The Bend

by Terri Tiffany

  He pushed his empty plate to the center of the table. “No, no. But you can tell me where you got that nasty limp from and don’t give me your old injury story.” His gaze traveled down to her bad leg. Kate tucked it beneath the table.

  “It is an old injury. I wasn’t lying. I was twelve when it happened. I try not to think about it.”

  “Sometimes thinking about things can do a world of good. Also talking about it.” His expression softened. He was a good doctor if this was his bedside manner. How much did she dare tell him?

  She glanced at her camera.

  “I was injured in a blast. My folks were killed but I lived.” She wouldn’t tell him that she was the only person to live from her entire sixth grade class, including the teachers and other parents. He might call the media and that would be that.

  Doc folded his hand over hers. “I’m sorry. Your life must not have been easy after that. Who raised you?”

  “I was blessed with a set of fantastic grandparents. They took me into their home and the rest is history. Actually my limp makes me think of them sometimes. Both have passed.”

  “So you’re alone in the world? No siblings?”

  She felt like he was doing a family history for a medical chart. “I have friends here and there. And you?”

  They chatted about his life for a few more minutes until he announced he had to get back home. His wife would be wondering what happened. “Stop by one day to meet Miss Mary. She doesn’t get out as much as before. Likes to stay put.”

  “I’d love to meet her. I’ll finish this pie this week and drop off the dish.” She walked him to the door and watched him hobble to his truck as though he had nothing on his mind but the pie he ate.

  Would she ever be so carefree?

  As she readied herself for bed, her phone rang.

  Seth.

  Kate answered, “Did you find Debbie?” Her heart galloped with hope. Maybe they’d been wrong to worry about the daycare lady.

  “I’m not calling about Debbie. I called to warn you. Someone stole my laptop.”

  She dropped into a nearby chair. “What? How did that happen?”

  “I was cold-cocked from behind. Let’s say my normally handsome face isn’t so handsome anymore, and I’m running out of frozen peas for the lump on the back of my head.”

  Kate tightened her grip on the phone. “You’re kidding, right? Are you all right? Do you need to see to a doctor?”

  “No joke, Red. I’ll live but someone wanted what was on my computer and they got it. Lucky for me I back my work on a cloud. Bad for me is I’ve written some pretty nasty things about a lot of people.”

  “The Bend?”

  “Bingo.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Sometimes the Trainer was forced to take action he would rather avoid. No one was going to ruin his plans for the future. No one. He’d been observing the reporter for a while now. Nosy. Too many questions. Wrote measly articles that did nothing for the town. Or him.

  Normally, he opposed violence (unless it was his own brand). A recourse for the weak. Violence made him sick, actually. Last night, his unfortunate actions made him quite sick to his stomach. On his trip home, he threw up twice.

  A nasty habit from the past he couldn’t overcome. Yet.

  He took Seth’s computer to his office. Set it on his pristine desk. Cleanliness was a blessing, he thought, as he settled in front of the lit screen.

  Finding the password took seconds. After his mother was gone, his father and he delved into electronics. He remembered the machines they built that Microsoft would envy. He wiped his hair back from his sweating forehead. Focused.

  He stroked the keyboard.

  KEEPAWAY. The Trainer shook his head and punched several more keys.

  His fingers stopped. Hovered over the keyboard.

  The reporter was too close. He needed to find a way to disillusion him. Make him think about his choices. Persuade him to see the benefits of his grander plan. If only he had more time.

  Men like him never got it right. They preferred their women as equals. Didn’t they understand what the good Lord wanted? Women were made to breed. They weren’t made to run a corporation. They weren’t created to wear dresses showing too much skin. They were made to be mothers. Good mothers. They were made to bear children and train them up in the way they should go.

  His way.

  The Trainer opened another document. He scanned the short paper. His breathing increased.

  So he called her Red.

  CHAPTER 28

  Kate slipped a silky blouse over her head. She tugged it over her hips, spreading away any stray wrinkles. David would arrive in under a half hour. She’d put off dressing as long as she could. After Seth assured her again this morning that he didn’t need her help, she’d taken a drive through the back roads snapping photos of the scenery—a broken-down barn, a pond filled with ducks, and an apple orchard.

  On her way back through town, she passed a country church with a parking lot filled with cars. She slowed down, memories taking shape inside of her. She’d spent hours attending with her parents and brother. Then the bombing. Everything changed. Even God. She still believed he existed—she just didn’t trust him.

  She studied the families that gathered near the entrance. Women in prairie dresses. Children dressed like their parents. Their fashions seemed so out of place in the current world.

  But this was the Bend, she reminded herself. A place that set itself apart.

  She looped around the block. Parked across the street. Focusing, she snapped a few pictures of the church. She might need them for her article. That’s when she noticed the signage announcing the special speaker.

  Brother Earl.

  She lowered her camera.

  David was waving at her.

  ###

  When she saw David wave, she started her car and drove away pretending she hadn’t seen him walking toward her. Would he bring up his sighting of her tonight?

  She chastised herself for not waiting for him to speak with her. He might have invited her inside. The last place she wanted to be was inside a church at a service, though. Instead, she fled like a startled rabbit.

