A Mail-Order Escape

by Janelle Daniels

  The men surrounding Owen and the injured man on the ground were silent, holding still like statues. Sadie didn’t care they were there. She was beyond concern over having an audience.

  “Let me get cleaned up and explain what happened. It’s not as bad as it looks.”

  “Did he get those injuries from you?” She glanced over at the other man as he moaned, which only steeled her even more against Owen. She’d been that person, moaning in pain, barely knowing where she was or what had happened.

  His jaw tightened, but he didn’t speak. He merely nodded once.

  Tears tracked down her cheeks as she nodded in return. “Then there’s nothing more to say. I don’t want to see you again.”

  His mouth dropped open, and when he hissed in pain from the movement, she refused to care.

  He reached toward her again. “You can’t mean that.”

  “I do.” She wiped her eyes. “I really do. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to see you, and I won’t have Jack around someone who’s capable of this kind of violence either.”

  “Sadie—”

  “Goodbye.” She couldn’t take another moment of looking at him, not when her feelings from earlier still filled her, mocking her. She loved this man, this monster. For the second time, she made a mistake. And that sickened her the most. She fled to the front of the house and to her horse, barely able to see. It was like yesterday, except so much worse. Then, Owen had been trying to protect her. Today, he was the abuser.

  “Sadie!” Owen ran around the side of the house, closely trailed by his men. “Don’t leave.”

  He made to step forward, but his foreman placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him back and Owen let him. He could’ve broken the hold, but it was almost as if the man was reminding Owen to watch himself, and Owen had listened.

  Sadie urged her mount into a canter, not looking back as the wind wiped tears from her eyes. She’d come to tell Owen she loved him, but instead, she was leaving with a broken heart.

  Chapter 11

  Sadie barely stumbled into her room before she retched. Unable to hold back the tears any longer, they ran freely down her face as her stomach emptied itself.

  She took in a lungful of air, hoping it would calm her, but it didn’t. Her breath hitched, and she sobbed openly.

  How had this happened? How had everything fallen apart right when she’d thought she’d found the path? How had she been so mistaken about Owen? How had she not seen the darkness in him?

  What if she’d seen it too late?

  Her eyes widened, and she lurched again over the basin on her dresser, dry heaving until her stomach stopped spasming. She slid down the dresser to the floor, collapsing in a puddle, her sobs now turned into soul-shattering wails of pain echoing throughout her large home.

  The bedroom door flew open, and Violet rushed in. “What’s going on?” She dropped to the floor next to Sadie, her hands rushing over the other woman, searching for the cause of her reaction. “Are you sick? Hurt?” When Sadie didn’t respond, Violet yelled, “Tell me what is wrong!”

  “Owen.”

  “What happened?” Violet yelled, the panic in her voice evident. “Is he injured?”

  “No. He beat someone...badly.”

  Violet’s mouth hung open in shock. “That can’t be true. Maybe you’re mistaken.”

  Sadie balled her hand and pounded it on the floor in frustration. “I saw it with my own eyes. He beat a man until he was unconscious!”

  “Who? Why?” Violet flailed around as if trying to make sense of it. But Sadie knew there was no way to make it right.

  “I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. No one deserves that.”

  Violet rose to her feet and placed her hands on her hips as she looked down on Sadie. Clearly, she was over her concern for Sadie and had moved on to being impatient with her. “Well what did he say about it? What was his excuse?”

  “I didn’t stay to find out.”

  “You just left?”

  Anger surged through her. Violet should be on her side, not defending Owen. As far as Sadie was concerned, no one in their house should ever even speak to him again. He was too dangerous. “Of course I just left! Did you think I was going to stay there after I’d watched him beat someone? Was I supposed to have a nice little chat while he still had their blood on his hands?”

  Violet held up her own hands. “Don’t go getting angry. I’m just trying to understand. That doesn’t sound like the Owen we all know, is all.”

  Sadie stopped and the righteous anger that had bolstered her a moment ago, fled. “We obviously didn’t know him well enough.”

