“Married.” Maggie sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wasn’t a happy event, Mags,” I reminded her. “I never wanted to marry him. He didn’t give me a choice.”
“You always have a choice,” Gideon said. I heard the shock and the anger in his voice. He didn’t bother looking at me as he stormed from the room. I hung my head. My heart was torn in two, the jagged halves beating out of sync. It was exactly what I feared would happen. It hurt much worse seeing him leave than imagining it.
“Gideon...” Sissy called after him.
“It’s okay, Sissy. Let him go,” I told her. I was struggling to follow my own advice.
“He’s just shocked, sugar. Let him have a little time to think it over. He’ll be back,” Aurora said. JD nodded his agreement.
“Ya know,” I began. “The funny thing is I thought I saw Cass. Last week when we were in town,” I said as I looked at Maggie, “buying shoes—”
“Oh yeah, I remember. You looked like you were going to pass out.”
“I can’t stay here,” I said, turning to leave. “He’ll find me here.” Stewie moaned louder.
“It’s okay, you’ll be fine,” I told him.
“And so will you.” JD stood, looking at me as he crossed the room to Stewie and put his arms around him. Stewie leaned into JD, his moaning stopped.
“Cass has a gun,” I said with weary resignation.
“So do I,” Sissy said. I smiled at her. The infamous twelve gauge in the feed barn. I watched as they all stood up, moving as a unit to surround me. So this was what it was like to have a family.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Sheriff Packer took my story to heart. He assigned a deputy to park outside the front gate of the Northern Star. He made a few phone calls and found out Cass had talked to the police in Winchester, giving them the same cock-and-bull story about a missing wife who was kidnapped.
It was only a matter of time before Cass found someone who recognized me. Sissy, Maggie, and Aurora commandeered me into the kitchen for a piece of cherry pie and a cup of hot tea. Between bites of pie they convinced me it was best to stay. They argued it would be easier to fight him on our own turf than spend the rest of my life running.
“Ya gotta take a stand. You aren’t alone, sugar. You got us now.” Aurora’s motherly hand tucked my hair behind my ear.
I agreed, mostly because I didn’t want to go. This was my home, my life. I wanted to live here with Gideon and raise a family. I wanted to sip tea in our rockers on the front porch when we were eighty and surrounded by great-grandchildren.
The baby squirmed, issuing a knee or elbow into my bladder. For the millionth time that day I had to pee.
“I’ll be right back,” I told them.
I pushed the swinging door open to find Gideon standing on the other side. His eyes were red rimmed. He’d been crying. Something sharp tore at my insides. It was all my fault.
“Gideon, I’m so sorry—” I lifted my hand to my chest.
“No, Arden. I’m the one who’s sorry,” he said, not moving any closer, I noticed. Nor would he look me in the eye. I could actually feel my heart shriveling up like a dried prune. I opened my mouth to object and take the blame again, but he held up a hand.
“I knew there was somethin’...somethin’ real serious you were hidin’ from me. I didn’t know if you were scared to tell me or if you thought I couldn’t handle it...I thought I could. I figured I’d be patient and you’d come to me one day, tell me everything...” He shoved his hand through his already messy hair, leaving a wake of uneven spikes.
“And what did I do the minute you told me? I ran off. I ran out on you like a stupid selfish jerk...” Hesitantly he lifted his head, meeting my gaze. “I love you, Arden. I don’t care if you married Charles Manson. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life proving it to you...if you’ll still have me.”
A whimper escaped from my trembling lips. I vaulted myself into his arms, burying my face into his neck.
“I love you so much,” I sniffled. “I was so afraid you wouldn’t want me anymore. I didn’t want to tell you how dumb I was. How I let myself get caught up in that kind of trouble. I’m an idiot.”
“Hey,” he said pulling back. “That’s my fiancé you’re talkin’ about. She’s brave and smart and funny...and the mother of my child.”
I collapsed against him, my arms tightly secured around his neck. I was probably choking him. He didn’t complain. After a few more I love you’s and declarations of undying devotion Gideon got down to business.
