Autumn Leaves (24 page)

The last thing Rebecca needed now was Laurie’s constant display of disapproval. She should be glad. She’d never stopped expressing her opinion that David could do so much better.

“I assume you’ll want to spend some time with your girlfriend.”

The sound of the key in the front door saved her from an answer. Dina was home.

“Dina.”

Rebecca felt her heart trying to beat out of her chest. David just rolled his eyes and left.

“What’s up, Mom?” Dina asked though she didn’t seem all that interested.

“Dina, please. We need to talk.” Faced with her daughter who had now caught on the serious tone, Rebecca had no clue as to what to say. She stood there, frozen for several moments. Dina’s smile changed to an expression of confusion.

“Um, whatever it is, I didn’t do it,” she ventured.

“Dad and I…We can’t live together anymore,” Rebecca blurted out. “I’m so sorry, Dina. I’m going to move out.”

“What? Why?” She hid her shock quickly though as Rebecca tried to explain, stumbling over the words.
I fell in love. I can’t be with Dad anymore, but that doesn’t change anything about the way I love you.
It had sounded better in her head.

“Wow. I didn’t see that one coming. I don’t have to change schools, do I?”

Dina’s facade of super coolness was as heart-wrenching as Maggie’s confusion. Her younger daughter had joined them shortly after they had sat down in the kitchen to talk.

“No, of course not. No one is going anywhere at the moment. I just didn’t want you to be blindsided.”

Rebecca was fumbling, completely out of her league. This conversation seemed utterly unreal. She needed to be here, be there for them, and help them understand. She needed to be with Callie too. It was a no-win situation.

“Like we aren’t now. Okay, Mom. Where are we going to live?”

“With Callie?” Maggie asked somewhat hopefully. “We could visit Dad when he’s home from work.”

It was humbling to admit to them that for once in her life, Rebecca didn’t have a plan. She didn’t have it all figured out except for that one haunting emotion to lead her, and all she could do was stumble along.

“I don’t know yet if Dad wants to stay here. We might have to sell the house.”

“Callie’s house is nice,” Maggie offered. “It would be like in the book. With Dana.”

“Yeah, our lives are like a novel,” Dina scoffed. “You know, Mom, you and Dad are going to do what you decide. It’s not like we have a lot of say in the matter anyway.”

“That’s not true, Dina!”

“Yes it is. Can I go now? Just let me know when I have to pack up.” Dina didn’t wait for an answer, just left the room.

Rebecca just stared after her for a moment, wishing she knew the perfect remedy for how to do this, without hurting anyone. Maggie slipped off her chair and walked around the table, hugging her. “I’ll stay with you, right?” she whispered.

“Right,” Rebecca said, her voice shaky. “Of course you will.”

* * * *

“How are you?”

“Better,” Callie said, not very convincingly so. She was very much aware of it. She wasn’t any better, not really.

“Since you’re calling, I assume I won’t see you tonight.”

“I’m sorry.” Rebecca sounded heartbroken. “I wish I could, but my mother-in-law is here. If I do as much as step out on the porch, she will report me to Child Services for neglect.”

“So how did they take it?”

“I don’t know. Well. Too well, I’m afraid. Dina’s playing it cool. Maggie basically can’t wait to move in with you.”

Callie wasn’t surprised at the mild flare of panic. This time, there was just so much more to consider than two people in a relationship. She’d gone on her first “date” with another girl at the age of fourteen. Children had never been in the picture. If Rebecca didn’t blame her at some point down the line, they might.

“That’s...encouraging.”

“They like you, Callie. There won’t be any trouble.”

Callie sighed. “Maybe. We just need to go slow, right?”

“You didn’t change your mind?”

The naked fear behind Rebecca’s words struck, and the realization it brought was overwhelming to Callie. She wasn’t the most stable person to begin with, running from her fears, a writer keeping odd hours that made socializing complicated, to say the least. She’d run headfirst into a roadblock, feeling every bruise obtained. Still, Rebecca wanted to be with her. Not just that, she was ready to strip herself of everything familiar to do it.

“I love you,” Callie whispered, those stupid tears starting to fall again. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too. Meet me in town tomorrow after I bring the girls to school?”

“Of course. I can’t wait.”

There was only one more long night in between. After she’d bolted upright in bed, crying and shaking for the third time that night, Callie decided sleep wouldn’t come to her after all, and she could just as well get some work done. Across the street, there was still a light on. Rebecca’s office. She longed to go there, but she knew Rebecca wasn’t kidding when she suggested that Laurie Lowman could possibly cause them some serious trouble. They’d gotten a taste of how quickly gossip could travel.

Callie wondered how Sheriff Lowman found out. She didn’t think Maria would intentionally break her promise, but things could slip out sometimes. If people saw them on the street together, could they tell? Of course, it was too late for these thoughts. Baby steps were all they could do for now.

Callie forced her mind and her gaze away and let herself slip into the story. She would definitely make it by the end of the year. By then, her life might have completely changed. She might not feel so alone anymore.

* * * *

Callie looked tired, but nevertheless beautiful as she walked into the café, her open coat over the black wool dress and boots. She wore those clothes somewhat defiantly, not made for blending in. Rebecca wondered how many of the patrons staring at her now knew. They might stare because they heard that the younger Weller and Beckett were currently in a holding cell.

Either way, they would have to get used to it. Last night, hiding from Laurie in her office, Rebecca had realized a few things. She might be capable of changes, but not too many at a time. Autumn Leaves was her home. She wouldn’t let anybody drive her, or her children away. After the waitress had taken their orders, they just sat in silence for a moment, content and relieved to be in each other’s company after all.

“How did you sleep?” she finally asked.

Callie shrugged. “Will be better some day. I hope. How’s it going at home?”

