Homeward

by Frankie Love

  After all, there are always two sides to every story.

  Maybe this is just wishful thinking; holding on to hope that Colton isn’t like everyone else. That just maybe he is the one for me.

  Of course, the fact he also got some other girl pregnant complicates things slightly.

  Finally, though, I am done being put on hold. Sitting in a coffee shop to avoid the sweltering heat of the city, I stalk the internet until I can find an address for Colton Miller. Of course, it may be a bogus address, but at least it is something to work with.

  I get a taxi ride to the house in the Hollywood Hills, my eyes widening as I take in the gorgeous home. It is nothing like what you’d find in Idaho: it’s modern, all glass and concrete and jagged edges and raw lines. I try to bury my embarrassment over what he must have thought when he stepped foot into the farmhouse. The B&B Virginia and I were so proud of. I remember telling Cole how proud I was to have something of my own. Was he laughing at me behind those gentle eyes?

  I refuse to believe it.

  But when I walk up to the gates of the house, I see someone else is already standing there, as if waiting to be let in.

  “Who are you?” she asks in an accusatory tone. There is a car parked behind her with a man behind the wheel. I try to get a better look at him, but there is a bandanna covering his lower face.

  “Uh, why?” I ask, not walking any closer.

  “Because I’m Colton’s girlfriend and so I should know the women coming around his place. It wouldn’t be the first time that sack of shit’s cheated on me.”

  I take her in. She is beautiful, with thick hair dyed dark red. Tall and slim and in a tight bodycon dress and wearing heels that tell me she means business. I look down at my Converse and capris, feeling insecure. What was I thinking, showing up at a movie star’s home dressed like I was going to fold some laundry?

  “I didn’t realize he had a girlfriend,” I say, mustering up the truth.

  “Well, he does.” She purses her lips and I run a hand through my limp hair. I’m hungry and tired and confused. What exactly did I think would happen when I jumped on a plane?

  “Okay, well, I just want to talk to him,” I say. “So maybe we can go inside and--”

  “You aren’t going inside.”

  “Oh?” I step back, suddenly realizing something isn’t right about this woman. Her eyes are wild and yellow around the edges. Her makeup is smeared and she keeps looking behind her at the driver in the car. He revs the engine.

  “Why are you here anyway?” she asks me.

  “I just... no reason. I just thought... you know what? It’s all a misunderstanding,” I say, hating that I’ve put myself in a compromising situation.

  Then again, isn’t that the story of my life?

  “What did you misunderstand?” she asks, stepping closer. “What do you know? What aren’t you telling me?”

  Just then my phone rings. I reach for it in my purse but the woman is staring at me with an unhinged look in her eyes.

  “I’m just gonna get that.”

  “Is it Colton?” she asks.

  I frown. “Why would it be Colton? I thought he was your boyfriend.”

  “Put it on speaker,” she says.

  I begin to shake my head, but before I can do anything at all, I am pushed toward a row of thick hedges by the driver of the car. He has a gun pointed at my head and the woman has taken my phone. “You say anything about the gun and you’re dead,” she says in an even tone, as she presses ‘accept’ and puts it on speaker phone.

  “Laila?” Virginia asks. “God, why didn’t you pick up the first time?”

  “I uh… uh...” I look at the man and woman holding me at gunpoint.

  “What?” Virginia asks. “Sorry, it’s hard to hear you. Anyways, I had to call because you’ll never guess who just showed up at the Eagle Crest B&B?”

  “Who?” I manage to eke out as the gun is jammed deeper into my spine. Tears begin to fall from my eyes and somehow Virginia picks up on my pain.

  “Sweetie, you sure you’re okay? Listen, I know why you can’t reach Colton. He’s here, in Idaho.”

  I gasp as the gun is pushed into my skin and she mistakes it for amazement at what she is telling me.

  “Anyways, he came to the farmhouse to see you. Of course, I was a bitch to him because I got all weird and protective of my bestie but, the thing is, I think he might have been genuine. And so maybe I was being too intense to him. Don’t be mad.”

