She’d never been the outgoing type, but there was something about Zoe she found comforting. They would often chat while doing prep work in the restaurant. Zoe seemed to have a way about her that made people feel instantly at ease.
“How are you? Do you work nearby?” Jenna asked, deflecting the conversation away from herself.
“I’m really good. I’m doing some producing and reporting for KPR, that’s Kansas Public Radio for you newbies to the area. I’ve got a place about an hour away in Lawrence by the station. But with so many friends and my family here in Langley Park, I seem to spend more time here than I do there. My mom and dad live close by, and they don’t mind me crashing.”
The women stopped talking as a waiter approached the table and handed Jenna her laptop, then he set a glass of red wine and a bottle of beer on the table.
“As you can tell, I’ve changed a little. My pink hair and punk rock days are solidly behind me,” Zoe said as she touched her wavy, brown bob.
“Zoe, you always looked great. Are you and Sam…” Jenna trailed off letting Zoe fill the space.
“Oh, no! We’re just good friends. I used to come here quite a bit when I was living nearby with my brother,” she said.
Zoe took a long sip of her beer and narrowed her eyes. “Change of subject. I need to know how you ended up on my doorstep. I thought you were from somewhere out in farm country?”
“You’re right. I graduated from high school in a little town almost due south of here close to the Kansas-Oklahoma border. You’ve got a great memory. That’s probably a good thing for what you do.”
Zoe laughed. “That’s what I love about my job. I’ve always enjoyed getting to know people. I love learning their stories, their complexities. That’s what’s so great about getting to work at KPR. I get to help put together stories that make a difference.”
Zoe stopped talking and again narrowed her eyes. “You are very good at deflecting questions, Jenna Lewis! Enough about me. Did you become a teacher? That’s what you wanted to do, right?”
Jenna filled Zoe in on her job and all the cities she’d lived in during the last ten years. Talking about her work was the one topic of conversation that always came easily.
“Is it ever lonely?”
Jenna paused before answering. It wasn’t the first time someone had asked her this, and she had her canned reply at the ready. “Not at all, I get to work with great kids and train equally amazing teachers. I’m happy, really happy.”
Zoe nodded. “Is Kansas City your next stop? God knows the public schools could use some support. School funding out here is a real shit show.”
And here’s where Jenna didn’t know how to go on. What was she doing here? It was such a simple question.
She thought about the lie she told her principal about helping an elderly aunt after hip surgery. It was a believable enough tale to tell, but something inside her was holding back from regurgitating another falsehood. Maybe it was the long drive or the shock of being back in Kansas. Maybe it was her surreal encounter with Hadley or reconnecting with Zoe Stein.
Jenna felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole, trapped in a world that didn’t make sense. For the last fourteen years, she’d been in control, in charge of her trajectory; but now, in Langley Park, there were so many unknown variables. Her carefully modulated life, crafted to protect her heart, had vanished with a single voicemail.
It had been relatively easy to keep her guard up when she controlled every aspect of her life. Easy to get lost in her work and ignore the weight of all the untruths. In essence, by keeping herself walled off from any emotional connection, she had created a life where there was zero risk of being hurt. But she paid the price for keeping those walls so strongly fortified. It had been many, many years since she had love in her life.
But now, sitting next to Zoe, she didn’t see someone who wanted to break her heart into a million pieces. All she could see was compassion and genuine concern.
Under the table, Jenna positioned her thumbnail and pressed it into the flesh of her thigh, feeling that familiar jolt of pain. “I’m here because my mother was admitted to Midwest. She threatened suicide during a therapy session, and now she’s at the psychiatric center for the next couple of weeks, maybe longer.”
Stunned by her admission, Jenna released her thumb and placed her hands on the table. She took a slow breath as the pain in her leg dissipated.
“I’m so sorry, Jenna. I didn’t even know you had family here.”
“No family, just her. I didn’t even know she was in Langley Park until a few days ago. I haven’t seen or heard from her in many years.”
