“How is she getting to the store? How is she buying food if you have her car?”
“She said her neighbor would take her.” That was true. In fact, when she pressed the keys into my hand, she told me her neighbor always takes her, and the car basically sits unused in its very expensive parking spot anyhow. I wasn’t sure how accurate that was, especially since it started up without a hitch, and I suddenly felt a hot flush of shame for not questioning her more. I was so consumed by my own desperation that I was quick to let myself believe whatever she said.
“You’re going to let Nana rely on her neighbor? Charlotte, I can’t even. Now I’m going to have to go check up on her. Like I don’t have enough to do.”
“You should check up on her. She would love to see you.”
“That’s a low blow,” she snapped.
I bit my lip. “Sorry.” She was right. It was a low blow. Annabelle had a lot on her plate as it was, raising two active boys and checking up on our parents. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“You can make it up to me by coming home.”
I pressed my lips together. I hated lying to my sister, and she was making it more and more difficult. “Okay,” I said, careful not to promise a date. “But I need money to do it.”
She sighed loudly. “How much do you need?”
I threw a number at her, which was a little more than double what the mechanic told me. I thought that amount would cover my hotel and food, plus some extra if the car ended up costing more.
She sucked in her breath. “Seriously, Charlotte? I can’t get that much without telling Brad.”
I looked down at my hands. “You could. If you took it out of your trust fund.”
“You want me to take money out of my trust fund to pay for this?”
“I’ll pay you back,” I said quickly. “You’ll be able to replace it in a few weeks. You won’t even miss it.”
“What am I supposed to tell Mr. Farley?” Mr. Farley managed both our trust funds—actually, all our family’s trust funds. He had been doing it for years.
“Tell him you’re doing some work on the townhouse and need it to get started.” Annabelle was always in the middle of some sort of remodeling or redecorating project, so Mr. Farley wouldn’t think twice about her request.
There was a tight silence. “How do I get it to you?”
I closed my eyes as relief swept through me. “Thank you, Annabelle. You won’t be sorry.”
“God, I hope not,” she sighed.
“I’ll call you tomorrow with the details,” I said.
“Make it early,” Annabelle said. “I have to take Marguerite to the doctor.”
“Is everything okay?”
“So far. But you know Marguerite.”
Marguerite was our pregnant sister. She desperately wanted a child, but her body didn’t agree. Over the years, she had struggled to get pregnant and had miscarriages when she did. The doctors were not optimistic about her chances of bringing a healthy baby to term. They kept trying to talk her into other options for having a baby, but Marguerite was having none of it. Needless to say, those conversations had spun my already high-strung sister into massive overdrive, which couldn’t be good for the baby she was carrying now.
“Keep me posted,” I said. “And I’ll call early.”
“It would be easier for everyone if you were here,” Annabelle said.
I twisted a lock of hair between my fingers, trying not to feel guilty. “Let me get the car fixed,” I said. I reminded myself that it was true that it would be easier for her if I were there.
It would also be easier for Alan to hurt me.
We said our goodbyes and hung up. I stared out the window, feeling sick about how I had just misled my sister.
But what choice did she give me? I needed the money.
If there was only a way I could do both—return home and protect myself. But I had been down that road before, thinking through every possible avenue to stay in New York while keeping myself safe.
If I was truly honest with myself, being safe was only part of the issue.
The dreams were the big reasons I had to get out. They were what really compelled me to leave. And they were also why I knew I couldn’t go back, at least anytime soon.
No, what I needed right now was to get enough money to pay for the car repairs, hotel, and other expenses, and get myself back on the road. Once I did that, I could stop at a bank somewhere and access enough money from my trust fund to repay Annabelle and live off the grid for as long as necessary.
Even if Alan did manage to trace my withdrawal to a specific branch, I would be long gone.
That was the only way.
Annabelle would understand. Eventually. She would see I was right. If I was lucky, maybe she would even forgive me one day.
My stomach rumbled, bringing me back to the present, and I thought longingly of the to-go box in my car. Too bad I wasn’t able to take it with me. But there was just no way with two suitcases and my bathroom bag.
A loud knock at the door made me jump. Alan! He had found me after all.
I didn’t want to answer it, even though I knew I was being foolish. There was no way it could be him.
“Charlie?” The voice at the door was muffled, but clearly Nancy’s. “Are you still in there?”
I hurried to the door and unlocked it. “Sorry, I was just on the phone with my sister,” I said.
“Oh, good. You gave her a call.” She was holding a to-go box with a to-go cup on top of it, which she carefully thrust at me. “Here. In case you want a little lunch.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said, taking the cartons from her. I would have to find some way to leave her a tip.
She smiled. “I didn’t, actually.” She chuckled at my puzzled look. “Jonathan dropped it off.”
“Jonathan?”
“The mechanic.” She gestured to the boxes. “He said you left these in your car, and he thought you might be hungry.”
My hands started to tingle where they clasped the boxes.
“How ... how did he know I was even here?” I asked faintly. I couldn’t decide how I felt about what was happening. Was he being thoughtful, or creepy?
