A New Day

by Nancy Hopper

  Finally, Tasha just began to weep. She put her head on the steering wheel and let go. Gary could see that it was all she was capable of at the moment. He smiled grimly. It was a good thing – at least the wound was open again. Maybe now, she could heal.

  He opened the door to the ‘Vette, picked her up, and carried her to the van. “Come on, baby. Let me take care of you, now. We’ll decide what to do, later.” he said gently.

  He nodded to Deb, who opened the back door. He put her on the couch in the back of the van, sat on the floor, and just held her hand.

  “Look through the car. See if you can find out where she’s staying.” he suggested. Deb nodded, with a worried look at Tasha, and obeyed.

  When she was a little calmer, Gary sat on the couch, and put her head in his lap. Deb got a cup of ice water in the mall, and he just bathed her face with it, tenderly, waiting for her to digest everything in her own time. He didn’t care if it took all night. She deserved his patience.

  After an hour or so, she sat up slowly and hugged herself tiredly. “Take me to my hotel.” she said quietly.

  “Where is it, honey?” he asked gently.

  She pointed east. “Down this street, one mile. The ... LaGrande.” she said, and turned her face away as she started to fall apart again.

  Gary pulled her close, and she didn’t object. It felt so good to have someone hold her. He kissed her cheek, and got up. He met with Deb outside the van, running a tired, worried hand through his hair.

  “She says she’s staying at a place called the LaGrande, a mile east on this road. Let’s see if we can find it.” he suggested worriedly.

  “I’ll drive the ‘Vette. You stay with her.” Deb suggested uneasily.

  “Yeah.” Gary agreed, sick at heart.

  They found the motel without too much trouble. The lady at the desk showed considerable interest, when Gary went in the office to talk to her.

  “Yeah, she’s paid for two nights yet.” she told him willingly. “If y’all are gonna stay with her, the money'll just cover one night – tonight, that is.”

  “Fine.” Gary said tiredly. “We’ll let you know tomorrow what we’ve decided to do.”

  “Thanks, then.” the woman said with a smile.

  Gary went back to the room, and sent Deb out for Chinese food. “Be sure to get plenty of chicken soup with it.” he said quietly. “If the smell of Chinese doesn’t get to her, nothing will. If she won’t eat, maybe I can at least get some soup down her.”

  “What did the woman in the office say?” Deb asked hesitantly.

  Gary shook his head. “She was pretty unsavory. I didn’t waste a lot of time. Be careful, I have a feeling we’re not in the best part of town.” he advised darkly.

  Deb nodded, and left.

  Tasha was sound asleep when Gary went back to check on her. He looked down at her with a deep anger in his heart. This ‘motel’ was the crappiest excuse for a roadhouse he’d ever seen in his life. It upset him terribly that Tasha had been here – especially alone.

  She didn’t wake up when the food came, or for the rest of the night. The phone woke Gary up at ten after eight the following morning.

  “Hello?” he asked tiredly.

  “Where’s Tasha?” a man’s gravely voice insisted.

  “Depends on who’s asking.” Gary answered coldly.

  “This is her boss. She was supposed to report to work ten minutes ago. Where is she?”

  “She’s sick this morning.” Gary said, feeling it was the closest thing to the truth he could say.

  “Why didn’t she call in?” the man demanded angrily.

  “She’s not awake yet. She is really, very sick. I’m sorry she didn’t call in.” Gary said, trying to be polite.

  “Who the hell are you?” he asked, growing more surly by the minute.

  “I am her fiance.” Gary answered, gritting his teeth.

  “Well, I need her here.” the man growled.

  “I’m sorry. The company you are with is...?”

  “Today’s Rage.” the man spit out angrily.

  “Tasha is very ill. I don’t think she’ll be coming back to work for you. Could you please prepare her check, and I’ll pick it up? We must get her to medical care, immediately.” Gary asked in a clipped voice.

  “No. She can come get it herself when she’s better.” the man roared.

  Gary was silent for a moment. “How many days’ pay is it?” Gary asked, finally.

  “Three days, minimum wage.” the man snapped.

