“I didn’t save you. You saved yourself, Willa. I was just there to listen is all. Please don’t go. You’ll break her heart. And I suspect you’ll break Everett’s heart too. I see what you’re wearing, Willa.” He gestured to my shirt—Everett’s shirt—that I had so giddily dressed in earlier this morning. I should have known better. I should have known that nothing as good as him was ever meant for someone like me.
I inhaled a huge sigh. I had to make him understand. “But I can’t stay. I can’t be around him anymore—”
“Which him?” he demanded.
“Both hims. I must not be meant to—”
“That’s a load of crap and you know it.”
“Tell them goodbye for me. Tell them, Wyatt.”
“Willa, please don’t do this. You’re not alone. You have me and Sabrina. You have Everett—”
“No! I won’t do this to him. To your family. You remember what Tommy was like—always in a fight, always throwing punches—and you know what he’ll do to Everett if he finds out I was ever with someone else.” A resigned look crossed his face. “Tell Sabrina I’ll keep in touch this time. Please?”
“No. I’m here for you, Willa. And Everett can take care of himself,” he insisted.
“He shouldn’t have to! It wouldn’t be fair to him. And think of your family, the girls!” I shouted as tears streamed down my face. “Please. Tell them all goodbye for me. Please, Wyatt.”
“Fine, I’ll tell them. But this isn’t over. I know I can’t stop you right now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t come after you. I’ll be looking for him and I will arrest him the second he steps a toe out of line. Unfortunately, there’s no way to prove he threw the roses at the door or that he was even here.”
“This is where it starts again with him, isn’t it?” I turned to grab another bag to fill it.
“Probably…” he sighed. “You call me every day, just like before. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“And you’ll come home the second I make it safe. Promise that, too.”
“Fine, I promise.” But there was no way Tommy would ever let me go. It was easier to just leave.
Wyatt took one of my bags—I didn’t have much—and helped me haul it to my van. But he paused at the door after tossing it in. “No. I don’t like this. There has to be a better way. Let’s talk more. Let’s get you calm and then figure this all out. You can get a restraining order, probably even an order of protection. Between that and the parole conditions, he’d be a fool to try anything. He reached for my bag in the van, but I shut the door before he could grab it. “Stop it, Willa. I can’t let you leave. I won’t do it. Come home with me. Stay at the ranch with me and Sabrina.”
“Goodbye, Wyatt.” He reached for my arm to stop me, but I sidestepped his hand and ran for the driver’s door. “Thank you for everything.” He followed close behind, his hand on the door stopped me from entering. I darted around to the back, jumped in, locked myself inside, and scrambled for the driver’s seat. After turning the key, I waved to Wyatt and took off. I felt bad, but he wasn’t going to let me go. And I had to get away.
Chapter Eleven
Willa
“You know I can’t stand it when you get upset. Stop that crying and kiss me, honey. Remember, there’s nowhere you can go where I can’t find you. You’ll always be my Willa.”
Tommy
The tears would not stop. My vision was so clouded I was almost too blind to drive. But still I kept on, determined to get as far from Tommy as I could. I wiped my eyes with the hem of Everett’s T-shirt, my chest heaving with sobs as I drove slowly down the highway that led out of Green Valley. I should have known better. Being alone was better than being hopeful. Losing hope was worse than never having it in the first place.
My phone rang from the center console. Wyatt’s name showed on the screen briefly before voicemail picked it up. I couldn’t bear to talk to him right now, and I couldn’t imagine facing him ever again. He’d been there the day my life exploded. He’d saved me in so many ways and I owed him too much—I refused to stick around and put him at risk. Tommy’s temper was legendary, and I refused to put Wyatt in the crosshairs any more than he already was.
The phone rang again. Sabrina’s name flashed on the screen before heading to voicemail. My van veered to the side as tears flowed like a river down my cheeks. This was worse than when I’d left Nashville. The cloud of black grief I had been in back then was nothing compared to what I felt right now. Back then my life had been so small. That grief still stayed with me, but now it had grown to include the people I would miss when I was gone. Especially Everett.
