by Sharon Sala
She began going through the house like she did every night, locking up, pulling shades, tidying up what had not been put away. She would never have a baby to put to sleep, but as the years had passed and the pain of that had lessened, she realized she’d been putting the soul of her little house to sleep instead.
Satisfied that all was well, and secure in the knowledge that there was no one left in the Dye family to come after her, she got to her bedroom and stripped, took the hottest shower she could bear, and then pulled back the covers and crawled into bed, too exhausted to dry off.
The bed that used to be her sanctuary felt too big—even empty. She grabbed the extra pillow and hugged it to herself, then buried her face within the softness.
“Thank You for his life,” she said, and closed her eyes.
When she woke again, it was daylight and someone was knocking at her door. She lay there, listening until they stopped. She heard a car start and felt no guilt as they drove away. She glanced at the clock. It was after ten a.m., time to begin the day. The ache inside her was still there. Might as well get used to it because she didn’t know how to turn off the pain of being banned from seeing Peanut.
A few minutes later, she was dressed and in her kitchen making coffee. She’d been all over the house and had yet to look out the kitchen window again. She didn’t want to see the backyard. She didn’t want to remember, but the horror of what had happened wasn’t going to go away until she faced it.
Angry at Gary and Jarrod for bringing their ugliness and evil into her world, she yanked the door open and stepped out. The burned area was like a big, black spill of ink, and the scent of burned grass was still prevalent. She glanced toward the back fence, and for a moment, it was as if the energy of what had happened was still there…like looking at a shadow of the past. In her mind, she still saw Gary pointing a gun from the other side of the fence.
She pointed back.
“You’re dead,” she said, and went back inside.
Chapter 15
Peanut kept drifting in and out of consciousness. Every time he came to, it was triggered by the reality of pain, and the blessed numbness of pain meds put him out again.
Awake, the only emotion he had was panic. He knew he was in a hospital and that he’d been shot because his doctor had told him, but he had no memory of anything before waking up here. His doctor also told him that would likely pass as he healed, but the fear that it might not was there. Peanut was so focused on remembering himself that he hadn’t been awake long enough to wonder if anyone was looking for him.
He was lost—as lost as a grown man could be.
No roots.
No identity.
Nothing to remember.
* * *
Ruby was holed up in her house, licking emotional wounds and preparing herself for the pity she was going to face. It was inevitable and nothing she could control. Yesterday had been a hell like nothing she’d ever known—worse than surviving Jarrod’s beatings, far worse than being kidnapped, because people from her past had done this, and the guilt was eating her up. She’d begged God to save Peanut, and He had, but the cost of Peanut’s life was the loss of his love. As much as it hurt, the relief of knowing he was alive was worth any amount of pain.
She wanted healing for him.
She prayed he’d get his life back.
And if she wasn’t part of it, that would have to be okay.
* * *
Melissa Dean had gone to sleep last night with the lightest heart she’d had since before Andy died. She’d walked around her house all evening, thinking about what she’d take with her and what she’d sell, because Elmer’s house was totally furnished. The Mathis furniture was older, but it was nicer than hers. And she’d taken care of it for him for so long that it was familiar.
She’d thought about which bedroom she would choose as her own, wondering how she would feel about taking Elmer and Cora’s master bedroom. But their sleigh bed was gorgeous and one of her favorite pieces in the house. Elmer would be laughing at her, telling her not to be such a goose. That was one of his favorite sayings. Just knowing there would be no more trips to Savannah to visit him made her sad, even though he would be closer when they laid him to rest right here in Blessings beside his sweet Cora.
When she finally gave up and went to sleep, it was deep and dreamless, but then she woke up at her usual time of six a.m. and frowned. Habit was going to be a hard thing to break. She could have rolled over and gotten a little more sleep, but she couldn’t wait to go to Elmer’s house—her house now. Seeing it as the owner would be far different than going there to clean.
She jumped up, showered, and dressed in record time, and then ate a bowl of cereal while making herself a to-do list for the day. Her phone rang while she was still eating. When she saw it was from Fred at the hardware store, she almost didn’t answer, and then her manners overcame her reluctance to talk to him.
“Hello.”
“Uh…hello, Melissa, it’s me, Fred.”
“I know who it is. Caller ID.”
“Oh yes, right,” he said. “I’m calling to apologize.”
“Thank you. Apology accepted.”
“Uh, well, I’m also offering you your old job back.”
“No, thank you.”
“I’m willing to give you a dollar an hour raise,” he said.
“No, thank you,” she repeated, then heard him sigh.
“Please, Melissa. I’m begging you.”
“What happened to Tommy boy?”
“I caught him stealing, just like you said.”
“That is not my fault, and your troubles are no longer my own.”
“I’ll give you a dollar-fifty an hour raise.”
Melissa sighed. “Did you talk to your wife yesterday?”
He snorted. “Of course.”
“And did she happen to mention seeing me in the dry cleaners?”
“No.”
