“I don’t think that it’s fair that you keep stringing her along,” Jane said. “That is childish.”
“It doesn’t matter how you view it,” Martha told her. “I need Blake, and I need you to break up with her and leave her alone. Things were fine before you came to town, and now, everything is different. Blake doesn’t answer my calls or talk to me in public. I don’t like that. I want things to be the way that they were.”
“I don’t think that I can give you what you want,” Jane replied, trying to keep her countenance. “I think that you are being foolish in thinking that someone would give up everything else in their life to service your needs. It’s almost hard to believe that we are actually having this conversation.”
“Well, we are,” Martha said, clearly upset. “And if you don’t stop seeing her, I will make sure that your business closes. Then, you won’t have any reason to be here anyway.”
“You can’t blackmail me like that,” Jane said, trying not to lose her temper.
“I can do anything that I like,” Martha said. “My daddy owns this town.”
“Well, good luck with that,” Jane said, opening the door to the office and signaling for the other woman to get out.
“Is that your final answer?” Martha inquired, looking at Jane closely.
“Yes,” Jane said, knowing that she couldn’t spend another moment with the other woman. “Please leave.”
“Okay,” Martha said, with a big smile on her face. “You are not going to be happy with the results of your decisions.”
We’ll see,” Jane said, not even bothering to walk the woman out. She waited for the other woman to walk down the hallway and towards the lobby doors and then closed her office door. She had never met a woman like Martha before, and it was irritating how the other woman thought that she was going to get her way anytime that she wanted it. Who in their right mind admitted to stringing people along for their own entertainment? What kind of person was she? Jane shook her head and sat down. She didn’t know what she was going to do about her business if Martha shut it down. She didn’t know how to protect herself, but she certainly wasn’t going to sell Blake out in order to protect herself. Who knew how long Martha had been using Blake, and if it had been going on for a while, she was sure that Blake was just as confused by the other woman’s actions as she was.
Chapter Twenty
Blake rifled through the kitchen cabinets, trying to figure out what to make for dinner. She wanted to do something nice for Jane, and now that she had more of her mobility back, she felt like she should pick up more of the slack around the house. Things had been going great with Jane, and Blake was happy. She felt a comfort with the other woman’s presence that she didn’t feel with anyone else. Blake found some pasta and pulled it out of the cabinet and then started across the kitchen to get a pan. She knew that her physical restraints would soon come to an end and she would be able to make more of a commitment to helping out with the house and taking care of her financials, and she was looking forward to it. Living her life with a broken leg for the last few weeks had taught her a lot of patience and to appreciate the small things that she didn’t always think of on a daily basis.
Blake pulled out a pan and began to fill it with water when a knock sounded at the door. She put down the pan and hobbled to the front door, not sure who her unexpected guest was. She knew that Walter had to be at work at this time, and though Jane was due to be home soon, it was still a little early. Blake opened the front door and felt her whole body tense up at she found herself face to face with Martha. “What are you doing here?” she asked the other woman. She had managed to push the memories of the woman into the back of her mind and had been working to move forward, but she certainly wasn’t ready to have any conversations or interactions with Martha at this point.
“I came to see you,” Martha said, making herself comfortable in one of the patio chairs and patting the seat of the chair next to her. “I would like to talk to you. Do you have a minute?”
“No, actually, I’m busy at the moment,” Blake said, still standing in the doorway. “Maybe, we can talk another time.”
“Come on, honey,” Martha said, getting up and approaching Blake. “Don’t you miss me?”
Blake thought about the question for a moment, knowing that in the past, she would have said yes and broken down in front of the other woman, but now, for some reason, she didn’t feel that close to her or even like speaking to her. “Look, I really do have things to do,” Blake replied, trying not to be rude.
“Blakey,” Martha said, running her hand down Blake’s chest. “What’s changed? You’ve never not made time for me.”
“I’ve changed,” Blake told her seriously. “What we had was in the past, and now, I’m somewhere else. I don’t want to rehash memories anymore. I’m ready to move on and get back to my life. I waited so long for you, and you didn’t come back until I started moving on, and now, I’m finally happy.”
“And it’s not with me,” Martha finished, looking hurt. “I thought that you would always be there for me. I thought that you loved me. I thought that you would wait for me.”
“And I did,” Blake said. “But there’s only so long that a person can wait to only be turned down over and over again. You don’t love me, Martha. You don’t want me. You just don’t want to be alone.”
“That’s not true,” Martha stated, looking her in the eyes. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be with you.”
“Well, I don’t want to be with you anymore,” Blake said. “I have found someone else.”
Martha moved closer to her, tears in her eyes and pressed herself against Blake’s chest. “Blake, please, I know that you have feelings for me. Don’t do this.”
Blake patted her on the back awkwardly, not knowing what to say. She had already spoke her piece, and it didn’t seem like the other woman was getting it. “Martha, you need to go,” Blake finally said, pulling the woman back and looking her in the eyes.
“Blake, don’t do this,” Martha said, pressing her lips against Blake’s.
“Martha, stop,” Blake said, pushing her off of her. “You need to leave.”
