and warmth takes over her face tempting me to cry, “Oh dear, of course you can use the phone.”
She stands and waves me over to the other end of the curved counter and sets the landline phone on the countertop in front of me, “Just dial nine to get an outside line.”
I nod and smile, “Thank you so much.”
As I listen to the trill of the ring for the fourth time, I’m silently begging Amelia to answer as the small glimmer of hope starts to fade making my stomach churn.
Just as I am about to set the receiver back into the cradle, I hear Amelia’s voice over the line and I breathe a sigh of relief, “This is Amelia.”
“Oh my God, Amelia, I’m so glad you answered.” I breathe into the phone while I keep my eyes on the front doors.
“Sloane? Is that you? Why does my caller ID say are you calling from a library?”
“It’s a long story, and I will tell you all of it, but I need your help.”
I hear the click of a door close over the phone line and she says, “Of course, what’s going on?”
“My brother has done something terrible and men are looking for me, they have my keys, wallet, and phone and I don’t have any place to go.”
Amelia saw firsthand what a jerk my brother could be the few times she visited me at my parents’ house during summer and winter breaks and he would show up to fight with Daddy about getting more money.
“Have you called the police?” She’s whispering into the phone.
“They were in my apartment, they broke in while I was gone, I don’t think the police can stop these kind of men. I just need a place to hide until I can figure out what to do, can you get me a hotel room and I will pay you back as soon as I can?”
She is quiet for a moment, “This is crazy, Sloane. Of course, I’ll get you a room, but I want to know what is going on after you get checked in, I want to know you are safe and then we need to figure out what to do.”
Some of the fear squeezing me loosens its grip and I take a deep breath, “Thank you, I will call you as soon as I check in.”
Almost Two Years Later
The little diner still smells like breakfast and my mouth is watering as I sip the glass of water in front of me and nibble on the buttered toast that is not only cold but also stale. For some reason, the waitress keeps giving me side-eye as she walks around topping off coffee mugs.
I’m not sure why she’s looking at me like I stole from her tip jar, this is only the second time I’ve been in this diner.
Did I leave her a tip last time? Maybe I didn’t.
The car lot I have been working at for the past month or so let me go this morning, I have been taking odd jobs for cash under the table and they are hard to find. Right now, I have about twenty-five dollars in my wallet.
“Good morning, Clive, have a seat anywhere.” The waitress calls out in a chipper, friendly voice that she did not use when she was talking to me.
A tall, older man walks across the diner to the booth across from me. He’s dressed like he works a ranch in jeans, boots, and a vest over his long sleeve flannel shirt, and takes off his cowboy hat to set it upside down on the table, as he slides into the booth.
His face looks weathered from the sun and his hands that he’s linked on the table in front of him look like old leather, but his shoulders are broad, and he looks like he’s in great shape. I avert my eyes and look out the window just in time because I can feel him looking at me.
The waitress steps up to his table and sets a cup in front of him to fill with coffee, “How you doin’ today, sweetie?”
“Well, I’ve been better.” His voice is deep but gravelly, “Opal told me she’s retiring this morning.”
“You’re kiddin’ me! Opal retiring? I thought the day would never come.” The waitress’ voice is full of surprise as she fills his cup while shaking her head, hand over her heart.
He picks up the cup and takes a sip as he grunts an affirmative, “I know, now I have to find someone who doesn’t mind being a full-time housekeeper and cook.” He looks at the waitress, “You know anyone who doesn’t mind hard work and wants room and board?”
My prayers have been answered. Before he came in, I was trying to figure out what in the world I was going to do, so I didn’t let the waitress answer his question.
“I don’t mind hard work or living on site.” My voice comes out strong and confident, but I have a feeling it won’t last long.
Two heads swivel in my direction and my heart nearly jumps into my throat once his attention is on me.
I’ve never been a direct person, my father used to tell me that I need to speak up for myself if I don’t want to be anyone’s doormat, so when those hard blue eyes lock on mine, I know I’m talking to a man who won’t put up with anyone yanking his chain.
“I - I need a job, and I’m a fast learner, I’ll learn anything you want me to.”
So much for sounding strong and confident.
His eyes narrow ever so slightly and he looks me over, the waitress puts her hand on her cocked hip and tilts her head to the side. “And you are?” Contempt is thick in her voice.
I don’t break eye contact with the man as he studies me like he can see through to my soul. I also don’t answer the waitress but wait for him to ask me anything he wants to know.
“Thank you, Marcy, I’ll let you know if I need anything else.” The dismissal is gruff but gentle.
The waitress rolls her eyes as she walks away to stand behind the breakfast bar, pretending to wipe down the countertop.
He picks up his coffee cup and cowboy hat from the tabletop and moves to my booth.
I notice the salty sweat ring around the band of his hat as he sits down and gently places the hat upside down on the table by the window.
I don’t know why I’m so nervous, but when I lean back, I have to fist my hands in my lap to hide the shaking.
He gets settled in the seat across from me and takes another drink of his coffee as he observes me, “I’m not in the habit of hiring strangers off the street to live in my home with my family, so now’s the time to tell me why you’re desperate enough to take a job you know nothing about from a man you’ve never met. ”
Telling him the truth will surely make him get up and walk away without looking back, I can’t tell him I basically need a place to hide. But I can’t go back to the hotel, I don’t have enough money for another night.
He sees my hesitation and holds his finger up and points at me, “I’m going to tell you the same thing I tell my children, you get one chance to tell the truth, and I’ll know if you’re lying.”
I swallow audibly and take a deep breath; his eyes never leave mine as I tell him the truth. I don’t leave anything out, I even tell him about jumping from job to job to get paid in cash.
When I finish, I look down at the table and wait for him to get up and walk away, I wouldn’t blame him, two years ago I would have got up and walked away. Who would want to get wrapped up in this kind of trouble?
I can feel his eyes boring a hole through me as the silence seems to drag on. After a few moments, I hear his rough voice, “Can you start today?”
A relief I haven’t felt in a long time sends the breath from my lungs as the muscles across my shoulders loosen, I have to tamp back the emotion that is bubbling inside. I snap my eyes up to meet his and say, “Yes!” It comes out as a whisper because of the lump in my throat and I nod my head.