  “That can’t be true. There has to be a good explanation. I just can’t believe Owen could—”

  “Well apparently, he can! Once again, I trusted the wrong man. Maybe I’m the problem here. Maybe I’m just attracted to abusive men.”

  Violet’s jaw clenched, and she stepped forward menacingly. “I don’t ever want to hear you say that again. You are not the problem. You are sweet and kind and wonderful, and all of us know it. If Owen hurt someone without a good reason, then he overstepped, but Owen doesn’t seem like the kind of man that hurts others just for the fun of it. He’s a protector. You’ll see. Give him a chance to explain.”

  “I’m not interested in hearing anything from him. I told him I never wanted to see him again, and he’s no longer allowed to see Jack.”

  “Oh, Sadie—”

  “Stop.” Sadie didn’t know what else to say, but she had no intention of changing her mind or hearing Owen out. “It’s over. He’s not the man I thought he was, and he’s certainly not anyone I want around my son.”

  Violet pinched her lips closed, and Sadie could tell she wanted to say something more, but for once, she held her tongue. “Thank you. Look, I know this isn’t want you were expecting to hear upon my return when I left earlier.” Just the thought of her racing off to tell Owen she loved him felt like a punch to her gut. “But this is how it is. That is what happened. I can’t change that. All I can do is be grateful I learned about it now, and didn’t make a terrible mistake by placing both myself and Jack in his care. I need your support in this. I need everyone’s support.”

  “And you have it. No matter what, I’m on your side. We all are. But I’m not going to lie to you either. I bet Owen had his reasons. I think that once you hear them, you might reconsider.”

  “No excuse will change the facts.”

  “I’m not saying that. And I’m not saying he didn’t make a terrible mistake. All I mean is that you might see it in a different light once the details are known.”

  “Maybe. But I doubt it.” Sadie didn’t want to talk about it anymore. So instead of outright disagreeing with Violet, she made it seem as if she was leaving the door at least slightly open. But she knew nothing would change her mind.

  Violet walked away but turned back to her when she reached the doorway. “I’m really sorry, Sadie.”

  The kindness in her voice almost started another bout of tears. “I am too.” She was sorry for the mistake, sorry she’d ever trusted him, sorry she was hurting yet again.

  “Is there anything I can bring you? I can have Sylvia make something. Anything you like.”

  That was kind, but Sadie wouldn’t be able to hold it down. “If you could watch Jack a little longer, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Of course,” Violet said softly, shutting the door behind her.

  Alone and feeling exhausted now, Sadie crawled to her bed and hauled herself on top of it, before flopping herself down on the covers.

  She thought he was different, thought she could trust him, that he wouldn’t crush her. Maybe men couldn’t be trusted at all.

  Gerald had started out sweet and attentive, but he’d changed drastically after they married. If Owen was already like this now, how much worse would it get after they exchanged vows? After she tied herself to him forever?

  She was too worn out from crying to pull the blankets back or even take
her shoes off. She just wanted to lay there, to sink into the mattress until she woke up from this nightmare. Because she was sure her ability to trust was now shattered, and she would never love again.

  And her life, looking ahead, was one long, lonely nightmare.

  A few days later, when another knock sounded on their door, Sadie picked up Jack and headed upstairs. By now, the whole house knew the routine. In the few days following the fight at Owen’s house, he’d stopped by repeatedly, asking to see her, begging for a chance to explain what had happened.

  She’d turned him away each time. It hadn’t been easy either. She missed him, as crazy as it was. She missed being with him, seeing him, talking to him. It was almost killing her to shut him out and refuse to see him, but she knew if she did see him, if she opened that door even a crack, it would be hard to walk away.

  “Do you want us to send him away again?” Juliette asked at the bottom of the stairs as Sadie made her way up.

  She stopped and turned back to look down at her friend. “Yes. I’m sorry. Hopefully this won’t last much longer.” For the sake of all of them.

