He gave a dramatic sigh. “I was willing to give you a chance, many times. You know that.”
Callie noticed the people around them taking an interest. There was nothing like a little drama on a Sunday morning for small town entertainment…or maybe, some of them understood how ridiculous this scene was.
“I believe that’s not up to you, but thank you anyway.”
“There’s no easy way to say this. You must leave right now. Members of the congregation have asked me to address this subject, because they feel you intimidated—”
“What members of the congregation?” Betty asked, but Rebecca had already gotten up, gently urging Maggie to do the same. “That’s all right, Betty. Thank you, but we’re okay. We’d rather go to service where we are welcome.”
Callie agreed, but not for fear of escalating attention. She was past that.
“Everyone should feel safe in a place of worship,” the minister said, his smile almost making Callie laugh, but she caught herself. Snake.
“I don’t think Rebecca presents a danger to anyone’s safety.” Charles LaRue shook his head. “Why would anyone say this?”
“I have to insist.”
“It’s not fair,” Maggie said. “Mom didn’t do anything wrong.”
“This is between adults, Maggie,” Father Reynolds told her.
“I have to agree with her, and I’m an adult too,” Betty said. “Come on. Let’s go. If my friends aren’t welcome, I’m afraid neither am I or my family.”
“Wait! I didn’t mean—” Father Reynolds didn’t look so cocky anymore. He had wanted enough attention to make sure everyone knew what was happening, but he hadn’t foreseen that someone might question his authority.
“Oh, I’m sure that’s exactly what you meant.” Delia had arrived, her husband and two boys in tow. “I want you to know that I support Miss Romano and the school’s efforts to create a more accepting environment. Sadly, I can’t see any of that spirit here. Have a good day, everyone. We’re going home.”
Back at the entrance, Callie turned around, amazed at the sight of Father Reynolds staring in disbelief as half his congregation walked out on him. Some of them were familiar—friends or people from the town they exchanged polite niceties with when they met on the street, some of them strangers.
When Rebecca first addressed the accusations made behind her back, she had no way of knowing what would happen. This was different. For months, the people in town had quietly accepted Father Reynolds’s antics. Some of them—the few ones who remained sitting—might even appreciate them, but they were clearly not the majority.
“What do we do now?” Maggie asked.
“I have an idea,” Roz said. “Let’s go to the café. Cake is a good reward for brave little girls, if Mom approves.”
Rebecca looked like she still couldn’t believe the sight of more and more people walking out of the church.
“That should be the last time in a while, but sure. Thank you.”
She turned to Callie, taking her hand, and Callie pulled her close. There was nothing inside those walls they couldn’t find anywhere else. Obviously, most of Autumn Leaves thought so too.
* * * *
Since they’d taken the car, Callie only caught a glimpse of the path leading through the woods, but she noticed an excavator in the distance. The old barn was about to be demolished as soon as work hours started again—another reminder of her ordeal gone after the older Becketts moved out of town.
It took a few minutes to get out of the parking lot, as so many were leaving at the same time. Eventually, she thought, she could make a home here with Rebecca and Maggie, regardless of what anyone thought. It was good to have proof that most of them weren’t hateful or indifferent.
She saw Miss Romano wave, while Betty and Delia ushered their respective families into their cars. Maggie regarded the scene with wide eyes. They could all find some healing in the fact that they had more allies than they’d thought.
Andy wouldn’t turn around. She’d feel misunderstood and a victim, and she’d perpetuate that pattern as long as possible.
“It’s strange,” Rebecca said. “There was a time when I thought this was the worst that could happen. It’s not. If Father Langdon had done that, it would have really hurt me.”
“He wouldn’t have.”
“I know. Besides, God is not locked up in that place. They can’t pretend their beliefs are better than mine. It’s not true.”
“God is everywhere,” Maggie surmised from the backseat.
“Smart girl. Like your mom.”
* * * *
“This time, I did nothing. I’m absolutely innocent.” Rebecca held up her hands before she sat down at the table, the same window table their group had occupied just yesterday.
“We were all there,” Betty said. “I mean literally.” She looked around the café that was filling up with customers quickly.
“You certainly did something.” Rebecca turned to find Miss Romano standing in front of her. “You inspired a lot of people around here, and we’re grateful for that. Giving back a bit is the least we can do.”
“Thanks.”
Rebecca still felt slightly overwhelmed. What would happen next? She’d considered going to service in Marin County before. It didn’t mean running away. Andy didn’t have much to lose, but Father Reynolds did. If he preached his sermon to a dozen people every week, more questions would be raised. It was up to him now.
With the more or less open support of so many people, could she postpone that phone call any longer?
“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Miss Romano said, drawing her back to the present. The teacher pulled herself a chair. “I’ll be overseeing the start of the project, and of course, I’ll be there for the reading, but I’ll leave the school at the end of the year.” She smiled wistfully at the shocked glances she got in reaction.
“Do you really have to?” Maggie asked, unhappy with the notion.
“I’m afraid so, Maggie. I promise I’ll come visit you sometime in the future.”
“Where are you…” Callie interrupted herself mid-sentence as she obviously came up with the answer herself.
