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When I’d reached out to the owner about it, I’d learned that it was perfect for me.Short and Sweetwas discreet and secluded in its location while offering extended stays for guests like myself who were in a bit of a transition period.
I wasn’t sure that Steel Ridge would be the place I’d live for the rest of my life, but it was the place I had to be now in order to learn what I needed to learn.
So, I arranged for an extended stay.
Having spent entirely too long sitting in my car while looking at the few homes in front of me, I finally leaned across the center console and grabbed my oversized bag. I did happen to have one small overnight bag with a couple of outfits in it that I’d managed to stash in the car prior to today’s escape. The same day I’d gone out to purchase the car was the same day I’d packed a small bag. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to get me by for a few days.
I got out, walked up to the tiny home that was advertised on the website as the registration house, and knocked on the front door before entering.
No sooner had the door closed behind me when a woman stepped out from behind a wall and walked up to the counter.
“Hi,” she greeted me.
“Hello,” I returned. “I’m looking for Hanna Briggs.”
Smiling brightly at me, the young woman replied, “That’s me.”
“Oh, hi. I’m Ellery Cross. We spoke on the phone two days ago,” I said.
Realization immediately dawned on her features. “Yes, Ellery. I’m so glad you made it. I’ve got your reservation all set here. Just give me one minute.”
“Sure. Take your time,” I urged.
As Hanna moved about and got whatever paperwork she needed for me to sign ready, I took a moment to assess her. It was immediately obvious just how beautiful she was.
With the exception of the blue eyes we both had, Hanna and I were near opposites. I was taller with a more athletic build, and she was at least four or five inches shorter with curves that I would have killed for. Her blonde hair with large curls and lots of volume was a stark contrast to my slightly longer, straight, dark brown hair.
“Alright, so I’ve got all of your paperwork here,” Hanna declared. “I just need a few signatures, and I’ll need a copy of your license as well as your credit card. Since your stay is open-ended, I’m just going to charge your card on the same day each week for that next full week. If and when you know an end date for your stay, please let me know, and I’ll adjust that week’s charge accordingly. Of course, there is no rush, and you are more than welcome to stay as long as you’d like.”
The mall might have been my first saving grace, but I had a feeling this woman was going to play an even more crucial role in my life. So, for the first time in a very long time, I felt a genuine smile spread across my face.
“Thank you, Hanna. I don’t have any immediate plans to search for permanent housing, and I suspect I’ll be in town for quite some time. So, let’s hope you don’t get sick of seeing me here,” I replied as I pulled out my license and my debit card.
Yes,mydebit card.
I might have been forced into making an awful choice eight years ago, since there weren’t any other acceptable options, but I wasn’t a complete fool. Over the years, when I finally convinced myself that I’d need to start taking steps toward securing my own freedom at some point, I opened my own bank account. The only money that ever went into that account was money that I’d made from a job that Patrick knew nothing about.
Sadly, I hadn’t managed to realize my dream of becoming an author. The truth was that after learning that I was going to have to get married to a man I didn’t know or love in order to save my family, so much of the drive and dedication I had for pursuing the career I had wanted was gone.
It felt like doom had settled over me, and I’d gone through a long period of mourning in those first few years. The only thing I’d managed to do successfully was finish school and get my degree.
But the dreams I had for once I graduated ceased to exist. It wasn’t because I didn’t still want to become an author.
I did.
I desperately did.
Unfortunately, the creative well had dried up.
I hadn’t even been able to gather and organize all of the notes I’d taken down during my first year in college, so that I could write and complete a book that I’d been so excited about.
It was gone.
All of it.
Of course, my love for reading never faltered. How could it? Reading was the only thing that remained in my life that allowed me to escape from the day-to-day reality I was living in.
So, I decided if I couldn’t find a way to write the stories I wanted to share with the world, I’d read the stories that helped me escape.