  “Keep it.” Gary said coldly, and hung up the phone.

  Deb was looking at him worriedly from her place on the couch when he turned around. He rolled his eyes, and ran a hand through his hair.

  Tasha was still sleeping, and she continued to sleep until late that afternoon. At checkout time, Gary went to the office again.

  “I guess we’ll be staying another night.” he said uncomfortably. “Unless you have a very late checkout.”

  The woman laughed, showing many blackened teeth, and a few missing. “No, honey, no late checkout. What’s the matter, did those two pretty girls you’re with keep you up late last night?”

  Gary gave her a look that he hoped would quell her imagination. “How much?” he asked tersely.

  “It’ll have to be sixty-five.” the woman said regretfully.

  Gary looked at her as if she’d grown two heads. “Sixty-five? For that room?” he asked incredulously.

  “Take it, or leave it. You didn’t give no notice. There’s a late registration fee.” she said, sweetly.

  Gary rubbed his forehead. “All right. Here you go.” he said tiredly.

  The woman smiled at him and looked him over carefully. “Thank you, honey.” she said.

  Gary nodded tersely, and got out of there.

  Tasha woke up in time for dinner. Gary was reading his Bible, and Deb had gone to get something for them to eat.

  She slowly sat up, and rubbed a hand across her eyes. When she looked up and saw Gary, she went white as a sheet, and began to tremble. Putting his Bible aside, he walked over to her, looking worried.

  “Hi, honey. How are you feeling?” he asked gently.

  “How did you get in here?” she asked incredulously.

  He sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at her with deep concern. “You don’t remember last night, when I met you in the parking lot at the mall, and explained what had happened?” he asked gently.

  She wrinkled her brow. It was coming back. The pieces of information kind of filtered in, one at a time. He hadn’t married Marietta; he was just marrying her to someone else. He expected her to go to Alaska, but he’d forgotten to tell her. And he loved her.

  She looked up at him hazily. “Yeah. I think I remember the gist of it, now.” she said tiredly.

  He touched her arm gently. “Tasha, are you all right? Have you seen a doctor?” he asked worriedly.

  “No. I’m okay.” she said doggedly. “How did you find me, anyway?”

  Gary shrugged. “Deb figured the Idaho lodge was the nearest home base. We talked to a very frightened runaway girl there, who told us what had happened to you. From there, you left a trail a mile wide. Everyone who saw you remembered you.”

  "You were unfortunate enough to get a traffic citation in the outskirts of Denver. Since you were reported missing, they told us about it. Then, we had the Lord on our side. Coming into town, your car was the first thing we saw. We just waited until you came out of the mall.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe it.” she said wearily.

  Gary took her hand resolutely. “Tasha, honey; I don’t want to presume too much, but I’m really concerned about what your father did to you. Will you please let me take you to a doctor? I just want you checked over, to be sure you’re all right. Please let me do this.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe after work today.” she said doubtfully. “What time is it?”

  Gary looked at her uneasily. “It’s time for dinner.” h
e said.

  She looked disoriented. “Dinner.” she repeated dully. “How long have I been asleep, then? Just a few minutes?”

  “No. About twenty-four hours.” Gary answered hesitantly. “One of the reasons I think you should see a doctor.”

  “Twenty-four ... oh, my God! My job! Hank’ll kill me!” she cried.

  “Who is Hank?” Gary asked calmly.

  “My boss! He’ll be livid. I’ll lose my job.” she gasped.

  He held her hand tightly. “Honey, stop. Come on, now. You don’t need that job.”

  “Yes! Yes, I do! It’s all I’ve got!” she insisted tearfully.

  “Why? Don’t you think I can take care of you?” he asked softly.

  “Tasha, I want to take you home with me. Honey, come on, now. Look at me. Think.” he begged her gently.

  She looked at him with suspicion. “You?” she asked tightly.

  “Me.” he insisted.

  She was quiet. Then, the tears began to flow, again. Gary just pulled her into his arms, and let her go for it one more time. There was nothing else to do, though she was breaking his heart.