“Ahhh, that explains my confusion about why you think I’d be so desperate as to come back with my tail between my legs just to fix your problems…problems, by the way, that you created.”
“What do you mean?” Fred asked.
“Yesterday I attended the reading of Elmer Mathis’s will and found out that I am his heir…to everything. I now own a business that I will be running, and I own a house that is paid for, and I am financially set for life.”
“You’re kidding,” Fred said.
Melissa’s eyes narrowed angrily. “No, I’m not. You’re going to have to hire and train a new employee, and be the one staying late and closing up for a really long time. It’s called karma, Fred, and if your nephew wasn’t a thief, and if I hadn’t inherited Elmer’s property, I’d still be out of a job and, pardon my bluntness, you still wouldn’t give a shit. Have a nice day.”
He was still talking when she disconnected.
She finished her cereal, put the bowl in the sink to soak, and then grabbed her heavy jacket and purse and headed out the door. All of a sudden, she couldn’t get to her new home fast enough.
The day was cool and the sky was too cloudy for the intermittent sunshine to make a difference, but she knew it would be chilly in Elmer’s house until the central heat warmed everything up, so she went through a drive-through to get a latte to take with her. When she parked at the property, eyeing it from the view of an owner, she could see the woodwork on the house needed painting. Time enough for all of that later, she thought, and grabbed her latte as she got out. The next-door neighbor came out on his porch again.
“Morning, Melissa. Are you going to keep cleaning the property now that Elmer’s nieces inherited?”
She grinned. “Actually, as it turns out, they didn’t inherit. I did.”
A big grin spread across his face. “That is awesome! I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. When are you
moving in?”
“Within the week, for sure.”
“Well, I’m happy to have you for a neighbor,” he said, and went back inside.
“And I’m happy to be here,” Melissa said to herself, and headed to the front door.
She let herself in and then turned on the lights. The house was chilly, but it always warmed quickly. She took a quick sip of her coffee as she turned up the thermostat and started going through the rooms, eyeing furniture, trying to decide where she’d put any of her stuff, if she decided to bring it.
So far, the only things she intended to bring were her personal things, like clothes and pictures, and the things from her kitchen. The dishes she had were from her and Andy’s wedding shower, and her stainless-steel flatware was a favorite. She would definitely bring that, along with her pots and pans and her big mixer.
She checked the linens, and decided to bring all of hers. Some of these were very worn. Then she made sure there was hot water, that the thermostat was working, and that all of the appliances in the kitchen were in working order.
She moved from the kitchen to the living room and then stopped near the fireplace and turned around, still marveling at her windfall.
“I’ll be back,” she said, and then left the house.
Next stop, the CPA who did Elmer’s books. All she wanted him to know was that she wanted to keep him on the payroll, and she wanted a monthly statement outlining the incoming and outgoing money.
It was a fruitful morning.
It also occurred to her that she hadn’t called Niles Holland, her landlord, to let him know she was moving. It had been years since she’d signed the lease, so there would be no problem moving when she was ready.
She sat in the car after leaving the CPA’s office and gave Niles a call. As usual, he answered abruptly. He always sounded like he was angry, but she’d learned years ago that was just his way.
“Hello, Niles speaking,” he said.
“Hi, Niles. This is Melissa Dean.”
Niles was just getting over the mess he’d made with May Temple and wasn’t going to fall into ignoring his duties again.
“Melissa! How are you? Is everything okay at the house?”
“Yes, it’s fine, but I’m calling to let you know that I’m moving.”
“You’re leaving Blessings?”
She heard the shock in his voice and was somewhat comforted by the fact that people might actually miss her if she left.
“No, I’m moving into my new house. I inherited the Elmer Mathis estate.”
“Well, congratulations! I can’t think of anyone more deserving, and you certainly gave years of your life to his care. I will admit I’ll miss you as a renter. You were one of the best.”
“Thank you, Niles. I’m not taking the furniture, so I’ll have to sell it before I can clean out the house.”
“You’re not taking any of it?”
“No. Elmer’s house is furnished and I love the pieces.”
“Would you consider leaving it behind? I can get more for a furnished house than I could an empty rental. You tell me what you need to get for it, and I’ll write you a check.”
“Yes, sure I’d leave it. That would certainly simplify my life. I’ll figure up what I think it’s worth and let you know. If you don’t want it, no hard feelings. I’ll just have a one-day sale and sell it from the property.”
“Just give me a call,” he said.
“I will, and thank you again,” she said.
Melissa disconnected, then drove by the Piggly Wiggly to get some empty boxes for packing and headed home.
Chapter 16
Ruby couldn’t focus. Her heart was breaking over what Peanut must be going through. She kept remembering the confusion and then the horror on his face when he said he didn’t know his name.
Trying to stay busy, she started cleaning out the cutlery drawer, but needed scissors for the shelf paper, so she went to get the scissors, then saw dust on a bookshelf and began dusting, then decided to take the books out of the shelves and treat the wood. She went to get the lemon oil only to wander off and begin something else. All she knew to do was keep moving, staying one step ahead of losing it.
