Vermont Escape

by Marsha R West

  “Yes, but I can’t stay here, and if I were to stay, I’d need to find my own place. I don’t want to keep sponging off you.”

  “Yeah, like you’re really doing that. What can I do to make you happy?”

  Jill paused and took in the gorgeous ocean view, then looked at her daughter. “It’s not your responsibility to make me happy, Ellen. Only I can do that.” She used the toe of her sandal to keep the glider moving.

  “I hoped after I got you down here, you’d decide to make this your home. You should be near one of your kids, Mom. With Ethan in the Army and set to move around, that means me.”

  “Oh, honey.” Jill put an arm around her daughter’s shoulder. “I’ve loved being here with you in this idyllic, movie-location spot. But this isn’t my favorite movie scene.”

  “So where is that?”

  “In Vermont, with the fall leaves in their riotous colors or the snow falling gently from the sky making a brilliant covering on the hilltops. Up there I have people I care about, and who I think care about me.”

  Ellen stopped the glider. “Maybe one person in particular?” Jill took a moment, searching for the words to reply, but suspected the warmth spreading across her cheeks said more than she wanted. “I don’t know, but I want the opportunity to find out. I’ve missed him more than I expected.”

  Jill leaned forward to pick up her glass of iced tea. She wanted feedback from Ellen but felt presumptuous to bring up the hypothetical subject. The cold liquid cooled her throat. The hint of peach refreshed her. She’d better spit out her concern. “I don’t know if anything will develop between Jerrod and me, but if it did, how would you and Ethan feel?”

  “Mom, your happiness is important to us. If you want Vermont, if you want Jerrod Phillips, we’re with you a hundred percent.”

  “Thanks. Your support means a lot.” Relief at her daughter’s words rushed through her body like a fresh fall breeze.

  Ellen pushed the glider to get it going again. “So, do you have a plan? I’m sure you have a plan.”

  “You know me too well. While I haven’t heard from Gary about a definite buyer for the house yet, several families are looking. I’ll return to Fort Worth and attack the rest of the sorting, throwing out, and packing required before I can sell. When I’m finished, I’ll head back to Woodstock.”

  “Good for you. How soon are you planning on this, and are you physically up to handling the heavy lifting alone?”

  “The doctor gave me the green light when I was in yesterday. I’ll return to Fort Worth next week. I won’t do too much on my own. I’ll hire people. Michelle can get those same folks who helped with the initial packing.”

  “But Mom, what if nothing comes together for you and Jerrod? Are you still going to want to live in Vermont?”

  Talk about going right for the throat. Jill stopped the swing, rose, walked to the edge of the patio, and stared at the fading light over the bay. She ran her hands up and down her arms. She liked the lovely warm breezes and sun here. But it was January, and she wanted cold weather and, more importantly, she wanted snow. She wanted the seasons. Even if she didn’t get what she most wanted. Jerrod. She turned back to her daughter. “Yes.”

  TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

  It was late afternoon when Jill walked out of the terminal at DFW. Her Vermont coat kept the winds of the blue norther from touching her. She chuckled when her breath misted in front of her. It was a wonder she wasn’t sick with the extreme temperature changes she’d experienced in the last two months.

  The familiar sight of a tall man in a cowboy hat—boots and all—coming toward her brought a smile to her face. She did miss that look in Vermont. She’d left a message on Gary’s phone when she’d landed. He’d promised her he’d pick her up, but his car wasn’t in sight. Well, if he didn’t show, she’d take a taxi.

  “Ms. Barlow. Jill.” The man lifted his hat.

  “Oh, my gosh. Mike. How nice to see you.” She hugged him. “I was planning on calling you after I got settled. You don’t have any luggage with you. Are you picking up someone?”

  “As a matter of fact, I am. You.”

  She must’ve looked the way she felt, startled. He laughed.

  “I called Gary to give him some news, and he mentioned you were arriving this afternoon. I offered to come get you.” He ran his hands along the brim of his hat. “Hope you don’t mind.”