  Juliette offered her a small smile which didn’t quite reach her black-brown eyes. “We’ll handle this as long as we need to.”

  Sadie just nodded, turned away, and retreated to her room as Juliette went to the door, ready to send Owen away once again.

  Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long so Sadie could return downstairs. She was tired of hiding in her room. At least it had been convenient timing this time. She’d needed to put Jack down for a nap anyway.

  She was just getting him settled in his crib when Juliette knocked and opened the door. Sadie motioned for her to be quiet, then, patting Jack one last time, she followed Juliette out of the room and closed the door behind them. “Owen went away that quickly?” Sadie asked. Maybe he was finally realizing she’d meant what she said. An ache formed in her chest, but she pushed it away. This is what she wanted. The faster he realized it, the sooner she could move on with her life.

  “No. It wasn’t Owen.”

  Sadie gave Juliette a puzzled look. “Then who was it?”

  “She said her name is Eliza. She’s asking to speak with you.”

  Sadie froze. “Eliza?”

  “Yes.”

  There was only one woman named Eliza she knew, and Sadie had no idea what she was doing here. She’d only seen her the one time in town, and the woman had acted as if she never wanted to speak with her. “Did she look all right?”

  Juliette bit her lip and shook her head.

  Sadie placed a hand on Juliette’s upper arm. “It’s okay. I’ll take care of this. Would you mind keeping an ear out for Jack?”

  Juliette nodded. “I’ll be in my room reading. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “I will,” she said, distracted with thoughts of the woman downstairs. Had she come to Sadie for help? Well, no matter what she needed, Sadie was determined to help her.

  At the bottom of the stairs, she took a deep, calming breath. She knew from experience she couldn’t seem out of control or upset when she saw Eliza. It would only scare off the woman, and she’d already been through so much. Sadie didn’t want her own past clouding the matter and making it worse.

  When she felt she was ready to see her guest, Sadie plastered a small, serene smile on her face and rounded the corner into the sitting room.

  Eliza bounded up out of the chair, as if she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t. Sadie didn’t want to embarrass her, and let it pass. Instead, she smiled warmly, struggling to hold the expression as she took in the other woman’s black eye and swollen jaw. “It’s good to see you again, Eliza. I’m glad you came by.”

  The woman looked down at her feet, her shoulders slumped. “I wasn’t sure I should.”

  “You’re always welcome here. Anytime you like.” Sadie moved into the room. “Would you like to have a seat?”

  Eliza glanced up timidly, and Sadie sat on one of the sofas across from her, a soft smile on her face as she waited for the woman to decide. She didn’t care how long she had to wait, she would be patient and allow Eliza to make her own choice.

  After a few moment’s hesitation, Eliza sat in one of the chairs. “I didn’t want to disturb you, but I felt I needed to come.”

  “You aren’t disturbing me at all. In fact, I’m grateful for your company. Would you like some refreshments?”

  Eliza appeared confused, as if she weren’t used to such kindness, and probably was more used to being ordered about instead of asked. Sadie made it her mission right then to befriend her. “Our cook made cookies that are heavenly. I can guarantee you’ll need more than one.”

  “Thank you, but no. I shouldn’t.” She looked down at the floor again.

  “That’s all right. Perhaps on your next visit?” Sadie prompted. “I’d love it if you could stop by again.”

  Eliza dared another glance at her. “Maybe.”

  That was a start, and Sadie knew it had been hard for the woman to agree even that much. “Good. Do you need to get your injuries looked at?”

  “No. I’ll be all right.”

  “Are you sure?” Sadie paused. “I could go with you to the doctor,” she said softly. “Those bruises look painful.”

  “They’ll be fine. I’m not injured seriously.”

  This time, Sadie could almost hear the woman add. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Eliza shifted in her chair. “I don’t know how to say what I’m here to say, so I’m just going to come out with it.”

  “That’s fine. Whatever you need, I’ll listen.”

  “Good.” Eliza nodded, as if she’d needed Sadie’s reassurance. “I came because I heard you won’t speak to Owen Judd about what happened at his ranch a few days ago.”