She turned on the television for noise and then forgot it was on. She kept moving from one room to another and still couldn’t find enough to do to keep her occupied.
Hiding wasn’t working out.
She was carrying a stack of clean bath towels into her bedroom to put in the master bath, got as far as the desk by the window, glanced out, and saw that damn patch of burned grass and lost it.
The pain in her chest was so sharp she thought her heart had exploded. She turned and threw the towels across the room, then began ripping the pillows from her bed, pulling the pictures from the wall and throwing them into the hall, oblivious to the sound of shattering glass. The rage inside her was choking—a strangling fist at the base of her throat that wouldn’t let go.
“Give me a little taste of heaven, and then slap me down with it,” she screamed and then started sobbing. “Yank my feet out from under me,” she cried. “Give me hope, give me love, dump it all in my lap on Sunday, and blow it up in my face on Friday!”
She tore the covers from her bed and threw them across the room. Then she grabbed a jacket from her closet, her purse and keys from the hall table, and stormed out of the house.
There were things she’d planned to do today, so she was going to do them. People could stare, say anything they wanted, laugh at her, pity her… None of it mattered. Nothing could hurt her worse than she hurt right now. She got in her car and drove straight to the church. There were people in need. She couldn’t help herself, but she could help them.
The small door in the back of the church was always unlocked during the day. It was close to the pastor’s office, and the one everyone used throughout the week. Ruby strode into the church and down the hall with her head up, knocked once at the office, and opened the door.
Judy Frost, the church secretary, looked up.
“It’s me,” Ruby said. “I came to see where we are with the clothing donations.”
“They’re in the adult Sunday School classroom,” Judy said.
“Thanks,” Ruby said, and closed the door between them.
Minutes later, she was knee-deep in donations, sorting them into three piles…Alice, Charlie, and Patricia.
It was cathartic—folding little shirts, blue jeans, dresses and stockings, sweaters, blouses, pajamas, nightgowns. Ruby stacked the shoes on the floor beneath the pews where she was putting the clothes.
She started on Charlie’s clothes next, and again began folding shirts and sweaters, T-shirts and jeans. Tennis shoes stacked. A pair of cowboy boots that she knew he would love. A coat, sock caps, gloves, even backpacks for both of them.
And last, the clothes for Alice. When she was finished, Ruby stepped back, not the least bit surprised by the generosity of the people of Blessings. She knew more clothes might be coming in, but there was no sense waiting to take what was already here.
Determined to stay moving, she started carrying things to her car, an armload at a time. It took her six trips. She stopped back at the office and opened the door.
Again, Judy looked up, and this time Ruby saw the pity in her eyes and it made her angry.
“I’m taking what’s already here to the Conroys’ house. If more comes in between now and tomorrow, I’ll deal with it then. But they need this, and there’s no sense making them wait. See you in church.”
Then she was gone.
She drove up Main until she got to Carter’s Gifts and went in. The owner was behind the counter, ringing up a customer.
“Hello, Erin,” Ruby said.
Erin Solomon looked up. “Oh, Ruby, I’ll be with you in a minute.”
“I know what I want,” Ruby said, and he
aded toward the back of the store where the children’s toys were shelved.
Pitty-Pat needed a doll. Every little girl needed a doll. Ruby looked along the shelf where the dolls were displayed. She picked out a baby doll wearing a pink nightgown and wrapped in a pink and white blanket. Then she picked out a couple of board games and an elaborate Lego set for Charlie to put together, and carried them all to the counter.
Erin eyed Ruby’s face, started to make a comment, then caught a glimpse of the fire in her eyes and changed her mind.
“Will this be all?” she asked.
“Yes,” Ruby said.
“Do you need them wrapped up for gifts?”
“No, thanks,” Ruby said, and popped her debit card into the chip reader and signed her name.
She left the gift shop with her bags, tossed them into the front seat, and then drove to the Piggly Wiggly, knowing her presence would be all the encouragement someone would need to approach her, but the kids needed milk.
She got a shopping cart and went straight to the dairy case, grabbed a gallon of whole milk, swung by the makeup aisle, chose some makeup for Alice, went to the pet aisle and got a big chew bone for Booger. She was on her way to self-checkout when she ran straight into Rachel Goodhope.
Their gazes met, and to Ruby’s relief, Rachel said nothing about what had happened. Instead, she pointed to the dog bone and grinned.
“I bet I know where you’re going.”
The smile on Rachel’s face was the lift Ruby needed.
“Booger needs a little pick-me-up too, even though I came to get milk. With two young children, I didn’t want Alice to run out.”
Rachel pushed her shopping cart aside and wrapped her arms around Ruby. “You have a loving heart, my friend. I want to be you when I grow up.”
Ruby swallowed past tears. “No, you don’t. I promise.”
Rachel shook her head. “Yes. Yes, I do. I admire you more than any one woman I’ve ever known. You are a survivor, Ruby. You show all of us how to be in the world. Now go give Booger his bone, and let me know if that sad-faced dog can smile.”