  By the time Deb got back, Tasha had settled down enough for Gary to get some soup in her. That’s all she would eat. Deb called an Emergency Clinic and got an appointment for her, in an hour’s time.

  It was a bit delicate, but they got her there. She wasn’t happy, but she didn’t have the strength to object. When she came out of the exam area to meet Gary, she had a taped nose.

  “It’s broken.” she said, sheepishly.

  Gary looked at the floor. He didn’t trust himself to say anything. He took her arm, and got her out to the van. When he went back to pay the bill, the receptionist detained him.

  “The doctor would like to have a word with you.” she said, smiling at him sweetly. What a gorgeous man, her eyes said plainly.

  Gary simply nodded, feeling too out of sorts to even care about being polite.

  The physician saw him in an empty room, five minutes later. “She’s got a pretty bad concussion, but at this point there’s not much you can do. Who beat the hell out of her?” he asked bluntly.

  “Her father.” Gary answered tersely.

  The doctor gave him a direct look. “It’s my job to report such things, Mister.” he said clinically.

  Gary shrugged his shoulders. “It happened in Idaho, I understand, more than a week ago. Her father is probably rich enough to buy off whoever will try to hold him accountable. His name is Brent Charles. Go for it, if you have to.” he said tiredly.

  “Where are you taking her?” the doctor asked hesitantly.

  “My home, in Oregon.”

  “He won’t reach her, there?” the doctor asked pointedly.

  “No. He’s disowned her, and he doesn’t know anything about me.” Gary confirmed.

  The doctor sighed. “Okay. Watch her for disorientation. If it doesn’t go away pretty soon, get her to a hospital.”

  “How long is soon?” Gary asked calmly.

  “Two more days, or so. Three at most.” the doctor clarified.

  Gary gave him a listless smile. “Thanks.” he said, and walked out.

  It was a pleasant ride back to Oregon, for Tasha. She didn’t have to think, she didn’t have to drive, she didn’t have to go to work and put up with Hank’s leering eyes on her. It had made her feel so dirty when he looked at her that way.

  Deb was driving her Corvette, which didn’t make her all that happy, yet she recognized that she wasn’t in any shape to drive. Gary wanted her in the van, where she could lay on the couch, or recline in a Captain’s chair, and he could keep an eye on her.

  Between the hum and vibration of the van and her pain medication, she found it quite easy to sleep a good portion of the way.

  Gary was abnormally quiet and solicitous on the trip, it seemed to Tasha. She knew he was very upset by all that had happened, and felt responsible in good measure because he hadn’t made sure she understood everything clearly.

  She didn’t want to talk about it, so she said very little at all. She was feeling strangely ambivalent about everything at that point, and so she just sat back, and let it go.

  It seemed no time at all, and they were home again, at Gary’s cabin. Gary and Deb were very concerned about Tasha’s continued lethargy and lack of appetite.

  Ruth was beside herself when she saw Tasha’s swollen face and still visible, green lines where her face had been bruised. She held Tasha in her arms and rocked her as she would have done Deb.

  “I’m all right, Ruth.” she comforted gently when she felt sobs shake Ruth’s frame.

  “I’m so glad you’re back. Honey, you’ve given us such a scare.”

  “I’m sorry.” Tasha apologized sincerely.

  “Everything will be fine now. You come on up to bed, and...”

  “Really, Ruth, I’m fine.”

  Gary grinned and turned away, when he saw Ruth frown and bodily push Tasha toward the stairs. There was no arguing with his aunt when she went into the bulldozer mode.

  She was still in that frame of mind when she came downstairs again and confronted her nephew, arms folded and eyebrows furrowed.

  “So. She does not look good at all, Gary.”

  “I know, Ruth. I tried to prepare you, but ... she’s in pretty bad shape.”

  “What are you going to do? Are we going to press charges against Brent Charles?”

  Gary raised one eyebrow doubtfully. “Well, Ruth, I think that’ll be up to Tasha, and I don’t think it’s a question she’s terribly prepared to face just yet. I think we should just let her get her feet back under her, don’t you?”

