by Lee Rose
* * * *
Harrison and Ethan pulled into the driveway of the Monroe household. The house was old and shabby but the yard was clean and flower-filled pots sat on the porch. Harrison had a feeling Selena did whatever she could to make it look better.
Ryan had told them the whole awful story of what happened. Harrison was having a hard time containing his anger. He had sat with her all night until sunrise. He had wanted to wait until she opened her eyes but he also did not want to make her uncomfortable. They were not friends and he regretted that now. Judging Selena harshly had been a mistake and he wanted to get to know the real her.
“I hope that asshole is here,” Ethan said as he got out of Harrison’s Jeep.
“I doubt he is that dumb but I am with you, buddy. I hate bullies,” Harrison said as he walked up the porch stairs. They could hear music playing loudly even though it was only ten in the morning.
Ethan knocked hard and loud. It took a few minutes before Della Mae answered.
Her eyes were red and puffy and she had a cigarette hanging from her hand. Her blouse was low cut and wrinkled and her jeans were tight, a little too tight. Her blonde hair was lying loose on her shoulder but her dark roots were showing.
“Well my luck has just turned around. Two handsome men coming to see me?” She moved aside and waved them in. “Wanna frisk me, boys?”
She laughed at her own joke.
Harrison cursed under his breath and looked around. There were beer cans and the smell of stale smoke in the air. Is this what Selena came home to after a hard day at work? His admiration for her just went up a notch. And he thought his parents were horrible. Della Mae might just beat them.
“Is Dave here?” Ethan got straight to the point, a look of disgust on his face.
“No. He hasn’t been by since that stupid daughter of mine snitched on him,” Della complained in a whiny voice. She looked at Ethan’s muscular built and gave him a flirty smile, which he ignored.
“Don’t you think your daughter had a right to complain, Della Mae?” Ethan asked calmly but Harrison could see how tightly he was clenching his fists.
“If she would have just come to me I would have handled Dave. Most men will calm down when offered some sugar, know what I mean, big boy?” She ran her hand up Ethan’s chest and he took a step back.
“I believe she did talk to you, ma’am.” Harrison spoke up. “And you ignored her.”
“My daughter is such a prude,” Della said angrily. “Dave is generous if you’re nice to him. All she had to do was be nice. Is that so much to hope for? I told her to get her sorry ass out of my house. She ruined my relationship with Dave.”
“Okay, we’ll just get her clothes,” Harrison said and Della pointed to a door down the small dark hallway.
Harrison and Ethan opened the door. The room was small with just a twin-size bed and dresser. No decorations or pictures hung on the wall. He felt like weeping for all the bullshit Selena had to put up with because of Della Mae. He imagined her childhood hadn’t been any better.
Ethan looked in the closet but only a few clothes hung on the rod. “Jesus. If this was my sister or any other woman I know we would be here half the day packing.” Ethan grabbed the few outfits in there and laid them on the bed with a sad frown.
Harrison grabbed her gym bag and found it empty. She must have washed her work out clothes. He folded the clothes and put them in there and Ethan opened the dresser and dumped the contents in the bag. Harrison grabbed her brush and a few hair ties he saw lying on top of the dresser. She deserved better than this. She worked hard but he guessed Della did not contribute much to the household and seeing how much she drank he wondered if she took money from Selena for that too?
“Let’s get out of here before I find a reason to arrest that woman,” Harrison grumbled, picking up the bag. Ethan agreed.
Della was sitting on the couch looking like she hadn’t a care in the world. As if her boyfriend had not attacked and tried to rape her daughter.
“Make sure that snitch doesn’t come back.” Della sneered, taking a puff of her cigarette.
“I can promise you that.” Harrison vowed to never let her walk back into this hellhole. He had been so wrong about Selena Monroe and he intended helping her all he could.
