Hadley pushed back from the table, tossing down her napkin. “It always is. I should’ve learned by now that what’s acceptable for Shy will never be okay for me.”
“Hadley,” Dad called as she headed for the door. But Hadley’s steps never faltered. He turned his gaze to Mom. “Julia…”
“What?”
“Was that really necessary?”
Her eyes glinted in the low light of dusk. “I’m allowed to be worried about my daughter when she disappears. I worry about them both. But I know with Shy it’s because she can’t handle something. With Hadley, it’s simply because she doesn’t care. It’s selfish. And I’m allowed to say as much.” With her final words, she shoved back from the table and headed for the back deck.
I looked across the table at my dad. “Some family dinner.”
He tried to lift the corners of his mouth in a grin but couldn’t muster it. Neither of us could. Because those five days all those years ago were still tearing us apart.
9
Everly
“Thank you again for taking me on.”
The man in his fifties gave me a kind smile, the dark skin around his mouth forming grooves that told me he made the motion often. “I am beyond thrilled to have someone with your experience on my roster.”
Dr. Taylor—Miles, as he’d insisted I call him—seemed as if he would be a dream boss. He was kind, knowledgeable, and ran a tight ship. We’d had several phone calls and a video conference before he made me the job offer, but something about meeting someone in person was the real test. And Miles was a dream.
“You’re sure you don’t need me this week? I can work a couple of shifts if you do.”
He shook his head. “You get settled. There’s plenty of work to come. Take some time and get to know the town again. I’m sure a lot has changed since you were here.”
“There are definitely some new restaurants I’d like to try.”
“I highly recommend Spoons. They opened this year and have a revolving menu of soups, salads, and sandwiches.”
“That sounds perfect. I think I’m going to head there now.”
He extended a hand to me for a shake. “Sounds like a good plan to me. Welcome aboard, Everly. We’re so happy to have you.”
“Thank you.” I released his grip, picking up my purse and heading for the door. I waved at the receptionist, Tim, who seemed to remember me even though he was a few years younger. But he’d been warm in his greeting, no instant hatred because of who I was related to.
I took a deep breath as I stepped outside, letting the clean air soothe the nerves that had been running rampant since I’d stepped out of my SUV. The first meeting was over, and it hadn’t been a disaster. Everyone at the office had been kind.
That knowledge gave me the most dangerous of feelings…hope. That I would be able to make a life here. Possibly have a community. Friends. My phone buzzed in my purse.
Shay: How’s it going? I’ve been trying not to hover, but I’m dying to know every detail.
I grinned down at the screen. Even if I didn’t make the best of friends in Wolf Gap, I still had Shay. Our friendship was one borne of running from our pasts. Hers had just been more violent than mine. The fact that she’d found a true home gave me another dose of that reckless hope.
Me: It’s been pretty good. How about a catch-up tonight? I’m heading to pick up lunch and then need to run a few errands.
Shay: Sounds good. Call me whenever.
I slid my phone back into my purse. As I looked up, I stumbled back a step. Familiar whiskey-colored eyes met mine. Just as hard as the last time I’d seen them. I straightened my shoulders. I would not cower from him now. I might still be years younger than him, but I was smarter now. Stealthier. And I knew half of Ian’s power came from his mind games.
I kept my face perfectly blank. “Hello.”
His lip curled in a sneer. “You have a lot of nerve showing your face around here.”
“Good to see you, too, brother dearest.”
He spat on the ground between us, a move so similar to my uncle’s that it cramped my stomach. But that had been the only real influence Ian had over the past few years. “You’re no sister of mine.”
I wished it was that simple for me. That I could sever every tie with a flick of a knife or a carelessly tossed-out word. But I couldn’t. I felt every tether as if it were made of the heaviest chain. It seemed like I’d never be rid of them. “Then I guess there’s nothing left to talk about.” I moved to step around him, but Ian mirrored the movement.
“When are you leaving?”
My heart rate picked up a fraction, but I did my best not to let the panic show. “I’m not.”
“That land isn’t yours.”
“The deed says otherwise.”
Ian’s hands fisted and flexed. “I’m the oldest in this family—”
“Actually, that would be Jacey.”
“A woman. I’m the leader. By rights, that land should fall to me.”
I rolled my eyes. Uncle Allen had clearly been hard at work, inundating Ian with his twisted thinking. The same mindset that meant Addie was never allowed to show her shoulders or knees. “I don’t know what to tell you. According to the courts, it belongs to me.”
“I don’t submit to those courts. Those laws mean nothing.”
A faint wave of nausea slid through me. It sounded so familiar—the kind of tirade our father used to go on. “If you live in this country, those laws apply to you.”
“Your mind’s been warped. You don’t remember where you come from. But you will.”
He was wrong. I remembered all too well. At times, it felt as if it were burned into my bones and I’d never be rid of it.
Ian smiled, but it had an ugliness to it that had me fighting a shiver. “You could always plead your case to come back into the fold. Signing the land over and submitting to whatever punishment Allen deems right for you would probably do the trick. You might even con Ben into marrying you since his wife died in childbirth.”
Nausea swelled and strengthened. I would never go back to that life, but my chest tightened at the mention of Ben’s name. The third piece of my and Addie’s trio. My best friend. I hated that I hadn’t even known he’d gotten married. And now his wife was dead? Probably because of a refusal to take her to a hospital. The knowledge made me rage…for this anonymous woman, for Ben. “I’m afraid I’ll have to pass.”
“Ian.” Uncle Allen’s voice boomed across the street. “It’s time to go.” The hatred pouring from his eyes felt like a living, breathing flame that could burn me alive.
Ian knocked into my shoulder as he walked away. “Watch your back.”
I swallowed the bile that crept up my throat, watching as they drove off. Suddenly, lunch didn’t sound appealing at all.
Chip sat on the coffee table with a bowl of nuts as I did my best to scrub the oven. The amount of baked-on grease was enough to make me lose the meager amount of food I’d been able to consume this afternoon. It had been more of a battle of wills. I hadn’t wanted to give my brother the power to take away my appetite. So, I’d forced a sandwich down once I got home.