“Don’t ask. I wish I could just grab the girls and come hide with you.”

“Then why don’t you?”

Callie made a movement to take her hand, then, aware of the audacity, aborted the movement. Solely for Rebecca’s sake, she knew, so it was Rebecca who closed the distance. She was the one who had to learn these things, after all, not to care what anyone said, give up the thought that lightning might strike her at any point.

Yes, why wouldn’t she? There was less space at Callie’s, obviously, but it didn’t have to be a permanent solution. David could sell the house with some good profit and pay off Laurie if she kept complaining about her investments. He could do his job just like he wanted to and come see the girls a few times a month. Not much different from before, she thought with a sigh.

“When David comes home this weekend. I promise.”

Callie’s expression was somewhere between hope and disappointment. Rebecca could sympathize. The end of the week seemed like an eternity away. However, the thought of once again falling asleep next to Callie filled her with warm anticipation and excitement.

“I’m sorry,” she added. “Through all this, I don’t think I ever even asked you if you were okay with giving three people asylum. Especially now.”

Callie squeezed her fingers gently, giving her a smile. “Especially now. I think I’m very much okay with not being alone. I jump at shadows. That doesn’t help when you’re trying to concentrate.”

“Okay. We will—”

Rebecca never finished the sentence, as her cell phone rang. She contemplated not answering, but it was Craig. Briefly, Rebecca had the hope that he could have good news for her, like the Weller and Beckett sons being subjected to a lifelong prison sentence.
Or a public hanging,
she thought grimly.

“Yes?”

He sighed. “I couldn’t get Ms. Bryan on the landline. I thought she might be with you.”

“Why? What happened?” No more complications. She could go forward only so much on shaky ground. Her hand was still in Callie’s when she listened to him say.

“Weller and Beckett made bail. I don’t have to tell you what that means.”

“Damn. How could that happen?”

“I told you it was going to happen.”

“That’s not helping, Craig,” she snapped. “You better make sure no one’s getting near Callie’s house—or mine.” Rebecca closed the cell phone, unsure what she was going to tell Callie. The anxious look on Callie’s face, however, told her that she most likely could guess something.

“Laurie is staying until the weekend. I could spend the time with you.” She did it backwards, offering a solution, stumbling through what Craig had just told her next.

Callie looked doubtful. “You said you weren’t going to do anything as long as she’s there.”

“I’m not going to leave you alone.”

“They might be clever enough to want to lay low for now.”

They were having this conversation all calm and rational, though everything looked different on the inside. Fear. Wanting to be close.

“I’m not going to take that chance,” Rebecca said. She was finally taking the right steps. There was relief in that knowledge.

Chapter Ten

Callie’s thoughts kept going around in circles. Out on bail. It didn’t seem fair. She had to keep calm though. They wouldn’t be so stupid as to come to her home and threaten her. Callie assumed bail was paid from the fathers’ bank accounts, and that Nick Weller and Carl Beckett would keep their sons in line. Then again, what if they failed to do so? Callie irrationally hated Laurie Lowman for keeping Rebecca from her.

There was possibly some residual resentment for Rebecca too, for giving in too easily, but mostly, Callie wanted her here. She was scared, all kinds of worst case scenarios playing in her head over and over again. Closing all blinds, double-checking the locks, Callie finally sat in the living room, the fear keeping her company so intense she could hardly breathe.

* * * *

There was coffee brewing in the kitchen, the table set with a blueberry pastry in the center of it, and a bowl of whipped cream. She refrained herself from sighing. Rebecca knew she should probably be grateful for Laurie trying to create some sense of normalcy. Still, there was something she disliked about her mother-in-law taking over this easily.

“There’s coffee,” Laurie said unnecessarily, “and a piece of pie, if you want. I wasn’t sure, with the women of your generation always watching their weight.” It sounded suspiciously like an accusation.

“Thank you,” Rebecca said anyway. “It will be a while until the girls come back. It’s Dina’s long day, and Maggie’s little book club.”
See, they turned out so much better than you thought.

“Just as well.” Laurie took a knife out of the drawer. There was no hesitation. She definitely knew her way around the household. “That’ll give us some time.”

“For what?” She should have made her escape right now. Rebecca was pretty sure she didn’t have the energy to go toe to toe with Laurie at the moment.

“I’ll try that pie though. As I assume what you’re going to tell me isn’t that sweet.”

Laurie sighed deeply. She poured some coffee for the two of them and put a piece of pie on Rebecca’s plate.

“Hear me out first, please. I take it you’re going to do the sensible thing. I’ll take the girls to church on Sunday.”

“Why? You don’t have to do that. I will.”

“Rebecca,” Laurie said sadly. “Tell me you weren’t planning on going.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” It wasn’t like Rebecca didn’t have her own conflicts where that subject was concerned, and she had an idea what Laurie’s reasoning might be, but she wouldn’t go this easy on her. She’d make her say it.

“You just can’t! The people in this town aren’t stupid, with that woman making waves, and you being involved. Craig told me.”

“Of course he did,” Rebecca said sarcastically, laying her fork aside. All the sugar in the world couldn’t tempt her. She had lost her appetite.

“‘Making waves’ he called it, or were those your words? She reported a sexual assault. That’s not the same as calling someone names.”

“Yeah, well,” Laurie said somewhat uneasily. “Let’s not focus on that, shall we? The problem is, the more people know...You don’t want to do that to David. You’re embarrassing him in front of everybody!”

“David won’t be in town until Sunday evening. Unless Father Langdon forbids me to set foot into church, I don’t think anyone else can. Not even you, Laurie.” Even as she was saying it, Rebecca felt the shiver skittering down her spine as she realized it might come to that. They couldn’t drive her away, right? God’s house was open to everyone, even if you made a mistake.