Chapter 8
Selena sat alone on the bench in front of Clyde’s General Store. The breeze was cool but she didn’t mind feeling the air hit her cheeks. She had been cooped up inside Ed’s house for a week now. Her ribs were only sore now and not so painful. She had done nothing but rest and play a few games of chess with Ed. Tomorrow she would be going back to work and she was ready to get back into her regular routine.
According to rumors in town Dave had run off to St. Louis to hide. Lacy said Ryan was mad that Dave had escaped them but he was still determined to get him. Ryan had contacted the authorities in St. Louis but so far there was no sign of him. Selena didn’t care if they ever found him again as long as she didn’t have to see him.
She hadn’t talked to Della either and had no plans to. It wasn’t that easy, a fact no one understood. Della wasn’t perfect but she was the only relative she could claim. She didn’t know who her dad was but with her luck it would be a jerk like Dave.
She saw a shadow loom over her and she jumped in fight, ready to get up and make a run for it. She looked up into Harrison’s eyes and let out her breath that had lodged in her throat.
“Oh my god, Harrison. You startled me.” She gasped, sounding like she was out of breath.
“What are you doing out here all alone, Selena?” He sat next to her and suddenly the bench felt smaller. As always she felt that flutter of awareness in the pit of her stomach. A few seconds ago she had been cold but now her body was warming up. Why was she so attracted to this man? He was hard looking, tall and lean. He was just starting to talk to her like he wasn’t trying to figure out which laws she broke. “You can’t afford to let your guard down. I know they say Dave left town but you never can be sure.”
“I know, Harrison. I came into town with Ed. He is in the store but I just wanted a few minutes alone. It has been a rough week for me and I go back to work tomorrow,” she explained. She couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked in his uniform. His shirt was snug fitting. His legs were stretched out in front of him and she could see how defined his thighs were. He wore sunglasses. Despite the cooler air the sun still shone today.
Harrison sighed, patting her thigh gently. “I can sympathize, honey. This hasn’t been easy on you.” He cleared his throat as if nervous. “I have a question to ask you.”
Thinking it was about the case she turned toward him with a curious look. He took a minute to speak and she wondered if he had bad news. “I was wondering if you would go out on a date with me? I know I am a lot older than you and I haven’t been your strongest supporter. I wasn’t just giving you lip service when I said I was sorry. I meant it and I want a chance to get to know you better.”
“I don’t care about our age, Harrison. I feel so much older than twenty-five, but why would you want to be seen with me?” She was truly bewildered. Yes, he had apologized but she figured Lacy made him try to be nice to her. “Don’t you know if you are seen with me people will gossip and that could hurt your job?”
“Selena, I am asking you out because I like you and I don’t give a rat’s ass about what people say. You are beautiful and sweet. How you ended up like that with a mother like Della Mae is a mystery to me.”
Selena thought about what he just said. Could she take a chance? She liked Harrison and if he knew all about her and still wanted to go out with her wasn’t that worth taking a risk for? She looked at his face and saw his sincere expression. This wasn’t a cruel joke he was playing on her. A lot of men had tried in the past to go out with her thinking she would be just as easy as her mom. She had spent her youth fighting off more men than she cared to remember.
“I would like that.” It was a big risk but she was curious abo
ut getting to know him too.
He smiled happily and looked a little relieved too. “Great. How about this Sunday? We can go see a movie in St. Clair. What kind of movies do you like?”
“Sci-fi.”
He grinned. “Me too.”
He stood up and pulled her up for a gentle hug. She was a little shell-shocked so she stood there like an idiot while he pulled her into his hard body. Her stomach was doing all sorts of flip flops and somersaults but her brain was frozen with shock and disbelief.
“I’ll call you later in the week and remind you.” With those words he walked away.
She didn’t think she needed a reminder. How could she forget her first date in a long time? When Ed came out of the store she was still stuck in a daze.
* * * *
The next afternoon Selena went to have lunch at Ally’s Diner. She had missed seeing Stella and Lacy. She had only worked half a day and already her body was tired and wanted a nap. Hopefully some food would give her some much-needed energy.