  “Not mad,” I say. “Just--”

  Before I can say any more the phone is yanked from my hand and shoved into the woman’s purse.

  “Come on, Rick,” she says. “Looks like we’re taking a little road trip to Idaho.”

  His hand is on my arm. “And what should we do with her, Rozzy?” he asks.

  “Oh, she’s coming with us. Collateral damage, if you will. Toss her in the trunk.”

  And with that, my past becomes my future.

  I’m pushed into the trunk of the car, tears streaming down my cheeks. I fight back until the gleaming silver gun reminds me to stay quiet, and flashbacks from my teenage years crowd my mind. It was always like this. It’s always been me being forced down, always being a pawn in a game I never wanted to play.

  The rules were simpler when it was only me I was fighting for -- but now I am carrying Colton Miller’s child. My baby.

  They lock me in the trunk and turn on the car. As we roll down the highway, I don’t kick or scream. No one will hear me on the highway.

  But once I’m out of this trunk, all hell will break loose. I’ll fight back. I’ll fight for the girl I was and the girl I want to be. Fight for my baby’s future, and fight for my own.

  I just hope I get a chance.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Colton

  I call Louisa, the real estate agent, and explain a few things. Namely, I can’t wait until tomorrow. I need to have that appointment now, today.

  “I’m not sure I can rearrange my day, what was your name again?”

  Since I first set foot on this mountain I’ve been lying low. But not anymore. Now I need to step up for Laila.

  “It’s Colton Miller. You may have heard of me.” I grimace, hating how douchey I sound.

  “Oh, uh, the Colton Miller?” she asks, her tone now ripe with interest.

  “Yeah, the one and only.”

  “Well, I’m sorry, um, of course, I can see you. Where were you looking at properties again?” Louisa asks, flustered.

  “On the lake in the valley outside of Eagle Crest.”

  “By the Bed and Breakfast?”

  Yes, just past it.”

  “I’m not sure there is much out there...” I can hear her clicking on her keyboard.

  “I know. But it doesn’t matter. I’ll buy all the land around the lake I can.”

  An hour later, I am parked on the side of the road, shaking hands with Louisa. She has just parked her wood-paneled Jeep Cherokee, which looks like it’s been putting in miles in these parts for several decades. She’s an older woman who looks like she was made from these mountains. Strong and confident, gray hair with clear blue eyes.

  I immediately get the sense that I can trust her. A far cry from the acrylic nailed platinum blonde agents I’ve met in L.A., driving up in their sports cars.

  “I must say, this is quite the surprise,” she says with a chuckle. “I don’t have time for games, no matter how rich or famous you are. Are you really wanting a place out here in the middle of nowhere?”

  I smirk, appreciating her no-nonsense approach to me. “No games, ma’am. Just looking to put down some roots, to make a home. I was here a few months ago and fell in love with it.”

  She narrows her eyes as if making a decision about me. Finally, her face breaks out into a warm smile and she nods. “Well, you’re a smart fellow, I can give you that much. No better place in the world than this mountain. Though Eagle Crest is getting a little big for its britches. Still, it’s home
for anyone with any sense.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. Now, show me what this lake can offer.”

  “There isn’t much like I said on the phone. But there is one little cabin tucked into one plot of land. It could be a good place to live while a bigger home was being built. That is unless you just plan on leaving it to a building company, and only coming here for vacation?”

  “No, I plan on living here full-time. I leave for work a few weeks every few months, but I can fly in and out. If the property was big enough, I was thinking of getting my own landing strip.”

  Louisa's eyebrows raise. “A little fancy for this town, Colton.”

  “I know, but I need to make a living for my... for...” I want to say, wife. Lover. Partner. Soulmate. I want to say, Laila. But Laila isn’t mine, not yet. So, I hold back. “I need to keep working. I love acting, but I don’t want to live in L.A. This seems like the best option.”

  “I see that. Well, let me show you around then, city boy.”

