by Dawn McClure
“Brandon, if I learned anything from being with you, it’s that you don't think with your heart. You wouldn't have gotten me fired purely out of spite. You have a reason behind all this.” I just haven't figured it out yet. Now that she wasn't looking at Brandon as though he were a savior anymore, she sensed he was more devious than she'd once thought him to be. Calculating.
He'd known all along that she was none of the things she'd pretended to be while they'd been dating.
No, not pretended. Aspired.
Yes, she'd aspired to be everything but what she once was—and he'd known. He'd prodded her in the opposite direction, and she'd allowed it because she'd wanted to forget. Wanted to leave her past in Garner and never look back. What better way to do that than with someone who had the same goal in mind? Living in Rapid had been his dream, not hers. That’s why he’d taken her there skiing during their junior year. He’d practically glowed when telling her how awesome that area was. But she’d always felt that deep-down tug of wanting to stay in her hometown.
“You always think everything through,” she persisted. “Why were you going to propose when you knew we had no future together?”
He had to have known that one day she'd find her way back home. At the time she hadn't known, but she hadn't been thinking straight. The thing with Brandon was—he always thought of the future.
He stood and walked around the coffee table, separating the distance between them. “You're right. I was raised in a house where you had to make something of yourself before you hit the ripe old age of thirty. Study, get the degrees, become a lawyer like my father and grandfather. But you.” He smiled. “You made me see life from a different angle. You went against the grain. You always seemed to do what you wanted and to hell with the consequences. Is it so hard to imagine that I fell in love with you?”
He didn't love her. Everything was becoming clearer to her. He couldn't control his life because his father controlled that, so he thought to manipulate her. Control her because she'd allowed herself to be controlled. Had desired it. Instead of helping her, he'd pushed her over the edge. “You don't love anyone but yourself. That's how you were raised.”
“I did not get you fired, and if you like, I can prove it.”
“That's bullcrap. When I walked in here and told you I got fired, you didn't blink an eye. You already knew.”
“I never said I didn't know. I just said I wasn't the one who made that happen.”
She folded her arms over her chest. This is going to be good. She'd let him try to explain, and then she was going to walk out the door for good and key his pretty little car on the way out. The more she thought about it, the more she didn't want that damned job. Not if the superintendent could be bought. She wouldn't want to work for that type of person.
“I know what you thought at the time, but my father never put in a good word for you when you interviewed. You got the job all by yourself.” He bent down and picked up his phone off the coffee table. “He did make a call after I told him you were hired. I found out the day of the tornado. That's why I didn’t call or text you right away because I was looking for him when he wasn't in the office. I had no clue we were under such a threat until the siren went off. We'd gotten in a fight and I was trying to get a hold of him. I was going to fix what he'd done. I swear it. Most of the conversation is in my messages. Look at the date.”
He handed her his cell.
At first, she didn't bring up his messages. She could only stare at him. Finally, she looked at the screen and brought up the app.
“Misty, I still want you back. I'd have never tried to get you fired. That would only keep you here with him. That’s what my dad wanted. You here with David. Guess he knew how that would end up.”
She'd run in here with guns blazing and thinking everything was black-and-white with no gray area to be had. She glanced down at the texts on the cell. Brandon wasn't lying. He'd had it out with his dad on the day of the tornado. Fought for her to get her job back. The wind went completely out of her sails, but the news only changed the way she looked at him. Not the way she felt about him.
She handed the phone back to him, feeling a little melodramatic and on the verge of tears. It didn't change the status of their current relationship, though, and she needed to make that clear. “It's over, Brandon.” She winced at the crack in her voice. “I’m so sorry for barging in like I did…I just thought…”
He used the pad of his thumb to bring up his messages. “No. I want you to read these. All of them. I don't want a doubt in your mind as to who did this. I would have told you that day, but well, after the conversation we had in the car, I figured I would try harder to get your job back. That's why I went to see my dad the next day and left you here. I tried, Misty. But he went to college with Mr. Grier, and nothing I said to my dad would change his mind. He thought if you had to stay in Garner with David around, you and I would be finished when I went to Vermillion.” Brandon shrugged. “He was right. Just off on the timing.”
She shook her head. “I did read them, Brandon. I'm sorry I accused you, but this doesn't change anything.”
Brandon nodded but didn't look at her.
“What did he have against me?” she asked.
When Brandon realized she wasn't going to get back together with him, he put the cell back on the coffee table. “He thought you were taking me away from what was most important. My grades slipped.” He shrugged. “It probably has something to do with that affair he had with Nora. You reminded him of her.”
She was positive she hadn't heard him right. “I'm sorry... Nora...?” Nora who? He’d never mentioned that his father had an affair. When had that happened? She only knew one Nora—and he couldn't possibly be referring to her.
Brandon tilted his head and looked at her as though he didn’t believe her. “Come on, Misty. You didn't know about that?”
Part of her wanted to run out of the duplex. She didn’t want to hear anymore. But she heard herself ask, “About what?”
“My dad had an affair with Nora Buchanan our first year of high school.”
