by Wendy Vella
“Did you believe she meant it, Buster, to take her life like that? Jesus,” Jake felt sick as Buster confirmed that he thought Branna had been serious. “Why the hell did you let her leave town after she and Declan had talked?”
Ethan raised and lowered his hand to calm Jake down from his horizontal position on the sofa, gaming control in the other hand.
“Okay, so maybe you should have told me that she came back again first,” Jake added, feeling the air rush back into his lungs. “He’s what!” Jake roared into the phone seconds later. “He’s moved into her house! The bastard, what’s he playing at? I’m coming home at first light.” Disconnecting the phone, Jake jammed it into his pocket.
“I’m picking up that all is not rosy in Oz, Dorothy?” Ethan put down the remote and got off the sofa to switch off the T.V.
“Branna and her father had it out in The Hoot and Buster said he’s still recovering, so he has no idea how she’s feeling. He then said she left town and when she came back, he’d moved in.”
“Buster?”
“Declan O’Donnell, you idiot!”
“Gotcha. So I guess we’re leaving at first light?”
“You okay with that? If not, I can hire a car or something, but I have to get back to her now; she’ll be spinning out about this, Eth, having him there living with her.”
“I’m off for a few days, what better place to spend it than in my second favorite town?”
Ethan wandered to the fridge in his apartment and pulled a couple of beers from it; handing one to Jake, he sat back down.
Jake could imagine the hell Branna was going through at the moment and he felt like a selfish bastard for leaving her so suddenly now. A text was all he’d sent her and he had owed her more, because she was the woman in his life, the woman he cared about…very much.
“Me or Buster for best man?”
Jake’s smile was brief before he swallowed a mouthful of beer.
“Hard call to make, it has to be said. Buster has history on his side, and you…well, you saved my life.”
Ethan looked at him briefly.
“I never really thanked you, Ethan, for what you did. I know what I was like and that you kept everyone away until I was ready. I know that you’ve stood by me when I probably deserved that you walk away.”
“Jake, if we’re gonna have this moment, let’s make it brief, because I can feel the rash already forming. But if we’re sharing shit, then I have to be honest and say it’s me that owes you.”
“How so?”
“I never had a real friend until you came along, and with you came the domestic goddess of Howling, who I count as my second best friend. Before that, I was pretty much a loner…now, not so much. I got you and the town of Howling. It’s a win-win as far as I can tell.”
Jake didn’t know much about Ethan’s past. He knew he had obscene amounts of money and three siblings. His parents lived in Texas and that was about it.
“One day, you have tell me about you, Tex?” He saw something pass over his friend’s face, and then it was gone.
“Maybe, when I’ve downed a bottle of something potent and sliced open a vein.”
“That bad?”
“Worse.”
“Okay then, well, my ears are yours when you need them, and FYI, Howling has adopted you, so it’s too late to pull back.”
“They can do that?”
“Can and will. Branna and her dad are in, but that’s because they’re famous, and we’re pretty shallow when it comes to that kind of thing.”
“It’s gonna be hard to see them together. I’m not going to lie about it, McBride. They’re both superstars in my book and I have a serious case of hero worship going on.”
Jake just rolled his eyes.
“Anyway, I’ll try not to embarrass you by gushing, okay? I’ll play it cool and stuff, now that we’re all citizens of Howling, that is.”
“The head doctor said I need to express my feelings more, let out the angst and let people see the real me,” Jake said.
“Yeah, well don’t go crying next, or I’m out, no matter who your girlfriend and future father-in-law are.”
“Not my thing, all that emotional sharing stuff, but it has to be said that I need to be a bit more open with mom and dad, and definitely Branna, and maybe Buster. But, you know how he is, Ethan, the goddess never shuts up, hard to get a word in at the best of times.”
“Well, fuck, Jake, the man bakes for a living, hardly surprising he’s made of Jell-O, is it?”
“Who we kidding? Buster Griffin makes us look like Oprah. The man never uses two words when one will suffice,” Jake said.
“There you go with those big words again, McBride.”
“I’m going to call Branna,” Jake pulled out his cell phone and punched in the numbers. He listened as it rang, and then he heard her voice on the answer phone.
“Branna, I’m coming home in the morning early…” What the hell else should he say? “I love you.” Ending the call, he shoved it back in his pocket. Jake then got to his feet, ignoring the wide smile on Ethan’s face, and headed for the bathroom. Once there, he washed up and cleaned his teeth and thought about Branna. He felt on edge suddenly, as if his hair was all standing on end and he had no idea why.
After the day he’d just had, it was possible this was just the after-effects of baring his soul, but something uneasy was settling in his stomach. Getting out his phone again, he called Branna, and there was still no answer. This time, he asked her to call him when she got the message and made an apology for the way he’d left suddenly.
Saying goodnight to Ethan, he then got into his bed and lay there for long hours, staring into the dark. So much had changed since Branna had come to Howling, and there was still so much change to go. He knew that now, understood that he needed to continue seeing the psychiatrist to ensure he was whole again. Branna deserved the best of him, just as his family and friends did, just as he did.