  “Of course, not. It’s nice of you to offer.”

  “Let’s get you into the warm car before I load the luggage.” Before long, they were whizzing down the freeway toward Fort Worth. In an odd way, it seemed to Jill she’d been gone a couple of years, yet, it hadn’t even been one yet. How flat the landscape seemed. It made her feel naked, and she longed for tall green trees.

  “If you don’t have plans, can I take you out to supper tonight?”

  “That would be wonderful. You know what I’d like to eat?”

  “No, but I’ll take you anywhere you want.”

  “Mexican food. I’ve missed it. Nobody does Tex-Mex the way we do. And if you’re allowed, you can tell me whatever you told Gary while we eat.”

  Later that evening over their chips and salsa, enchiladas, and rice and beans, Mike told her what he’d learned about the gambling consortium.

  Jill gasped at the violent deaths Mike described. Not just George and her father killed, but Mitch, the two men who kidnapped her, and the bosses, Cranston and Richardson.

  “We haven’t quite worked out how they arranged the fake lawyer, but he was one of the guys who walked you into the bank. The other was Judson again.”

  “That accounts for why one of them sounded familiar, but I didn’t place him. So, he was the lawyer I met in jail.” She took another sip of the beer and a bite of enchilada, the best comfort food in the world. She certainly needed it now, listening to Mike’s story.

  “We’re narrowing in on exactly who shot your husband and your father, but we know it was the same crowd.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  “Do you want to attend those trials when they take place?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe, if they happen quickly, and I’m still here.”

  “Aren’t you staying?” Surprise colored his tone.

  “No. I’m going to finish getting the house ready to sell, and then I’m returning to Vermont. See for myself how long those winters they’re always talking about are.”

  “If you’re sure that’s what you want to do.”

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “Then I hope everything turns out well for you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16

  Jerrod liked his small apartment in Montpelier, but he loved waking up in his own bed in Woodstock. Because of President’s Day on Monday, he had a three-day recess. The Assemblymen and women raced home for a chance to touch base with their constituents. Jerrod’s mother had promised blueberry pancakes if he’d stop by before making his rounds of the town leaders. It was hard to argue with her offer.

  He carefully stomped the snow from his feet before entering the front door. “Hello,” he hollered while Dust Mop jumped around begging for attention. “Okay, okay.” He scooped up the little white dog and let her kiss him, then set her down. She scampered toward the kitchen. “I bet that’s where your momma is.”

  “Good morning, dear. I’m glad you stopped by.” She gave him a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “Help yourself to the coffee. These are almost ready.”

  The breakfast smells made his mouth water. You couldn’t beat the fresh perked aroma of coffee, unless it was with bacon. Jerrod knew his mother loved cooking for others. He pushed away the thought of a time when it would become difficult for her. “Why’d you never open a restaurant or tea room? Everyone raves about your cooking.”

  “What a nice thing to say. Go ahead and begin. I’ll be with you in a moment.”

  Jerrod plopped the butter on each of the steaming blueberry pancakes, causing a river of yellow to flow fr
om the center. He followed with the warmed syrup, and then attacked the strips on his plate. “Yum. Applewood-smoked bacon.”

  His mother joined him. “Of course.”

  He dug into the cakes.

  “Jerrod, I heard Jill left Florida and returned to Fort Worth. Why don’t you take a trip down there?”

  “What?” His mother blew him away with her ideas. He’d only thought once about making a trip to Fort Worth, and he hadn’t mentioned it to anyone, because he’d decided he’d wait until the session was over. “Why would I do that right now?”

  “That police detective.” She glanced once at him and away.

  “Mike Riley? What about him?”

  “He was kind of interested in Jill.”

  A sharp pain struck Jerrod’s middle. He laid his fork on his plate and shoved it away. “Why do you think that?”

  “Jill mentioned him when I visited with her in the hospital. I didn’t see them together much, but the way she spoke of him made me think she might reciprocate his feelings.”

