“Good morning, Anna. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“Not at all. I’m just about to do some baking. Was up early to get some flowers picked, and then I’ll get started. Is everything okay? Have you heard from Adeline?”
“No, why? Is there a problem?”
“Not at all. You know how my mind is always going a million miles a minute. What’s good with you?” Anna cringed. She’d almost broken her promise to Adeline without even thinking about it. Adeline’s fainting spell—if that’s what it truly was—had been on her mind, and she’d almost blurted it out.
“Actually, I’d like to talk to you about Emmy. I’ve been in contact.”
“You found her?”
“Belinda gave me her new number.”
Anna didn’t even ask for details on how Belinda got the number. She’d find that out later. “Please tell me you didn’t set up a meeting with her. And if you did, I can be there in thirty minutes.”
“I didn’t set up a meeting.”
“You swear?”
“I swear.”
“Promise me if you meet the woman, you won’t go alone.”
“I promise.”
“Okay. Sorry. I overreacted. What did Emmy have to say?”
“Well, that’s the thing. You were right. She isn’t as stable as we’d hoped.”
“Did she threaten you?”
“No, nothing like that. I’ll tell you what. I’m not sure this is a conversation we should have over the telephone. Would you like some help with your baking?”
“I would love it. I volunteered to do quite a bit. Cara’s throwing a big barbeque for the girls at the dance studio. A fundraiser. I said I’d be happy to do the sweets. I don’t know where my mind was. Seems like a lot to do now that I’m actually doin’ it.” Anna laughed.
“I’ll be over within the hour. Shall we invite Adeline? She loves to bake, and it might give her a break from all her corporate nonsense.”
“I’ll give her a call. Take your time; we aren’t in a hurry. But be safe. If you see Emmy, don’t connect.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
When Carolyn pulled up in front of Anna’s house, Adeline’s car was already there.
Anna was at the door when Carolyn made it up the drive. “Come on in. Adeline just this minute drove up. We’re about to have a cup of tea.”
Adeline was wearing jeans and a cotton tunic top. She’d kicked off one of her shoes and pulled her foot up under her. You would never guess this woman was a true titan of industry. “Carolyn, you’re looking well. I feel I’ve neglected the two of you. With the exception of our spa day and dinner with the kids, it feels as if we’ve not done anything fun in ages. Weren’t these to be our golden years?”
Anna set cups on the table. “True, but we’ve got it better than most. I was talking to Morgan this morning. She called bright and early. We’re both early risers. We talked a little about her plan to buy a house with me in mind. I thanked her and told her it wasn’t her responsibility. I’ll make my own way. She wouldn’t hear of it. Put Liam—her husband—on the phone to convince me he welcomed me as much as Morgan. You know, he did just that. Convinced me. I’m not planning on intruding on their life, but it’s such a comfort to know if I needed some help, I’ve got it.”
Adeline nodded. “You have us as well—please don’t forget that.”
Anna laughed. “Yep, that will be us. Three old ladies sitting on the porch, checking out the male attendants, ’cause if I’m going to be old and cranky, I want something good to look at.”
Carolyn chuckled. She couldn’t fully participate. She had more pressing problems.
Anna poured their tea. “Carolyn, I know you had something you wanted to talk about. Did you want to do that now, or would you rather put it off until the two of us are driven right around the bend?”
Carolyn smiled at her friends. She told them everything. Every detail. Things she hadn’t shared before about Emerson. How Belinda had gotten the phone number and then shared it with her. And so much more.
She recited the phone call with Emmy almost verbatim.
When she was done, it was Adeline that spoke first. “How would you like to proceed?”
“I’m not sure.”
“May I make a suggestion?” Adeline placed the pretty teacup in the matching saucer.
“Please.”
“I have a gal that works with me. Her name is Odette. She’s a fine young woman that specializes in crisis management. I believe she would be able to assist you in getting all of this settled. She could facilitate a meeting, perhaps a series of meetings. She could help you establish appropriate boundaries and goals.”
Anna couldn’t help herself. “Adeline, have you been taking advantage of this young woman’s services? Setting boundaries and all that so you aren’t working twenty-four hours of the day?”
Carolyn was mildly aware of the change of subject and energy in the room, but she was deep in thought and chose to focus on Emmy for the moment. She completely missed the look Adeline gave Anna.
“You know, that might be of help. I think if she has the time and interest, I might just use Odette for this. I must say, I was completely at a loss as to how to proceed. I don’t want conflict with Emmy. I certainly do not want her to lose her job or get into any kind of trouble. I believe her view of my history is very skewed, and once she has all of the information, she will be better able to understand how we got to where we are.”
Anna understood. “Education, not mortification.”
Carolyn smiled. “Exactly.”
It took several days for Odette to arrange a meeting with Emmy and Carolyn. She’d been in contact with both women several times and had already earned her pay as far as Carolyn was concerned.
“Carolyn? This is Odette. I’m glad I caught you. Sorry for the late hour.”
“Odette, I’m glad you called. What can I do for you?”
“Are you free tomorrow at one o’clock?”