“That’s right,” Miss Romano confirmed. “I’m sure there’ll be a few occasions for us to visit Autumn Leaves.”
Neither of them had to have all the answers for today, which was a relief, but they had to start somewhere. Rebecca decided she’d give herself until the end of the week. She also had a reward in mind, and she imagined Callie would enjoy going along with it.
* * * *
Back at Amber’s group, Rebecca listened to the other women trying to answer questions about their coming-out, faith, and families. She hoped that next week, she’d have news to share, one way or another; however, some things wouldn’t change. Whatever the outcome of that conversation would be, Callie would still be with her and Maggie. Nothing could diminish Dina’s excitement about the trip and upcoming reunion with Tomaso. Rebecca was thrilled too, even if less so about the latter.
She fantasized about how she and Callie would spend the weekend. David would pick up Maggie and spend the time with the girls, Susan, and Laurie. Perfect timing.
Maggie was encouraged by her small act of defiance against Father Reynolds. She might have been confused at one time, but she had enough level-headed adults around her to help her adjust her perspective, to make it clear without a doubt who was wrong and who was right.
The complete absence of fear, Father Langdon had once said, was tricky. You needed a sense of danger in order not to cause senseless damage, to yourself and others, and to gauge when the risk was worth it. It wasn’t like Rebecca didn’t have anything to worry about. She hoped fervently they were doing enough to help Maggie through what was a traumatic year, with her parents’ divorce the least of it. She was proud and feeling sick at the same time at the thought of Dina living in another country for a whole year.
She wished Callie would never have to
see Beckett and Weller—or Nicole, for that matter—and that she could erase all the hurt they had caused.
However, Rebecca had no time or patience to spare and worry about Andy or Father Reynolds any longer. Bit by bit, they exposed themselves as the sad liars they were. She’d been angry, she’d felt pity, but Rebecca realized that at the present moment, she just didn’t care anymore.
Andy had not returned to the group, probably understanding her fabrications wouldn’t get her far here.
Her cell phone vibrated in her purse minutes before the end of the meeting. At least there were enough people in the room that she could steal away without disrupting the conversation.
“Oh, man,” David said. “It’s your group time.”
Rebecca laughed. “You have a knack. It’s almost over though. Is everything okay?”
“I guess so. Did you hear about Beckett?” he asked, his tone serious.
“No. What about him?” Her heart was beating faster, her carefree, dreamy mood gone in a heartbeat. “Don’t tell me they’re going to let him out anytime soon.”
“No, don’t worry.”
Rebecca leaned against the wall. “Okay. I saw the truck in front of the parents’ house. What’s going on there?”
“I don’t know all the details, but apparently, something happened in jail. He got into a fight, killed another inmate.” She felt the blood drain from her face. Regardless of the fact that this didn’t change much for her and Callie in their everyday lives, the thought was disturbing. Matt Weller was a rich kid without boundaries, who had crossed the line into crime. His friend, Tim Beckett, was a psychopath. Every Halloween would be a reminder of that. As far as Rebecca was concerned, the city could tear down the whole damn woods. To say they were haunted was an understatement.
“Rebecca, are you still there?”
“Yes. Wow.” That was not what she’d wanted to say, but the words failed her at the moment.
“I thought you…and Callie…” He hesitated. “…that you might want to know. Beckett is going to a state prison. It’s unlikely we’ll ever hear about him again. I suppose Carl and Louise wanted to leave before everyone else knows.”
“Thank you. What a week.”
“Yeah, I heard you got thrown out of church. What a joke…these people. Father Langdon would have never bought into that nonsense. Can you imagine how sorry I am for talking to that woman? Talk about two-faced.”
“She certainly is.”
Rebecca remembered a particular conversation with Nicole she wished she could rewind and handle differently. She knew better now, and so did David. It was good to be able to have a conversation without mutual accusation and suspicion.
“True,” he said ruefully. “At least we found out about Maggie’s nightmares, and she’s doing okay now.”
“She’s looking forward to seeing you and Susan.”
“Rebecca—”
“Just one thing. We’re not giving Barney back. He got used to the country life quite nicely, and we to him.”
“I think that’s fine. I’ll see you on Friday, then.”
She sensed that there was more they might have to address eventually, or that David might want to, regarding Susan. Rebecca was happy not to go there now. All she wanted at the moment was to be back home with Callie, share the news, and see where they’d go from there.
* * * *
Sending off a few sample chapters to Asha was the first order of business. Callie hoped she’d call soon and answer some questions regarding Miss Romano’s move. She’d retreated to the porch with her laptop and a glass of wine, looking through her e-mails. Seeing Beth’s name on the list startled her, and she hesitated before opening it.
Hey, Callie.
I bought your story for my daughter. We loved it. I wanted to ask you a favor too. It’s Melanie’s birthday, and you know she’s a big fan of yours. Is there any way I could get her a signed copy of one of your books?
That was all. Callie stared at the words for several moments, as if waiting for them to change before her eyes. After the last conversation with Beth, she’d imagined writing to her again, explaining in painstaking detail about Nicole, the blackmailing, and her own fears. All those concerns seemed trivial now. Beth didn’t expect anything of her, except for the small favor she had detailed, and she wouldn’t provide the absolution Callie once thought she needed.