“This has got to be so hard on you.”
“I don’t know why I’m burdening you with all this,” Jenna said, the sensation of speaking the truth making her almost queasy, like the feeling you get looking into one of those funhouse mirrors.
“You aren’t putting any burden on me. You’re a friend. I’m here for you, whatever you need. What can I do to help?”
Jenna let out a nervous laugh. She needed to change the subject to something less charged and more pragmatic. “Help me pick a hotel. Is the Country Club Plaza still a nice area? I only visited once when we lived in Village East.”
Zoe sat up ramrod straight in her seat. “Wait a second. When the hell did you live in Village East? I went to Village East High School. All the Langley Park kids go there.”
“I went to Village East High but just for the first semester of my sophomore year. I wasn’t there long.”
“Jenna, that’s crazy! So, if you were a sophomore, I’d have been in eighth grade. Still middle school,” she frowned. “Did you keep in touch with anyone from Village East High? I’m sure we have some friends in common.”
“No,” Jenna shook her head, taking another sip of wine. “I went to a bunch of schools growing up, so I never had much time to make any lasting friendships.” She couldn’t help the memory from Langley Park that flashed through her mind, but she wasn’t about to share it. She’d never even spoken about it to anyone. That memory was a treasure she’d kept locked in her heart since she was fifteen years old.
Zoe nodded and pulled out her phone. She tapped it on the table, her gaze directed at the ceiling as if she was contemplating something. “We need a place for you to stay.”
Jenna watched as Zoe started texting.
The two, or was it three, glasses of wine Sam had sent over were starting to make her head feel a little fuzzy. “I was looking online, but I’m not even sure what I’m looking for. I was hoping to be close to the hospital, but I don’t think there are any hotels in Langley Park. I even checked a house rental site, but it didn’t come up with anything in the area.”
“Jenna, I’ve got it all worked out,” Zoe said, clapping her hands and cutting off her tipsy banter. “You’re not going to need a hotel.”
4
“Stop telling me no and let me show you the place,” Zoe said, ushering Jenna out of Park Tavern and into the muggy May evening.
Jenna had almost forgotten the unforgiving Midwest humidity. Two years in Denver’s dry climate had spoiled her.
“Zoe, I don’t even know your brother. I can’t imagine imposing on him like this.”
“Listen, the walk will do us both good after all that wine and my many, many beers. You’re not driving anywhere, sister. Might as well enjoy the scenery.”
Zoe was right. Langley Park’s town center was picturesque. If you had to close your eyes and imagine a charming town square, this was it. By this time, all the families had gone home, but the strings of white lights hanging above the square were still softly illuminating a large fountain. The sound of water mingling with the crickets provided a soothing background soundtrack.
The town center’s design was elegant in its simplicity. It ran four blocks east to west and three blocks north to south with the Langley Park Botanic Gardens on the far east side separating the town center from Lake Boley. The Midwest Medical and Psychi
atric Center was situated on the other side of the lake.
The neighborhood homes, consisting of several blocks, encased the town center on its north, west, and south sides. Langley Park was an urban planner’s delight. Walkable and bicycle friendly, it was no wonder the well-to-do were flocking to the area and paying top dollar for the quaint bungalows and charming Tudor, American Foursquare, and Federal style homes.
Making their way toward the neighborhood, Zoe led Jenna past a small bookstore on Bellflower Street then north on Baneberry Drive.
“I’ve forgotten so much,” Jenna said, a bit of nostalgia in her voice as she remembered all the streets in Langley Park were named after plant life native to the region. “This was always such a sweet town. It almost makes you forget you’re only a few miles away from Kansas City.”
“Yep, it’s like you’ve died and ended up in Mayberry. Except we’re not in North Carolina, and there’s nobody named Goober around here that I know of.”
The women laughed and then settled into a comfortable silence.
