Chapter 10
CHAPTER
Jenn
The Past
Early June—Fifteen Years Ago
IT FELT LIKE I was being watched.
I couldn’t shake it.
Perhaps I could put it down to the fact that everyone in Fern River seemed to be paying attention to what I was doing.
I couldn’t go into the grocery store without conversations stopping and eyes drifting over me in a way that let me know I was the source of their gossip.
I thought I could be invisible here, but it now felt a little too much like what I had run away from.
But that wasn’t it.
That wasn’t why I felt a nerve-racking paranoia with my every movement.
I felt as though I were running out of time. As if any moment this new life I was trying to carve out for myself would be blown apart.
Because of a past I couldn’t get away from.
I sat in a booth at Ryder Creek Bowling eating a basket of fries. I covered them with ketchup, turning them into a pile of mushy potatoes.
“What’s a hot girl like you doin’ all by herself?”
I felt myself stiffen. I was used to unwanted attention.
I had been on the road long enough that I had become adept at fending it off.
But here, in this tiny, claustrophobic town, it felt like I was being backed into a corner at every turn.
The scrawny guy wearing a backward baseball cap and basketball jersey was smiling at me, a toothpick between his lips.
He had the predatory smile that I had come to associate with men who expected something from women.
“Just hanging out,” I said quietly, trying to make myself as small as possible.
“Never seen you before. Where are you from?” he asked, leaning against my seat, his body a little too close for comfort.
“Oh, here and there,” I said, avoiding his question. I gave him a quick smile, hoping to placate him. I knew better than to make a man angry, so I made sure to keep my face neutral.
Why couldn’t people mind their own business?
Why couldn’t men leave women alone?
Why did simply existing serve as some kind of proposed invitation?
Why did we always have to give an explanation for where we were going or who we were with?
It was enough to make anyone want to scream.
He laughed, but there was a hardness to it I knew I shouldn’t ignore.
“Come on, sweetheart, just give us a smile. I can imagine those full lips of yours are good for all kinds of things.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Did he think he was being funny? “It’s a joke, okay?
” He sat beside me on the same side of the booth, trapping me in with no room for escape.
“I’m Jeremy Majors. I work here. I’m not trying to be a creep or anything. ”
For a guy not trying to be a creep, he was failing miserably.
I knew I had to play this carefully. I chanced a quick look around. No one was paying attention to us, and we were situated in a secluded corner of the bowling alley. I should have thought better about where I was sitting.
Not feeling like I had any other option, I introduced myself. “Jenn Moore.”
“Nice to meet you, Jenn Moore.” He sucked on the toothpick noisily. “You gonna bowl?”
I looked around the surprisingly busy bowling alley.
It was something straight out of the 1970s with wood-paneled walls and orange and yellow plastic-covered booths.
A couple of old-school pinball machines were shoved in a corner next to a battered pool table and an ancient Pac-Man arcade game.
The only thing that appeared modern and up-to-date were the lanes themselves.
Modern score screens hung from the ceilings, and the ball returns gleamed like they were brand-new.
“I was thinking about it. But I’m waiting to see if I have company.
” I had hoped to run into Rhett. While it was nice meeting him up at Jagged Point, what I wanted more than anything was to spend time with him doing other things.
What I longed for was for us to go on an actual date.
I wasn’t so clueless that I didn’t feel the heat between us or see the way he looked at me.
Sure, we were friends, but it was a friendship that begged to be something more.
Yet, every time I brought up meeting somewhere that wasn’t in the middle of the woods, he made an excuse.
But I knew he went bowling with friends during the week.
He had mentioned it in passing only a few days ago when we were sitting together on top of the rocky overlook.
I held on to all the tiny details he gave me, tucking them away, knowing they were important.
So, yeah, I came to the bowling alley because I thought I might run into him. Because our time together was never long enough. Did that make me pathetic? Probably, but I didn’t care.
I pulled out my phone and looked at our last text exchange from only an hour ago, liking the bubbly warmth it caused in the center of my chest.
Rhett: You never finished telling me that story about the time you brought home a skunk thinking it was a stray cat. I guess we’ll have to meet up tomorrow so you can tell me the rest.:-)
Me: Absolutely! It’s not like I have a full schedule, LOL.