  Of course he’d bring it up when he saw her. She would make up another story. One so convincing that even she would believe it.

  She didn’t have to wait too long. David knocked on her front door precisely at 5 p.m. Dressed in fitted jeans and a plaid button-down shirt, he reminded her of a cowboy. Boots included. He smiled as he stepped over the threshold.

  “Not going to run from me now?”

  Her breath caught. “I’m sorry. I was on a mission. I figured I could apologize tonight.” She reached for her purse, ducking her head.

  “Apology accepted. I don’t want to ruin my chances with the prettiest girl in the Bend tonight.”

  He shut the door behind them, stepping onto the porch with her.

  “Flattery will get you everywhere.” Kate climbed into his truck. The interior smelled like him. Peaches. “Where are we going? You never did tell me.” She snapped on her seat belt.

  David put the truck in gear and drove out of her driveway, turning right. The opposite direction of town. “A little place I know. Sit back and be surprised.”

  She didn’t like surprises. Least of all from a stranger. She was tempted to put a call into Seth but then realized he had his own problems. Besides, he’d think she was ditzy if she called him on a date to say she was worried where this guy was taking her. She’d heard enough warnings from him. Seth didn’t want her in the Bend and that was all there was to it. Competition. That’s what she was to him.

  But just in case, she studied the direction David drove.

  He turned on the radio. Tuned it to a familiar country tune. “Like country?” he asked.

  “I’m learning. This is the north, but I’m surprised how many places play country music here.”

  “It doesn’t matter whether you're in the north or south—country music
is real music. The way all music should be. Easy on the ear. Tells a good story. God-fearing people everywhere listen to it.” He shot her another toe-curling smile.

  He was cute. The physical attraction she felt for him was difficult to dismiss.

  She wanted to remain vigilant, though. David was Earl’s brother. Perhaps tonight he would shed light on his brother’s plans for the Bend. She needed to uncover a story that Tim would print besides the little league games and the county fair blue ribbon winners he assigned her.

  “Here we are.” He turned down a dirt road that dead-ended next to a field of daisies. Kate wished she’d brought her camera. “It’s beautiful.”

  David slid out and came around her side to open the door. “It’s my favorite place in the county.”

  He helped her down before reaching into the back for a wicker picnic basket.

  “Is that a creek ahead?” She followed behind as David led her past a dozen or more old oaks that spread out to a clearing. A rustic picnic table faced the field while a small creek ran along beside it. He propped the basket on the table and patted the bench.

  “Have a seat. I hope you like fried chicken and potato salad. That’s all I could find on a Sunday.” He unwrapped fresh-smelling rolls then handed her a fork and a napkin with a bottle of cold water.

  “This is so nice. Thanks for bringing me here.” She settled across from him facing the field. “Do you own this property or are we trespassing?”

  “My brother owns it. This and another few thousand acres in the Bend. He hopes to buy more.”

  “Whatever for? He’s an undertaker.” The chicken melted in her mouth. David was doing equal damage to his plate as well.

  He shrugged. “He has important plans for this area. You know how I was telling you about country music? He believes doing things the real old-fashioned way works better. If he can get the community on board with his beliefs, the Bend might be the best place in the country to live.”

  She swallowed the last part of her roll. “On board with what? Can you be more specific?”

  Another shrug. “My brother always did things differently. It’s the way my folks raised us. I came along later so I didn’t have as many restrictions.”

  “The baby in the family.” She passed him the salad.

  “That’s right. And you? The baby too?” He stopped chewing. Gazed directly at her.

  A shiver wriggled through her belly. “The oldest.”

  “Brothers, sisters?” He gripped his water bottle then jolted back a slug.

  “One brother. He died when he was younger. So did my folks.” She needed to change the topic. Get it back on Brother Earl. David was a master of directing the conversation away from himself. “What about your parents? How did they die?”

  David lifted one brow. “What makes you think they’re dead?” He laughed. A nice laugh. “They moved to Arizona a few years back. My mother had enough of the cold weather and funerals. Earl bought them out while I was in college. He’d made good money with some land transactions.”

  “They’re alive?”

  “Sure.” He tipped his head back, raising his brow.

  “I thought someone told me they had died. I must be mistaken.” She wrapped her remaining chicken in her napkin and placed it back in the basket. “Do you see them often?” she asked instead of the question burning in her chest. Why the tombs?

  “Now and then. When we can.” He busied himself by packing the remaining food into the basket. He took it to the truck, returning with his phone. Within minutes, soft music filtered through the speaker. All planned steps to create a romantic date. Yes, she was impressed.

  “Dance?” He held out his hand.

  She hesitated. The last time she’d danced had been at a wedding of a coworker at one of her short-lived jobs.

  David tugged her fingers. Pulled her to her feet.

  She let him. How could she resist a slow dance with a cowboy? David pulled her into his arms as the sun set around them. She shut her eyes. Let her body sway with his.

  Where was her willpower? It was as though David had cast a spell on her and she had no power to break loose.

  They stopped moving when the song ended.