“There’s not that many places to stay in Redemption,” she said. “And even fewer places you could have walked to. It was just a matter of deduction.”
She didn’t seem all that concerned about it, so I figured I shouldn’t be, either. I thanked her and took my food into the room. I could smell the bacon and coffee, and my stomach growled even more.
I flipped open the lid, expecting to see my cold breakfast, but instead found hot bacon and biscuits.
He had gone through the trouble of bringing me a fresh breakfast.
I felt my heart tighten … until I remembered the wedding ring.
This couldn’t be good.
Chapter 4
In the end, despite my better judgment, I ate it all.
At first, I wasn’t going to. I even went so far as to box it up and toss it in the garbage, but my stomach kept grumbling. Plus, it wasn’t like I had to tell anyone I ate it.
Besides, maybe it was just a sign of how friendly people are in Wisconsin. He was doing a neighborly thing. He felt sorry for me and just wanted to do something nice.
Then, I thought of the heat in his dark eyes when he looked at me.
No, it wasn’t just him being nice.
But it would also be a waste to throw the food out. Especially with my complaining stomach.
Once I finished my meal, I felt much better, and spent the afternoon unpacking and organizing my clothes. I had left in such a rush that I’d just shoved things into my suitcases without much thought as to what I was doing. Some of the pieces were hopelessly wrinkled, so I borrowed an iron from Nancy and got busy.
After that, I relaxed in a nice, hot bath before dressing in my favorite acid-washed jeans and an oversized hot-pink top. I scrunched up my hair and added some makeup. If I was going to roam around town, I might as well look my best. And if I decided to join Claire at the Tipsy Cow, well, I would be all set.
Nancy described downtown Redemption as “picturesque.” I would have used the word “sleepy.” There were a handful of shops, a coffeehouse, a couple of salons, a dog groomer, and a pizza place about half a mile away. I did locate a Western Union not too far away from the hotel, which was a huge relief.
I gave Grant Street (and Grant Street Auto) a wide berth. I could thank Jonathan later, preferably when I was picking up my car.
I only got lost once. Well, twice. But the second time didn’t really count, because I was able to recover almost immediately.
All my wandering around made me hungry again, so I ended up back at Aunt May’s for dinner. I didn’t feel like walking all the way back to the pizza place, and the only other restaurant that was serving food within a short walking distance was the Tipsy Cow. I thought it would be weird to be sitting there when Claire showed up.
I was going to order a salad since I had already splurged on the bacon earlier, but instead, I found myself eating a huge meal. Open-faced hot roast beef sandwich served with mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered carrots, and a cup of chicken and wild rice soup.
It was so good, and so different from the salads, grilled chicken, and sushi I normally ate. All my friends and sisters were obsessed with their weight. Calories were watched and agonized over. The bathroom scale was treated as a God, and whatever number it revealed set the tone for the day.
You could never be too rich or too thin.
It felt very freeing to just eat what I felt like eating. Who cared if I gained weight? No one was around to give me sideways glances or little critical barbs.
I even ordered peach cobbler with ice cream for dessert. Dessert! I couldn’t even remember the last time I allowed myself such a treat.
It was decadent.
When I emerged from Aunt May’s stuffed and sated from my rich meal, the sun was setting, casting long shadows on the street.
I stood on the sidewalk feeling the warm breeze tickle the hair at the back of my neck and considered heading back to the hotel. After all, I was only going to be here for a few days. Did I really want to start friendships that would never go anywhere?
On the other hand, I owed it to myself to go out and enjoy myself with people my own age. It had been ages since I’d hung out with a group of friends and just had fun. Alan hadn’t wanted me to do anything without him, and all of our plans centered around his relationships and his work.
I realized how much I missed spending time with my friends, just talking and laughing without Alan’s looming, disapproving presence.
Yes, I decided. I was going to meet Claire. It would be fun! And, besides, it was only a couple of drinks in a quiet little midwestern town where no one knew me. Maybe the temporary nature of my stay was actually a benefit.
What could go wrong?
***
“You came!” Claire squealed when she saw me, skirting around the table to give me a hug. She smelled fresh and clean, like ivory soap. Her hair was still slightly damp, like she had taken a quick shower after work.
“You sound surprised,” I said.
Claire laughed. “I was giving you a 50-50 chance. Here, let me introduce you to the gang.”
Currently, the “gang” was one other woman sitting in the middle of a large, circular booth. She was quite pretty in a wholesome, all-American way with long blonde hair and big cornflower-blue eyes. “This is Louise. Lou, this is Charlie. The girl I was telling you about.”
Louise waggled her fingers as she took a long drink of what looked like a Long Island Iced Tea. “Oh my god, I so needed that,” she said with a sigh. “Hi, Charlie. You can call me Lou.”
“Hi Lou,” I said, awkwardly sliding into the booth. I wondered how many more people they were expecting with a booth that size.
“What are you drinking?” Claire asked. She had what looked like a glass of White Zinfandel in front of her.
