“Yes Ma’am.”
“I think you’ll be quite satisfied. Many of my patrons who travel often stay there and have their meals here at the Green Leaf. Being close is handy for everyone; similar to a bed & breakfast,” she added with a grin.
“Thank you. It sounds perfect. I’ll check it out.”
“Enjoy your breakfast. I have to get back to work before my hubby fires me.” She let out a hearty laugh and turned away.
Kellie decided to remain here for the night. After the long trip on a bus, a good soak in a bathtub along with a decent night’s sleep would be wonderful.
She finished her breakfast and the waitress filled a Styrofoam coffee cup to take with her.
“I’m sure I’ll be back later, Ma’am.”
“Please call me Dorothy, honey. And the cook in the back is my husband, Bud.” She nodded her head toward the swinging door that led into the kitchen. “He appears to be a grump, but he’s actually a sweet guy.”
Kellie deposited her money next to the bill on her table plus a three dollar tip for Dorothy before she stood and slid her arms into her jacket.
“Thank you, sweetie – I hope to see you later.”
“Oh, you will. I’m going to check on a room next door. Thank you for telling me about it.”
“My pleasure,” Dorothy smiled and cleared the table for the next customer.
* * *
Kellie returned to the café at two p.m. for a late lunch. She had booked a nice comfortable room with a double-size bed and a bathroom with a large bear-claw tub. It was perfect and so were the rates. She’d relax and rest up for the remainder of her journey. She took a seat up at the counter and Dorothy walked over.
“Hello there! I assume you got a room next door?”
Kellie nodded. “Yes, thank you. It’s perfect and I’m sure I’ll get a good night’s sleep.”
“Would you like our lunch menu?”
“Yes I would.”
Dorothy placed a menu on the counter. “What would you like to drink?” she asked.
“Just water, please. And I’ll also have a tuna salad sandwich and a side order of potato chips,” she added and handed the menu back to her. “Is there by any chance a Walmart store nearby?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, four blocks south on Main Street.”
“Wonderful,” Kellie said with a grin.
“So… does this mean you’ll be spending time here in our charming city of Dunkins Lake?”
“Possibly; I noticed the beautiful lake as the bus pulled into town. I may take a walk along the water while I’m here.”
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself. I’d better take your order to Bud. It won’t be long since the lunch crowd had already come and gone.”
Kellie smiled to herself with a light-hearted sensation. She leaned back, finally feeling at ease and in control.
* * *
The Walmart store was open twenty-four hours a day. At six a.m. Kellie was on her way to purchase a decent bicycle on which she would ride the distance of sixty miles to Larami Cove. She was thankful she had worn her warm jacket the night she left Florida. September gets mighty cold in North Dakota. She must stop for a meal, warm up and rest after the first thirty miles so she planned to check in at a Motel 6. She knew plenty of rest was needed to take good care of her baby. She planned to arrive at her destination sometime the following day. She didn’t worry too much about her husband locating her. Larry would be searching for her in the opposite direction, making inquiries of her married name and also her maiden name. She mentioned to him many times that she wanted to move to California; she was sure he’d scour in and around the western states. This final trek would be her new place of residence – Larami Cove, North Dakota.
* * *
Kellie brought her bicycle to a stop and glanced up at the sign in front of her.
City Limits
Larami Cove
Population 1,293
With a smile she wondered how a town with such a small population was considered a city. She shrugged. This town was exactly what she’d hoped to find. Larry would never bother to search here. He knew how she loved the big city life. She continued to pedal along the street which led downtown. The community was remote and the few streets seemed to be empty. It was the end of the weekend and apparently everything closed down on Sundays. After two short blocks she came to the end of the city street and stopped her bicycle. A sign was posted on the corner: Apartment For Rent, with an arrow pointing down a long dirt road.