She was sitting at the counter talking with Lacy and telling her about Harrison’s confusing change of attitude. No one else was around to overhear her.
“You know him better than I do, Lacy. You think he is for real?” She had to know before she let her heart get involved. She couldn’t handle another heartbreak in her life. She already felt weighed down thinking of her mom and Dave.
Lacy looked a little confused. “I’m not sure what you’re asking me. Are you afraid to go out with him because he puts on that tough-guy act? He’s a good guy behind that persona.”
“I guessed that but you see, Lacy, you have to understand my history. You have been here about two years so you probably don’t know much about me. I basically work and go home these days.” Lacy nodded so Selena continued. “Well, when I was like nineteen or twenty I tried dating but guys only went out with me because they thought I was easy like Della. Even though I didn’t do anything with them they spread rumors about me. More guys asked me out and I started saying no, hoping the rumors would fade.”
Lacy gasped and Selena could see the sympathy in her eyes and the anger.
“Ever since then I gave up on dating all together. Every once in a while I get a jerk making remarks about how similar I am to Della and coming on to me. I always told myself I was going to move away and start over.” Selena sighed, wishing now she had made more of an effort to make it more than a dream. “I have always been attracted to Harrison physically but I’m afraid that if I let myself have hope and it’s all just a cruel joke I might just fall apart.”
An understanding entered Lacy’s eyes. She firmly shook her head in denial. “Harrison is a decent guy. I have known him for a year and a half and he would never do that to you, Selena. And if he did I would come down hard on him. Well, not me because I am sure I couldn’t take him. I’d make Ryan come down hard on him.”
“That’s what I wanted to make sure of. I sensed he is a decent man but that little seed of fear never goes away,” she explained with a sad smile at Lacy’s remarks.
“I’m so sorry for what you went through, Selena, but that was a long time ago and you are wiser now,” Lacy said. “I am so happy for you. This will be like your first real date. What are you going to wear?”
It was such a simple question but it brought warmth to her insides and her chest felt so heavy with emotions. She had never had a real friend before, one she could talk clothes and guys with. Sure the other girls at work were polite but they never asked her to hang out with them after work hours. She always assumed it was because of her mom’s bad reputation in town. Selena shrugged and did her best to reign in her emotions. “I don’t know. I don’t have many clothes.”
Lacy smiled and looked at her watch. “I am going to pick you up at five and we are hitting up Liz’s boutique.”
Selena giggled. “That sounds like fun. I have always wanted to shop there but I wear scrubs for work and I have jeans and T-shirts for the weekend, so I never felt like I had a reason.”
“Who needs a reason to shop, girlfriend?” Lacy laughed out loud. Her husband walked in behind her and groaned dramatically. He put his hands on his wife’s shoulder.
“Oh no. Now you are corrupting poor Selena? And I’ll have to work extra hours so Liz doesn’t come after me.”
Selena smiled. She could see the teasing look in his eyes as Lacy elbowed him playfully. She wanted that in her future. Someone to laugh with and just share life with. She was tired of hiding in the background and feeling lonely. Sometimes the feeling of loneliness threatened to take over and consume her. She had no one but herself to blame. She had let fear dictate her life for too long now.
“I have to go. I’ll see you later, Lacy.” Selena put her money down and waved good-bye.
She was in an upbeat mood. Life was looking up despite her problems with her mom and Dave. It frightened her and excited her at the same time.
Chapter 9
Selena paced up and down the living room. She had so much fun picking out an outfit with Lacy and Liz. The girls helped her pick out a pretty sky-blue sweater that clung to her slim figure. The neckline was rounded and the material felt so soft against her skin. She also bought a new pair of dark jeans that Liz said made her look hot. She thought they were too tight since she usually wore her jeans baggy. Lacy insisted they made her butt look awesome and Liz agreed. She left her hair long and loose and only put on light makeup. She didn’t want to look too dressy.
