When high school came around and my body started changing faster than any of the other girls around me, Earl was quick to take notice. We spent a lot more time together, flirted like crazy, and ended up dating before I even knew what was happening. We were the envy of our school, your typical high school sweethearts that everyone compared their relationship to. When my parents died in a car accident right outside of Ludwig, his parents took care of everything, and were quick to make sure I was safe and didn’t need for anything.
When Earl didn’t get the football scholarship to Texas A&M he was hoping for, we ended up staying behind in Ludwig. We were married a year after high school, and for three years, my life had become a living hell. With no real skills other than chugging a football across the field, Earl ended up working as a lineman for Texas Light and Power. Compared to his successful father, a man who owned most of the cattle land around Ludwig, Earl was quickly labeled as the Greene family letdown. It was something he could never really shake off, and the fact that his old man ridiculed him as well, only made things worse.
Earl quickly found a mistress in alcohol, and slowly after that, a few other mistresses of the female variety on the side. He came home most nights smelling like whiskey and cheap perfume, and when I opened my mouth about it, his fists were his reply. I lost count of how many days I had stayed home because I didn’t want anyone to see my black eyes.
People constantly told me to seek help, to end the marriage and get the hell out of Ludwig. But I wasn’t going to run away from my home just because of Earl. I tried to get help, even talked to my in-laws about their son’s violent streak, but that never amounted to much. I had even gone to the Sheriff once, but no one in Ludwig wanted to get on Big Ben Greene’s bad side, and the result had been a darker side of Earl I had yet to familiarize myself with.
When I finally got my divorce, Earl never stopped harassing me, even passed by my house several times and threatened to kill me. Once he broke into my greenhouse and destroyed everything in it, something that devastated me because my flowers were truly all I cared about, but gave me grounds to file for a restraining order. It didn’t stop the harassment completely, especially since no one wanted to arrest Ben Greene’s son, but Earl was a lot more careful after that. I could finally get some peace when I was home, and a few of the townsfolk stood up for me whenever he was stupid enough to approach me in public.
Like last week, when he had come by the motel and tried to talk to me. I had been tending to the plants as usual when he had rolled in, honking loudly to announce his presence and smacking his gum in his mouth in that disgusting way I always hated. I had tried to ignore him, even tried to leave without talking to him, but he had stopped me and started shouting like we were still married and I was somehow still his personal property to treat any way he saw fit.
Thankfully, Chuck didn’t care for Ben Greene much, and really hated Earl. He had come to my aid, shotgun in hand, and a scowl on his face that showed Earl he meant business. I never found out if there had been any repercussions to what Chuck had done for me, but from the way business had gone on as usual, it seemed like the whole thing had gone by without trouble. I guess Earl had been a little too proud to make a big deal out of the incident to his daddy.
Still, I tried to get my work done as fast as possible, finished whatever errands I needed to get done in town quickly, and be home before Earl could find a way to ruin my day.
It wasn’t the best way to go about my life, but it worked.
Besides, I loved Ludwig. I wasn’t intending on letting the son of a bitch ruin things for me, even if it meant facing down his anger every single day.
Martha met me on the way out, and despite my protests, pushed me into the front office and sat me down with a piece of apple pie and coffee.
“Business is slow, and I need someone to talk to,” Martha said as she sat herself down across the table from me. “Besides, if I have to listen to Chuck bitch about how bad the Cowboys are playing one more time, I swear to god I’ll shoot him with his own gun.”
I laughed and sipped at the coffee, letting the hot liquid warm me up. “I see the girls aren’t here,” I commented, referring to the twins who were Chuck and Martha Pratt’s only employees.
“When things are this calm, we give them the day off,” Martha said. “Besides, they’ve got those SAT’s to study for anyway. They ain’t got a brain between the both of them and need all the time they can get.”
“I doubt they’re studying, Martha,” I giggled, taking a bite of the pie. It tasted like heaven.
“Well, that’s their problem, then, ain’t it?” Martha sighed. “We do what we can to help ‘em. If they’re gonna screw up their lives, then I don’t want it to be because of us.”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” I said with a smile.
“I want ‘em to get out of Ludwig, that’s all,” Martha replied. “There’s nothing in Ludwig for those two. Best thing’s send ‘em off to Austin or someplace else where they might have a chance at a normal life.” She looked at me, and I could almost sense what she was going to say before she said it. “Makes me wonder all the time why you’re still here.”
“Same reason you’re here,” I smiled, trying my best not to look frustrated at hearing the same thing over and over again. “This is my home. I have no desire to leave.”
“Honey, this ain’t a home for anyone,” Martha said. “You don’t choose to stay in Ludwig. You just kinda get stuck here when you ain’t got no other options.”
“Then I guess I’m stuck here.”
“You haven’t tried anything else,” Martha clicked her tongue. “That damn Greene boy stole away your ‘run-away’ years.”
I laughed and almost choked. “My what?”
