by Livia Grant
“What happened?”
“Eddie was high. I know he had to be, because he had never hurt me before, but that night… It was my worst nightmare. It was Gene all over again. He was so violent. We hadn’t slept together in almost six months, but he almost raped me that night, in between slapping me around and trying to choke me until I’d agree to stay. One of the guys in the band, Justin, finally broke into our room and stopped him or who knows if I’d still be here. I didn’t stick around to see what happened between Eddie and Justin. I just grabbed my bag, purse and the keys to Gopher and drove away. I didn’t really even know for sure where I was going until I had time to calm down and turned towards Corbin’s Bend.”
As soon as she stops talking, Hallie feels a wave of relief, followed closely by a wave of exhaustion, felt deep in her bones. Traci doesn’t try to say something clever to make it all better. Hallie suspects she knows no words can really change anything. Only time can do that. As her tears continue, Traci stands and comes around the island to scoop Hallie up into a strong bear-hug. The strength of her embrace breaks down her last emotional wall that had been holding all of the shitty memories of the abuse her and her mother had survived since losing their beloved Nana. There in Traci’s kitchen, Hallie cries for her Nana, for her mom and for her own innocence lost. When the women pull apart several minutes later, Hallie can see the tears on Traci’s face.
Hallie reaches for the box of tissues, grabbing several and handing one to her new friend, before blowing her own running nose. “I can’t believe you’re crying too. I’m the one that’s messed up. I hated what Mom did so much and then I went and did the same thing with Eddie.”
The flash of anger in Traci’s eyes surprise Hallie. “Are you kidding me? You are nothing like your mother. Don’t you dare say that again. I know you loved her and she didn’t deserve the hell that Gene put her through, but she has to take some responsibility for her own choices. You, on the other hand, escaped the cycle of abuse not only once with Gene, but you refused to put up with any violence from Eddie. If you were a battered woman, like your mom had been, you would still be on that tour bus right now, putting up with Eddie’s escalating violence until he gets the help he needs to straighten out his life. You did all you can do for him. It took great strength to pick up and leave everything that you had known for the last few years, especially not really knowing you had a safe place to go to.”
Traci’s words have a direct hit with Hallie, and she is suddenly filled with optimism for her future for the first time in a long time. She’d been feeling like she was a failure for running away from the tour, but Traci has held up a mirror, forcing her to examine the last few weeks through a neutral lens, and Hallie begins to like what she sees.
“So, you think there might be hope for me after all?”
“Oh, Hallie. There was always hope. The only thing that’s changed today is that you are finally going to start believing it. I think you are already on the road to recovery.”
“Whatever that means, right?”
“Right. The good thing is you’re young and you have your whole life ahead of you. So the real question now is, what does Hallie Boudreaux want to do with the rest of her life?”
Hallie smiles a sad smile. “If only I knew.”
Chapter Seven
Troy hasn’t looked this forward to Christmas so much since he was eight years old and had asked Santa for a new bike. He’s pretty sure the excitement he feels as he sees the sign announcing Corbin’s Bend three miles ahead would rival finding that bike under the tree that Christmas morning so many years before.
It’s been less than two weeks since he was here last, but the time has dragged by. He’s been busy at work so it wasn’t too bad during the day, but the nights have found him distracted and obsessing over the events of his last visit to Corbin’s Bend. He’d been tempted to drive out last weekend, but Traci had talked him out of it. His brain knows he’d done the right thing in spanking his sister, but he can’t shake the feeling that she may not feel the same. As a result, he’s phoned and texted her more often than normal. It’s important to him that they get to spend this first Christmas in four years together reconnecting.
He might also have an unconscious motive for checking in with his sister frequently. Thoughts of a petite young woman with a fire in her green eyes have haunted both his waking hours and sleep. Troy is ashamed to admit he’d hoped his sister would let information about how Hallie was doing slip into their conversations. Ever the professional, Traci has been careful not to share anything more than passing information on Corbin’s Bend’s newest resident. Troy respects his sister’s careful confidentiality with her patient’s private conversations, yet he’s anxious to know more about Hallie Boudreaux than that she’s doing well.
He’d timed his arrival to pick up Traci in time to head to St. Michael’s Parish for the Christmas Eve service. He’d hoped to have time to come in and chat with his sister before heading out, but traffic had been heavy and she is already coming out her front door as he pulls in the drive.
“Hi, Troy. I was getting worried I might need to go save us seats. It fills up fast on holidays.”
Troy leans over to kiss his sister on her cheek as she slides into the front seat of his SUV. “Hey, Trace. Yeah, I’d hoped to be here sooner too.”
Troy backs out and heads the few blocks drive over to the church. There’s a light dusting of snow coming down and the night has the kind of magical feel like only Christmas Eve can.
“So does the whole town show up at church on a night like this?”
“Mostly. Some people go out of town to visit family, and there are two services, one at seven and one at eleven so I’m hoping it won’t be too crowed at this first one.”
“Well, you may have to help me if I forget people’s names. Everyone seems to remember me because I’m with you and I met them once at the picnic. What’s the pastor’s name again?”