Spotting a parking lot ahead, I decided to pull over. I had lost all semblance of control; it was too dangerous to drive this way. I inhaled a deep shuddering breath and concentrated on the road as I made my way to the parking lot. My head crashed into the steering wheel as I shut the engine off, safely ensconced in a spot in the back of the lot. Turning my head to the side, I saw the flashing neon sign of The Wooden Plank, a biker hookup bar right outside of town.
Gathering my thoughts, I sat up to lean against the door and let my mind wander away from my troubles. Headlights flickered in the pre-dusk hour as cars pulled up and parked and customers crunched through the gravel lot to enter the bar.
My eyes squinted in the dim light and I could swear I saw my cousin Odin exit the front door of the bar. I hadn’t seen him since we were kids. He was too old to play with me when we were young, but I remember him being close to Sadie and Clara. Then my father left, and Momma quit letting his side of the family come around.
I watched him turn around and gesture angrily for someone to follow him. With a gasp I shot out of my van when I realized it was Gracie he was ordering out of the bar. Sixteen-year-old Gracie! What the ever-loving hell was she doing here? My own troubles retreated to the back of my mind as I so clearly saw Gracie on the same path I had been walking at her age—willful, reckless, and looking for trouble—trying to find anything to get her mind off Momma’s cruel neglect and our life at home. No way would I let that happen to her. I mean, just look at me. I was the definition of a tragic hot mess and I refused to let that her make those same mistakes.
Determination kept my stride fast as I jogged toward them, not even thinking of the fact I was in Everett’s way too big T-shirt and a pair of leggings with my face a red, tear-streaked horror of a mess.
“Willa, honey. I heard you were back in town. Who died?” Odin greeted sardonically as I finally made it to where they stood under a tall lamp in the parking lot and he got a good look at my face. Gracie merely shot me a glare then looked away with a huff of her breath.
“No one died. I’m having a bad night, is all. What was she doing in there?” I asked Odin.
“Hustling pool and drinking beer. Got a call from an old friend that one of my kin was in here stirring up a ruckus. He knows about your momma’s ways and thought it would be nicer if someone with a friendly face picked this one up. So, I swung by and there she was.” His head jerked to the side to side while his shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. “She was winnin’, too.”
“I want my money, Odin.” Gracie demanded at his side. “I earned it. Give it over.”
“Listen here, you little troublemaker. I’ll give you your money, but I don’t want you coming here again. Don’t make me tell your Momma. One, I don’t want to talk to her. And two, bars are not safe for sixteen-year-old girls who look like you, you hear?”
“I hear you, Odin. Fine, I won’t come back.” She held her hand out for the money.
He sighed exasperatedly and shook his head as he handed it over. “Keep an eye on this one, Willa. She’s lookin’ for trouble in all the wrong places. Kind of like you used to do.”
“Okay, I will. Thank you, Odin.” He wrapped me up in a hug, patted the top of Gracie’s head, then took off for his car with a wave.
“What the hell, Gracie?”
“None of your business, Will
a.” She darted around me and took off into the parking lot. Yeah, no way. I ran after her and, placing a hand on her arm, spun her around.
“Where do you think you’re going?” She shrugged, not meeting my eyes. “How did you even get here?” I pushed.
“I hitched a ride. How else would I get way out here? I’m still waiting on the parts for my VW. I have no car right now.”
“Jeez, are you trying to get yourself killed, or worse?”
“Oh yeah, totally. I have a death wish. No, dummy—I’m here to play pool and make money.” She hitched her hip and rolled her eyes at me. It was like looking at a mirror in a time machine. Damn.
“You can’t make money by getting drunk in a biker bar, genius.” I stated facts.
“I’m wasn’t in there drinking. I just had a few sips so they would think I was drunk. Girl who looks like me? If I smell like a beer they bet more—then I win more. Duh.”
“Well, okay then.” Maybe she wasn’t like me. I used to sneak into this bar to get drunk. I met Tommy in this bar. I ruined my life in this freaking bar. Still, she wasn’t on a good path and I was going to make it stop.