Rhett: So it’s a date then. I’ll meet you at lunchtime in the usual spot. I’ll even bring your favorite cinnamon rolls.
Me: You sure know the way to a girl’s heart.:-*
Rhett: Or maybe just yours.;-)
“The first game is on the house. No sense wasting the day away waiting for someone who might not show. I can keep you company.” Jeremy was clearly not put off by my efforts to disengage. In fact, he slid closer to me, boxing me in even more.
I wiped my hands on a napkin. “I think I’d like to bowl actually.” I hesitated before making my position clear. “Though you’re working, so it’s probably better I play this one by myself.” I held my breath, waiting to see how he’d respond.
Jeremy’s face darkened slightly. He loomed over me, and I wanted to cower into the corner.
“That’s how it is, huh?” He looked around as if to see how many people were nearby.
Thankfully, a couple came in and called out hellos to Jeremy.
He shrugged and slid out of the booth. I tried not to sag in relief.
“Whatever, come on then, I’ll get you some shoes. ”
I stood up, tucked my phone back in my pocket, and followed Jeremy to the counter. I took off my battered sneakers and handed them to him, and he put them on the shelf before spraying a pair of bowling shoes with disinfectant. “Here ya go. You can have lane three.”
He seemed to have gotten over his hurt feelings at my rejection.
I felt myself relax just a little. “Don’t get too bothered by the group over there.
” He pointed to a group of older men and women.
“They’re from the Baptist church on Lee Drive.
They come here every Tuesday evening for Bible and Bowling. They’re an excitable bunch.”
“Duly noted,” I said before making my way to the open lane. I looked over at the people in lane four, thinking back with fondness mixed with regret to my own days of bowling with my Bible study group.
I picked up the heaviest bowling ball in the ball return and lumbered my way to the edge of the lane.
Swinging it between my legs granny style, I smiled to myself as I thought about the last time I had played.
It had been the first time I had rolled a strike.
The momentary pride at the accomplishment was quickly overshadowed with what happened afterward.
I rolled the ball as hard as I could toward the pins, and it ambled along, knocking over all but two.
“Nice”
I practically jumped out of my skin at the sound of the familiar male voice so close to me.
Rhett grinned, gesturing toward the lane. “Care if I join you?” He handed me a cup with a straw.
“Thanks.” I took a drink, enjoying the fizzy sweetness on my tongue. “Vanilla Coke, yum!” I took another long drink. “How did you know it was my favorite?”
“You mentioned it one time.” He answered with a shy smile.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one that paid attention to all the details. He had no idea how that made me feel important and wanted. It had been a long time since I had felt that way—if ever.
I put the soda down. “Finally up for a game?” I asked teasingly.
Rhett chuckled. “Sure, why not?”
“That’s great!” I exclaimed with perhaps too much excitement, but Rhett seemed to like my reaction. I wanted to hug him but wasn’t sure if I should. “Here, let me take my second turn.” I rolled the ball again, knocking down the remaining pins.
“A spare, awesome!” Rhett enthused, giving me a high five.
I sat down and watched him bowl, getting a strike with little effort. When he turned back around, I jumped to my feet and this time gave into the urge and hugged him. “Good job, Rhett.” I squeezed him tight.
Neither of us let go right away. He hugged me close, his hands pressed to the small of my back, the heat of his palms searing my skin. My heartbeat quickened, and I could hear his breathing deepen.
I pulled back slightly and looked at him. “I’m really glad you’re here. I’ve … I’ve missed you,” I told him.
“We just saw each other yesterday,” he reminded me with a twinkle in his eye.
I ducked my head, feeling embarrassed by my admission. He tilted my chin up with his finger. “I missed you too. All the time,” he whispered.
I swallowed thickly, feeling things change between us with those simple words.
I felt safe around him. Maybe it was because he was the opposite of everything I knew. Or that with his sweet smile and warm eyes, he didn’t seem like a man to be feared.
“I’ve never had all this,” I murmured, unable to look at anything but him.
“All of what?” Rhett asked, frowning slightly.
“This. Fun outings with friends. A boy buying me my favorite soda. Being able to do the normal teenage stuff.” I felt my throat tighten with tears. I had missed so much. I hadn’t realized it until Rhett.
Rhett tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “Well then, I guess it’s my job to make sure you experience it all.”