Chapter 26
Misty's truck was sitting in Brandon’s driveway.
David had to travel Main Street through town to get to Misty's cabin. He was so preoccupied with all the shit on his mind, he was surprised he'd caught sight of her truck at all. But since he'd come home from the Corps and had known Misty and Brandon were an item, it had become a habit to glance at Brandon’s driveway when he drove past. Tonight was no exception, except tonight her truck was parked next to his silver Honda Civic for the first time. David had never once seen it at Brandon’s place when they’d been dating, so the sight took him completely by surprise.
He pulled over so fast he nearly took out a power pole, which would have been bad considering this was a brand-new truck.
He put the truck in Park, ready to tear into that house and level the man that lived there. Instead, he sat in his idling truck and stared at the front window, which was lit up, but the curtains were pulled. He couldn't see inside the house, and he probably didn't want to.
What was Misty doing here? He thought back to the pro and con list. He tightened his hands on the steering wheel and sat like a statue as his blood pressure spiked. Was she there to talk to Brandon? To ask for another chance? Deep down he didn't think she'd do that. But he never thought she'd write that bullshit list down on a yellow piece of paper either. And the proof was in the pudding, wasn't it? What possible reason would she be at Brandon's place tonight of all nights?
There was no reason. No reason at all.
With his foot on the brake he put the truck in Drive, thinking to drive away and never look back. Instead, he waited for her to come out of the front door. Waited for...something. He fought the urge to go pound on that door. He thought his days of beating a dead horse were over. Thought they were at least past this stage. The words of their first date played in a loop in his head.
“Do you miss him?”
; “No. Is that bad?”
He'd never thought of Misty as a liar. He put the truck back in Park and opened the door, not even bothering to turn the damn thing off. David had never thought of her as a liar because she wasn't a liar. There was a reason she was here, but it sure as hell couldn't be because she wanted to get back with Brandon or she was crying on his shoulder.
He knew her better than that.
When he got to the front door and raised his hand to knock, he heard Misty yell, “That is complete and utter bullshit. If you know anything about the Garner pipeline, then you know half the time what people say can't be trusted. Jesus, Brandon, don't you ever go around repeating that load of crap.”
Misty sounded livid. Her voice, though raised in volume, was low-pitched, and it sounded like she was yelling through a wired jaw. David wasn't going to eavesdrop for a second time that night. He twisted the doorknob and walked in.
Brandon's calm voice greeted him. “I know for a fact they had an affair because I was the one who walked in on them. That was the night it ended. She quit her job the very next day.”
What the hell were they talking about? Someone had an affair? He was about to walk into the living room from the front door walkway when Misty's words stopped him short.
“Nora is a good person. She'd never have cheated on Mike.”
“Well she did, and I was there. Christ, Misty, the whole town knows about it. How could you possibly not have known?”
David came around the corner then, unable to stand there and listen to what was being said. Brandon looked like he'd been hit in the middle by a two-by-four when they locked eyes. Misty whirled around to face David. Her face lost most of its color. Neither said anything because, really, what could either say after that?
Well, he knew what to say. “Brandon, I don't ever want to hear you spreading lies about my mother again. Do you understand?”
Brandon's look went from one of surprise to one of pity. That's when David knew Brandon wasn't spreading lies. David thought back to his parents’ marriage and how it had seemed to have fallen apart when he’d hit his teens. His mother had been working for Harry Reynolds at his law office in town and then she'd abruptly quit. Around that time, Big Mike had started taking his anger out on not only his wife, but his son as well.
David cleared his throat—all the pieces of the puzzle fitting together too well. He didn't want to think about it. Couldn't wrap his mind around it right now, so he turned to Misty. “Why are you here?”
Misty looked between Brandon and him. “I...uh... I was fired from my job in Rapid. I came to confront Brandon about it.”
“You had Misty fired?” David asked Brandon calmly. At least he could latch on to something other than thinking about how his mother had cheated on his father. How it had affected his family. Altered his life. This he could handle. This he could fix. Hopefully with his fists.
“No. My father had her fired.”
David glanced at Misty for confirmation. “Brandon had nothing to do with it.”
So his mother had an affair with Harry Reynolds and Misty was no longer going to Rapid. David couldn't look at either of them while his mind processed what he’d just learned. He took a deep breath and stared at the front window, wanting to deny what Brandon had said about his mother, but it all made too much sense. His dad hating Harry. His anger. His parents…shit. It was too much to think about. Twenty minutes ago, he'd been struggling with Misty’s childish pro and con list, and the things she'd said to Abby. All that shit about not being able to trust him. Now this. Funny how quickly things could be put into perspective. First-world problem. No shit, Mom.
He looked at Misty. “You okay?”
She lowered her gaze. “I'm fine. I'll figure something out.”
Yeah, she always did, didn’t she? He nodded and turned to leave. He'd beat a dead horse until it came to life once before. That shit had worn him completely down. He wasn't about to do it again.
She knew where he stood, and she knew where to find him.
