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“One night he came in drunk and woke me up. I heard him downstairs, bumping into the tables, knocking the lamps over, shattering picture frames to the floor. I pulled the blanket up to my neck and pretended to sleep. He kicked the bedroom door open and came stumbling inside. No matter how hard I fought him, he was bigger, stronger than I was. I cried, screamed, and begged for mercy, but he didn’t care. He gripped my chin tightly in his palm and told me I was his and he could do what he pleased. He laughed at me as I cried out.” She stifles back the tears, shaking her head.
“After he passed out in the bed, I locked myself in the bathroom. I sat in the tub with the shower beaming down on me, hoping the heat and steam would wash away his filth and the pain he inflicted on me. He was my husband, but he raped me. I said no, but he didn’t care. I can still see the angry look in his eyes. The next morning, as I sat at the kitchen table glaring in shock at my coffee, he came into the kitchen and poured himself a cup, kissed my forehead and went on to work as if nothing had happened. I contemplated leaving him, but I never could gain the strength to walk away. No matter how hurt I was, I loved him.”
I don’t realize I’m crying until I feel Momma reach her silky fingers to my cheeks to wipe away the tears that are flowing. She pats my leg and continues. “A short while later, I found out I was pregnant with Savannah, and things got better for a while. He was so happy our little family had come together, which is what we both always wanted. Simon Energy continued to grow. Your daddy and I picked this house out together when I was pregnant with you, ya know. I was confident John had ended his affair, as he spent most all his time either at the mines or here at home with us.
“Then there was the accident. Picketing was serious business. Men wanted higher wages and better benefits. The miners had been on strike for a couple of weeks when it happened. The story told was that Matt Varney, a mine foreman, was called into a meeting at Simon Energy. When he crossed the picket line, he was shot down. You were about one-year-old when it happened. A few days after the accident, I heard him on the phone asking about Drew, telling her he loved her. He began to scream and cuss before slamming the receiver down. For weeks after that he was never here. He spent all his time at Simon Energy. There were federal investigators crawling the place day and night, trying to solve the picket line murder. You know the man who died that day, his wife was your daddy’s mistress. Her name is Emma. Her son, Drew … well, I’m sure you have already uncovered that buried secret.” Momma stifles back the tears as she reaches across the table to get a Kleenex to dry her face.
“So you have known all along that Drew is Daddy’s son? Is that why you left?” I ask in a weak voice. I’m trembling, chilled to the bone from the story she’s telling.
“It took me a while to figure it out, but yes, I’ve known for years that Drew was your daddy’s son. But that is not why I left. I left because I was terrified of the monster I was married to. I’m certain that he had Matt Varney murdered, but there has never been any evidence to prove such a thing. After I pieced together the puzzle of Drew, your father, and the murder, I began to hate him even more. I questioned my life entirely and needed an escape. John and I had no relationship, we merely lived under the same roof and were parents to the same beautiful girls.
“I began to skim money from our checking account and eventually had a nice nest egg put aside. I went to him one night and told him I was leaving and that I wanted a divorce. You don’t remember that night, Carly?” I shrug and shake my head.
“You were sitting on the steps with your little face peeking through the banister, eavesdropping. Oh, I will never forget the fear written across your face. It crushed my heart. You and Savannah watched as your daddy backhanded my face over and over. His strikes were never ending. By the time he had finished his assault, my face was black, and I couldn’t see from my right eye. I left the next morning and never looked back. I was always so terrified of him and what he was capable of.”
I clench my eyes shut and try to think back, digging through the memories. Momma’s crying, begging for Daddy to let her go, and with each plea he strikes her face again. Savannah’s sitting behind me on the stairs, gripping my shoulders tight, crying.
I don’t know why I’ve never thought of that night, or why I never connected that incident with Momma leaving. Maybe it was the continuous lies we were fed, made to believe that she didn’t want us any longer. “Momma, if you were so terrified of Daddy, why did you leave Savannah and me here? Why didn’t you take us with you?
