“Leaving. I won’t live with a man who doesn’t trust me,” she said.
Mark was shocked. He’d expected a huge fight. Not a surrender. And certainly not without an explanation.
“So, it’s true, and your silence is proof of your guilt,” he said. “Out of curiosity, what exactly turned you off? Were you ever turned on at all, or are you just a hunter? One of those women who lose interest once the chase is over and move on to something else?”
His words hurt, but not nearly as much as getting her throat slit by one of Craig’s goons.
“Just drop it, Mark. I’m filing for divorce. You can either help me pack, or shut the hell up and get out of my way.”
She expected him to leave, because she needed him to get out so she could get the drugs and the money she had stashed. She rarely delivered drugs, but this happened to be one of the times she was, and now she had no way to get to it.
“I think I’ll watch,” he said and stretched out on their bed and kicked back, never taking his eyes off of her for a second.
She began packing faster, filling one suitcase after another, and then she called an Uber to come get her bags. Her eyes were welling with tears as she came back up to carry the last bags down.
“I hope you were entertained,” she said.
“I was waiting for regret to show. You have shown neither regret nor remorse. This day did not begin or end as I’d expected.”
She paused.
“Why did you come home early, anyway?” she asked.
“My secretary had a heart attack. She died on the way to the hospital. We all went home.”
Megan gasped. “Oh my God. How awful!”
Mark shrugged. “No, her death was tragic. This is awful.”
Megan turned around and left their bedroom thinking Mark was right. This day had not begun or ended as she’d expected, either.
And so she was gone, with full intentions of coming back to get her stash after he went back to work.
***
For Katie, the next few days were filled with excitement and chaos. Connecting with the Realtor in Borden’s Gap was imperative because she needed a place to live before she could move. She knew what she’d be making monthly, but she didn’t know what the cost of living was like in smaller towns. So she took the information she’d been sent about Louise Parsons, the Realtor, then went online at Zillow to see available rental properties in Borden’s Gap. The facts were a little daunting.
There was just the one apartment building, and none were available. The other rental properties were all houses. But Katie was pleasantly surprised by the rental rates. After going through what was online, she called Louise Parsons and introduced herself and quickly learned Louise had been expecting the contact.
“Hello, Katie. Susan Wayne told me that they’d hired a new teacher and given her my contact info, so congratulations on the new job.”
“Thank you so much,” Katie said. “And yes, I’m going to need your help. I’ve looked at everything that’s listed on Zillow, and I’ve seen the interior pictures that were available on rentals, but not all rentals had available interiors to view. So I’m going to have to rely on you for information.”
“Absolutely,” Louis said. “But…I also have a little jewel that isn’t advertised, because it’s mine. It’s a two-bedroom, one-bath cottage with sitting porches on front and back. Nice little backyard, and mowing comes with the rental. I’m kind of particular about who I rent to. Do you have pets?”
“No, ma’am.”
“It rents for $800 a month, so if it sounds like something that might fit your needs, I’d be happy to send photos. Otherwise, if you have your mind on something else you’ve already seen online, I’ll be happy to help you with that as well.”
“No, no, I’d like to see what you have. The size and rent sound perfect.”
“Give me your email. I’ll send you a link. Just click on it, and then if it doesn’t appeal to you, no harm, no foul. But if you want it, it’s yours. I lease by the year.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Katie said. “Send the link, and I’ll call you back within the hour.”
“Will do,” Louise said, and the call ended.
Katie got her laptop, pulled up her email, and waited.
When the email arrived, she quickly opened it and clicked on the link. Within moments, she knew this was it.
The little house was charming…white siding, gingerbread trim on the porches and eaves, and a bright blue door. There was an attached portico under which to park her car, and flower beds on either side of the front steps. Inside, the soft gray walls and shiny, wide-plank pine floors were perfect for the furniture she already had, and the kitchen had updated appliances, without losing any of the charm of the era in which the house had been built.
The living room had a gas fireplace, which appealed to Katie, and the master bedroom had a walk-in closet and an old-fashioned claw-foot bathtub with a separate shower and enough counter space at the sink for one person.
The extra bedroom, while small, would be perfect for her office and all the school stuff that came with being a teacher. There were a couple of photos of the back porch and the little postage-stamp yard and a white porch swing hanging from the porch rafters.
She was enchanted.
She called Louise back, and the business of long-distance leasing a house began. By the next day, Katie was approved. She had an official address and contact info to let Louise know her arrival date.
Now, she could begin the job of hiring a moving company to get her furniture to Borden’s Gap, and she set a date for a week away. Then she began the notification to landlords and utility companies and filling out an online mail forwarding application.
Weeks ago, before school was out, Lila had taken it upon herself to gather up Katie’s personal things from her classroom, and those boxes had been taking up space in Katie’s living room against the wall, waiting to be put back to use. They were ready. Now all Katie had to do was pack up the rest of her life to go with them.
***
Borden’s Gap, Tennessee
Sam Youngblood was getting ready to leave for the police station. He was wearing his next-to-the last clean uniform, had already buckled on his holster and weapon, and was pinning on his badge as he walked up the hall to the living room to see if Roxie was anywhere in sight.
Roxie Rogers had been the nanny for his twins, Everly and Elizabeth, almost from the day he’d brought them home from the hospital. Losing his wife the same day he’d become a father had nearly killed him. But the women of Borden’s Gap had stepped up to help without being asked, and after a routine was established, Roxie was the one who stuck. From that day forward, whenever he was at work and the girls were home, she was with them.