  We spend the next hour touring the forty-acre property. There are acres of untouched, pristine land and I keep thinking of Laila and me, on that blanket, under the stars. Of her telling me how she wants to live out on the lake. I want to give that to her. I want to give her everything.

  The cabin itself is tiny. One room with a moss-covered roof, but I know that would be a short-term fix. I want to design a dream house with Laila; give her everything her heart desires.

  “I’ll take it,” I tell Louisa.

  She grins, shaking her head. “You sure?”

  “No question,” I say, without a shadow of a doubt. “This is home.”

  After I’ve signed on the house, back at Louisa’s office -- which is really just a trailer in her driveway -- I stop by Rosie’s diner to purchase a peace offering for Laila. She wasn’t at the B&B earlier today, but maybe she’s back. I can bring her a pie and beg her to forgive me.

  “Long time, no see,” Rosie says as I step inside the comforting diner. There is a table full of burly mountain men in one corner, and Rosie is there, pouring them coffee.

  As I walk toward her, I realize James is at the table, I haven’t seen him since the night Laila and I were at his place for dinner.

  “Hey there, Cole,” he says, drawing a chair over to the table. “Take a seat, man.”

  “Been a while,” I say, sitting down. James introduces his buddies to me, Jax, Buck, and Beau. Immediately I feel all eyes on me.

  “Hey, aren’t you, like, that actor?” Beau says.

  James laughs. “Actor? This is Cole Mills, Laila’s friend.”

  “No, I swear. I know it sounds weird, but when I was in the slammer we watched lots of action movies. You were in that one...what’s it called, uh...”

  “Number One Suspect?” I offer, knowing what role most guys remember me for.

  “Yeah,” he says, smacking the table with his palm. “I knew it. Nice beard, though.”

  James frowns, turning to me. “Dude, you’ve got some explaining to do.”

  Rosie pours me some coffee and I give the guys the rundown. My career, my road trip, my newfound lease on life in the form of Laila.

  “So, I just signed on the dotted line, made an offer on the lakefront property. Gonna build a house out there.”

  Buck whistles low. “Shit, man, that’s a nice plot of land.”

  Jax nods. “And Laila, she knows about all this? Because I know a thing or two about women. My wife, Harper? She likes to weigh in on the decisions. Maybe you should have asked Laila what she wanted before you decided for her.”

  “No, I know this property is what Laila wants. She told me. Hell, if she doesn’t want me I’ll build her the house of her dreams and stand in the wings for as long as it takes for her to give me a second chance.”

  At that, Jax gives me his nod of approval. “Good. If you love her like you say you do, you won’t stop fighting for her.”

  All the men at the table grunt out their agreement, and I’m struck again by just how loyal and committed the men here are. I’ve never met people like this, and it fucking slays me to think about all that wasted time. Now that I’ve come to Miracle Mountain, I’ve learned a thing or two about relationships. Namely, they are worth their weight in gold.

  “So, what now?” James asks.

  “I came back to town to come clean. Turns out she already knows. She wasn’t at the B&B, but Virginia told me. Said Laila won’t want to talk with me.”

  Just then the diner doors swing open. In walks Jonah. Upon seeing me, he frowns. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  “I mean, I dropped Laila off at the airport in Boise about ten hours ago. She was on her way to see you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Laila

  I’m exhausted, thirsty, and so tired. When we pull up at a gas station in Winnemucca, Nevada, they let me out. It’s the middle of the night and there is no one around. The man, Rick, presses the gun to my forehead and explains exactly what I’m to do when we go into the gas station.

  I’m allowed to pee with Rozzy watching. I’m allowed to grab a bottle of water and a granola bar and set it at the register. I’m not allowed to speak.

  So, I don’t. Right now, all I want is to get out alive.

  After we finish inside the mini-mart, I’m shoved into the back seat of the car. I give a silent prayer of thanks to the heavens for not being shoved back in the trunk.

  I watch as Rozzy places a call to Colton. Hot tears well up in my eyes as her voice echoes through the car. I start to cry loudly, but Rick pulls out the gun and tells me to shut the fuck up.