“I may as well check it out,” she said to herself and continued on. Before long she came upon a residence with the same sign nailed to a fence and she stopped near the entrance. Perhaps they’d be annoyed if disturbed on a Sunday afternoon. She didn’t know where else to go. It seemed to be a miniature town with only one motel – and it appeared to be run down and ancient. I’d sleep out in the wheat fields before I’d stay there.
She walked her bicycle up the driveway and came to a stop at the front porch of the two-story home. She knocked on the door then turned around to take in the view while she waited; it was beautiful and seemed to be approximately three acres of green grass surrounded by the white picket fence and miles of wheat fields beyond.
Kellie spun around as the front door creaked open.
A woman stood behind the screen door. “May I help you?”
She appeared to be about sixty-years-old with hair of salt and pepper color and close to five feet in height.
Kellie smiled and greeted her: “Yes, Ma’am. I saw your notice for an apartment for rent?”
“Oh yes, my dear – the sign has been up for a year now. Being such a wee town, there aren’t too many renters in the area. The nearest college is sixty miles from here and located in the city of Dunkins Lake, so this location is a bit far for the students to travel every day. It’s definitely available if you’d like to see it.”
“Yes please, I would.”
“My name is Marcie Kincade,” she said, and they shook hands. “And your name is?”
“Sharon Carson,” Kellie lied.
“The apartment is above the garage. If you wouldn’t mind waiting, I’ll run in and get the keys.”
“It’s beautiful out here. I’ll enjoy the view while I wait.”
The woman returned and slowly came out the door and down the porch steps. “My husband passed away a year ago, soon after he built the apartment. I hadn’t planned to rent it out to anyone, but it would be nice to have a bit of extra money to help with expenses.” Marcie kept talking as she led Kellie into the garage and up the stairs to the apartment. “Jack built it as a place for our children to stay if they came to visit. They’re not here often. My daughter lives in Sweden with her husband and both my sons live in Arizona. I sometimes fly down there in the winter, especially if the cold temps run me down. I’m getting too old for thirty below zero.”
She slid the key into the lock then opened the door and stepped in with a motion for Kellie to follow.
Kellie looked around. The living room seemed comfortable and the furniture appeared to be fairly new. She walked over to the window where she was able to see the green grass in Marcie’s front yard. There was a small kitchen with a table set in front of a window overlooking miles of more wheat fields. It boasted an attractive view from the front and the west side.
“Come see the bedroom,” Marcie said, and walked slowly ahead of her and into a large bedroom. There was a double bed, a large dresser; a comfortable-looking swivel chair stood in front of the window. It also had a walk-in closet.
“Let me show you the bathroom.”
Though she was tired from the long bike ride Kellie would have loved to lie down on the bed, but she followed her into the bathroom.
It was small but an average size for one person and included a sink with a large marble counter, a toilet, a wide cupboard for towels, soap and miscellaneous items. There was also an average size bathtub with a showerhead.
Kellie smiled and a
gain walked through the four rooms. This was exactly what she hoped for. “How much are you asking for rent, Mrs. Kincaid?”
“Oh, please call me Marcie. I hate to be formal.” She tipped her head to the side and said, “Four hundred dollars per month plus phone and electric.”
Kellie was speechless and she turned to stare out the living room window.
“Is the rent too high for you?” Marcie asked with concern.
“No, it sounds wonderful! I’ll take it – that is if I’m able to find a job here in a town this small. I don’t have a car, but with a town of only two main streets I could walk to work. Do you know if there could possibly be a job available? Any job would be fine,” she added.
Marcie stood in front of her and looked her over from the top of her head to the boots on her feet. “I just may be able to help you. Have you ever worked as a waitress?”
“As a matter of fact I have. I worked in a small café a short time ago where I waited on customers.”
“Wonderful!” Marcie said and clasped her hands together. “How would you like to work in my coffee shop? I could use some help. I’m getting too old to run the place on my own.”