When his eyes began to close, he tried Branna one last time, but still no answer. Sleep began to pull him under and his last thought was for the woman he loved. The woman he would one day marry, if she’d have him, the woman whom God-willing he would have a family with. The soft smile on his lips was for her as sleep finally claimed him.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Branna pulled the van as close to the house as she could. The lights were still on, which meant her father was up.
“Macy, my father’s here, but he won’t say anything to anyone; I promise. He-he’s a good person, okay?”
“A-are we hidden here? Can any passing cars see us?” Macy slowly pulled herself back up on the seat, every movement causing her pain.
“No one can see the house or van from the road, Macy, I promise.” Branna jumped out after these words, ran around to the passenger’s door, and opened it. “I’m going to help you out now; you lean on me as much as you need.”
Macy yelped in pain as she swung her legs towards the ground, and Branna winced as she tried to slide off the seat.
“Branna?”
“Come quick, Dad! I need your help.”
“What’s happened, love?” He was at her side in seconds, his hand warm on her back.
“Sh-she’s hurt. I know Macy from school, and I found her like this.”
“You need to stand back now, Branna, and let me get her out of there. Can you do that for me?”
Branna moved to the side, still clenching Macy’s hand.
“Macy, I’m Branna’s father, Declan O’Donnell, and I’m going to get you inside so we can take a look at you, would that be all right?”
“I…I don’t want you touching me,” the words were whispered, but both Branna and her father heard them clearly.
“Macy, I know you have no reason to trust me, but I’m going to ask you to try,” Declan O’Donnell said gently.
Macy was biting her lip hard, but she managed to nod. Branna watched then, as her father slipped his arms under her legs and lifted her. They both w
inced as Macy inhaled sharply in pain.
“Go clear the sofa of my things, Branna, so I can put her there for now,” Declan O’Donnell said, as he moved slowly towards the house.
She tried to let go of Macy’s hand, but the woman held onto it with a surprisingly strong grip.
“N-no phone calls to anyone, Branna. Promise me!” The hysteria was close, each word pitched with fear.
“I promise.” Macy released her then, and Branna ran inside. Once Branna had moved everything off the sofa, her father arrived seconds later and lowered Macy onto the cushions, which made her moan again.
This was the first real look Branna had of Macy, and she had to swallow the instinctive cry that rose in her throat. Declan rose to his feet, and Branna took his place.
Macy’s jaw was almost black now, the bruise vivid in her pale face, and there were others forming too, and a cut on her forehead that oozed blood. Her shirt was ripped and exposed the pink satin of her bra. She was shaking violently, her body almost convulsing with fear and pain. Pulling the throw off the back of the sofa, Branna quickly wrapped it around Macy and kept her arms there, holding the woman as close as her injuries allowed, giving whatever comfort she could.
“I’ll make some tea, but first you tell me where the first aid kit is, daughter, and then I’ll bring you some water to wash her.”
“Under the sink, and bring more blankets and pillows.”
He went then, and she was relieved to have him here. No matter what lay between them, he would help her care for Macy, because she hadn’t lied, he was a good man, even in her angriest moments she’d known that.
“Br-Branna,” the first sob was pitiful as Macy gripped the front of her dress, her hands clenching in the fabric as Branna held her. Belle had done this for her once and she still remembered how it had felt, the relief that she wasn’t alone, and that someone actually cared whether she lived or died.
“Shhh now, it’s safe; you are here with us.” Branna rested her hip beside Macy’s and rested her head on her cheek. “We won’t let anyone hurt you again.”
Macy’s cries were soft and heartfelt, and came from that place deep inside that was shattered. Branna felt her father’s hand on her head, and then he placed another blanket over the shaking woman in her arms.
“I’ll make the tea now.”
Macy cried until her tears became sniffs, and then finally, on a deep shuddering breath, she stopped.
“She needs to drink this now, love,” Declan said gently when he returned.
Branna eased back and used the edge of the blanket to wipe Macy’s tears.
“Can you drink on your own, Macy?”
“Yes.”
Declan handed her the cup and she wrapped both hands around it and took a small sip. Branna knelt beside her and picked up her own drink, while Declan pulled a footstool close to her side. They all then sat and drank in silence, she and her father watching Macy. It was he who spoke first.
“My worry for you, lass, is that you’re hurt and we can’t see how badly. Will you tell us of your pain, so it will ease my mind?”
Macy lowered her cup and looked at them. “I shouldn’t have come here. Th-this is my problem and one I can d-deal with alone. I can’t involve you both.”
“I fear tis too late for that, Macy, and more than time for you to stop whatever this is.” Branna let her father talk, let his deep voice draw what needed to be drawn from Macy. One thing Branna knew was that she would never let her go back to whoever had done this to her. She had found her tonight and while she had no idea what it was she was dealing with, she had the terrible feeling that Macy had been suffering quietly for a long time.
“I-I c-can’t, don’t you see? H-he’ll kill me if he knows I’m here.” Her face was white and fear filled her eyes. “He’s crazy.”
“He being, Brian, your husband?” Branna asked gently, trying to get her head around the fact that the mild mannered man they all knew had the entire town of Howling fooled.
