Underestimated (34 page)

out, and I had no idea. I had gone into six different banks,

with six different identities and was carrying over twenty

five thousand dollars in prepaid cards. The majority of the

money had been withdrawn for the purchase of my new

home. I still didn’t even know where I was going. I had

been in four different vehicles, but at the stop of every

bank it became easier for me to walk in, withdraw my

money and leave. I never removed the black wig until my

last driver pulled into a parking garage hours later from

my escape. I knew that we were in Freemont, Nebraska,

but that was it. I had never been out of West Virginia until

I was sold to Drew Kelley almost six years prior.

We parked beside an older white Honda Civic,

and I had no idea what was going on.

“This is it, good luck to you, I need the envelope

and your phone now,” my last driver said, holding out his

hand and wishing me luck. Those were the only words that

my chauffeur had spoken to me the entire three hour trip.

He pulled the keys from the package and handed

them to me with a smile. Where the hell was I supposed to

go? The contents of my package only had information

about the banks and my identities. I didn’t know where I

was supposed to go in this car.

I got in the older car, and the black SUV pulled out

and left me alone. There was another package in the

passenger seat, along with a brown leather purse. I sat

there forever trying to pull myself together. I was scared. I

didn’t know what was out there. I had lived in a bubble

my entire life. Could I really do this? It was a little too

late for that. I was there. If I went back now, Drew would

kill me for sure. I had been gone for over three hours. I

was sure that he was beside himself.

I noticed the little black GPS stuck right in the

middle of the windshield, took a deep breath, and opened

the new packet of information. There was another phone

and papers, paper clipped together. I rummaged through

the purse and smiled a little. Lipstick, mascara, fingernail

clippers, a tiny little mirror, and a wallet. I opened the

wallet to my new identity. Riley Murphy, 1712 Long Gate

Road, Misty Bay, Maine. Was this where I was going?

Did Ms. K expect me to drive clear across the United

States in this car? I pulled out my driver’s license and

wondered who had taken the picture. I knew that it was

taken at the library even with the blue background. I was

wearing the same outfit that I had worn there not too long

before. I had a credit card, an insurance card, a social

security card, and a registration to the car, all with my

new name. I must be Riley Murphy, and that would be the

last name that I would have from my multiple identities.

I turned on the GPS, and it was already set for my

destination. I was nervous about driving. I hadn’t really

driven much, but I did just fine and was out of that city and

on to the next. I actually turned on the radio and felt myself

relax. I was free. I couldn’t believe it.

It was at that moment that I realized that I never got

the chance to thank Rebecca. I would never see her again,

and I owed her so much. I wondered if Drew would make

her leave. I assumed that he would. She was kept there to

babysit me. He didn’t need her anymore. I hoped that he

wasn’t too hard on her. I knew he would be trying to get

information out of her. I was glad that she didn’t know

anything.

My new phone rang after a couple of hours of

driving. It was Ms. K, telling me that the rest of my trip

would be left up to me. I had already figured as much. She

told me not to get off track and to go where the GPS took

me. It was already set for food and the hotels that I would

check into. She told me that she would call the next day

and not to answer the phone unless it was that number

again.

I was scared that first night in the hotel. I should

have just kept driving. I didn’t sleep a wink, waiting for

the door to burst open and find Drew or Derik. I took a

shower and pulled on the clothes that had been sent with

me. The duffle bag with my designer pant suit was left in

the second car that I had been driven in, and this was what

I had to work with. Three pairs of jeans, a couple of sweat

shirts, new panties, socks, a few shirts, and a box of

brown hair dye. I was happy to see that. I hadn’t seen my

natural brown hair since the first week that I was at

Drew’s house.

I hadn’t realized that I was talking for so long until

I looked at the clock. It was almost midnight and Dawson,

and I both had to get up for work the following day. I

looked up to him, and he smiled, kissing my lips.

“And that was almost two years ago,” I said

kissing him back.

“I’m glad you’re Riley Murphy,” he said as we

both slid down into the bed.

“Me too,” I agreed, snuggling my back to his front.

I lay in Dawson’s arm contemplating on where I

had been and where I was. I was by no means looking for

love when I ran from Drew, but that was exactly what I

found. I couldn’t imagine loving anyone as much as I loved

Dawson Bade. I had never felt the security that I felt with

him, and I knew that he truly did love me. Who else would

have loved someone as messed up as I was? I wasn’t

always going to be screwed up. I was getting stronger and

better every day, thanks to Starlight, Lauren, and my

sheriff.

I had to open the shop earlier the next day because

Dawson had to drop me off. I didn’t mind, and I was

happy to ride the short drive with my hand in his. I kissed

him, and he waited until I had the front door unlocked and

was inside before waving and pulling out.

It was fairly slow that day. I wasn’t surprised. I

wouldn’t have gone out in that cold either if I didn’t have

to. Dawson came in around one and brought me a hot roast

beef sandwich and a bowl of broccoli cheese soup from

Millie’s. He ate with me, and we sat at the table in the

empty shop, right in front of the window.