  Ruth sighed, and looked at the ceiling. “I think ... I think we ought to go to Idaho, and hang him.”

  Gary chuckled. “Well, I had a hard time not going after him when I talked to this baby runaway girl he’d left there, when she told me what he’d done to Tasha. Luckily for him, he was in New York at the time.”

  “And, it was especially tough when I saw her face. It’s really much better now, than the face Deb and I first saw. And it had been a whole week, then. I think the most horrible part was hearing about what had happened, from the runaway girl -- and not knowing what she looked like, if she was all right. Or if I’d ever find her.”

  Ruth backed off. “Yes. I suppose.” she admitted. “What did you do about this young girl?”

  Gary smiled. “We took her to the nearest homeless shelter. She was pretty grateful, after seeing what Brent is capable of. She was quite shocked to discover that her sugar daddy has quite a mean streak.”

  Aunt Ruth snorted and went back upstairs to check on Tasha.

  After getting her home, Gary had to work pretty hard to get in to see Tasha. Ruth was hovering like a mother hen, and left precious little room for Gary to be with her; especially alone.

  The doctor felt that she was going to be all right; she just needed some time to pull out of her slump, and get over the pain in her face and head.

  Gary finally felt that the time had come to start moving closer to Tasha. He had to deal a bit with Ruth, but she eventually moved aside to make room for Gary to spend time with Tasha.

  She was asleep when he went in. He just sat in the chair beside her bed, and stared at her. So many emotions went through his heart, so many thoughts went through his mind as he sat there looking at her now almost normal face. He let his head drop into his hands, and he prayed hard, for a long time.

  When he opened his eyes again, he looked at Tasha and found her eyes on him. He smiled and covered her hand with his. “Hi.” he said lightly.

  “Hi.” she answered quietly.

  “You okay?” he asked, letting his eyes tell her how concerned he was.

  “Yeah. I’m okay.” she answered. There was something missing in her eyes; there was a lack-luster, almost blank look. Like there was no soul. Gary could see in her eyes that she had been deeply wounded by the series of events that had taken place.

  Not just
one, but all of them, in such short succession. He sighed heavily as he realized he had a long road ahead of him. He was going to have to start over, at a point much more distant than the place he’d begun with Tasha the first time. He was willing, and he had no choice. He’d promised total commitment to her. But, he was scared.

  “Would you like to go for a walk on the beach?” he asked hopefully.

  She blinked at him. “Ruth probably won’t let me.” she said listlessly. “She keeps insisting that I have to rest.”

  “Yeah, I know. But if you’d like to walk on the beach, I’ll take you. I think the fresh air and sunshine will do you good.”

  “Okay.” she agreed dully.

  Gary looked at her for a long moment and squeezed her hand, before he went to deal with Ruth.

  Gary gave her no pressure of any kind, for weeks. He never mentioned getting married, or being in love, or the church. No one was permitted to visit until she was ready to go out in the world, again. Gary felt that when she started taking an interest in people again, then she’d be ready to interact with others outside the family.

  They went for a daily walk on the beach, and he just held her hand, or walked with an arm around her shoulders. Sometimes not one word was said. He let her set the pace.

  On the fourth day, she shot him a wary look. “You don’t talk much, anymore.” she accused.

  He grinned. “Neither do you. I figured you’d start talking when you were ready to.”

  She shrugged. “What’s to say?”

  He looked at her steadily, and weighed his words carefully. “I think you’ve just needed some time to think about everything and consider what you want to do, now. I’ve felt it’s important for you to take your time, put everything in it’s place. A lot happened to you, in a very short period of time.”

  She snorted. “Really?” she chortled sarcastically. Then, she remembered looking at him while he explained what had really happened, that night on the beach – and she recalled his plea for forgiveness. She shut up.

  Gary pressed his lips together, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked along beside her.

  Two weeks after their walks had begun, they went out one evening at dusk. Tasha was feeling much more herself this week. The headaches were less frequent, the listlessness was finally falling away. She looked up at Gary when they’d gone clear to the spit, a mile or so from the cabin. She sat down on a rock at the water’s edge, and he sat next to her.