“Okay then,” she mocked.
“Knock it off, smartass,” I sniped back.
“Whatever.” She turned to leave again, and I grabbed her arm. She shook me off and kept going.
“Gracie! Stop running off, dammit!” I shouted at her retreating back.
“I’ll do what I want, Willa.” She stopped short and turned to the side to shout at someone. “I see you, Devron Stokes! You owe me two-hundred and fifty dollars. Don’t make me tell your wife!” she shouted.
“Why would Devron Stokes owe you money?” I asked.
“He sucks at pool and he’s too stupid to know it.”
“Okay. Okay, Gracie, my van is over there. Come with me.” I offered, taking hold of her hand before she could dart away again.
She stopped walking and faced me. “Why would you care what I do?”
“Because you’re my sister, that’s why.”
“It didn’t stop you from leaving before,” she accused. Her eyes were filled with a pain that I recognized. I felt it from my father after he left and I, like a fool, had been the one to put into Gracie’s eyes.
“I’m sorry I left you, Gracie.” I whispered. “It is the worst mistake I’ve made in my life, leaving y’all.” Her hands went out to ward off my apology as she stood there shaking her head. “I mean it. I never should have left—”
“Quit it.”
“Okay…” I took her hand again and started heading for my van. Reluctantly, she followed along. She was like a ticking bomb at my side. Her energy was unpredictable, and I was afraid I would say something to set her off.
“You can stay at my place tonight, if you want to.” I offered.
“Really?” She seemed surprised.
“Sure. Maybe we can talk or something?” I opened the van door, forgetting that everything I owned was piled all over the back. Gracie turned to glare accusingly at me.
“You’re leaving again! Why do you even care what I do when you’re leaving! Again! Ugh!” She shouted. The tiny bit of progress I had made with her had vanished. Shit.
“I’m not leaving.” So, yeah, I had everything I owned in the back and was halfway out of Dodge. I couldn’t leave now. Not when Gracie clearly needed…me. Gracie needed what I never had—unconditional love and guidance. Gah! Who the hell was I to attempt to guide anyone? Damn. We were so screwed.
“All your shit’s in the back. I’m not stupid, Willa.”
“Well, I’m not going anywhere now. I’ve changed my mind.”
“I don’t care.”
“You don’t have to care.”
“Good. Cause I don’t care what you do.”
“So, you’ve said.”
“Yeah. I said it.”
“Cut the crap, Gracie.” She stuck her tongue out at me and flipped me off, reminding me of her age and the fact that I had to be the grown-up here.
“Go on and tell Momma. She won’t care. This will just be another life lesson for me to learn. Such bullshit.” Her arms crossed and her eyes grew glassy with unshed tears under the glow of the lamp light in the parking lot.
“You’re right. It is bullshit.”
Her head whipped around, and she studied me with narrowed eyes before shrugging and turning back to glare at the parking lot, still unwilling to meet my gaze. “Whatever.”
“Yeah, whatever. I messed up my life, Gracie. I’m not going to let you do the same.”
“You’re not Momma. You can’t tell me what to do. Momma doesn’t even tell me what to do.” She sneered in what I had come to suspect was a semi-permanent expression on her face.
“You should be glad about that, Gracie May.” I loved her and I wanted to help her, but I also wanted to smack that smirk right off her face—right after I scrubbed the raccoon eyeliner off.
“Screw you.”
“Yeah, screw it all.”
“What?”
“Screw it. Fuck it. Move in with me. We’ll get an apartment together. You’re right about one thing—she’ll let you do it.”
She didn’t face me, wouldn’t even look at me. “You mean she won’t give a shit if I leave. Just like she didn’t try to find you after you left.” Her words were harsh. Was she trying to hurt me?
I inhaled a sharp breath. Deep down I knew Momma didn’t look for me, but hearing it spoken out loud hurt. Now I was the one to turn away. I saw Gracie turn toward me out of the corner of my eye. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, Willa,” she whispered.
“I know you didn’t. It is what it is. She’ll never change.” I sighed with defeat.