“He’ll never get close enough to touch you again. I promise. You’re safe here. I don’t want you leaving the farm without me or JD or Cort. Got it?”
I nodded vigorously. He didn’t have to tell me twice. He squeezed me a little too hard and I had to waddle as fast as I could into the bathroom.
That night, while I lay in the protection of Gideon’s arms, I thanked God. I thanked Him for giving me a new family who loved me more than I ever thought possible. I thanked Him for showing me that life was a constant motion of good and bad and that the good always conquered the bad. Maybe not in the way you thought it would or should, but if you fought for it, the good was there for the taking.
Rolling onto my side, slinging an arm over Gideon’s slow rising chest, I fell asleep.
* * * *
Days passed. There was no sign of Cass or his little black Porsche. I was relaxed enough to not jump every time I heard a sound, but I wasn’t letting my guard down. I even went to the feed barn to make sure that Sissy’s twelve gauge really existed. Gideon told me they kept it there for easy access if a wolf or bear happened by.
The rest of the rifles and handguns were locked up in a safe in the house.
I decided to take a walk around the stables, stopping to give Sampson a sweet treat. Maggie and Cort were on their usual Friday night date at the movies. JD and Aurora took Stewie for pizza. Sissy was in the house, watching some old black and white show.
Gideon was studying for an upcoming final. I saw the light burning in the window of his office. I went through the stable, making sure all the stalls were locked. Then I turned off the lights, shut the outer doors, and went back to the house.
I joined Sissy in the family room but must’ve fallen asleep because when I woke up, the room was dark and she was gone. I sat up, which wasn’t easy with a full bladder. After a trip to the bathroom I was thirsty and went into the kitchen for a drink of water. It was a vicious pregnancy cycle.
Looking past the back patio I saw Gideon’s office light still burning. The old grandfather clock in the hall chimed once.
I pushed my feet into a pair of boots, and grabbed my coat off the wall hook, struggling with the arms as I went through the back door. Halfway to the hospital I noticed the door to the stable was inched open.
I know I shut it earlier. Was Gideon in there? I switched direction to investigate. The lights were off, but the moon was high and bright, giving me enough light to see my way inside the stable. The door shut behind me. I gave a start, looking to my left then to the right.
Sampson snorted, tapping his foot. He did that when something bothered him. I went to him, rubbing his nose with my fingers.
“What is it boy?” I whispered.
He perked his ears and that’s when I heard the faint sound of hurried footsteps. Not Gideon. I knew the sound of his approach. Instinct told me to run, hide. There was a huge mountain of hay that had been delivered earlier. Cort and a few hands were supposed to take care of it in the morning. I barely made it behind the stack when I heard the squeak of the door open and the muted clap of it shutting.
* * * *
Cass was to my right. If he kept coming around that way I might have a shot at making it to the door. I inched my way around the piles of hay, slowly so I wouldn’t make any noise.
“What do I spy with my little eye?” He was behind me. The hay still separated us. I knew he couldn’t see me in the darkness of
the barn. Who did he see?
“Ah!” he cried out. I heard hissing and then his cursing. “Stupid cat! Get it off!” Good girl, Esmerelda! The cat was good for something, finally. I took the opportunity and ran full out for the door.
Running wasn’t as easy as I thought. With all my extra belly weight slowing me down I was panting in fear as I cleared the door, finding myself in the middle of the yard. My first thought was for Gideon. I ran for the hospital.
I heard the stable door swing open and crash against the barn wall. He was coming. I couldn’t run any faster. My legs were already sluggish. I pushed myself harder. I reached out for the door knob only to half it slip from my grasp as Cass pulled me back by my hair.
I screamed, a blood curdling shout.
Cass whipped me around, his hands moving to my shoulders, digging into my flesh despite the thick woolen coat. His eyes were flashing with an unearthly glow.