“You look nice, sweetheart,” Ed assured her. He put his newspaper down and frowned. “Should I have a talk with him about behaving like a gentleman? You know your grandpa Dan would have.”
Selena chuckled. Ed was old-fashioned as they came. “No, Ed, that’s okay. Harrison is a nice man and I know he will behave.”
At that moment the doorbell rang and she breathed in and out slowly until she felt calm. She opened the door and smiled. He looked handsome in a long-sleeved dark-gray shirt and jeans. His short hair was slightly spiked up.
“You look beautiful, Selena.” His deep voice did funny things to her inside.
Selena felt her cheeks turn pink. Why couldn’t she act blasé and sophisticated? “Thank you, Harrison. You look handsome.”
“Make sure you take care of her, Harrison,” Ed called out from the living room. “And no funny business or else.”
“I promise, Mr. Harris.” Harrison said loudly. He winked at Selena and lowered his voice. “Should I tell him I will have you home at ten p.m.?”
“No way,” she whispered back. She picked up her purse and dragged him out of there.
The thirty-mile drive was pleasant. She had never had a reason to visit St. Clair. People often traveled there since the night life was more alive in the bigger town than in Appledale, where everything except the bar closed early. Mile by mile her nervousness disappeared as they talked about Chicago and his old job. He told her how stressful yet exciting it had been until he started getting burned out. He told her about all the different places there were to visit in the big city.
By the time they reached St. Clair she was relaxed and feeling more optimistic about this date.
Harrison chose a little Mexican Restaurant called Los Arcos. Inside soft Mexican music played over the speakers. He grabbed her by the hand as they followed the hostess that led them to a small round table by a window. She was secretly thrilled with the small gesture.
Selena smiled at Harrison sitting across the table from her. “I love spicy food.”
“Me too.” He grinned, dipping a tortilla chip into the hot salsa.
They placed their order and she took a moment to look around at all the sombreros hanging on the wall and paintings of landscapes. “I love this place. Thanks for bringing me here Harrison.”
“Ryan suggested Italian but I like spicy food.” He smiled at her.
His look turned serious as he leaned forward. “I really want to get to know you, Selena, so I am glad you said yes. I know it’s going to take time for
you to trust me, especially since I was such an ass for the last year.”
Selena thought back on her conversation with Lacy. If Lacy trusted this man then she should give him a chance. “It’s okay, Harrison. Living in a small town has its positive points like low crime rates, but it also has its negative points like everyone knowing your business.”
“But in this case it is not fair for you to be judged and found guilty,” he insisted. “Despite the bad things you went through, Selena, you have managed to turn out to be a wonderful person with a good heart. You do have people on your side.”
She nodded. “I’m lucky Lacy and Stella have been so nice to me. And now Liz too. I never had friends before. “
He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “What about me? Do you consider me a friend? I hope once you get to know me you might want to consider me more than a friend. We can start off slow if that’s what you want but I just want you to know I am attracted to you.”
She felt herself blush and she hated it. She felt like a schoolgirl with her first crush. “I am attracted to you too, Harrison. I would like to be friends first. I haven’t had luck with any of my relationships in the past and it has made me cautious.”
“Friends first then.” He winked at her as the food came.
Selena couldn’t remember ever smiling so much but Harrison was an enjoyable companion and the heated look in his eyes excited her because she was sure she had the same look in her eyes. She hoped she wasn’t imagining the desire she saw in his eyes.
He told her there was a sci-fi movie playing so they went to see that but she hardly remembered what the movie was about. She did remember how fresh he smelled and his body heat as he put out his arm across her seat. She felt him play with her hair a few times and she had closed her eyes and breathed through her nose to calm her wildly beating heart. How could such an innocent touch turn her on so much? Worse was the fading away of the wall she had built around her heart. It scared her yet she felt powerless to stop the wall from crumbling. She had to be practical and tell herself just because he asked her out on one date didn’t mean he was serious about her.