“Fine, but so does your new girlfriend,” Martha said. “And I will make sure that she leaves this town.”
“What do you mean by that?” Blake said, watching Martha walk away upset.
“I mean if you are done with me, then, I am done with her, and she can leave this town,” Martha said, turning around. “This is my town.”
Blake watched Martha walk away and when she was sure that the other woman was gone, she went back into the house. She hadn’t expected all of the drama with Martha, and she hoped that the other woman listened to her and left her alone. Nevertheless, something about what she had said about making Jane leave the town kept playing through her mind, and she wondered what it meant. Martha was an influential part of Melville, and she usually got what she wanted. She hoped that the other woman wouldn’t sink so low as to do something to jeopardize Jane or her career.
Blake walked into the kitchen and stopped short when she saw Jane standing there, tears in her eyes. “Hello, is everything okay?” Blake asked, not sure what to expect.
“No,” Jane said, shaking her head. “I saw you and Martha together. I thought that you were different. I thought that you cared about me. I should have known better.”
“I wasn’t…” Blake began, but Jane didn’t let her finish.
“I know what I saw,” Jane said, tears flowing uncontrollably now. “And I’m tired of this. I’m leaving, Blake. I’m tired of people threatening my business, and I’m a fool to fall in love with someone who only wanted to be with me to get back at their ex. I’m leaving.”
“Jane, wait,” Blake said, trying to stop Jane as she walked out of the kitchen. “I can explain…”
“I know what I saw, and I am done, Blake,” Jane told her. “Do me a favor and leave me alone.”
Blake stood there, not knowing what to d
o. She didn’t know when Jane had walked up, but she wanted to explain what she saw. Blake no longer had feelings for Martha, and she needed Jane to know that. She was so angry that Martha had even come to her house, let alone that she had tried to make a move on her. She had tried to make it clear that what they had was over, but Martha just wouldn’t listen. She was used to getting what she wanted, and Blake had never rejected her before. Blake didn’t know what she was going to say to Jane, but she wished that she would trust her. She had handled the situation to the best of her ability, and she wanted Jane to know that Martha wasn’t a staple in her life anymore. Blake’s mind was filled with thoughts and things that she wanted to say to Jane. She just wanted to make everything right between the two of them, but she knew that following an angry woman for too long would just make her push her away more, and Blake didn’t want to do any more damage.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jane closed her bedroom door and locked it. She was so upset, and she knew that she had reached her breaking point. First, Martha decides to shut down the clinic, the job that she had worked so hard for, and then, the woman that she had fallen for decides that she would rather be with her ex. The was all too much for her, and Jane was ready to go back home. Tears ran down her face as she found her way to her bed and pulled her cell phone out. She hadn’t developed as many close relationships in Melville as she would have wanted, but she did know one person that she could count on. Jane slowly dialed the number, hoping that there was an answer.
“Hello,” a familiar voice said after two rings.
“Cam,” Jane sobbed into the receiver. “I want to go home.”
“Honey is everything alright?” Cam asked, her voice growing serious.
“No, I just want to go home,” Jane said, hoping that her friend would understand. It had been a while since they had spoken, and she missed the familiar conversations that they used to have.
“What happened?” Cam asked.
“So many things,” Jane said. “First, the mayor’s daughter decided to close down my clinic, and then, Blake. I just can’t believe Blake.”
“Who’s Blake?” Cam inquired.
“She just this woman that I met here,” Jane said. “She’s not important anymore anyhow. She’s with Martha.”
“Who’s Martha?” Cam asked.
“The mayor’s daughter,” Jane replied, reliving the situation between Blake and Martha over and over again in her head. Tears were pouring down her face at this point, and she was so dismayed that she couldn’t keep back her sobs.
“Jane, honey, calm down,” Cam said. “It will be alright. I’m not exactly sure if I’m fitting all of the pieces together, but if you need me to, I can come and get you.”
“Thank you, Cam,” Jane told the other woman. “I just want to go home. I’m tired of all of this small-town drama. I don’t belong here.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Blake rolled over, feeling her body fall hard to the ground. She blinked her eyes and looked up to see what had happened, only to be faced with the underside of her living room table and couch. She must have fallen asleep in the living room. Blake pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around for her crutches. The night before had been a long one, and she kept waking up, wondering when she should go talk to Jane. She wasn’t sure what she was going to say, but she knew the situation needed to be rectified, and she wanted to clear everything up quickly before any further drama.
Blake found her crutches laying by the side of the couch and grabbed them so that she could get herself up. Blake looked up towards the staircase, feeling an unsettling feeling hit her stomach. She wished that Jane had just let her explain. She hadn’t done anything with Martha, and it upset her that Jane only saw part of the conversation that she had with the other woman. Blake eased herself across the living room and up the stairs, knocking on Jane’s door once she got up there. The door swung open slowly as her hand hit the hard wood, and Blake noticed that all of Jane’s belongings were gone. The room looked just the same way that it did before Jane moved in.
“Jane,” Blake called across the house. She headed out of the bedroom and down towards the back door. “Jane,” Blake yelled out the door, but there was no answer.