“Arden. Calm down, it’s me. It’s Cass. I’ve come to rescue you.” He hugged me tight, pressing the length of my body to his as he rubbed my back. It only took him seconds to recognize something was off.
“They’ve been feeding you good.” He laughed bitterly. “Here I was...worried sick about you, and you’ve been living high on the hog here in Mayberry.”
In a stroke of extremely bad timing the baby gave a hard kick. Cass jumped away from me, gasping. The buttons on my coat popped off as he ripped it open, revealing my condition.
“What the—what’s wrong with you?” He bellowed. I guess he wasn’t worried about anyone hearing him. This made me frantic to find Gideon.
“It’s a baby,” I said dryly, trying my best to sound unaffected by his presence.
“I can see that, smart mouth,” he snarled. “I guess I don’t have to ask if you’d been taken advantage of.”
“I wasn’t raped, if that’s what you’re asking.” I rolled my eyes. He hated that. But I needed time to formulate a plan. Whether it would work, only time would tell.
I saw the storm clouds gathering in his eyes. “You little slut! I searched high and low for you for over a year! And here you are, carrying some other man’s child!” He was screeching like a berserk owl.
I jerked free of his hold, surprising him. But he quickly snatched me back, and with more force than I can remember him having, he backhanded me across the face.
He released my arm, letting me fall to the hard ground. I scraped the palms of my hands, bracing my body so I wouldn’t fall on my stomach.
“How?” I gasped. “How did you find me?”
“You’re stupid!” he yelled. “That’s how. You should have known better than to have that old man hock your wedding rings.”
Old man? Hock my rings? “What are you talking about?” I heaved myself up to stand, my hands wrapped protectively over my belly.
“A Mr. Les Houghton pawned your rings, back in January. It took about a month for me to get the heads up because this Podunk town is so slow with their APB’s. I almost didn’t come. I never thought you’d have made it this far. I bet that’s an interesting story. You’ll have to tell me all about it on the way home.”
That’s what Les was doing in my room that night. He was stealing. I should have hidden those cursed rings better.
Cass grasped my arm, shoving me in front of him.
“How’d you get in?” I asked, slowing my walk, stalling for time.
“You mean, how’d I get past Barney Fife? Please. I’m a seasoned pro in one of the most crime-ridden cities in America. I’m nothing if not resourceful.”
I didn’t doubt it.
“Oh quit looking at me like that. He’s still breathing. I drugged his coffee. Poor slob had a routine. Never came out here without stopping at that bakery—the one with those fantastic brownie bars—I slipped a little goodnight mickey into his coffee.” We were walking toward the driveway as if we were taking a leisurely moonlight stroll.
The feed barn was coming up on the right. If only I could think of a way to make him take me inside. I could grab the gun. But then what? Was I brave enough to point it at him? Could I really shoot him? Possibly even kill him? Precious minutes were passing. Gideon was hurt. I was sure of it. He would’ve come running when he heard Cass yelling if he was able to.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” I blurted.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” He gave a baleful look at my stomach. “Don’t get too attached to that kid. We’re getting rid of it when we get home.”
I stifled a seething remark. I needed him to think I was going with him willingly. “Fine, but I really need to go, the cold and all, it really goes through me.”
“Where?”
“In there.” I pointed to the feed barn.
“In there?” He looked doubtful.
“Yeah, it’s a wash house for the employees.”
He studied my face, looking for proof of a lie. Quick as a striking snake he grabbed the back of my head and pulled me in for a bruising kiss. The side of my face was on fire, mashing his mouth to mine made it worse. I willed myself to keep quiet, to not cry out from the pain.
“Make it quick,” he said, letting me go.
Relief flooded through me. My plan was working. He followed closely behind me as I hurried to the door. I thought he might follow me inside, but he didn’t. I felt around the bags and buckets, finally coming to the spot where the gun was hidden. It was empty! The gun was gone.
After a few minutes the door swung open.
“Looking for this?” Cass pumped the sliding forearm on the shotgun. “I did my homework, honey. One of the biggest rumors around town was the old lady hid a twelve gauge in the feed barn.”
