Page 89

Let’s Stay Together– Al Green

We got the pie to go.

Brooke didn’t want to go back to the room on her own, and I couldn’t blame her for that. She came with me to the lobby building and sat outside on the porch in one of the rocking chairs, her takeout pie in a box on her lap.

The woman who had checked me in last night wasn’t there. Instead an older man with thick hair graying at the temples, wearing a neatly buttoned plaid shirt, was poring over a huge map.

He seemed pleased that we were staying another night, and was effusive in his offer of finding a hiking trail for us to follow if we wanted to get out into the wilderness. I managed to hold back his enthusiasm with an almost-lie about Brooke recovering from being sick, and his expression changed to sympathy.

‘Let us know if you need anything. There’s a drugstore only ten minutes away, and we can get them to deliver.’

‘That’s really nice of you. I think she just needs to rest up.’

‘All right. Well, you know where we are.’

I thanked him again and went back outside to find Brooke.

‘There’s hiking trails here, you know,’ I said, taking the rocking chair next to hers. ‘Or we can rent bikes.’

‘Jesus, save me.’

That made me laugh. ‘Well, we can stay here until noon tomorrow, so there’s plenty of time for you to change your mind.’

‘I think I’m good, but if I have a sudden and dramatic change of personality, you’ll be the first to know.’

Brooke didn’t seem to be in any rush to leave the rocking chairs, and it really was very peaceful out here, so I settled in.

‘Did the past forty-eight hours actually happen?’ Brooke murmured, staring out at the trees.

I had been trying to figure that out for myself. ‘I think so.’

‘I was kidnapped.’

‘Yeah,’ I said softly. ‘And then I got you back.’

‘Holy shit.’

‘If you want to go to the police, we can still do that,’ I said.

I’d been wary of mentioning the cops up until now, since we’d been doing everything possible to avoid them. But I also didn’t want to push it. I knew you couldn’t force someone to talk about their trauma if they weren’t ready for it. I let the easy silence be an invitation for Brooke to talk, if she wanted to, or not.

She looked over at me. ‘I don’t remember much,’ she said again, and I wondered if this was how she was protecting herself – by not thinking about it.

‘Do you want to remember?’ I asked, gently pressing to see if she’d open up.

‘No.’ She settled back again. ‘I do want to know how you found me, though.’

I could tell that story.

Recounting it all reminded me that I needed to text Megan and let her know I’d found Brooke, and I pulled my phone out of my pocket long enough to type out a quick message and send it. Megan didn’t need to know the gory details. Within a few minutes, she texted me back:Thank God!! Good luck, Jenna & Juliet xoxo

I replied with aThank you for everythingand decided to leave it there.

‘I can’t believe you did all that,’ Brooke said, shaking her head. ‘Well, I can, but …’

‘Don’t worry – I can’t really believe it either.’

She reached out between the rocking chairs and took my hand, squeezing it gently, then twisted her palm so she could link our fingers together for the second time that day.