“I’d love to! Thank you very much. This means so much to me,” she said, and a tear slowly trickled down her cheek. This was even better than I hoped for, at least until the baby is born.
“I can see we’ll be helping each other out. Would you want to move in soon?”
“Right now, if possible.” Kellie opened her purse and counted out four hundred dollars.
Marcie smiled and gave Kellie a hug. “Here’s your key.”
Chapter Twenty-one
“So you see, Hailey? I discovered I was three months pregnant and very excited – until Larry demanded an abortion. I knew I had to leave him that very night when he said he was going to set up an appointment for the following day.
“He was very abusive. I planned to leave him for quite a while, and the time had come. I lived in North Dakota for the next six months of my pregnancy. I worked at the coffee shop until about two weeks before the birth… I explained the situation to my landlord immediately. She completely understood my predicament and paid me in cash for the time I put in.
“When Tara was born I became a different person. I was a mother – and oh how I loved my baby.” Kellie smiled, lips trembling.
“Then why did you leave her with me, if you loved her?” Hailey demanded. “We’ve taken care of Tara for three years with not one word from you! We have loved and cared for her as though she was our very own child and now you plan to take her away from us?” She was shaking and covered her face with her hands when the tears began to flow. Wade gently ran his palm in circles over her back then grabbed the Kleenex box from the counter and placed a tissue in her hand. Her heart was breaking at the thought of never seeing Tara again.
“Please, Hailey. Let me finish,” Kellie pleaded. “One month later Marcie received a phone call from a man who was searching for me. He said he was a Private Investigator. She told him she didn’t know of anyone by the name of Kellie Shanlin Burke. I have no idea how the P.I. could have located me. He may have called the bus stations and checked on any females who’d been riding the bus alone, on and after the date I disappeared, then made a lot of phone calls asking for my legal name, hoping I’d be one of them. P.I.s can be very smart and sneaky. I had no choice; again it was time to run. I needed to protect little Tara.”
“But…” Hailey began.
Kellie held up a hand. “I’ve kept track of you since the day we graduated.”
“Why didn’t you call or come to visit me if you knew where I was?” Hailey asked.
“Because my husband wouldn’t allow me to visit anyone he didn’t know. Sometimes when he wasn’t home I’d go to the library to look you up online. I used Facebook to connect with a few people who knew us and in a roundabout way learned you were unable to have children. I knew I could trust you with Tara, that you would take good care of her for me.” She sadly set her eyes on Hailey, then on Wade.
The muscles in Wade’s neck tightened. “And you expect to just drop in and collect your daughter, the child we love; the child who loves us as her mommy and daddy. Do you really think that’s a good idea for Tara who has had a very happy and comfortable life? You want to remove her from the only family she has known and loved?”
Hailey saw the hurt and anger in his eyes, and she could see that Kellie had observed it as well, but Tara’s mother continued implacably… “I was watching the news one evening when I heard the name of Larry Burke. I made inquiries and it was him; he’d been killed in a brawl over drugs near Miami. Right then I felt I’d been given a fresh start, I’d be able to come for my baby.”
Neither Hailey nor Wade said a word until Kellie focused her eyes on Hailey and asked, “May I see her, please?”
Hailey’s face turned pale and she was short of breath, her heart hammering with the pain of imminent loss.
Wade put his arm around her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
She didn’t answer. She only stared down at her hands in her lap. She was unable to prevent the tears from flowing down her cheeks. Little Tara was going to be taken away from them.
When Wade stood, Hailey also pushed herself away from the table and together they walked hand in hand to the staircase and up to the second level. Kellie followed close behind.
Tara was in her crib, lying on her back with a smile as her eyes followed the designs made by the sun shining through the tree branches outside of her bedroom window. The wind rustled the leaves, while the branches reflected patterns against the wall. Tara grinned when she saw Hailey and made an attempt to stand.