It was a lovely place. The lawns were all meticulously maintained, and Jenna’s heart swelled seeing children’s bicycles stacked next to front doors, waiting for their riders to awaken.
Many residences had motion sensor lights that came to life as they walked past, allowing Jenna to admire the painstakingly cared for homes.
After they had walked about five blocks due north from the town center, they stopped at a red brick Tudor style home. A large oak tree stood tall, sleepily casting branches over the home’s high gables.
“This is it,” Zoe whispered.
The house was dark with only an outdoor light illuminating the front door while a few landscape lights twinkled along the perimeter. Jenna and Zoe walked up the driveway and headed toward a small structure.
The structure turned out to be a two-story, freestanding garage nestled in the back corner of the property. Built in the same Tudor style as the main house, it sported a gable in its center and below that a trio of windows.
They went to the side of the garage, and Zoe started digging inside her purse. This was all starting to become very real.
“I bet there’s a key hidden under one of the pots,” Zoe said, gesturing to the many ceramic planters lined up along the side of the garage. She dug through her large tote bag. “I’ve got my own key I can give you somewhere in this mess.”
“Zoe, you don’t have to do this for me. I’d be fine in a hotel.”
“Bingo,” Zoe said, holding up a silver key in triumph. Then her face became serious. “Jesus, Jenna, it’s not like I’m letting an ax murderer crash in my brother’s garage. You’re a freaking teacher who goes state to state helping poor kids learn to read, right? I might as well be showing this place to Mother Teresa.”
“If you put it that way,” Jenna answered, conceding defeat.
Zoe opened the door and flipped on a light switch, revealing a small mudroom and a narrow staircase. Zoe led her up the stairs and flipped on another light when she got to the top.
Jenna had to blink her eyes a few times to get used to the bright lights. The apartment was a large rectangle mirroring the size of the garage below. It was beautifully decorated in whites, blues, and grays. Tasteful pottery and framed art added to the room’s coziness.
As Jenna walked further inside, it was as if she’d stumbled into a Crate and Barrel catalog. To her right, there was a full kitchen with gleaming stainless steel appliances. The cabinetry was white with brushed nickel pulls. An island with a creamy granite counter separated the kitchen from the rest of the apartment. A round table with four chairs and gray upholstered cushions sat further in the room.
Jenna immediately noticed a desk in the far corner. It was crafted in a way that fit all the angles of the space perfectly, giving plenty of room to work and an unobstructed view of the backyard and the main house. Across from the desk, there was a cozy gray couch with throw pillows and a large flat screen television.
Zoe walked out from what looked like the bedroom and turned on the light. “What do you think? Not too bad, huh?”
“This is really nice. Are you sure no one uses it? Your brother doesn’t need this space?”
“Let me show you the bedroom,” Zoe said, her voice sounding a bit heavy-hearted.
Jenna walked into the small bedroom where she was met with the same blue, white, and gray color scheme. It made her feel like she was at a seaside cottage.
“The closet and washer and dryer are through there.” Zoe pointed toward a small hallway leading out of the bedroom. “And then the bathroom is right past that. It was the door that was right across from the kitchen. What do you think? Will this work?” Zoe flopped onto the bed.
“It’s gorgeous. Is this where you lived when you stayed with your brother? I almost feel like I’m at the beach.”
Zoe’s face darkened. “That’s what they were going for.”
“What do you mean, they?”
Zoe sighed and flopped back on the bed. “This carriage house apartment was supposed to be for my brother’s mother-in-law.”
“What happened?”
“She passed away suddenly. Heart attack. It was really hard on Sara.”
“Sara? That’s your brother’s wife?”
“Sara was Ben’s wife.”
“Zoe, are you sure it’s okay if I stay here?”
“She died years ago. It would do the place good to have someone breathe some life into it. Plus, this is the perfect set-up for you. You’re not even sure how long you’re going to be in Langley Park. You could stay a week or a month. There’s no hurry. You’ll have a kitchen to cook in—no living on takeout, and there’s plenty of room for you to work. I know you have a lot on your plate. Having a safe place to crash close to the hospital is one less thing to worry about, don’t you think?”