  Jerrod’s heart thudded against the wall of his chest. He’d expected to have more time where Jill was concerned. When she returned to Woodstock would be soon enough to work things out between them. What if she didn’t come back? She’d said she’d probably return this spring, but...

  “Mother, when you’ve talked with Jill, has she mentioned the detective to you?”

  “She saw him at least once because he’d filled her in on what they’d learned from that Austin lobbyist. I forget his name.”

  Jerrod studied his mother and her wide-open eyes, but he knew this woman. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. “So, what’s going on here?”

  “Jerrod Phillips, do I have to draw you a map?” She jumped up, carried her plate with its half-eaten meal, and angrily scraped the leftovers into the sink then muttered under her breath, “All these years you’ve had me convinced you were such a smart man.”

  “What?”

  Her huff of exasperation let him know he was in for it. She squared off with him. “Don’t you care for Jill Barlow?”

  “Well, yes.” He nodded, and his head accepted the truth of the words he’d only accepted in his heart. “Yes, I do, very much.”

  “Well, go get her. Don’t let that cowboy policeman have her. Jerrod, if you have feelings for her, you need to take action.”

  “We’re in the middle of the session right now.”

  She walked toward him. Stopped. Planted her hands on her hips. “Seems to me you’re in the middle of a three-day break. Fly to Fort Worth, Jerrod. At least let her know what’s waiting for her when she returns.” She paused. “Jill’s talked about coming back.” His mother’s eyebrows crinkled into a frown. “What if she doesn’t?”

  Her lowered voice and words hit him like a baseball bat. His stomach roiled. For a minute, he was afraid he’d lose her fantastic pancakes at the idea of his life without Jill Barlow. “God, I’ve been an idiot, just waiting for her to return.” He hopped up from the chair, grabbed his mother around the waist, and kissed her on both cheeks. “Thanks. I’ll be out of town for several days at least.”

  “I hope you’re not too late, dear.”

  He raced home, barely escaping a fall on the snow, and made plane reservations. Best he could do was a flight from Hartford Sunday morning early. He packed one carry-on bag to save time when he arrived. He drove to Hartford that afternoon and checked in to a hotel near the airport.

  Weather was so iffy this time of the year. He prayed nothing kept the plane from taking off. In his hotel room, he had arranged for a rental car in Fort Worth. He didn’t want anything to slow him down when he arrived. Now that he knew what he wanted, delay was intolerable.

  SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17

  Six-thirty in the morning, and Jill’s muscles ached while pulling her carry-on bag through the terminal. Michelle had dropped her at the curbside check-in where Jill left three bags. The movers had finished everything late Saturday afternoon, and she spent the night at Michelle’s house. To say the week had been hectic would be a massive understatement.

  Her days were long and the nights short, but she’d gone through everything, including Ellen’s boxes. She got rid of a bunch of Ellen’s things, per her daughter’s instructions, and still Jill shipped five boxes to Florida. Ethan’s were stored in Fort Worth. He’d have to come and deal with them himself when he had time. The storage firm was reputable, and his belongings would be fine until he got around to making arrangements.

  She sent box after box of both George and her father’s files to one of the numerous shredding companies that had sprung up around the Metroplex. The household items, knick-knacks, furniture, clothes, and several of the books from the library she wanted with her in Vermont were on the moving van leaving sometime that morning.

  The first thing she’d do next week was meet with her agent to get him to begin searching for a place to buy that would be entirely hers. Excitement licked through her veins at the idea of her own home in Woodstock.

  While she waited for the boarding announcement, she took her phone from her pocket and placed a call to Jerrod’s home. Answer machine. Oh, well.

  “Hey, Jerrod. I’m about to get on the plane for Hartford. I’ll drive from there and be in Woodstock this afternoon. Hope to see you and your family soon. I’ve missed you.”

  She disconnected. Had she said too much, not enough? God, she was a basket case where the man was concerned. Her emotions bounced around like one of those odd-shaped balls that careened off in all directions.