Macy looked away from her. “H-he didn’t mean it. He just g-gets angry and frustrated sometimes.”
“I’ve always believed that a man who strikes a woman is not a man at all, Macy. He is a coward and a bully. That a man would touch a woman in anger, when his strength often is twice hers is, in my opinion, unforgivable.”
Her face crumpled at the words Branna’s father had spoken.
“It takes a brave strong woman to stand up against such a man, Macy, a brave strong woman with someone at her back. Will you allow Branna and me to have yours?”
“H-he tried to kill my b-baby.”
“Dear God!” Branna felt her father’s arm around her shoulders as she reached out to take Macy’s hand.
“H-he’s not the man you all know.”
“And this baby you carry, Macy, does it deserve to live with such a man?”
Her eyes were big as she looked up at Declan O’Donnell. “No,” she shook her head. “I want this one to live.”
Branna must have made a noise, because she felt her father pull her close briefly and she accepted the comfort, too shocked to pull away. Macy had lost other babies at the hands of the monster she was married to. Dear God, she couldn’t get her head around it. Why had no one noticed what was going on in this woman’s life?
“I want you to take these now, Macy. They won’t hurt the baby, but will help with the pain and sleep.”
Like a small child, she did as he asked her, opening her mouth and swallowing the pills. Between them, she and her father then cleaned Macy and put a bandage on her cut. He then picked her up again and they went upstairs.
“I’ll leave you to Branna’s care now, Macy, but if you need me, just call and I shall hear.”
She nodded and managed to whisper thank you and then the door was closed, leaving Branna and Macy alone.
“H-he’s a nice man.”
“He is. Now, do you want a shower or just a wash before you get into bed?” Branna asked.
“Shower.”
She walked like an old woman, but when Branna asked if she was in pain, she just said that her tummy was fine and that the baby was unharmed.
“Brian will be looking for me, Br-Branna. He’ll get angry when he doesn’t find me.”
She was terrified, her fingers twisting into each other.
“Macy, he has no idea you are here with me. Furthermore, he thinks we hate each other, so why would you come here?” Turning on the taps, Branna made sure the temperature was right before she turned back to Macy. “Now, let’s get your clothes off.”
She didn’t leave, because in all honesty, Branna feared Macy may faint and she wouldn’t know. She unbuttoned the ripped cotton and then eased if from her shoulders.
“Dear God, he did this to you?” Branna said, horrified, as she looked at the bruises, old and new she realized. They covered her body.
“I deserved s-some of them.”
“No!” Macy flinched at Branna’s anger. “You did nothing to deserve these, Macy Reynolds. Nothing, do you hear me?”
“You’re sh-shouting; of course I can hear you.”
Branna cried then, hot angry tears as she pulled the skirt and torn underwear from Macy’s body.
“Don’t cry for m-me, Branna. I’m not worth it.” The sadness in the words made Branna cry harder.
“You are worth a million of that man, Macy, a million of me and everyone else I know. You’re strong and beautiful. Do you know what?”
“What?”
“He’s never getting his hands on you again.”
“D-don’t promise me that, Branna, not that, because I don’t think he’ll let me go.”
“And neither will I.” Branna sniffed loudly, and then helped her into the shower.
“We won’t talk about it anymore tonight. Tomorrow is soon enough.”
She stood there and waited for Macy to finish her shower, and what emerged was a woman she had never seen before. Without makeup, Macy was completely different, even with the bruises. S
he was so small. Branna had always thought of this woman as strong and larger than life, but she wasn’t. In fact, she was tiny, and her features were delicate.
She helped to pat her dry gently, and then lowered a loose T-shirt over her head.
“Come on, let’s get you into bed before you fall over and I have to pick you up.”
Branna pulled the covers back and Macy slipped beneath.
“Branna?”
“Yes.”
“W-would you stay with me for a while?”
“Of course.” Knowing the pride this woman had and how much those words had cost her, Branna climbed on the bed beside her and took one of her hands.
“Tell me about your book.”
So she did, explaining the plot and telling her about scenes she’d created. She talked and talked until finally, the fingers inside hers relaxed and Macy slept. Pulling the covers up to her chin, Branna looked down at the bruised and battered woman.
You will not touch her again, Brian Reynolds. It was a vow, and she would do whatever needed to be done to ensure she kept it.
Branna left the room, leaving the door ajar slightly; she washed in the bathroom and cleaned her teeth, and changed into one of the old T-shirts she slept in. Then, pulling on her robe, she made her way downstairs to the couch.
“She sleeps?”
He was sitting in the chair, the cups and things now put away, blankets and pillows neatly folded on the sofa.
“Yes.”
“You called me dad tonight.”
“Did I?” Branna went to the sofa and unfolded the blankets.
“That was my shirt.”
“Was it?” Branna was too tired to deny it.
“I’ll sleep there, Branna, you take the other bed.”
“I’m all right here.” She went to lie down, but his hands stopped her.
“If you think I will leave you down here alone, with her husband out there somewhere looking for her, and with what has already happened to you, then think again, daughter.
“I don’t need you protecting me.”
“Now, that’s just too bad, because I will.”
