by Jennie Marts
“Well, Charlie, that was quite a show you put on out there.”
A long-haired blond woman had slipped through the door behind her and was now visible in the reflection of the mirror. She was quite attractive and looked to be in her early-thirties. Her skin-tight jeans and low-cut top showed off her slim figure and ample bust.
“Do I know you?” She grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser and turned to face the woman but didn’t think she recognized her.
And yet, there was something familiar about the set of her eyes, and the shape of her nose. Oh my lord.
The paper towel dropped from Charlie’s hands and floated to the floor as she took in the mature features of the teenage girl she had recently grown to love. Could it be?
“Not yet. But it seems you know my family pretty well, since you’re sleeping with my husband.” The woman eyed her up and down.
She suddenly felt silly in her pink cowboy boots and sundress, as if she were a child playing dress up. Gone was the confident woman who strode down the streets of New York, hailing cabs in sleek business suits and high heels. In her place was a shame-faced little girl, who’d just had a temper tantrum in front of her mommy and daddy.
Pull yourself together, girl. This person is not better than you. This is the woman who abandoned her husband and child for the lights of fame and fortune. And by the looks of her mid-label jeans, the fabric thin and frayed at the hems, she hadn’t found it. “It is none of your business who I am, or am not, sleeping with. And Zack is not your husband anymore.”
The woman waved away her words, as if they were an annoying gnat in the air. “For now. But my driver’s license still says Shari Cooper, and I intend to keep it that way.”
“What are you doing here?”
The woman leaned against the bathroom wall, wearing all the confidence that Charlie seemed to be missing. “I’m here to get my family back.”
The words were like a physical punch in the stomach, leaving her speechless.
“You may think Zack cares about you, but I was the love of his life. His first true love. And there’s power in that. Once he knows I’m home and that I want to make a fresh start, he’ll be so happy. He’ll feel bad about you, of course. But he’ll have Sophie to think about. And he always does the honorable thing, which will be to give his family a chance to start over and to give his daughter another chance with her mother.”
No. She knew Zack. He cared about her. But this wicked woman’s words made an odd sort of sense. Zack was honorable. He did always do the right thing.
Suddenly, Charlie couldn’t breathe. She needed to get out of this bathroom. She needed some fresh air. Pushing past the blond seductress, she flung the bathroom door open and stepped out.
Shari followed close at her heels. “You know what I’m saying is true.”
Both women stopped short as they came around the corner and saw Zack and Sophie standing by the punch table. He was pouring pink liquid into a cup for his daughter and laughing at some story she was telling.
The smile fell from his face, and he set the cup down as he saw the two women standing before him. Sophie turned to see what was taking away her dad’s attention.
Charlie stood frozen in place, unable to move. She silently watched as Shari burst into noisy tears, crossed the room, and flung herself into Zack’s arms. Bile rose in her throat as she saw his arms come up to clasp his ex-wife’s back.
She had to get out of there.
Turning, she fled the dance hall, escaping into the cool evening air. She ran across the dusty ground, fleeing into the first building she came to. The smell of hay and the familiar scent of Clyde met her as she stepped through the open doors of the barn that housed the 4H goats. She ran past the makeshift corrals, empty now, awaiting the arrival of round-bellied bleaters and satin placement ribbons, as the county fair loomed around the corner.
Breathing hard, she stopped at the last corral, leaning her head against the wall. What a fool she was. She’d let herself believe her father had come back for her. To build a relationship with her. When really all he was interested in was the money from the sale of the farm. And now the whole town saw what an idiot she was.
She had sworn off men as she drove to Montana. And yet within weeks of arriving in this state, she’d let two of them deceive her and break her heart. Letting her father in was understandable, but how could she have let herself fall for another man so quickly? Where was her will power? Her self-worth? A good-looking guy gives her a dog, and she falls in love with him. What was wrong with her?
She tried to convince herself that Zack wasn’t like that. He cared about her. He wouldn’t toss her aside like her father had. But the poison of Shari’s words seeped into her, like the itch of an old scab. And she’d seen Zack’s arms come up around his ex-wife’s back, embracing her instead of pushing her away.
Could Shari’s words be true? Was there special magic in that first true love? Would Zack really throw her away in a misguided effort to give his daughter another chance at having her family back together? Above all, did she really want to be the one to stand in the way of Sophie’s opportunity at having her mom back in her life?
“You all right?” A familiar deep voice spoke from behind her, but it wasn’t the voice of the one she’d hoped would follow her out of the dance hall. It was just Cash.
Charlie turned and crossed her arms over her chest. “No. I am not all right. Men suck.”
“Yes, we do.” He chuckled in drunken good humor.
“I can think of only one reason why Zack didn’t follow me out here. And that reason is wearing too-tight jeans and crying the fake tears of a washed out actress.”
“Yeah, Shari always knew how to make an entrance.”
“Well, I’m really good at making an exit, and I think that’s what I need to do right now.” She forced a laugh hoping he wouldn’t see how much she was really hurting. “I don’t want to be the one to mess up their chance at having their family back together. Plus, I don’t want to get hurt again. And right now this is killing me. I just need to get out of here.”