“And your brother? You’re sure he’s all right with this?”
Zoe yawned. “Don’t worry about my brother. He’s out of town with Kate, but I sent him a text.”
Jenna nodded, hoping this Kate wouldn’t mind her living in her boyfriend’s garage. She had to admit that this was an ideal living situation. With the hospital only a few miles away, she could divide her time easily between working here in the carriage house and making trips to see her mother.
“All right, Zoe. I’d love to stay here. This is so generous of you and your brother. I’m going to insist on paying though.”
“You can work that out with Ben. We better head back to Park Tavern. You need to get your car, and I need to let Sam know we haven’t been abducted by aliens.” Zoe held up her phone as a long stream of texts from Sam lit up the screen.
By the time they made it back to Park Tavern, Sam was the sole inhabitant, quietly stocking craft brews in the coolers below the bar. “Did everything go okay? I was about to send out a search party.”
Zoe hoisted herself onto the bar and swung her legs back and forth. “It took a little arm twisting, but Jenna’s gonna stay in Ben’s carriage house.”
Sam smiled, leaning his elbows on the bar next to Zoe. “I think the carriage house will be good for you, Jenna. Just watch out for Kate.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m either going to be working or at the hospital. Hopefully, they won’t even know I’m there. I mean, I never even met my neighbors back in Denver. I’m pretty good at keeping to myself.”
Sam gave Jenna a kind, sad smile, but after a few awkward seconds, Zoe hopped off the bar and wrapped her in a warm hug. “Don’t be a stranger. You’ve got us.”
“Thank you. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I appreciate all this.”
“And remember, I have your cell number. I have your email. And I know where you live,” Zoe said, her teasing tone back in place.
By now, it was nearly one in the morning. Jenna had driven the few blocks to Zoe’s brother’s house and sat parked in the driveway, her gaze trained on the carriage house. This was going to be her home for the foreseeable future. As she turn
ed off the engine, fatigue washed over her body. She opened the back hatch of her SUV and grabbed the small suitcase containing her toiletries. She could unload the rest in the morning.
Bag in hand, Jenna walked over to the side door. The night air hummed with the songs of cicadas, the familiar sound triggering memories she’d spent years trying to forget.
She closed the door behind her, then trudged up the steps and into the bedroom, setting her bag on the small nightstand next to the bed. Flicking on a lamp, she crawled onto the bed and arranged the pillows so she could sit upright against the headboard. Looking down at her thighs, she lifted the fabric of her skirt, exposing the crescent shaped indentations caused by her thumbnail. Red and inflamed, the marks seemed to be glaring up at her. Observing her legs more closely, she saw the faint lines of past scars, now barely visible, but still engrained in her mind.
Jenna extended her legs and traced her fingers over each indentation. She leaned her head back against the soft pillows and closed her eyes. Fingers still massaging her thigh, one lone tear escaped down her cheek as childhood memories flooded her mind.
“You made him go!”
Her mother was screaming again. Her Alabama accent was still thick though she hadn’t lived in the South since before Jenna was born.
“Why did you do that? Why Jenna Jo? Do you hate me that much? Why would you even think about callin’ the police?”
“You weren’t here, and Travis came in the house. He started yelling at me, saying crazy things like I’d taken money from him. Mom, I didn’t. I wouldn’t. Then he tried to grab me. I ran to your room and locked the door. You weren’t here. I didn’t know what else to do.” Jenna choked out a sob as she tried to reason with her mother.
Judith lit a cigarette, and the smoke swirled, obscuring Jenna’s view of the red and blue flashing lights of the police car parked outside. Judith had arrived home from a shopping trip just as the police were pulling in.
“You don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” Her mother’s tone was full of irritation.
The Complete Langley Park Series (Books 1-5) Page 3