  He ran one finger down her cheek. “You’re beautiful, Kate. Absolutely beautiful.” His voice turned silvery soft. She leaned into him, struck by the amount of passion that rose in her.

  No one had made her feel this attractive.

  Ever.

  CHAPTER 29

  Tim called for a staff meeting Monday morning. Kate didn’t have time to ask Seth how he felt or comment on the nasty bruise on his cheek. Instead she thought about David and how he had kissed her last night.

  She’d practically danced into her house afterward.

  She also forgot to check her phone messages until that morning. Two calls. One from a number she didn’t recognize.

  The other call from Jackie. Her heart skipped when she listened to that one. Trevor started chemo this week.

  She turned her attention back to Tim. He looked like he’d been awake all night. Dark circles rimmed his eyes. He stooped when he paced. His chest heaved a long sigh when he finally collapsed into his chair.

  “We need a story. Not your usual ones about dance recitals and bowling leagues. I’m talking a story. Word on the street is the theater closed. The story is what’s coming in its place.”

  Seth shoved a pen behind his ear. “I haven’t heard about anything coming in. Didn’t realize it closed for good for that matter. Thought he had temporarily shut down.”

  Tim slammed his fist on his desk. Maybe he wasn’t so tired. “That’s why I’m the editor and you work for me. I did a little digging. Seems there is to be a health clinic or food store taking it over. A woman from New York City. Supposed to get all remodeled fancy-like. That’s what Harry told me last night. He wants the job. Not that he’ll do it the way anyone from the city will want it done but when has Harry cared about that. It’s work.” Tim sighed. Kate thought he’d fallen asleep until he hopped from his seat and plucked up the last published paper.

  “I want the story. I want her name, what she plans to do, and her background. Get me anything. Plenty of pictures. Get down there and get a story. The Bend needs to know who its new neighbors are and what changes are coming.”

  He pointed to Seth. “And you with the fancy face today. Go see Doc Brown. You look like crap.”

  Seth rubbed the bruise and lowered his gaze.

  “Do you still want to run the story about the upcoming fair?” Kate had already gone to the fairgrounds and interviewed the organizer.

  Tim rolled his eyes. “It’s news, isn’t it? Have it on my desk by three.” He shooed them out of the office and slammed his door.

  Seth made for his desk. Kate followed. “Why didn’t you tell him about the break-in? That’s news. And for that matter, why didn’t you call the sheriff?”

  He stopped stacking note cards. “You haven’t learned yet, have you, Red? There is no law in the Bend except Earl’s law. Didn’t your David tell you that last night?” He scowled before grabbing his briefcase.

  Her David?

  “Where are you going?” She grabbed her camera bag and purse. She followed him through to the front office, bid a quick good-bye to Rhonda and ducked when he let the door swing back. “I’m coming with you, you know,” she called as she raced behind him to his Jeep.

  Seth stopped, his shoulders sinking. “Then get in and quit talking.” He threw his briefcase into the back seat. Kate scrambled into the passenger seat before he changed his mind. She had hardly buckled up when he floored the gas pedal.

  They pulled up in front of the theater minutes later.

  A woman in tight, black yoga pants, a skimpy tank showing fit biceps, and a string of pearls around her neck was barking orders to several men. None of the trucks read Harry’s Construction.

  She crossed the sidewalk and came up to Seth’s open window. “Oh good. Maybe you can make sense of this town for
me. You’re the press, aren’t you?” She nodded toward the magnetic sign on Seth’s door. “I’m renting this building in hopes of bringing not only health to the area but a little more culture. Now some bully named Earl says I needed to run my ideas through him first. Is everyone crazy here? This is America. I can build anything I want and some old coot isn’t going to stop me.”

  She swiped imaginary dirt off her hands and stalked into the building.

  Kate looked at Seth’s profile. He was beaming.

  CHAPTER 30

  She said her name was Amy Anderson.

  She lived her entire life in New York, except for a year in Paris where she studied art. She also dipped her toe (her words, not his) into politics when she returned but decided men could be nasty in that field. Instead she studied healthy alternatives to life.

  The Bend needed her, she said.

  Seth decided he needed her.

  The woman mesmerized him. Of all times to have Kate sitting next to him taking in every word as though her entire career hinged on this one woman’s story. Amy invited them into the theater once she understood they were there to help, not hinder. She offered chai tea and cookies made from gluten-free products. Kate tore into them like she’d never eaten before. He nibbled on one to be polite but in all honestly thought they tasted more like his cat’s food.

  “You say you want to open in a month? Is that possible?” Kate asked.

  Of course it wasn’t possible. Not with Earl breathing down her neck. He controlled all the comings and goings. It wouldn’t surprise Seth if he had the lumber store in his pocket as well.

  Amy smiled for the umpteenth time. “That’s the plan, but as you see they need to tear out the screen and all these useless chairs. Then I need new walls, and paint and so much more. It all depends on the help I find here. Please put in your story that I’m also looking to employ at least two women who want to learn healthy habits and share them with others.” Her teeth gleamed. Seth ran his tongue over his, finding multiple food particles. He closed his lips.