Tuesday evening
Beth had remained home most of her second day off work. It was nice to have unexpected free time during the week, but under those circumstances, she actually preferred to be busy with something structured. Being inside her cottage alone was still uncomfortable.
She kept on the television just for noise and checked the door locks every couple of hours. Stir crazy—she had to get out. With nowhere else to go, she drove to the mall. Halloween stuff was displayed, of course, but also Thanksgiving merchandise. In scarcely two more weeks, the Christmas decor would be in full swing.
Those upcoming holidays were depressing. She had other friends besides Connie and Jeff, but none as close as them. During the holiday season, Connie was often at parties to which Beth was not invited. Jeff and Tanya had been married not quite two years, so they huddled together more than they circulated.
Beth’s parents were too little comfort: entrenched as they were in their own miseries, they exhibited little meaningful interaction. This season would be their first without Robert, though he’d hardly been there for the previous one. Beth dreaded the holidays.
Finding the mall nearly as depressing as her cottage, Beth returned home and tried to focus on her bookcase. Surely she could figure out which book was missing. Should be easy. One set was here, another set was there, the groups by a single author were in the order they were published, those by various authors were grouped by genre. Text books together, day planners grouped, and the like.
She gave up. After checking her doors again and pulling the curtains tightly, Beth took a long nap. She rose in time for supper and, after staring out the rear window for nearly fifteen minutes to wake up, she heated a chicken pot pie. Carrots were crunchy. No more of the store brand.
Beth had just tossed the silvery cardboard bowl when her phone rang. Shane. Her heart flipped. Just seeing his number gave her an unsettled feeling. In a good way or bad? She couldn’t tell. But Shane’s recent contacts had definitely touched a nerve. It may take a while to figure out which nerve was involved. “Hello?”
“Bethany? Shane.”
“Why all these phone calls? What’s going on?”
Shane made an effort to explain. Said he missed her, been thinking about her, and was reminded of her figurines. Plus, the knot on his head still hurt.
She believed the first two, but doubted the bit about figurines. “So what’s the deal with a knot on your head?”
He muttered and stuttered and tried to blow it off.
“What happened to your head, Shane?”
“Nothing. Bumped it a week ago. Wednesday night.”
“Another fight at the biker bar?”
“I hardly go to bars anymore, Bethany. And it wasn’t a fight.”
Beth didn’t want to go there. With Shane around, it always seemed like somebody was getting hurt. Never Beth... but somebody. Too much aggression.
After a lengthy silence, Shane continued, “So, now that I’ve called—even though you seem to wish I hadn’t—can you tell me what’s going on with you?”
“Been off for two days. Going back to work tomorrow.”
“Have the cops found your limping perp?”
“I don’t think they’re looking too hard. Maybe not all. The guy working my case said he had the word out, whatever that means.”
“Sometimes the word is pretty effective. Depends on where it goes and how well they’re rewarded for feedback.”
Whatever.
“You ever figure out what the creep ripped off?”
“All he stole was a book, as far as I can tell.”
“It’s not one of mine, is it?”
“No! For your information, the ones I kept were the ones I bought.”
“Okay, okay.” Shane paused. “Why would somebody break in for a book?”
“That’s what my friends and I have been trying to figure out.”
Shane probably wondered who Beth’s friends were, but he didn’t ask... yet. “Is everything else okay, Bethany?”
“What have you heard?”
“Nothing. I just wondered. You know... crazy times.”
“Well, now that you mention crazy, I think somebody’s been following me.” Oops. That slipped out.
Beth could hear anguish in Shane’s voice as he squeezed the information out of her. She told him everything she’d explained to Connie on Monday.
“I haven’t told anybody about it. Well, one person, because I thought it sounded paranoid.”
“Any idea who it was?”
“No clue. Look, I’m not even positive that I’ve been followed. I heard sounds behind me and got that creepy feeling.” Beth groaned and stared at the door locks again. “It could’ve been just some other shopper who parked near my car. Maybe it was nobody at all. My imagination’s been pretty haywire these last three days.”
“Bethany, I’m coming to Tennessee.”
“I don’t need your protection!” It probably sounded stronger than she’d intended. “I mean... I appreciate your concern, Shane. But I’m okay.”
“Your place is robbed, and now you’re being followed.”
“Look, I’m not a high school girl anymore. And I don’t need someone around me who makes up reasons to be jealous just so he can kick somebody’s keester.”
“You make it sound like I go looking for a fight.”
“Don’t you, Shane? That’s the way it always seemed to me.”
There was a long pause from the California end. “Maybe when I was younger. Maybe once or twice. But, no, it was never about fighting just to fight. I wanted to protect you. If I knock around some of those punks, they get the message and leave you alone.”
“Most of those guys never even bothered me, Shane. It was only in your head.”
“I saw some of them looking at your legs or checking out your rack. That’s not my imagination.”
“I don’t know what they were looking at. You always assumed it was me and then immediately jumped to fight mode.”
“Because I loved you, Bethany. Still do.”
Beth was silent for a moment. “I loved you too, Shane... back then. I don’t know anymore. You were so angry when I left. But I had to leave. There wasn’t anybody else to—”
“I know, I know, Bethany. I understand that now. But then, it was just you leaving me. And it hurt.” He swallowed so hard, it was audible in Tennessee. “And I said stuff I shouldn’t have.”
“It hurt me too! I didn’t want to leave. When I first got to Verdeville, I thought I’d died and ended up in purgatory.”
“Are you thinking about coming back?” Shane’s voice sounded hopeful.
Beth had considered that... a lot. Especially in those first few months of constant care. “No, not after Robert died. By then, I realized my parents need me fairly close. Besides, I’ve made some friends here... found a decent job. I actually like Greene County now. This area’s really pretty nice.”
Again, Shane mentioned coming in Beth’s direction.
She considered trying to talk him out of it, but realized he was too stubborn and he’d just do what he wanted, whatever that was. Plus, part of her hoped he would come to Verdeville. She needed somebody in her corner besides a brassy divorcee and a brainy librarian. Would Shane come?
He didn’t say for certain.
Beth’s pride insisted she should discourage him, but her feelings were considerably less adamant. If Shane was coming to Tennessee, when?
How soon can he get here?