She tried to stomp past him, but he threw out a muscled arm and pulled her against him. “Hold on there, girl. You’re not going anywhere all upset like this.”
She fell against his chest and let him hold her, trying to draw on some of his strength. She looked up at Cash. “Thanks, I needed that hug.”
He leaned down, and she could smell his minty chewing gum mingled with the not unpleasant, hoppy flavor of beer. The light shadow of whiskers brushed her skin. “Do you need anything else from me, darlin’? Cause you know I’m here for you, and I hate to see you hurtin’.”
Swaying a little, he pulled her closer, his lips dangerously close to hers.
Suddenly realizing his intent, she tensed and pushed against his chest.
“Charlie? What are you guys doing? Why aren’t you with my dad?”
Sophie’s soft voice had every molecule of Charlie’s soul freeze and twist.
Cash released her and stepped back. “Ah, hell.”
Charlie pushed him out of the way, tried to find her voice. “Sophie. It’s not what it—”
But the girl was gone, her braids swinging as she ran from the barn, leaving behind only the sound of her cries.
Chapter Eleven
Charlie ran from the barn, calling out Sophie’s name. She looked into each of the surrounding buildings, then circled back to the barn. The girl was nowhere in sight.
As she scanned the fairground buildings, a giant flash of lightning lit the sky. A clap of thunder followed immediately behind, telling her the lightning was close. Cold, wet drops of rain struck her face, each blow a tiny reminder of the pain she had just caused. Within seconds, the droplets turned to a downpour, and she stood in the freezing onslaught.
Another flash of lightning and almost simultaneous clap of thunder sent her running for her car. She just needed to leave. Get away. Have a minute to think.
She scanned the s
ea of cars, then remembered that Zack had picked her up, and headed for the old blue pickup. Climbing inside, she tilted the visor, and the keys dropped into her lap.
She started the truck and lurched out of the crowded field that served as a parking lot for the fairgrounds. She wasn’t worried about Zack, he could easily find a ride home.
Her main concern was for Sophie now. She scanned the sides of the road, searching for the teenage girl, worried that she would’ve tried to walk home and got caught in the rain. She hit the switch for the windshield wipers but the swiping blades did nothing to clear her vision, and she realized she was crying again. Her tears blended with the rain on her face, and her hands shook on the steering wheel as the cold seeped into her body from the soaking wet dress.
Nothing seemed to be working out the way she had planned.
She’d had such high hopes for her new life in Montana, and it was turning out just as crappy as her old life had been. She wasn’t writing. Her mother had followed her, so she hadn’t even gotten out on her own. She’d just trashed the relationships of both of the two closest friends she’d made since moving here.
And her secret hope of maybe meeting a man, a different kind of man than in the city, had been realized, then taken away from her, shoplifted from her life like a wallet from a purse.
The only good thing was the farm and the feeling of home that it brought her. But, now that her dad was back, it looked like that was about to be taken away, as well. Sold out from under her very nose. There was really nothing to keep her there now. No reason to stay in Montana.
Should she just leave? Why not? Everybody else got to leave when things got tough. Her mother had left her father at the first sign of trouble. Stuart had essentially left her for his secretary. Shari had walked out on her husband and baby. It seemed easy enough. Life would go on without her. Time would continue to tick away. She might not even really be missed.
The rental car was still sitting in the driveway of the farmhouse. It would probably take her less than an hour to pack everything in it and be on the road. She could open the map to a new state and just drive there. Drive all night. Be halfway to her new-new life before anyone even realized she was gone.
The rain pounded on the roof as she barreled down the dark highway, her mind already on what she should pack and what she could leave behind. Her teeth were chattering, and she looked down at the dash to find the switch to turn on the heat.
A horn blared. Headlights blinded her as she looked up, realizing too late that she had swerved into the oncoming lane of traffic as she’d been searching for the heater lever. She yanked the wheel back, the muscles in her shoulders tearing as she strained against the manual steering wheel.
Too late. The front of the vehicle nicked the bumper of the oncoming car, sending the big truck into a spin. Hitting the puddles of water, she felt the truck float across the road as it hydroplaned.
Charlie had failed to put on her seat belt when she’d climbed into the truck, and her body was now being tossed around the cab as if she were a rag doll. Her head smacked against the driver’s side window before she was jerked forward, feeling her ribs crack as she was hurled into the heavy steering column.
Every second felt like slow motion, as if each frame of time were a separate snapshot in her mind. She felt each spin of the truck and knew she was headed for the tree-lined ditch. She thought of the picture she had wanted to pack of Gigi and Buckshot fishing on the banks of a lake, and how young and pretty her grandmother had looked.
Then, in the span of one heartbeat, time sped up, and she caught a glimpse of a teenage girl, standing on the side of the road, her blond pigtails reflected in the headlights as the truck barreled toward her. The sound of breaking glass filled the air as the windshield shattered, and cool rain hit her face. Black dots filled her vision, and she slumped against the wheel.