“Momma,” she said excitedly, her light brown hair mussed a bit. With a heavy heart, Hailey lifted her from the crib, combed her hair lightly with her fingers and set her on the floor. As Hailey wiped tears from her eyes, Tara walked unsteadily over to Wade and held her hands up to him. “Dah-dah!” Wade bent down to pick her up and set her on his hip. She shyly turned to stare at the stranger in her room.
“Hi baby,” Kellie said softly. “I missed you.” She smiled and reached out to Tara.
Tara glanced at her and Kellie stepped closer. Tara quickly turned and hid her face against Wade’s shoulder and held her arms tightly around his neck.
“Dah-Dah!” she whimpered.
“Tara, this lady wants to say hello to you,” Wade spoke softly, a crack in his voice, but Tara kept her face hidden against him.
“I noticed that the wind let up. Let’s step outdoors for a while,” Wade suggested. “Perhaps if we sit in the chairs on the patio she’ll feel more comfortable.”
He put Tara’s jacket on her before they walked outside. They tried to relax in the lounge chairs. Tara would peek over Wade’s arm at Kellie then turn to hide her face and suck her thumb. She again rested her cheek against Wade’s chest and refused to leave his lap. She was wary of strangers; which wasn’t a bad thing, Hailey thought. And of course over the months and years she’d feared this moment, though she had visualized Tara being kidnapped by Kellie.
“Would you like to spend the day with us and give Tara some time to get to know you?” Wade asked Kellie.
Hailey raised her brows and stared at him, her stomach overturning; she wanted to be sick. She tightened her grip on the arms of the lawn chair and fought the sensation.
The three of them stood. Wade continued to hold Tara in his arms, and she gained strength from that.
Kellie looked from Wade to Hailey. “For a while I’ve watched you both with her and I see now that I’m too late. It’s been three years and my little Tara no longer knows me. I can see how happy she is and how well the two of you have cared for her.” Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Tara and gently touched her cheek. She then stared carefully into Hailey’s eyes. “To her, you and Wade are her mommy and daddy. You have been good parents – much better than I would ever have been or ever could be.”
“What are you saying?�
��
“I’ll sign adoption papers, Hailey. You’ll hear from my attorney soon.”
“You’ll allow Tara to remain with us?” Hailey asked. Fresh tears were let loose and streamed down her cheeks.
Kellie turned to glance at Tara again, her eyes also drowning in tears. She tried to smile at Hailey while she gave her a warm hug. “Yes Hailey, forever, I promise.”
Wade held Tara in his arms, Hailey by his side and together they watched, as Kellie stepped off the deck and walked away.
Epilogue
Two years later…
“Lillie, are you my grandma?” Tara asked.
“No, sweetheart, but if you want to call me Grandma, you can. I’d like that,” Lillie answered, and gave her a bear hug.
“Good, cuz I don’t have a grandma. Does Mr. Art care if I call him grandpa?”
“I’m sure he’d love that also.”
“Yay! Now I have a grandma and a grandpa.” Tara smiled and gave her a snuggly hug back. “Grandma Lillie, when’s my mom and dad coming home?”
“Soon, sweetheart; I’m sure your daddy will be calling us any time now.”
Suddenly the telephone rang and Lillie rushed over to the desk and answered it. “Hello?”
“Hey, Lillie, may I speak with Tara?”
“You sure can, Wade. She’s been anxiously waiting to hear from you.” She handed the receiver to Tara.
“Hello?” Tara said. “Is this my daddy?”
“It sure is, Princess.”
“When is you and mommy coming home, Daddy? Did mommy get us a baby?”
“Yes, Princess, mommy had a baby.”
“What kind of baby? Am I gonna get a baby sister?”
“Yes, Princess, your mommy had a baby girl,” Wade said.
Tara screeched “Yay! I got a sister, Grandma Lillie! I got a sister!” She was so excited she dropped the receiver and Lillie knelt down to retrieve it.
Forever, I Promise (A Northern Woods Novel) Page 16