“Can I still go with you?” Gracie asked quietly. Now my head whipped to her. We were finally meeting eyes. I was surprised and pleased.
“Of course you can.” She smiled at me. It was small, but it was real. I smiled back.
“Let’s go.” We got in my van, buckled up, and took off. I slowed down and pulled into the Piggly Wiggly parking lot. If I was staying in town, we needed food. And If Gracie was going to live with me, I needed…a second job, probably. Would Everett be okay with her staying with me for now? Gah! I couldn’t keep living in his house after what we did last night, and we could never do it again because of Tommy. Putting Everett at risk like that would be horrible and selfish and wrong, wrong, wrong. Tommy had only hurt me once, but he would go after any man who dared to look at me twice. I heaved out a huge sigh. What was I doing?
“Why are we here?”
“Food. Come on. My cupboards are bare. We need groceries. But let’s stick to the sales, cause I’m broke.” Reality crashed into my mind the more I settled down from my earlier panic. How had I thought I could leave town with no money?
“I have lots of money. We can buy whatever we want. Can I really stay with you?”
I was pleased to see a tiny ray of hope shining from her eyes. “Yes and we can get your stuff from the farm tomorrow.”
She grinned at me. “Thank you.” I began to relax as we exited my van and headed for the row full of buggies in front of the store. One step at a time. My mind always turned into a muddled mess when I tried to figure everything out at once.
“We’ll be okay, Gracie. I promise, somehow I am going to make it all okay.”
“Well, I can help.” She placed her hands next to mine on the cart and laughing together, we walked down the aisles, filling the cart as we went.
“How do you have so much money, anyway?” I asked her. “From hustling pool?”
“Nah, I only do that if owner isn’t there, which is hardly ever.”
“Oh. Okay…” She dug around in her pocket then handed me a business card. It read “What do you need?” with a phone number beneath and a website on the back:
www.youneedgracie.com
I grinned over at her. “This is yours?”
“Yeah, I do odd jobs. I deliver pizzas at the Pizza Hut and pick up grocerie
s for some of the old people in town. They usually tip me pretty good, along with my fee. I mow lawns and I babysit. I made five-hundred bucks babysitting just from the Winstons last month. Sienna Diaz-Winston pays a lot, and she’s nice too. I want my own place, soon as I turn eighteen. Clara helped me get a bank account and she helps me invest my money, so my money makes money, or something like that. Sometimes I don’t always get what she says but I listen to her because she’s so smart. You and Sadie should have listened to her too.” The last part was whispered under her breath.
“You’re probably right about that,” I agreed.
Embarrassingly, Gracie paid for the groceries and we loaded up and left. Trepidation built up inside me the closer we got to Everett’s house. What would I say? Had Wyatt already talked to him? How would I ever make him understand that I couldn’t be with him?
I slowed to a stop in my spot in the driveway and we began to unload. I froze when light filled the back porch and Everett’s tall silhouette filled the space as he headed our way. Shit, crap, damn, he was beautiful. And for one glorious night, he had been mine. Deep down I had always known that a man like that was not meant for the likes of me, and I was right. But I still couldn’t help how my heart flew out of my chest at the sight of him. Gracie eyed me as I stood there with my arms full of groceries, watching Everett and frozen in place like a statue.
“Hey, Everett,” she called. Giving me a look out of the corner of her eye as if waiting for me to react. “Do you have the new Smash-Girl comic yet?” As an aside, she explained to me. “I’m old-school. I like buying my comics from a shop and Everett said he would order them when he opens up. It’s more fun to wait and anticipate. Isn’t it?”
“Uh, yeah. I guess so,” I muttered.
“Just got them in today,” Everett answered her, eyes on me as he took the bags from my hand. “Willa. Hey, sweetness,” he whispered. His gaze fell over my shoulder and he frowned as he took in my haphazardly packed bags sitting in the back of my van. “Going somewhere?”
Carpentry and Cocktails: A Heartfelt Small Town Romance (Green Valley Library Book 5) Page 9