I wanted to fall to the floor weeping. I failed. I had no out. I was once again trapped by Cass.
“Don’t worry. I’ve heard about this before. The captured victim is brainwashed into loving their kidnappers, Stockholm Syndrome they call it. You’ll get over it after you’re home for a while.”
Holding the gun in one hand he used his free hand to reach for me. I fought him. I pushed and kicked and clawed with my new prenatal vitamin strong, dagger sharp, finger nails. He dropped the gun. He had to if he wanted to hang onto me. I screamed at him until my voice choked. There was no way I was going to let him take me back. I wouldn’t let him kill my baby.
He slapped me a few times before pushing me to the ground.
“Arden!” he screamed. “I would’ve given you everything!” He drew back his foot, aiming it at my abdomen. “Why do you make me do these things to you? Why do you make me punish you?”
I curled into a ball, trying to cover my baby as much as I could, absorbing the pain of his foot with my arms and legs. I pleaded with my eyes, begging Cass to have mercy. He didn’t. I could see there was no sanity in those ice blue depths. He swung his foot forward at the same time I heard a commanding boom ring out.
Cass’s body spasmed, dots of red and bits of cloth exploded over his chest. His face contorted in pain and confusion before he fell backward in slow motion away from me. I rolled backward, toward the source of the sound. About ten feet away, her long flannel nightie billowing behind her, stood Sissy, the shotgun still poised in her arms.
“You alright?” she asked.
I nodded, unable to speak. She lowered the gun and came toward me. She helped me to my feet. I took my coat off and wrapped it around her. She was convulsing with shivers.
“I told ya I had a gun,” she said.
I looked at her. Her face was calm as a placid lake. A burst of nervous laughter hiccupped from me. My nerves were catching up with what I’d just been through. Sissy hugged me quickly then took my hand and led me to the hospital.
Gideon was knocked out on the floor behind the desk, a deep gash bleeding from the back of his head.
“No!” I moaned sinking down beside him.
“Don’t move him,” Sissy ordered, picking up the phone.
I touched his arm, careful not to move him, and whispered into his ear, “I love you.
”
He moaned. I kissed his ashen face. “Hang on...”
* * * *
“C’mon, slow pokes,” Sissy barked as she military marched the Shepherd family up the gently sloped hill.
Everyone was gathered together to watch the fireworks at the fairgrounds. Baby Shepherd was a day overdue and Maw-Maw was swearing that the fireworks would work him or her loose.
“Geez, Maw-Maw, slow down. We got Arden and a half here,” Cort laughed as he gripped my arm.
We were heading to the top of a small grassy hill but in my condition—nine months pregnant—it felt like climbing Kilimanjaro.
“You okay?” Gideon asked me, holding my other arm, gently maneuvering me.
I smiled, glancing at his beautiful face. There was a thin pink scar—a wound still healing after two months—over his right eye from where Cass hit him.
“Quit gripin’,” Sissy said. “We’re here. Put her in the fold out chair and the rest of ya lay out the blankets.”
Gideon chuckled as he lowered me into the chair. Just as I felt the nylon straps against my bare legs a wicked cramp doubled down over my belly. I hissed through my teeth, gasping for a breath.
“Arden?” Gideon said, bending over me.
Like a dam bursting, a whoosh of water came pouring out of me.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Push!” the nurse and Gideon said at the same time.
I bore down, squeezing Gideon’s hand in a death grip. I’d been in labor eight hours and hard labor for two. I was exhausted. When was this going to be over?
The contractions, I learned too late, had started this morning. I ignored them as little cramps, but the minute we sat down to watch the fireworks, my water broke.
Gideon, calm as ever, corralled the family back to the vehicles while telling me to breathe.
“Hee, hee, whew...in through your nose, out through your mouth, babe” he instructed.
“I am,” I growled through gritted teeth. “This friggin’ hurts.”
“No offense, Arden, but this is kinda gross.” Cort grimaced.
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