The cabin had never been so quiet, but after what had transpired tonight, a busy disco might seem silent. Misty made a cup of coffee with the Keurig she'd bought at the Garner Hardware store the other day. She took the steaming cup into the bedroom and set it on the cardboard box she was using as a nightstand.
David's letters were in a nice, clean pile on top of the blue plaid comforter David had bought with the bed. She'd struggled as to what to do after she'd left Brandon's place, but thought David should have some time to think things over. Hearing that his mother had an affair on his father wasn't something he would hear every day. She’d texted him and told him she was at the cabin if he wanted to come over to talk. He hadn’t texted back.
She settled against the pillows that were pressed against the wall and scooped up the envelopes. He'd written her name and address on each one and had even attached a stamp. She ran the pad of her thumb across one of the stamps and felt the smoothness of the Forever Stamp. Forever…
Caroline’s warning made her gut twist. “Do yourself a favor and read them only when you're by yourself.”
Misty was still trying to grapple with the news that Brandon had dropped. That, along with that stupid pro and con list and the things David had heard her say to Abby... Shit, what a mess. It was probably better to be alone tonight and read these letters. Better to get a grip on how David had felt while he'd been gone. Maybe it would give her insight as to where they should go from here.
She took the letters out of the envelopes, putting each long letter in order according to the date he'd put at the top right side of the paper. Once she was finished, she took a sip of coffee and just stared at the first one. His handwriting had always been a little hard to read. Slightly slanted to the right, something between print and cursive. She laughed, running her hand over the paper. He should have become a doctor with that chicken scratch.
She felt as though she were looking at David's diary, and while it felt wrong, she was going to read them anyway. He'd written these to her, and she wanted more than anything to know what he'd been thinking while he'd been gone. While she'd been praying.
She hadn't been praying only for his safe return. She'd prayed that she hadn't lost him forever, something she'd silently denied every time after she'd closed her one-on-one with God. Only He had known where her heart had been. Where it had always been. With David.
She set her cup down and picked up the first letter.
Chapter 27
By nine o'clock that morning, David had made seven phone calls, checked cattle, met up with Tucker to discuss a good time for baling, and made a date with Matt to harvest the winter wheat on both farms. He was still waiting for one specific phone call, but he wasn't going to hold his breath on that one. It would take a miracle to line up those particular chain of events.
His mother had texted him and let him know she had some breakfast cooking if he was interested. By the time he got to the house from the field, only his dad was seated at the dining room table. Instead of checking the headlines on his phone or turning on the news, Big Mike still had the paper delivered daily. He had his newspaper folded out in front of him.
“Morning,” David said, setting his gloves on the shiny wood of the dining room table.
Big Mike glanced up from his paper. “Morning.”
Normally his dad wouldn't have looked up from the paper, but this morning, he actually set it aside and put his hands around his coffee cup and looked at David. David braced himself for a morning briefing on the ranch, or worse. Instead, his dad only said, “Your mom left your breakfast plate in the microwave.”
David nodded and went to get it. Misty hadn't called or texted all morning. Wasn't at the Evan’s ranch either. He was going to call her this afternoon if she hadn't called by then. See how she was doing with finding out she'd been fired. He doubted she was thrilled.
He wasn't even sure where they stood after their fight last night. Not sure he wanted to know. She’d texted him
and told him he could come over last night, but so much had happened that he just stayed at the guesthouse. He poured himself a cup of coffee and headed to the dining room. “Where's Mom?”
“Headed over to Alice's. They're meeting up for prayer group.”
Prayer group. David couldn't think about his mother having an affair with Harry Reynolds. Couldn't put the two together in his mind. But damn, did it all make sense with the way his dad had started acting and how she'd quit the job so quickly.
He glanced at his dad. What had that affair done to the man? Obviously he'd stuck with his wife, but who had he turned to when he'd needed to talk? David knew firsthand how tough it was to keep things like that in. He knew what it could do to a person.
Being home already agreed with his dad, though. He seemed more relaxed now that he was out of the hospital. Less anxious. The flowers he and Misty bought for his mother at his dad’s request still sat in the middle of the table, attesting to the fact that his mom and dad were getting along better. Perhaps that was due to the fact that they spent an entire month together in the hospital. Maybe if Big Mike was getting along better with his wife, David's relationship with him would get better too.
“Dad, I'm sorry for getting into it with you the day of the tornado. I said a lot of things that were uncalled for.” And now I understand why you pulled away from us. You were hurt. He'd never bring that up to him though. If his dad needed to talk to someone about what happened all those years ago between his wife and Harry, it sure as hell wasn't going to be with his son.
His dad settled back in his chair. “We've both made mistakes. Both lashed out when we shouldn't have. Let's just leave it at that.”
David nodded, pushing his scrambled eggs around his plate. He had no plans on ever bringing up what he learned, but he did want to make sure things really were on the right track. Hell, his dad had probably thought David knew about the affair. Apparently everyone else in town had known, except for him and Misty. Did Matt know? Shane? Tucker? Had they just stepped back and never brought it up because it was ten shades of awkward? “How are you and Mom doing?”