Martha smiled and slapped my hand. “Don’t make fun of me, girl,” she said. “You know what I mean. Your run-away years. Those couple of years right after high school when you’re still young and stupid and fearless. You got the guts to just pick up and leave, without any plans, without any money. Just leave. Some come back, sure, when they realize they ain’t got anything to work with. But most stay away, because there’s so much the world’s got to offer outside this little town. And you could have used that, Ashlyn.”
“I don’t think so,” I replied, drinking my coffee and smiling at the image of a bunch of teenagers running away from town, barefoot and wild, as if escaping a prison.
“If your daddy had been alive, he wouldn’t have let you stay,” Martha said, a lot more serious. “I know your mama would have fought you out with her broom if she had to.”
“My mama dreamed a little too much,” I said. “Martha, honestly, I love it here. I’m happy. You don’t have to keep trying to convince me to leave.”
Martha turned and grabbed both my hands in hers, holding them in her lap as her blue eyes pierced mine. “You know something, Ashlyn?” she asked. “I pray for you. I pray that one day, some dumb Texas boy will come rolling into town, sweep you off your feet, and take you with him to some place far from here. Somewhere you can start over, fresh and all, leave all this behind and be the woman your mama wanted you to be.”
I smiled at her, feeling like I could hug her just for caring this much. But the truth was, the next time a man tried to sweep me off my feet, I would probably put two bullets in his head before blowing off mine. I didn’t want another relationship. Earl had made damn sure of that.
“Thank you,” I said, not wanting to crush her hopes and dreams for some miracle cure to what she thought my problem was. “By the way, the pie was delicious, and the coffee great. But I really need to get going.”
Martha sighed and shook her head. “You don’t ever hesitate to stay for coffee and pie, okay?” she said as I got up and let her walk me out. “We don’t spend enough time together, you and me.”
“I won’t, I promise,” I said. “Besides, I’ll be here tomorrow to deliver those roses you wanted for the lobby.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Marth
a said and waved as I got into my truck and drove off.
I was home an hour later, stocked up on groceries and ready to spend a few hours in the greenhouse. I had one of my mother’s old books with me, one I’d read a hundred times because it was her favorite, Bridges of Madison County, a story about a small-town woman who has an affair with a big city photographer. I knew that as she read the book, mother fantasized that someday a handsome man would pass through town to take her away. It never happened. She lived and died in a small town that smothered her like dirt on a coffin.
As soon as I had gone through my regular routine, checking the water, cutting and trimming, making sure everything was in order, I made my way back to the porch and settled down on the old swing.
I closed my eyes, letting my mind wander back to when I had sat here with my mother, curled up beside her with my head on her lap as she read to me from her book. It had been a magical time, a better time, one that kept playing and replaying in my head, making it impossible for me to even consider leaving this all behind.
I opened my eyes and let the light breeze wash over me, then lay down and opened my book, flipping to the last page I had marked. In the distance, I could hear the soft sing song of the birds, and all around me, the world seemed to slow down and embrace me with love. I quickly forgot about Martha and her desire to constantly convince me to leave. I forgot about Earl. I forgot about my parents being dead and that I was alone in this big house with only my plants to keep me company.
I began to read, losing myself in the love story, but not once thinking about being swept away by a knight on a white horse.
This was home.
This would always be home.
I’d never leave.
Never.
5
Chance
The damned old truck broke down a few miles off Interstate 10 half way between Austin and Booth, literally in the middle of fucking nowhere.
For the most part, the trip home had been quite amusing. After desperately trying to get the AM radio to work, I had quickly given up on that and had spent most of the trip singing to myself. I never had a singing voice, not one of my strong suits, but it kept my mind off the seemingly endless drive and gave me something to do.
I had toyed with the idea of picking up the random hitchhiker, but again, couldn’t be bothered much, and didn’t feel like making small talk. Besides, I was still a little too close to Austin for comfort, and didn’t feel like explaining myself to anyone who might recognize me. Which was why I waited until I was several hours out of Austin before I stopped for a burger and beer.
I should have known something was wrong when a man at the rest stop pointed out that there was black smoke coming out of the truck’s exhaust, but I was too distracted to give it any more thought. The only thing on my mind was getting home quickly so I could start what Alice called the “healing process”.
Which was why I was ready to shoot myself in the head as I stood by the side of the road, kicking at the pile of shit truck I should have known wouldn’t make it all the way back to Booth. I could almost hear my father laughing from whatever pit of hell he had been thrown into.
“Need a ride?”
I turned and looked into the weathered face of a portly farmer, leaning his head out the passenger side window to look at me, the sheer size of him taking up the entirety of the truck’s front. He was chewing on something, like a cow chewing cud. He spat tobacco juice out the window and flashed me what I could only hope was his best attempt at a smile.
“Broke down,” I said, gesturing to the Chevy.
“Mm hmm, looks like,” the farmer nodded, wiping spittle from his chin with the back of his hand. “I can drive you into Ludwig where you can get a tow, if you want.”
I hesitated for a second, wondering if maybe I should just call Alice and have her send someone. Then I remembered that the whole point of the drive home was to forget all about my life in Austin for a few weeks. No, I wouldn’t call Alice. I’d take my chances with the fat farmer who looked like he had just swallowed a hog and was chewing on the last bite.