  The attendant announced it was time for the people in the first rows to board the plane. Jill looked around the DFW terminal, and her eyes misted. She’d be back someday she was sure, but maybe not for a while.

  As the plane sailed into the air at that heart-stopping take-off angle, she gazed through her window one last time at the Fort Worth skyline. Considered less impressive than Dallas, it had been home for fifty years. She brushed away the tears before they had a chance to slide from her eyes.

  This was a happy time, really, heading for her new life in Vermont. She was happy to move to the picturesque New England town. Happy. Even if she and Jerrod didn’t work things out between them. Determination to have what she wanted tightened her jaw.

  JILL STOPPED AT HENRY’S Groceries after driving in from Hartford and before going to the rent house.

  “Oh, my God. Jill.”

  She recognized the voice and turned from the refrigerator units.

  “Anne. How nice for you to be one of the first people I’ve seen since returning.” She gave the woman a hug then stepped back. Anne bent over with her hands over her face.

  “What’s the matter? You’re not crying, are you?” Jill put an arm around the older woman’s shoulders. “Are you ill? Do you need to sit?”

  “No. I’m laughing. I’m so glad to see you.” Another laugh bubbled out. “Oh my. When did you arrive?”

  “Not long ago. I made good time from Hartford and came directly to the store.”

  “How was your trip, dear? How are you feeling?”

  “Long, but uneventful, and I’m always glad when that’s the case. I’m doing well,

  thanks. How’s Jerrod? Still in Montpelier?”

  “Actually, no.” Anne chuckled again. “Listen, I’m going to let you go, so you can finish your shopping. We’ll get together soon.” The woman pushed her cart down the aisle at a dangerous rate and just missed running into another customer. Her apology sailed over her shoulder, and she kept on moving.

  Jill shook her head. What had gotten into Anne? Jill continued in a more reasonable manner wandering the aisles. Why didn’t Anne say where Jerrod was? Jill should’ve pressed, but she didn’t want to appear pushy when Anne didn’t answer right away. She’d call his cell phone after unpacking. He regularly checked his messages.

  She had tons to do. Let Sally and Mary Ann know she’d returned. Figure out when to move into the rotation at the store. This t
ime Jill would limit it to only two days a week, if that worked with them.

  Too bad Monday was a holiday. She’d have to wait to call her realtor until Tuesday. Sorting lay ahead, even though she’d done some of that before sending things on the moving van. Probably more could go. Making mental lists kept her from worrying about what would happen with her and Jerrod. Her insides did flips of need and dread.

  Tomorrow. She’d find out tomorrow.

  JERROD SLID HIS RENTAL up to the curb in front of Jill’s Fort Worth house. It looked like the kind of place she would’ve been happy. His gloved hands clenched the steering wheel. If he’d known Fort Worth experienced the kind of cold they had that afternoon—the wind chill making it feel like nineteen—he probably wouldn’t have worried so much about her handling the Vermont winters.

  Sitting here staring didn’t accomplish what he wanted. He exhaled a long breath and made his legs carry him up the walk. He climbed the five steps to the porch and pushed the bell. It echoed. Anticipation curled a hard knot in his gut. He waited. No response. He rang the bell again. Maybe she’d gone out for the evening. Maybe with Riley. Damn. Was he too late? He wouldn’t accept the possibility. He tried to peek through the windows, but the drapes shut out the smallest view.

  Jerrod walked around and peered in through the small glass slits at the top of the garage door. No car. Nothing. In fact, he couldn’t make out any shapes at all. It was as if the garage were empty. Damn. Where was she? He went back to the porch, and feeling something like a fool, rang the bell again.

  As he did, his cell beeped. “Hey, Mother. Everything all right?” Odd she’d call when she’d sent him down here.

  “Jerrod, dear, I have some news for you.”

  “What’s that? You okay?”

  “Jill’s home.”

  “No, she’s not. I’m standing on her porch now, and no one’s here.”

  “I mean Jill is in Woodstock. I ran into her at Henry’s right before I called. How fast can you get back here?”