“I’ll make myself available any time you wish. What do you have planned?”
“Emmy has agreed to a meeting. I’m hoping we’re able to meet at Roland’s offices. I made that choice for extra security and care. Emmy seems to have stabilized a bit, but she’s volatile, and I don’t want to be in the position of having to alert first responders and then losing control of the outcome. If she were to lose control at Roland’s offices, there are staff members qualified to assist without the interference of governing authority.”
“And she’s willing to do that?”
“She is.”
“I’m shocked.”
“I believe it’s very important to her that she be heard. It’s her position her family was treated badly and, as a result, her entire reality is tainted. She’s willing to listen to you—or so she says—but she demands you allow her to speak freely.”
“That’s exactly what I want her to do. I’m not sure how you arranged this, Odette, but I am forever in your debt.”
Odette let out a light, good-natured laugh. “I’m told you make the world’s best lemon bars. Perhaps you’d like to share your recipe.”
“I’ll bring it with me. Thank you, Odette.”
Carolyn was quick to call the girls and fill them in. Each of them offered to accompany her to the meeting, but Carolyn declined. She’d be perfectly safe at Roland’s offices and had no doubt there would be someone watching out for her welfare when she left.
Anna insisted they meet for a late lunch after the meeting. She made Carolyn laugh when she said it wasn’t about Carolyn’s safety, it was about her own nosiness.
In the morning, Carolyn dressed with care. She wanted to promote the idea that she was self-empowered and unafraid. Unafraid of her history. Of her future. Of Emmy.
She chose a pair of black dress slacks and a multicolored tunic featuring a deep V-neck with heavy gold chain threaded through gold rivets on either side. In the pattern of the fabric were gold studs placed at odd intervals, adding a touch of s
himmer and a bit of whimsy.
Today, she needed the smile her favorite top always provided.
Low-heeled sling-backs and a matching purse, simple jewelry, and natural finish makeup completed her look.
Carolyn was careful to eat a bit before leaving for the meeting. The last thing she needed was a drop in blood sugar at a critical moment.
She left the house seventeen minutes before it was necessary, but she couldn’t wait any longer.
When she arrived at the office, Odette was in the reception area chatting with one of Roland’s staff. She greeted Carolyn with a warm smile and a strong handshake. “We’re in conference room C, right down here.” She led the way.
When they entered the room, the smell of coffee and fresh pastries filled Carolyn’s nose. Coffee. She’d pass. She didn’t need the caffeine. Her blood pressure was already inching its way toward a headache.
“We have coffee here, Carolyn. Would you prefer something else? A cold drink? Tea?”
“Tea would be lovely, thank you.”
“I’ll let Bridget know. I’m going back out to the reception area. I’ll meet Emmy there. I doubt she’ll be late. I’m sorry to leave you in here all alone.”
“No problem. I’ll use the time to meditate. Or pray.” Carolyn offered Odette a small smile.
“I think we’ll be fine. Just remember, you aren’t expected to do or say anything you aren’t perfectly comfortable with. You owe Emmy nothing. I’ve told her exactly the same thing.”
“Thank you.”
The meeting took well over the amount of time Carolyn had predicted and therefore told the girls to expect. At least she had had the presence of mind to tell them not to head to the restaurant until they heard from her. If the girls were still free, they would be sharing dinner, not a late lunch.
Twice, Odette had called for them to take a break. Carolyn was happy to do so. Revisiting old memories had been more difficult than she had anticipated, and tiptoeing around the facts in order to make Emerson and Zelma sound more reasonable had been a difficult undertaking. An effort Carolyn felt was justified and valid. There was no reason to make things more ugly than they had to be. The truth was ugly enough.
It wasn’t until they got to the last part of their session that Carolyn lost her composure.
“Your mother would not allow me to move on with my life until I met with your uncle. I begged her. He was married. I was married. We each had children. We had a moment in our youth, but we had grown apart, and there was nothing left for us. There never could be.”
“My uncle didn’t believe that. Why would he keep trying if you’d been that clear? You must have played with his mind.”
“I swear to you, Emmy, I did not. I told your uncle many times that his pursuit of me was inappropriate and that nothing would ever happen between us. The decision was made long before he ever came back home. The decision was made without me. Without my knowledge. Without my consent.” Carolyn wiped away a tear. “The end of our story was when he got off the train at Seddon Station with his new wife.”
“Not for him. Not for my mom.”
“I’m sorry for that.”
“But if what you’re saying is true, then what about the moment?”
“The moment?”
“At that last meeting. The last meeting at the station. My mother always talked about the moment. The moment everything went crazy.”
Carolyn shook her head. “That was probably my fault, although at the time I had no idea and couldn’t have foreseen it.”
“My mom said you knew all about it and that you set it up to end that way.”
“Your mother was adamant that I meet with your uncle and tell him—face-to-face—we would not be together. She came to my home. She confronted me at church. She followed me to my children’s classroom. She was relentless.”
Carolyn allowed herself a sad smile. “To be honest, I admired her loyalty to her brother.”