“Father Henry Beauchamp. I’m not sure who else will be there for sure other than Brent, Char and Kayla. They called earlier to make sure we’d be going to the Christmas Eve party at the Community Center between services. I told them I’d need to check with you, but I thought we’d at least stop by.”
“Hey, I’m the guest here. If that’s what you normally do, then let’s go.”
They’re already pulling into the church parking lot. With only fifteen minutes to spare before the start of the service, the lot is almost full. Picturesque brown-bag lanterns light the sidewalk. Troy stays close to his sister as they enter the crowed entryway full of people waiting to shake hands with the greeters at the door to the sanctuary. Only as they move closer does Troy recognize it’s Dr. Devon, surrounded by three young boys and a very pregnant woman he assumes is his wife. They make a very nice looking family, and since they know everyone in town, the line is moving at a snail’s pace as neighbors share jovial holiday greetings.
As the line inches forward, Troy scans the foyer, hoping to catch a glimpse of Hallie. It’s not until they’re through greeting the Devon clan and headed into the sanctuary that he spots her in one of the pews near the front, sitting between her aunt and uncle. He’d forgotten how petite she is, yet as she turns to speak to her aunt, he can see her face light up into a smile.
‘Traci was right. She is doing well.’
Only as he allows the relief of seeing her looking so happy register, does he realize just how much he’d been aching to see her again. His brain knows she is not available to him. He’s too old for her for starters, and while he still doesn’t know what her history is, he’s pretty sure there’s violence in her past that will make living in a DD community very difficult for Hallie.
Regardless, when he caught himself thinking about her at frequent intervals throughout the day, he’d eventually had to acknowledge he feels a magnetic pull to the feisty young woman he’d met under the most unique circumstances. There’s something about her that’s captured his full attention, yet that’s where it nee
ds to end. As tempting as it is to pursue getting to know Hallie better, the odds are not in their favor. Remembering the fear in her eyes after bursting into Traci’s to stop her spanking always tamps down his excitement.
‘Better to remain mere acquaintances than start something that won’t end well.’
The service is uplifting and spiritual and Troy finds himself grateful for the many blessings in his life. The music is traditional and several times, Troy gives up singing Christmas carols just to take in the profile of Hallie as she enjoys her first Christmas with family in over three years. Her eyes twinkle with excitement during the final hymn, Silent Night. The sanctuary is lit with dozens of candles held by the congregation.
When the service concludes, the crowd begins to head out, many in the direction of the Community Center. Troy and Traci are delayed as several people stop to talk with his sister. The loitering allows for Hallie and her family to approach their row as they head to the exit.
“Merry Christmas, Hallie.”
She’d been talking with her aunt, so she’s surprised when she looks up to see Troy. He’s relieved she doesn’t appear to be afraid of him. He detects a slight blush on her cheeks as her eyes widen as she recognizes Troy, and he wonders if she’d just been thinking about how they’d met. Still, he’s happy she isn’t running in the opposite direction. It’s a good sign.
“Merry Christmas, Troy. Traci told me you’d be coming to visit for a few days. I just didn’t know you’d arrive in time for tonight’s service.” She continues hesitantly. “Are you… and Traci going to the party over at the Community Center by chance?”
“I’m pretty sure we are. How about you?”
“Yes, we’re going, although Uncle Adam has already said he doesn’t want to stay too late. Something about Santa needing his rest.” She shoots her uncle a playful smirk.
The man standing next to her chuckles, holding out his hand to Troy. “Hello young man.” Adam continues to pump Troy’s hand vigorously as he continues, although he looks uncomfortable with the social interaction. “I didn’t have the opportunity to properly thank you for helping our Hallie the night she got to town. She told us about how you and Traci took care of her.”
Troy allows his eyes to drift down to Hallie’s, searching for clues on exactly what she might have told her uncle about the events on the night of her arrival. Troy detects a full-blown rosy blush as she shuffles her feet subconsciously. Troy is on his own.
“Yes, well it was certainly a shock having someone arriving at the house at that hour. I’m just glad we were up and had lights on to help her find her way.”
Hallie glances up through her long lashes. They share a private look that tells Troy that Hallie had kept the fact she’d broken in to stop Troy from spanking his sister a secret from her aunt and uncle. Troy is happy, for Traci’s sake. She lives and works here in town and he’d hate for anyone to lose confidence in her based on her foolish actions on one night of her life.
“Well, Gina and I are so happy to have her here, and we’re grateful to you and your sister. What are you two doing tomorrow for your Christmas celebration?”
“Honestly, we haven’t talked about it yet, but I assumed we would have a quiet day at her house considering we don’t have any other family to celebrate with.”
“Well that won’t do. You two should come to our place around ten. We have a tradition of opening gifts and then Gina serves a wonderful brunch. We normally invite a lot of people over, but the crowd is going to be smaller this year with a lot of folks visiting relatives out of town. We’d love it if you would join us.”
Troy glances at Hallie, trying to gauge her reception to the idea. He doesn’t want to accept her uncle’s offer if it will make her uncomfortable. The only hint he has to her feelings on the topic is the small smile playing on her gloss shimmering lips.