“Charlie thinks you need a starter,” Dawson said

as we ate.

“Is he going to get it fixed today?”

“No. He said it would probably be a couple of

days before he could get to it. He’s coming to tow it later

on today. What? You don’t like being escorted to work in

my cruiser?” Dawson teased.

“I love it,” I smiled. “I’ve been thinking about

something, Daw,” I said.

“What’s that?”

“Where are we going to live once we are

married?”

“I don’t know. Where do you want to live?”

“Well, your house is bigger, but mine is closer to

the ocean, and I kind of like being close to Lauren.”

“You have got to be joking. That girl is a pain in

my ass. You know she is only your friend because you

feed her, don’t you?”

“She is a pain in the ass,” I agreed, “but you still

have to love her.”

“You have to love her. I don’t. I have to go, Ry.

I’ll come and get you at six.”

“Call me when you get off. If I am this slow, I

might just close up an hour early.”

Dawson kissed me goodbye, and I cleaned up our

lunch trash.

***

long Maine winter. I pretty much lived at Dawson’s for the

entire winter. He was in love with his fireplace, and my

house was not equipped with one. March wasn’t warm,

but at least it wasn’t freezing either. I was not looking

forward to the trip to Las Vegas again, even though I was

when Star had first told me about it. The closer it got the

more and more I hated the idea. I hated the idea of being

away from Dawson for four days, and although I knew I

was being silly, I still feared running into Drew or

someone seeing me. I didn’t know who. I never got to

know anyone there except for Jena, and now that I had Star

and Lauren, I knew that Jena and I were never truly

friends. Not like what I had with Star and Lauren anyway.

I was looking forward to the hot weather. That part

I was excited about. I was anxious to wear shorts, a skirt,

and short sleeves, anything but the winter coat that had

become attached to me over the past few months.

Starlight left almost two weeks before our

scheduled trip. Her daughter Moonie would be

accompanying us on the trip and Star was going there first

and flying out with her. I was picking up a rental car and

would meet them the same day in our shared hotel room.

We did need to visit the many vendors and come up with

some new merchandise for the shop. Tourist season in

Misty Bay was right around the corner, and if we were as

busy as the previous summer, we would need all the

merchandise that we could get.

On Saturday night, Dawson, me, Lauren and Joel

built a fire outside, roasted hotdogs and drank a few beers.

It was cold out, but the heat from the fire made it

comfortable. We were having a good time when my

cellphone rang with an unidentified number. It was Star’s

daughter Moonie, letting me know that her mother had

broken her ankle and was having surgery as we spoke. She

wanted to inform me that they were not going to make the

trip to Vegas. Star still wanted me to go and said that her

two friends Wendy and Marsha, who I had met the last

time, along with her sister, Sunny would still be there. I

was disappointed. I was looking forward to my weekend

with Star and Moonie.

“You should just go with me, Dawson,” I

suggested after hanging up with Moonie.

“Yeah, well, had I known Star was going to break

her leg a week before you were leaving, I would have. It’s

too late for me to get vacation now.”

“Lauren?” I looked to my friend for help.

“Sorry, I’m in the same boat,” she replied. “I need

more than a week to get vacation too.”

“Joel?” I joked.

“Sure, why not,” he teased.

I was a little apprehensive about going alone

although I wouldn’t actually be alone. I would have

Marsha and Wendy, and Sunny was now going to be my

roommate. I knew I would have a blast with the free spirit.

She was a lot like Star.

Chapter 13

Dawson drove me to the airport on Thursday

morning.

“I told you the last time that you did this that I

didn’t like it,” he said, sitting in an airport chair beside me

while I waited for my flight to start boarding.

“I told you to come with me,” I countered, just as

we heard my flight called.

He carried my bag as far as they would let him.

“I love you. I’ll call you during my layover in

Chicago,” I said, holding him tightly around his neck.

“I’ll be waiting. Hurry back to me. I love you.”

I settled into the window seat and stared out the

tiny window, reflecting on where I was. I never met Ms. K

in my life, but I owed her my life. I hated to think about

living with Drew, having his baby, and never having a life

of my own. I felt safer and secure in Misty Bay then I ever

had in my life, and of course I was madly in love with my

sheriff.

I did call Dawson and talked to him the whole

forty five minute layover in Chicago, and then again when

I was safely in my hotel room in Vegas. I walked down to

the dining room around seven with Marsha, Sunny, and

Wendy for supper. Star’s sister returned to my room with

me. I loved Sunny almost as much as Star. She painted my

finger and toenails with a neon green polish with black

tips. It wasn’t my style at all, but I laughed and told her

that I loved it.

The swap meet was just as epic as I remembered it

from the last time, and there were even more vendors. I

knew I would be paying for extra weight on the way home.

It was only the first day, and I had seven catalogues of the

neatest novelty items ever.

We went out for supper that night and had a blast

once again. We had walked to the restaurant, and Sunny

and Marsha had gotten a little intoxicated. Wendy and I

told them both several times to quiet down as we walked

back to our rooms.

The next day was just as much fun. I found a