Carolyn shook her head as if it could clear the thought and continued sharing her memory. “I talked to my husband, and he agreed. The only way for all of us to get out from under the mess your uncle and I created was to have what people today might call closure. One final meet. One final conversation. Quite frankly, I did not want to do it. I would have preferred a letter. To think through each sentence and deliver my truth in the least hurtful way possible, but your mother and uncle would hear none of it. So I relented. I agreed to meet with your uncle. At Seddon Station.”
It was as clear to Carolyn as if it had been just moments before. The fog. The heat. Her nerves skittering like the rats under the timber planks at the old station.
How would she break the heart of the man who still held hers?
How would she be able to look him in the eye and tell him she had no feelings for him? Not anymore. That was the only way to stop this insanity. To make Zelma and Emerson leave her family alone. To look at her first love—the man she’d entrusted with the whole of her heart—and tell Emerson her yearning for him had died.
She’d left Coop home with the children. The meeting would be a short one. Coop had kissed her goodbye at the front door, smiled, and told her he loved her.
He was such a good man.
She arrived at the station precisely on time. Earlier in the day, she’d fretted about what to wear or what to say, but when the moment was upon her, she’d felt completely calm. Removed, almost. As she picked her way through the now abandoned parking lot, she felt as if she released years of doubt with every step. By the time she traversed the first set of tracks and found her way to the bench she and Emerson had agreed to meet upon, her heart was at peace.
She loved Coop.
He’d stood by her no matter what the cost to him or any ridiculous notions she’d entertained. He was a good husband. A good father. Much more than she deserved. It took this meeting to free her. To free her body and soul. The realization was complete, sudden, and all-encompassing. Emerson was her past. Coop was her present and her future.
Emerson sat on the bench. He didn’t look at all well. It tugged at her heart, but only in the way seeing a hungry puppy would. Not the great love she’d once convinced herself they shared.
“I knew you would come. I knew you still love me.”
“Emerson, I’ve come to say good-bye.”
“You can’t. You…”
“Emerson, we were young. Life got in the way. It has turned out as it should. You have a lovely wife and a house full of children. I love my husband. He is the right choice for me. I will never leave him. Please…”
She expected him to argue; she did not expect him to pounce.
Before she could react at all, he was on her.
He ripped at her blouse and grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her face to his. She tried to push away. Tried to fight him, but he was bigger and stronger, and her efforts were useless.
He was hurting her, and there was nothing she could do.
He had her pinned, and try as she might, she could not escape.
The dirt and the splinters were tearing at her back, and her complete horror at the situation was piercing her brain.
Suddenly, she heard something coming at them from the right. A blur. Emerson lost his grip, but it was enough for Carolyn to scurry out of reach.
It was Cooper. He’d saved her.
Then Zelma was in the mix.
She was screaming for Cooper to leave her brother alone. She tried to jump him from behind, but Carolyn shoved her, and she fell hard.
Emerson was crazed, but Cooper was equally frantic. The fight didn’t last long. Cooper got the upper hand and was able to knock Emerson unconscious. He’d taken Carolyn’s hand and pulled her toward the exit.
“Are you alright?”
Carolyn couldn’t speak. She simply nodded. She looked back toward Emerson, still unmoving on the ground. Had Coop killed him?
“Tinker, he’ll be alright. His sister’s here.”
Carolyn started to cry. “I’m so sor
ry. I never thought…”
“There’s no cause for you to be sorry. You tried to do the right thing.”
“I never should have come here alone.”
“Carolyn, you aren’t alone. You never will be. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving you made the right choice.”
Carolyn had originally tried to keep the ugliness from Emmy, but she knew that just like her uncle, she would never give up until she had the whole truth. So Carolyn gave it to her. Every mind-numbing detail. She described every bruise. Every splinter.
Carolyn looked up at Emmy. “And he did. Coop proved it every single day.”
“If that’s true, why didn’t you go to the cops?”
“Emmy, back in those days we didn’t go to the police for such things. We didn’t speak of them. Times were different. My husband took me home. I didn’t even tell my mother. She was at the house taking care of my children so my husband could come to the station. He went in, and I hid in the garage until she drove off. I didn’t want her to see me battered and bruised. Once she had gone, my husband tended to me until I was able to be seen in public again. Soon after that, your uncle and his family moved away. I thought it the end of it all.”
“You’re a liar. A dirty rotten liar. I don’t believe you.”
“Maybe this will help.” Carolyn handed Emmy an envelope.
In it was a letter in her mother’s handwriting.
It was a letter of appreciation.
Zelma thanked Carolyn for meeting with Emerson. For not making his atrocious actions that night a public spectacle. For allowing her brother dignity he didn’t deserve after his attack. She wished Carolyn well and said that she understood there would be no more contact with Emerson after the beating and attempted rape. Zelma held nothing back. Emmy could see Carolyn told the truth.
“I don’t understand. All those years, she lied to me. All those years she said it was your fault. That you ruined our family. Why would she do that?”
At Seddon Station (The Girls Book 5) Page 14
