Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“Barney at the garage says she’s a manipulator,” Frank says. “I talked to him a little after… you know, what happened with the wedding.” His eyes don’t meet mine. “Your mom dropped by the garage a couple of times. Shared her theories on why you ran away.”
I don’t want to ask. I know all her theories will be bullshit. “I’m sorry.” I can’t think of anything else to say.
“She said I didn’t spoil you enough. Didn’t show my love the way I should have.”
I groan. “Barney’s right. Me leaving didn’t have anything to do with you. I needed to escape my mother and her manipulation.” It’s like all the colors of the kaleidoscope have come into focus, and for the first time I see everything with perfect clarity. I’ve always known. But now that knowledge isn’t buried at the back of my brain. It’s front and center. Frank wasn’t who I was running from. It was always my mom who I needed to escape. “My mother was trying to get you to blame yourself, when she only had herself to blame.”
He sighs and leans back in his chair. I can see his brain processing all this information.
“There are plenty of women who will want you for all the right reasons, Frank.”
We sip our drinks in silence until I remember the trailer.
“I don’t have the trailer documents with me—I mean, obviously, because I left with nothing. But I’m going to figure out how to transfer it back to you.”
Frank shakes his head. “You don’t need to do that. I don’t want it.”
“Of course I need to do that,” I say. “I should have done it before now. It’s just because I don’t have the paperwork, I’ve been…” I trail off. I’ve been delaying the inevitable. If I want those papers, I need to go get them from Oregon. I could ask Marion to find them for me, but I don’t want to get her into trouble. Mom’s so tricky and always at home because she doesn’t work, so she’s bound to find out. Marion has enough secrecy and lies in her life just applying for schools. I don’t need to put her in a more difficult position. I know Mom would never forgive her if she thought we were communicating behind her back.
“I need to come back to Oregon,” I say. “I’ll arrange for an attorney to do everything while I’m there.” But when? The Club opens is in ten days. I have this weekend off, then it’s the party for the residents of Star Falls on Monday night. The Club will welcome members the following weekend. Hart has made it clear that all hands are required on deck; shift patterns kick in properly, and time off won’t be on the table unless there’s an emergency. I don’t know when I’ll next have an opportunity to get away after the Club opens.
“You really don’t need to. It’s not like I want to own the trailer anyway. That was always to make your family feel more secure.”
I reach out and place my hand on Frank’s arm. He’s such a thoughtful man. “It was a lovely thing to do. But I can’t keep it. After I transfer it to you, maybe you can sell it.”
His eyes widen. “What about your mom?”
“She’ll have to pay rent to whoever buys it. Or find somewhere else to live.”
Maybe that would create an opportunity for my sisters to move out and find a place of their own. It could help them see that they don’t need to be at home, paying Mom rent, when they could have a place of their own.
“Do you know how to transfer it?” I ask.
“I have a copy of most of the paperwork. I can set the wheels in motion when I get back to Oregon.”
“I’ll pay all the legal costs,” I say.
He offers me a small smile. “You’re a good person too, Rosey. I’m sorry things weren’t different between us.”
“Me too.” In many ways, it would be easy to love Frank. He’s kind and generous and he loves me. But he’s not where my heart is. That honor belongs here, in the Colorado Rockies, where my heart has never felt more at home.
THIRTY-TWO
Byron
I watch Rosey climb into the shuttle bus with a man I’ve never seen before. I know I have no right to feel jealous, but that doesn’t stop it. Who is that guy? He’s older than her, and not a local, but they clearly know each other.
“They’re ready for you now,” Gary calls. “Everyone’s having coffee in the ballroom.”
“The ballroom?” I ask. My head is fuzzy from the number of beers I drank at Grizzly’s last night, but I’m pretty sure I said I wanted this meeting in the Peak Room. I’ve invited some of the people I’ve known the longest in Star Falls for a meeting. I have a proposal for them, and I want to hear their concerns. I owe them that.