“Cheers, Nicole,” she said out loud. “There goes your last angle. A good life to you too.”
Callie leaned back into her chair, leisurely sipping her wine. This was a pretty good way to spend a school night, but she couldn’t wait for the weekend to come. Rebecca was making plans, and she was only telling Callie half of them, which had her thrilled. At least this time, they wouldn’t worry about Father Reynolds or Andy. Instead, they’d drive out to Marin County for the next few Sundays. Brunch would be at their home this time. Before that, on Friday evening, David would pick up the girls. There was plenty of time in between, except she knew there was something Rebecca felt she had to do first.
It worried her that Rebecca was so uncertain about what to expect. Then again, even in the worst-case scenario, they didn’t have the power to do as much damage as Sara’s parents had inflicted on the girl’s life. From what little she knew and had heard from the girls, they didn’t even want to.
Her thoughts wandered back to those other weekend plans. Rebecca wanted to go out for dinner and drinks, not take the car. No curfew, except they had to be back the next morning for brunch.
Like a date.
There hadn’t been much time for anything like it. Of course, they had gone to a few restaurants together, and the gala for the book prize in New York. Back at home, the continuing string of dramatic events had kept them busy.
Finally, they were going to take that time for themselves.
She looked up at the sound of the car and got up to greet Rebecca, who looked tired but happy to see her. “Hey. You’re still busy?”
“Not anymore.” They shared a kiss before Rebecca reached for Callie’s glass, taking a sip.
“Should I ask if you had a good time or not?” Callie wondered out loud.
“The group was okay. David called to tell me that Beckett got into trouble in jail. He might never get out.”
Technically, that was relieving news from where Callie stood, but the many images and emotions that came with it didn’t exactly cause a celebratory mood. Considering what he must have done in order to get into that amount of trouble gave her even less of a reason.
“Whatever he did,” Rebecca said, “it’s no one’s fault but his. The only thing we should take away from this is that we’ll never see him again…and that’s a good thing.”
“It is,” Callie agreed. Eventually, she’d be able to take that shortcut again without her heart pounding or feeling like she was going to be sick. Halloween, the first anniversary, would be a different story.
There wasn’t much more to say. She closed the laptop, and Rebecca picked up the glass.
Later, lying in her embrace, Callie knew she’d make it through that day, and every year that came after that. Rebecca didn’t ask. She understood this was home. No one could take it from them. If Callie had to cry, it was because there was sadness in having to accept what she couldn’t change, Beth’s history, and her own. Here, with Rebecca, it was safe to do so.
She slept through the night, only vaguely aware of the sound of the front door when Maggie left for school. It was the scent of coffee that woke her when Rebecca carried a breakfast tray into the bedroom.
“Guess what? Betty’s friend e-mailed me anyway and asked for an estimate. Apparently, she’s not worried anymore.”
“That’s good. I’m sorry,” Callie said with regard to the laden tray. “I’ve been no help lately.”
“You can come grocery shopping with me later,” Rebecca suggested, carefully setting the tray between them and picking up her own mug. “You’ve been a great help. I’ve been dragging my feet, but I
swear Friday is the day. Whatever happens, we’ll have our night out after.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
In the grocery store, only one aisle away from the cash register, they ran into Andy, who turned and nearly fled at the sight of them. Callie was happy to let it go.
“Andy, do you have a minute?”
Callie turned to Rebecca, giving her a quizzical look. “You’re sure about that?”
“Trust me. It won’t be long.”
Andy stood at the end of the shelf, waiting with an unhappy expression. “I don’t want to talk to you,” she said.
“That’s fine. I don’t want to talk about you either, but since you’ve been telling lies about me since you came to town, I think you owe me a couple of minutes. I’m not even asking you for an explanation, because I’ve pretty much figured it out. You’re jealous? I want you to know you have a reason to be. I have a life, and I get to share it with the most wonderful person in the world. I am not ashamed. If you want to hate me for that, feel free.”
Andy stared, open-mouthed, and so did most of the other customers in the vicinity.
“Okay,” Rebecca said, turning to Callie again. “What would you like for dinner tonight?”
“The most wonderful person in the world?” Callie asked after Andy all but ran from the store. She’d even left her cart behind.
“That’s right. Don’t you dare say otherwise.”
* * * *
They wouldn’t have brunch at the house on Saturday morning, but Callie didn’t know that yet. Rebecca had it all figured out…a hotel room, a reservation at the restaurant on the seventh floor, which also housed a bar. Maybe it was silly. The set-up was expensive, and they had the trip ahead, but Rebecca couldn’t bring herself to worry much about numbers.
As unnerving as the continued confrontations were, with Nicole last winter and Andy recently, they had helped open her eyes to some facts.
She and Callie had both been so wrapped up in their fears about what the other one’s expectations would be, and if they were able to fulfill them based on experiences with previous lovers and the opinions of their friends and neighbors.
Spring Fever (Lesbian Love Series Book 3) Page 16