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Juni seemed a little concerned about the crazed look I could feel growing in my eyes. “What?”
“I’m calling my parents. Right now.”
She winced. “You sure? Right now?”
“Yep. Oh wait. No signal. Damn it. Okay, that’s fine. I’ll text my mom. She’ll probably get it in the middle of the night, but it serves her right.”
Taking my phone from my bag on the floor, I unlocked it and clicked till I got to my mom’s number and then hit the little message bubble. My parents were still in Norway, as far as I knew, and I had no idea what time it was there, but who knew when we’d get service back?
Who the hell goes to Norway in winter? I imagined the wind howling around my mom, messing up her perfectly styled hair on a movie set in some fjord or something.
I texted, “Mom. Listen, I need to say something to you. My whole life you’ve treated me like I was in your way, like your jobs were more important than your daughter. I had a miscarriage, Mom, and you and Dad couldn’t be bothered to come see me because you said your project wouldn’t allow for you to take time off.”
I started to write, “I’m sorry if I’m waking you up…” but then deleted it. I didn’t care. In fact, I was kind of hoping my message woke her up.
Carly and Juni watched me, their faces morphing from nervous smiles into wide eyes and open mouths as I schooled my mother with my thumbs.
I snorted, talking to myself. “Right, like she isn’t still working. Ha. Wait till she reads this.”
“You guys have been jerks to me. Instead of making me feel bad about you having to worry about me when you’re so far away or you have a big project or whatever, why weren’t you by my side? I NEEDED you. And by the way, if you don’t love each other, get a freaking divorce! Even Gramps thinks you should. You’re miserable together. You’ve made me miserable having to watch you my whole life, trying to make me think everything was perfect, but the truth is that life isn’t perfect. It’s messy, and there isn’t a fucking thing wrong with that.”
Hm. Someone else needed to learn that lesson, too, but I suspected my confession earlier had clued him into that fact. I still felt a little worried about how Frank would react when we got the time to hash it all out, but I knew he wouldn’t make me feel inadequate. I knew he’d help and support me, like family was supposed to.
I finished my string of texts with, “I’ve been in Wisper for almost a year and a half, and you haven’t been out to see me once. You didn’t come home after the miscarriage. Oh, and you forgot my thirtieth birthday, by the way, so when you read this, don’t bother calling. Instead, go book a fucking plane ticket, Mother. I deserve that much at least.
“Oh, and tell Dad everything I just texted, and then get over yourselves and get out here. There’s someone I want you to meet. Pick Gramps up on your way.”
Tossing my phone on top of my bag, I turned to my friends again. “You were right, Carly. Frank and I were meant to be, and if he’ll forgive me for not being honest with him, I think I know the reason why.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
FRANK
Wisper looked like some fairy-land bullshit, the snow blanketing roofs and trees. Power was still out in most of Teton County. The power lines had iced over, and some snapped right in half. Thick icicles dangled from the eaves of every house in town. The dark morning sky didn’t seem settled to me, and I wondered if we were due for even more of this mess, though the National Weather Service had reported it over.
Traffic was nonexistent, thankfully. People were home, most of them trying to dig or snowblow themselves out from the snowmageddon. County plows hadn’t made it to Wisper yet, but a few residents were out, doing what they could with their own trucks and shovels, but there was so much snow, it barely looked like they were helping matters. When Abey drove by it on our way to find Samantha, the piles someone had plowed in front of the library were taller than her truck by twice.
Abey waved to residents as we drove by, and we pulled over a few times to check in with people to make sure they were okay. The ones we didn’t pull over for wouldn’t have waved back or would’ve flagged us down if they needed help, so I was relieved to know they didn’t. Most people out this way had generators and fireplaces, so at least they’d be warm as we all waited for power to be restored.
I’d have to use a loner till my truck was fixed. It would need some time to dry out ’cause I’d left the door open and the cab was filled to the roof with snow this morning. A little body work, new radio and computer, and I was hoping it’d be fine. I was pissed at myself for being so irresponsible, but my head had been such a mess last night.
Today, things were a little clearer. A lot clearer, actually.
We checked in at the station, and then I walked to Ace’s House with Grum following on my heels. Vern was out front, shoveling like the rest of Wisper. “How’s the kid?” he asked, bending to pet Grum’s head.
I sighed, my breath blowing out in front of me in a cold cloud. “EMTs picked him up to transfer him to the hospital in Jackson. The highway’s still closed, but emergency vehicles can get through with a plow and salt escort. He’s pretty sick, Vern, but Doc said he did okay through the night, so hopefully he’ll fight through it.”
“That’s good. Doc Whitley knows what he’s talkin’ about.” He nodded. “Miss Sam’s been a wreck all night. She’s real worried about him.”
“I know she is,” I said. “Thanks for lookin’ out for her.”
“Oh, well…” He looked at his feet, shuffling them and kicking a pile of snow. “Welcome.” He didn’t seem at ease accepting my thanks, but he’d have to get used to it. It was weird to me that all of a sudden he was this pillar of the community, and maybe that was overstating things a bit, but I was glad he was there.
We shook hands, and I headed inside.
People were sucking down coffee and milling around in pajamas inside Ace’s House, including Brady Douglas and Theo Burroughs. There was a buffet set up on a long table in the gym next to a few gas camping stoves, and I spied a huge pan of scrambled eggs and a baking tray filled with bacon. Grum sniffed in that direction, drool dripping from the side of his mouth, but I held his lead tight. It was a rope from the back of Abey’s truck since she told me Grum had snapped his leash last night.
My stomach grumbled, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten, but I ignored it. I had more pressing issues to attend to.