“Because I was just that scared of him, Carly. He promised me that if I ever tried to take his little girls away from him, that he would kill me and bury my body so deep in the back of the mines that nobody would ever find me. I knew he meant business. When he promised me that, I knew in that moment that Matt Varney’s blood was on his hands. You never crossed John Simon—you never threatened his family.” Chest-wracking sobs escape her chest as mascara runs down her face. I scoot closer and wrap my arms around her neck and cry with her.
After Momma’s tears have dried, we continue talking. She tells me about how happy she is in Florida, and that Garrett is the true love of her life. I’m glad she was able to move on from the abuse and hardships she endured being married to Daddy. She deserves happiness.
It feels good to have this time with her. We laugh and cry over the few memories we cherish together. Momma and I bond, promising that we will build new memories together to make up for all those that were stripped from us. When darkness falls, I take her back to Savannah’s house so she can spend the weekend with Brailee and Braden.
Thanksgiving shaped up to be much better than I expected. I wasn’t alone, eating a TV dinner—I was with family. I created memories with Savannah and Brailee, preparing dinner and playing in turkey guts. No matter how disgusting it was, we still shared lots of laughs. I reconnected with my momma after years of being estranged. We both harbor my daddy’s dark secrets, and I’m confident that we have created a tight bond with that, regardless of how twisted it may seem. Together, we will keep his secrets to protect Savannah.
Chapter 23
Colton
I hated not spending Thanksgiving with Carly Jo, but I couldn’t persuade her to come to Tennessee with my family. She had already made plans with Savannah and her family. I understood. She’s building new relationships with her family, just as she is with me, and I’m sure they needed the time together. She told me she was expecting her momma to come home for the holiday, and even though she didn’t say anything specific, I could sense her reluctance at seeing her again. I didn’t push; she’ll talk when she’s ready to open up.
Carly Jo has a strained relationship with Elizabeth, ’cause she was never around when we were kids, and I can’t imagine how hard that has been on her. I’d have never made it through life without my momma. She may have switched my ass hard as a kid, and she still smacks me upside the head and reminds me to keep my tongue in check, but without my momma, I wouldn’t be the man I am today.
I’ll be working another long ass twelve hours today since we’re just starting production up from the holiday shutdown. I haven’t seen Carly Jo since Wednesday afternoon, and I’m itching to get my arms around her. It’s after four a.m. when I arrive at Simon Energy, so I know she’s still snug warm in her bed, hopefully dreaming of me.
I pull into the gravel parkin’ lot and throw the gear shift into park. Grabbing my thermos and jacket, I pop the latch on the door and climb from the cab of my truck into the crisp morning air. I inhale deep as I’m met with the cold winter breeze. Shit, it’s cold! I climb the steps quickly to the main office, trying to escape the bitter cold.
I pour myself a cup of coffee while I wait for the computer to fire up. Pulling up last week’s productivity and sales reports, I print two copies. I shake my head as I read through the reports. Productivity is booming as usual, but damn if sales ain’t struggling. I scan over my emails quickly before checking safety reports.
I stop by Carly Jo’s office before heading underground and leave a copy of the reports on her desk. She usually prints the reports herself, but this will just save her the time and let her know I was thinking of her.
I hear the roaring rumbles of the many machines being operated underground when I reach the section the crew’s working in. I speak with each man, making sure their night is going smooth. As I approach Eric, the roof bolter, I notice he’s a little twitchy. “Hey, Eric, how’s things goin’ tonight?”
Eric looks up behind red-rimmed eyes and a ghost pale face. He looks jittery, as if I just startled him. He glares at me for a beat before reaching his trembling hand out for me to shake.
“Goin’ good, boss. Right on schedule; workin’ at a smooth pace. Ain’t missed a beat, man,” Eric says, shifting from foot to foot, rubbing his hand over his face roughly a few times.I know this reaction. I’ve seen it. Hell, I’ve lived it. He’s high.
“That’s good, man. I gotta make some rounds. Catch up with me if you need anything,” I toss back at him, as I stalk away to find the section foreman. I locate Dave and pull him off to the side, trying not to draw much attention to the situation at hand.
“Hey, boss, what’s happenin’? Ain’t seen you on nights in a long friggin’ time.”
“Not much, Dave. Just checkin’ in on things. Hey, listen, notice anything strange goin’ on with ya pinner man?”
“Eric or Duke?
“Eric.”
