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The money enclosed is strictly to help pay for things you’ll need on your trip home. The travel voucher will direct you to a private plane to fly you back home. We are setting aside additional funds to purchase the house of your choice, furniture, clothing… anything you need to make your home. We know nothing can replace the store your grandmother left you, but please know we will fund a store and, of course, inventory when you are ready to start anew. An additional sum will be placed in an account of your choice. We know money won’t make you forget all we put you through, but it is our hope it will help you begin a new life.
As we said, we had no right to take you, and we know how angry Kit would be if she knew what we’d done. You allowed us to appear to be better men than we are—something we did not earn but for which we are grateful.
Our hope is that you find a good life, a better life because you deserve that and so much more.
Three names followed, three men whom I’d come to consider far more than my family and while I had no doubt that Rye had penned the letter, all three had signed as if agreeing they didn’t want me. They weren’t here to greet me, to take me home because I wasn’t their wife… I wasn’t even their girl. They truly were sending me away.
Lifting my eyes, I had to admit, I’d not read it wrong. The words remained the same. But why? After all we’d been through together. How could they toss me away as if I was nothing? I’d made Kit a promise… a promise I wasn’t going to be allowed to keep. Instead, according to the letter, I was supposed to forget everything that had happened. I was supposed to go back to my old life? As if I’d simply been away for a bit of a holiday.
Suddenly, I was no longer trembling in fear of what I might discover. I was shaking in anger.
Fuck you!I thought, crushing the letter in my hands.
“What’s that?”
Startled, I looked up to see Nurse Shoney standing by the table that held a breakfast I’d never eat. Realizing I must have spoken out loud, I said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean you… I meant…” I paused and then straightened and shook my head. “I guess you were right. I guess I’m not family after all.”
“No, I wasn’t right, and neither is Doctor McCauley,” she said. “You don’t strike me as one who would buy into all that ‘for the best’ malarkey, so don’t go disappointing me now. What happened to that spirited girl who was ready to take on the entire police force for her men?”
“But…” I began and then stopped and looked down at the letter in my lap and then back to her. “You’re right, and I’m not going to go down without a fight.”
Her smile was wide as she nodded. “That’s the spirit. Like the doctor said, the Barretts are good people, but, well… they are also men. Men who are hurting. And, you, child, are their family, whether they know it or not. Now, get dressed while I arrange for some transportation.”
“I don’t have any clothes.”
“Sure you do. Hang on.” She left, and I smoothed the letter out, reading it one more time. When she returned, she was carrying a suitcase. “Seems like those men who ‘don’t care’ packed you a bag. It was at the nurses’ station.” She tilted her head to the side. “Shall I instruct the driver you’ll be going to the airport or—”
“I’ll be going home to Barrett’s Mountain,” I said. “I’m going to be telling my men I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good for you,” she said, lifting the suitcase up onto the bed. “Our men may be pigheaded asses at times, but nothing persistence and love, and the occasional kick in the butt can’t cure.”
Opening the suitcase, I chose some clothing and headed into the bathroom. The nurse followed, giving me instructions on what I needed to do to protect my injured skin in the shower. After I’d stepped out of the stall, she had me use one towel to dry my injured skin, another for the rest, explaining I needed to keep the two separate. It took me only a few minutes to re-dress the healing burns and pull on my clothes. After brushing out the tangles and drying my hair, I smiled as my new friend handed me a small bag, opening it to find some cosmetics. I hadn’t worn makeup in months, but I was going into battle. A bit of war paint couldn’t hurt. Once I had done all I could, I left the bathroom.
“Thank you, Nurse Shoney,” I said, impulsively reaching out to give her a hug. “For everything.”
“Call me Nessa, and you don’t have to thank me,” she said. “Now, my nephew is on his way. You’ve got time to eat… and don’t bother arguing, missy. If you are going up against the Barrett Brothers, you’re going to need your strength.”
She lifted the lid covering the plate, and I smiled. Instead of the typical hospital fare, I saw a plate heaping with what I’d considered a hearty breakfast. Fried eggs and thick sausages sat beside a pile of toast and slices of bacon. I’d been positive I’d not be able to eat a bite, but without a word of protest, I perched on the bed and ate every single thing on the plate, drank the juice and a cup of coffee. When the door opened again, it was to admit Nessa and a young man she introduced as her nephew Jimmy.
“You can wait for the doctor to discharge you, or I’ve taken the liberty of bringing in a release form a patient can sign,” she said, holding out a chart.
Not about to take the chance that the doctor would use my bit of wheezing as an excuse to keep me longer, I scrawled my name at the bottom.
“Wish me luck,” I said, slipping the letter and money into the pocket of the skirt I’d found in the suitcase.
“I have a feeling you’re not going to need luck, but if your men don’t fall in line, you just give me a call.”
Jimmy chuckled as he shook his head. “She’s not kidding either. Aunt Nessa doesn’t put up with any sh… uh, crap.”
Nessa laughed. “That’s right.”
I laughed, thinking how much she reminded me of Granny G. I hugged her again and followed her nephew out the door and into his car. He didn’t ask for directions, and I assumed his aunt had told him my destination. After the fire, I was pretty sure that the Barrett cabin wasn’t in such a secret location any longer.
We didn’t chat. I spent the time looking out the window, watching as we left the small town and drove through some of the most beautiful scenery I’d ever seen. The land belonging to these brothers truly was magnificent. It was something straight out of a storybook fairytale.
24
Goldie