Turning to his sister, Troy lets her make the final decision. “We haven’t talked about tomorrow yet, Trace. What did you have planned?”
“Well, I’d like to drop in at Brent and Char’s in the afternoon and we’ve had a few other offers, but I had mostly just wanted to spend time with you.”
Adam wraps his arm around his niece’s waist, pulling her close against him. “Well it’s settled then. You two can come and spend time together at our place. I insist. Drop by after ten.”
Troy is a bit annoyed at the forcefulness of the elder man, but Aunt Gina joins the conversation to add on her own gracious invitation in her charming southern drawl. “Yes, we’d love it if you’d both join us tomorrow. Hallie doesn’t know that many people in town, so having familiar faces there will help her feel more at home.”
The look on Hallie’s face tells Troy his presence isn’t going to have the desired effect, but before he can decline, Traci answers for them. “We’d love to join you tomorrow, Gina. Thanks for the invitation. What can I bring?”
Traci and Gina take the lead as they finally exit the church, talking menus, leaving Adam to make his next bold request. “So you and your sister are going over to the community center, eh?” He doesn’t even stop to give Troy a chance to get a word in edgewise. “Hallie has her heart set on it, but Gina and I prefer to just head on home. You wouldn’t mind taking her along with you and dropping her off later, would you?”
“Uncle Adam! If you really don’t want to go, that’s fine. You don’t need to try to pawn me off on Troy and Traci.”
“I’m not pawning you off, young lady. You just haven’t had much fun since you got here and going to the party at the community center tonight with people closer to your own age would be a lot more fun than going home with your aunt and me.”
Troy snorts. “Well, thanks for the compliment, but I might be a bit older than you give me credit for.”
“Well, you’re a hell of a lot closer to her age than her aunt and I are. Just have her home before midnight. I’d hate for her to run into Santa on her way to bed.” He has a twinkle in his eye as he drops a quick kiss on his niece’s forehead before heading off in the direction of his wife.
Hallie shuffles awkwardly, watching her uncle’s fast retreat, deserting her. She’s fidgeting nervously with her plum scarf. Troy had remembered her being shorter, but then notices she’s once again dressed in totally inappropriate, albeit fashionable, high-heeled leather boots. She appears unstable on her feet until he then realizes she is subconsciously shuffling to distance herself from him.
“So, I guess you’re stuck hanging out with Traci and me tonight. You ready to head over?” Troy tests the waters by offering his right bent arm. He holds, watching the indecision flit through her eyes. He is patient.
Stepping forward, Hallie slowly reaches out, linking her left hand through the crook of his arm just in time for Troy to support her as she almost wobbles to the floor after teetering precariously on her too-tall heels.
“Fuck these stupid shoes!” Hallie’s outburst would be better suited at the local truck stop rather than St. Michael’s sanctuary on Christmas Eve. As least she has the decency to look guilty.
“Well, I think I’ll pass on that suggestion and I’d watch your language if I were you. You’re lucky all of the families with young kids have already left or you might find yourself over some HoH’s knee in Corbin’s Bend for language like that.”
Troy had meant the comment to lighten the awkwardness of the moment, but it has the opposite effect as he feels Hallie visibly trembling, becoming increasingly wobbly on her feet.
“Hey there, kiddo. I was just making a joke. I mean you should curb the truck driver talk until we’re at least outside, but I’m pretty sure vulgar language isn’t a spanking offense, even here in Corbin’s Bend.”
“I’m not so sure. I get the impression they can make anything they want a spankable offense around here.”
“Well, maybe in private homes yes, but you don’t need to ever worry about some other HoH ever disciplining you, Hallie. That’s not how it’s done around here.”
“If you say so
.” She doesn’t look convinced. “Can we just get out of here?”
“Sure.”
They catch up with Traci near the exit. The snow has continued to come down during the service and there’s a gorgeous covering of snow blanketing the picturesque town. Troy has to assist both ladies with keeping their balance on the icy pavement. Apparently, his sister has the same taste in shoes as Hallie. By the time they arrive at the SUV, they are all laughing merrily. It is shaping up to be a very Merry Christmas in Corbin’s Bend for Troy.
* * * * *
The drive to the Community Center is short, and in nice weather would have been faster to walk than drive and park. Hallie hasn’t known what to expect, but stepping into the community center transports them into a winter wonderland. Whoever is in charge of this party has some serious skills. Every surface of the center is covered with twinkling lights or blue and white fabric arranged to give the appearance of an icy winter scene. Tall artificial trees covered in Christmas lights are the main source of lighting along with two real-life carved ice sculptures decoratively lit by floodlights to enhance the artisanship of the ice statues.
Traci and Hallie release a quiet “wow” in unison as they take in the large banquet tables piled high with snacks and sweets. Excited children, pumped up on the lethal combination of Christmas excitement laced with too-much sugar, dash around the room chasing each other while tired parents mingle.
The newest arrivals are halfway across the room to the first banquet table when they are met by a young woman carrying a big box filled with wrapped presents.