“Rum and Diet Coke. Oh, do I need to go to the bar?” I tried to twist around to see it, but Claire shook her head.
“Bill will get it. That’s Lou’s husband. You can see him there.” She pointed and waved wildly, gesturing at me. He glanced at me and moved closer, so Claire could tell him what I wanted.
“I’m impressed,” I said, when Bill went back to the bar. “I thought you said Bill was Lou’s husband.”
“He is.” Claire smirked as she picked up her drink. Louise grinned as well. “But we all grew up together.”
Lou leaned closer to me and loudly whispered. “What she’s not telling you is they were also a thing once.”
“Oh hush,” Claire laughed, playfully hitting her on the arm. “I would hardly call us a ‘thing.’ We dated a couple of times. In high school. Long before he and Lou started going out.”
“Wasn’t that long,” Lou said. “But then Claire discovered true love with her beloved Doug, and everyone lived happily ever after.”
Claire’s smile seemed to dim a bit, but then Bill arrived with the drinks, and I wondered if I had imagined the look.
“There you go,” he said, setting the rum and Diet Coke in front of me. Handing a second drink to Lou and Claire, he said, “I’m Bill.”
Bill was a freshly shaven, clean-cut, average-looking guy with very short brown hair and gentle brown eyes. “Charlie,” I said. “And thanks. What do I owe you?”
He waved it off has he slid next to Lou who was scooting over. “Don’t worry about it. It’s our way of welcoming you to Redemption.”
“I appreciate it,” I said.
“Charlie, this is my brother Jesse,” Lou called out.
Jesse smiled at me, and it was all I could do to keep my mouth from dropping open. He was hot. There was no other way to say it. He looked like a blonde Rob Lowe.
“Hi,” I managed, hoping I didn’t sound like an idiot.
“So, you’re the one with the car trouble,” Jesse said.
My hand twitched, sloshing my rum and Diet Coke over the side. “How did you know?” I asked, mopping up the spill with the napkin that came with the drink. But then I realized I already knew. This was a small town. Claire must have said something.
Jesse held his thumb out, jerking it behind him. “That guy told me.”
I glanced up and found myself staring into a pair of dark, soulful eyes. My mouth went dry, and I instantly felt both hot and cold.
It was Jonathan.
“Hey Charlie,” he said, sliding next to Jesse and causing Claire to move closer to me. “Nice seeing you again.”
I tried to swallow, but I couldn’t, so I took a big gulp of my drink instead. “It really is a small town,” I said. “Does everyone here know each other?”
Everyone laughed. I joined in, but it felt forced and shallow.
“I know it may seem that way,” Claire said. “But really, we just all went to school together.”
“Don’t let it intimidate you,” Jesse said, winking at me.
“I’ll try not to,” I said. “And you two are married?” I pointed at Bill and Lou.
“Not just married, but parents,” Bill said. Lou rolled her eyes and groaned in agreement.
My jaw dropped. “You have children? You look too young.”
“An eight-year-old who is going on fifteen,” Lou said. “I swear she’s going to be the death of me. But thank you.”
“It’s not just us who has kids,” Bill said. He nodded toward the end of the table. “Jonathan there has two.”
“Wow, two kids,” I said. Jonathan nodded, but he didn’t quite meet my eyes. I wanted to ask why he seemed to be flirting with me
if he was not only married, but had children, but I didn’t think it was the appropriate time.
Instead, I looked at Jesse. “What about you? Married, couple of kids?”
He grinned. “I’m living the single’s dream.”
“Yeah right,” Lou said. “He just hasn’t found the right girl yet to settle down with,” she said to me.
“Maybe I’m not the settling type,” he said to his sister.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to him.”
I turned to Claire. “And you’re married to … who was it, Doug? Do you have kids, too? And where is Doug?”
“Working,” she said shortly. “He works nights. And no kids.”
“Yet,” Lou said, nudging Claire.
“Never, if I keep listening to your stories,” Claire retorted.
“Your mother probably didn’t curse you the way my mother did,” Lou said.
“Curse?” I asked.
Lou gave me a sideways smile before straightening up. “’I hope you have a child exactly like you are,’” she intoned.
I laughed.
“Except that didn’t happen,” Jesse said. “Jillian is much smarter than you.”
Lou stuck her tongue out at her brother. He grinned and picked up his beer. “I want to hear more about New York,” he said, turning to me. “What brings you to our neck of the woods?”
“I have no idea,” I said.
The rest of the table stared at me in surprise. “What?” Lou asked, her drink precariously in mid-air.
“Redemption wanted her,” Claire said.
Something in her voice made my blood curdle, though I had no idea why. But everyone else seemed to agree, because they all nodded.
“What are you talking about?” I asked. “Is this some sort of inside joke?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Bill said. “It’s very real.”
“What is?”
“The curse of Redemption,” Jonathan said.
I stared blankly around the table. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to have drinks with people I didn’t know. I could hear Annabelle’s voice in my head, telling me how stupid I was. “Curse?”
The Summoning: A gripping psychological thriller (Secrets of Redemption Book 4) Page 3