“That would be great, thanks,” I finally said.
“Hop on in, fella,” the man said, reaching across to open the passenger door. “This here’s your lucky day.”
Ludwig was a strange little town. It looked like something out of an old TV western; just one narrow main street, a few random shops here and there, and enough smiles going around to make anyone uneasy. Still, it made finding a tow easy, and it had only taken an hour to get my truck back to what I surmised was the only repair shop in town.
“It’s the head gasket.” The owner, and only employee, a giant of a man with the name Hank sewn on his greasy shirt, rubbed a dirty rag between his big hands and diagnosed the issue without even looking under the hood once he had the truck towed back to his shop.
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“Damn old Chevy trucks were bad about blowing the head gasket.” He raised the hood and leaned in for a closer look. He had a long screwdriver in his hand. He tapped it around the engine compartment like a drunken one-armed drummer.
I was skeptical, and I think the tinkering he was doing around the engine was mainly for my benefit. He closed the hood, spat on the ground between his boots, and stared long and hard at the truck.
“Definitely the head gasket,” he said. “This girl ain’t gonna take you anywhere like this.”
“How long is it going to take to get this girl fixed?”
“You in any kinda hurry?”
“I was hoping to be in Booth today,” I replied.
Hank chuckled, shook his head and spat again. “No, sir, this thing ain’t goin’ anywhere today,” he said. “It’s gonna take me a few days to get the gasket in. Unless you’re willing to tow it all the way to Booth.”
I cursed under my breath. My plans for relaxation had not included being stranded in the middle of nowhere for a few days.
“You might wanna grab a ride to Booth and come back for it in a few days if you don’t wanna wait,” Hank said. “Probably cost you a few hundred dollars. You don’t look like you’re made of money, though, so…”
I smiled at the impression I had given him, just a broke cowboy in an old piece of shit truck on the way home. I probably had ten-grand in cash in my pocket and a wallet full of credit cards. Money wasn’t an issue. My health was.
“If ya don’t mind me askin’, what’s a man like you doin’ goin’ to Booth anyway?” Hank asked.
The question took me by surprise. I suddenly got the feeling that I had been wrong. My broken cowboy disguise had not worked as well as I’d hoped.
I said, “Excuse me?”
Hank gestured to my jeans and boots. “That getup doesn’t look like its ever had a coat of dust on it,” he said. “And I ain’t ever known a billionaire to be drivin’ one of these old Chevy’s.”
My mouth bobbed open, which made Hank laugh so hard he started to cough. “Did you think that just because I got grease between my fingers and dust between my ears I wouldn’t know who you was, Mr. Ridder?”
I sighed, ran a hand through my hair and scratched the back of my head. So much for trying to be inconspicuous. I wouldn’t be surprised if the guy milked me for every penny I had just to get the Chevy fixed. I was probably better off ditching it here and just calling someone from the office to come drive me the rest of the way. Only, I didn’t want anyone to know where I was going, and calling Alice or Dennis meant I was admitting I couldn’t take care of myself without their help.
“Oh, I see,” Hank said, giving me the eye.
I frowned. “See what?”
“Escapin’ the city life, are we?”
I smiled. “You’re a lot smarter than you look, Hank.”
“It’s easy to play the fool when you’re stuck in the asshole of Texas,” Hank chuckled. “Makes it easier for people to ignore ya when you’re noticin’ everythin’.”
“Smart.”
“So, B
ooth, huh?” Hank asked. “You got family there?”
“My mother,” I replied. “Grew up there.”
Hank nodded. “Well, I’m more than willin’ to drive ya there, if you want. But if ya ask me, Ludwig’s just as good a place to run away to as Booth. Probably got more goin’ for it. Got a nice motel, good diner, cold beer.”
I raised an eyebrow, doubting that very much.
Hank chuckled. “Suit yourself,” he said. “Motel’s only a few minutes away, and no one’s gonna know you’re here.” He made a zipping gesture across his mouth and smiled.
“How do you figure? You made me.”
“I’m a bit late into the tech game, but I got my interests,” he said. “Besides, ever since Lowe shut down last year, I’ve been getting more business my way. Had to upgrade my system to keep up. Got your software set up on my old PC in the back. The Neptune 2.0, the one with all the tracking and stuff.”
“Well, good for you,” I said, smiling and nodding.
“Rest of the town’s still in the stone age, if ya ask me,” Hank said. “They wouldn’t know you from a stack of hay. I guarantee it. My guess is, every Tom, Dick, and Harry in Booth will spot you the moment you hit town. Not much to get away there, if you ask me.”
I looked around, taking in my surroundings. From where I stood, the motel looked a lot closer than just a few minutes away, and there weren’t enough people around to make me feel like I’d bump into someone else who recognized me. A part of me thought that this might not actually be a bad idea. The town seemed like a good enough place to start my vacation.
“A few days to get the gasket?” I asked Hank, looking at the Chevy and silently cursing it for breaking down on me.
“Yup,” he said. “UPS delivers once a week.”
“Alright,” I said, nodding. “I take it I won’t have trouble finding a room at the motel?”
The Most Eligible Bachelor Page 4