Chapter Twelve
Fluorescent lights buzzed, medical equipment beeped, and soft-soled shoes swished dully as they moved about on linoleum. Charlie recognized the sounds of the hospital before she opened her eyes.
The smells of cherry Jell-O and antiseptic melded with a familiar perfume, and she knew her mother must be in the room. Sticky tape pulled the fine hairs around the crook of her arm where she felt the invasive IV needle poking into her vein.
Every single part of her body hurt, even her eyelids as they fought to flutter open.
“She’s waking up.” The deep drawl of her father’s voice surprised her. What was he doing here after the way she’d treated him?
She blinked a couple of times, registering the form of her mother, now bent over her, a look of worry on her face. Her father was there, at the end of the bed. She thought she caught the faint scent of peaches, and she sighed at the notion that her grandmother was there, watching over her.
At least, she hoped she was watching over her. She could have been there as her chauffer to the after-life, a geriatric limo driver to heaven. Charlie tried to smile, but the funny thought was driven from her mind as pain shot through her.
A nurse shuffled in and began to poke and prod her, taking diagnostics and her blood pressure. She felt the weight of a heavy cast around her left hand, extending halfway up her arm.
Her middle was wrapped tightly in bandages, and she felt each aching breath she took. Every part of her body seemed to be battered and bruised, even shifting in the bed caused her to hurt. Concentrating on her own discomfort, it took her a moment to remember the reason she was in the hospital.
The memories came flooding back, and she struggled to sit up in bed, now oblivious to the pain as she cried out. “Sophie. Where’s Sophie? Oh my God. Is she okay?”
Her mother helped the nurse to restrain her. “Sophie’s fine. She’s a little bruised up from the fall, but they checked her out and released her to go home. She’s going to be fine.”
“What happened? What fall?” Her heart raced, beating hard against her chest. Ignoring the shooting stabs in her ribs, she reached out for Elizabeth. “Did I hit her with the truck?”
“Charlie, settle down. You’re going to hurt yourself.” Her mother squeezed her hand and shielded the spot where the IV needle entered her arm.
“I don’t care about me. I care about Sophie. How badly was she hurt?” She looked her mother straight in the eye, desperate to hear the truth and terrified at the same time. “Mother, tell me the truth. Did I hit her with the truck? Did I hurt Sophie?”
“No, Charlie. I told you she’s okay. Please lie back down, and I will tell you about her.”
“Okay. But sit me up.” She reluctantly settled back against the hospital bed. Her mother pushed the button on the side of the rail that lifted her to a sitting position. The whir of the machine hurt her head as she slowly raised. “I’m calm now. Please, tell me what you know.”
Liz smoothed the sheets around her daughter’s legs. “I don’t really know that much. Sophie was walking toward home when the storm started. She said it was raining so hard that she didn’t even see the truck until it was barreling right for her. She thought it was going to hit her. She said everything happened so fast, but she claims she felt someone push her out of the way and into the ditch. She was muddy and had a few scratches, but other than that, she wasn’t hurt. In fact, she’s the one who called 911.”
Ryan stepped to the edge of her bed. “She saw the truck go into the ditch and knew it was her dad’s pickup. She ran over and saw that you were unconscious. I guess you’d cracked your noggin and were bleeding pretty good. She couldn’t tell if you’d broken anything, so she stayed with you until the county ambulance arrived.”
“She must have been so scared.” She tried to curl into a ball, but the pain of moving stopped her. The heavy cast made a dull thud as it knocked against the side railing, shooting a burst of pain up her arm.
Her mother must have noticed her wince, because she moved forward and tried to readjust her casted arm. “She’s a very brave girl. I’m really proud of her.”
“What other car?”
“I hit the side of a car coming from the other direction. That’s what sent me into a spin.”
Ryan shrugged. “Well, you couldn’t have done too much damage, ’cause they must have kept driving. Zack’s old pickup was the only vehicle out there. As far as we know, you and Sophie were the only ones out on that road.”
“Which is also a mystery,” Elizabeth chimed in. “What were you doing out there? We don’t even know why Sophie was out walking on that road in the first place.”
Hot slivers of shame filled her as she whispered, “I do.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
Her head shot up. Cash’s large frame filled the doorway. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought you could use some company.” He stepped back and let a black and white dog into the room.
Joy moved directly to her side, sniffing the cast as Charlie held her hand out to the dog.
“What are you doing bringing that dog into the hospital? It can’t be sanitary.” Elizabeth moved to push the dog aside.
“It’s okay, Mom. She’s not going to hurt me.” She ruffled the dog’s fur. Joy responded by letting out a whine and laying her head gently on the bed next to her bandaged side.
Her mother reached to move the dog’s head, but Ryan set his hand on her arm. “It’s fine, Lizzie. The dog may even help. Let’s go get a cup of coffee, let these two visit.”
Elizabeth nodded, and she and Ryan moved past Cash as he entered the room. “How you doin’, darlin’?”
As he moved to stand by her bed, she noticed the dark blue bruising around his eye. “Nice shiner. What happened?”