  Sadie’s spine went rigid. “Did he ask you to talk to me?”

  “No. Not at all. He doesn’t even know I’m here.”

  Sadie tried to relax. If Owen hadn’t sent her, then why would Eliza want to talk to her about what happened? “I’m sorry. I’m confused. Were you there at the ranch that day?”

  “No. But I heard about it later.” Sadie’s confusion must have shown, because Eliza continued, “You see, Owen came to see me earlier that day.”

  “Oh.” Sadie wasn’t sure how to feel. He’d done exactly as he’d told her he would and checked on Eliza. “Was that all right?”

  Eliza twisted the hem of her shawl. “It was kind of him, but as I told him, unnecessary.”

  Sadie wanted to reach out and touch the woman, but knew the gesture would be unwanted. “Owen and I were concerned. We wanted to see how you were doing. I wanted to go myself.”

  Eliza’s eyes widened. “You mustn’t. Ever!”

  “But—”

  “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but my husband, he’s”—her hands darted around, as if trying to find the right word—“unpredictable. I would never wish for you to get injured.”

  Sadie had thought Eliza’s husband wouldn’t lay a hand on her, only his wife, but after hearing Eliza’s concern, she changed her mind. If even she thought Sadie wouldn’t be safe, she would choose to believe her. She conceded Owen had been right about that. “I understand.”

  Eliza looked relieved. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “As I said, Owen came to see me. Larry wasn’t home at the time, but when he got back, he asked if anyone came by, and I didn’t want to lie to him.” She looked to Sadie for understanding.

  “Of course not.” When Eliza didn’t immediately continue, Sadie asked, “What happened?”

  “Well,”—she twisted the fabric faster—“I told him Owen had stopped by, and that he’d demanded to see me, so I opened the door, even though Larry had told me not to ever open it for anyone. He flew into a rage.” She touched her cheek unconsciously. “He was worse than I’d ever seen him, and it wasn’t until after that, I realized he’d been drinking. After he was done, he left the house to confront Owen.”

  Sa
die’s heart sped up. “You mean, the other day? The fight? That was Larry?”

  Eliza bit her lip and nodded. “It was. The hands told me Larry came up behind Owen and attacked him. Owen tried to hold him down, tried to not hurt him, but Larry got the upper hand and talked about how he’d hurt me and how…”

  “Go on.” Sadie’s breath lodged in her chest as she leaned forward.

  Eliza let out a deep breath. “He said he was going to hurt you too.”

  Sadie’s mouth fell open and she leaned back against the chair. “And that was when Owen started attacking him?”

  Eliza nodded again. “Yes.”

  Sadie didn’t know what to say. One thought tumbled into another as she replayed in her mind what she’d seen at the ranch the other day. She’d seen Owen hitting the man beneath him, but she realized she hadn’t taken into account Owen’s injuries. He’d been hit as well. And Larry wasn’t a small man. Owen could have been seriously injured if he hadn’t defended himself.

  Besides that, if Larry had bragged about hurting his own wife, then expressed his desire to hurt someone Sadie cared about, she wasn’t sure she would be able to stop herself from beating him either.

  Heavens. She put her face in her hands. How had she made such a mess of things?

  “I’m sorry if I’ve distressed you,” Eliza said, cutting through Sadie’s thoughts.

  Sadie glanced up at the woman. “I’ll admit, I’m a bit overwhelmed, but I’m grateful you told me. I’m not certain I would have learned of it otherwise.”

  “It’s good I came then.” She stood to leave.

  “Forgive me, you don’t have to rush off. I can still have those refreshments brought in.” The information didn’t change the fact Sadie still wanted to be her friend.

  “Thank you, but no. I must get home.”

  Sadie stood. “Eliza, you don’t have to go back there. You don’t have to live like that.” Sadie couldn’t help but say the thing she’d wished others had said to her.

  Eliza gave her a small smile. “You’re a good woman, Sadie. I would have liked to have been friends.”