Blake’s heart began to sink, and she felt tears come to her eyes. She wasn’t sure what was going on. Did the other woman really leave? She didn’t even give Blake time to talk to her or explain what she saw. Blake stood there, frozen. She wasn’t sure what to do. The phone began to ring in the background, and lethargically, she headed towards it. “Hello?” Blake said, feeling all of the emotion drain from her body.
“Hello, this is Darla,” the voice said from the other end. “Is Jane there?”
“No,” Blake said. “Isn’t she at work?”
“No, she left a letter on the front door this morning stating that she had resigned,” Darla replied. “I knew that she was upset that the mayor wasn’t going to fund the clinic, but I didn’t think that she would give up this easily.”
“Martha,” Blake muttered under her breath. “So, the clinic is shutting down?” Blake asked, piecing everything together.
“Yes,” Darla replied. “The mayor decided not to fund it.”
“This is bullshit,” Blake said, shaking her head.
“I’m sorry,” Darla said, her voice rising.
“Not you, Darla,” Blake explained. “Sorry, there’s a lot going on here.”
“I get it,” Darla stated. “I can’t believe the mayor is trying to bring our clinic out of business. You would think that he would want the extra business.”
“Well, you never know,” Blake said. “Maybe, he will reconsider.”
“Yeah, we’ll see,” Darla said, pausing. “Anyhow, if you here from Jane, let me know. I would like to talk to her. I understand that she’s upset about all of this. I can’t imagine moving your entire life to a new town only to find out that your job is in jeopardy.”
“I’ll let you know,” Blake said adding a few polite cordial words and hanging up.
Blake stood in the kitchen, knowing that she needed to do something. She had waited so long to meet someone like Jane, and now that she did, she wasn’t going to let the woman leave her life that easily, especially on false pretenses. Blake picked up the phone again, dialing Walter. She knew that he was at work, but she also knew that he would understand the situation.
“Hello,” Walter said, answering the phone.
“Hello,” Blake said. “I have a situation. Jane’s gone, and I need to find her. I was wondering if you would help.”
“Of course,” Walter said without hesitation. “What’s going on?”
Blake explained the situation and waited for Walter’s response. “I told you not to chase her off,” Walter replied. “I knew Martha wasn’t up to any good. I’ll bet Jane went home so we will probably have to go into the city to look for her. Pack a bag. I’ll let the guys know what’s going on. I’m sure someone will cover my shift. We need to get her back, Blake. She’s a heck of a woman, and if you lose her, I don’t know if you will ever find anyone that’s willing to put up with you.”
“Right,” Blake agreed. “I’ll be ready in an hour. I’m sorry about this, Walter, but I can’t let things end this way with her.”
“You’d do the same for me,” Walter told her. “That’s what friends are for. Now, get ready. We have a mission, and we aren’t going to let Martha stand in the way of you and Jane.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jane sat in Cam’s apartment, looking out into the city. It had been a while since she had been there, and though she thought that she would feel at home, she was actually feeling out of place there too. Cam had gone to work, but she had found out on the ride into town that Cam’s life had changed drastically since she had left. Her friend had started to date another doctor, and her job had really picked up. Jane was happy for her friend, and she wanted to do the best that she could to get herself settled so that she didn’t affect
any of these new changes for Cam.
Normally, Jane would know what to do with herself. She had spent most of her life in the city, and there were several activities that she used to participate in. However, everything had changed since she had relocated to Melville, and the bright attractions didn’t seem as enticing as the long walks that she had in the country on the way to work. It hadn’t been long since she left the small town, and already she was missing it. She missed the warm air and the beautiful nature that surrounded every crack and crevice of the small town. She also missed the simplicity, and most of all, she missed Blake.
Jane had hit a rough spot after seeing Martha kissing Blake. She had really trusted Blake, and she hadn’t expected the incident to happen. She knew that she was stupid for trusting someone that much, but Blake had seemed different. She had actually seemed like she was honest, and when they were together, Blake made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. Jane had enjoyed the time that she spent with the other woman, and she hadn’t expected it to end. In fact, when she was with her, it seemed like time was just a mindless matter, and the only thing that mattered was the emotions between the two of them. Spending time with Blake had made Jane see a new side of herself that she didn’t even know existed, and she had grown to like that part of her.
Jane looked around the apartment, not quite knowing what to do with herself. She wanted to feel better, and at the moment, she felt so out of place that she couldn’t find any comfort in any activity that she could think of pursuing. She grabbed the nearby paper, looking through the city events section. Maybe, she could go out with Cam tonight, have a couple of drinks, and relax. Jane flipped through the pages, looking for something that would grab her attention. She had almost gotten through the whole paper when she saw exactly what she was looking for. There was a rodeo at the civic center later in the evening, and something about the sound of it, made Jane feel at home. She took out her phone and took a picture of the article, shooting it to Cam. Almost instantly, Cam replied, stating that she would go with her. Jane could feel excitement overtake her emotions, something that she hadn’t felt for the last day or so, and she was happy to feel somewhat normal. Going to the rodeo was definitely a change of pace for her, but it seemed right, and she was going to do everything in her power to make the most of it.
The Heart of the Rodeo Page 8