  I listen.

  The call rings and rings and rings. Eventually, it’s put on voicemail. “Hey Colton, it’s me,” Rozzy says in a syrupy sweet voice. “I miss you. And I want to see you. Call me. Please. I miss you. Oh, and I met a friend of yours, but I’m taking care of her. I hate to think you were cheating on me.”

  A moment later, her phone rings. A voice I wasn’t expecting to hear slices through the dark car.

  My heart pounds as I realize just how far I am from having the life I want.

  “Rozzy,” Colton says. “It’s me.”

  “Colton?” Rozzy asks, her eyes wide with a thrill I can’t explain beyond crazed. “Is it really you, baby?”

  “Yes, it’s me, baby. I don’t know what you’re doing, but I need you to listen to me--”

  She cuts him off. “Did you see the article? We’re having a baby!”

  “I saw that, Roz.” Colton’s clear voice breaks my heart. “It’s pretty incredible. You and me, having a family. I would have thought that it was impossible.”

  Rozzy beams and Rick gives a fist pump to the sky. As if everything they want is falling into place. Is Colton really having this lunatic’s child?

  “Listen, Rozzy, you said you met a friend of mine? What do you mean?”

  “Some little slut was at your house. Said she was your friend, but I know better, Colton. I know you would never hurt me like that.”

  “Right, of course not. Was this friend Laila?”

  Rozzy turns to me, glaring. “I don’t know. She was a redneck white trash girl. Not what you need. She isn’t me.”

  “Where are you, Roz? I miss you so bad,” Colton says. “I need to see you.”

  “I know where you are, Colton,” Rozzy says, her voice now thick with rage. “Don’t lie to me. You are at that skank’s house. Her friend said so this morning.”

  Rick turns around as I poorly stifle a cry. He presses the gun against my shoulder and I release a pent-up sob.

  “Is that Laila?” Colton asks. “Do you have her with you now?”

  “Why do you care?” Rozzy asks. “I thought you only cared about me?”

  “I do, I do care about you. I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

  “Well, I’ll have to hurt her if you don’t agree to my demands.”

  “What demand is that, Rozzy?” Colton asks, hi
s voice shaking now.

  “Sleep with me. For old times’ sake. And claim my baby as your own.”

  “Anything you want, Roz. Just tell me where you are.”

  “No,” she says. “I have to deal with this whore first. Then we can meet up. Just you and me. Together, forever.”

  “Rozzy,” Colton cries. “Don’t hang up, just stay on the phone a little longer. I want to hear your voice.”

  “Really?” she asks, her voice so sweet it could just about fool anyone. “I thought you forgot about me. You didn’t return my calls. I thought...”

  “I was just confused. But now I know. Now I know exactly what I want. Who I want. No more lies.”

  I weep as silently as I can, and Colton’s voice whispers over the phone. “Don’t cry,” he says.

  “That isn’t me crying,” Rozzy says glaring at me. “It’s that skank. But don’t worry. Rick is going to take care of her for me, and then we can run away together.”

  His breath is ragged and I can tell he is crying too. “Right. It will be just like that. You and me, starting a life together. I even bought us land on a lake, I’m gonna build us a house. Well, I found some men out here who will help. I’m not exactly a carpenter. But it will be just for you.”

  At that, I wipe the tears from my face. The barrel of the gun may still be pressed against my shoulder, but I am choosing to hear Colton’s words as if they are just for me.

  I bite my bottom lip. The lake. A house. A life together.

  “I’m so sorry,” he says. “I should have never left you. I know you’ve had a hard life and need someone you can count on. I know I should have fought for you.”

  Rozzy cries, tears of joy on her cheeks. “You remember me telling you all about that in the emails? How Rick and I spent all those years at that hospital? How my parents said we were crazy and couldn’t be left alone? Well, I forgive you, Colton. I love you so much.”

  “I love you too.” His voice cracks as he says it. “Just stay on the phone with me, Rozzy, I want to be with you forever. I don’t want us to be apart for a single second.”