Chapter 15
Elise
I had just started my morning shift and saw Carol walking in with a look of worry
She came up to the counter and asked if she could talk to me.
“Is everything okay? Do I need to …?”
“Everything is okay … just need a few minutes of your time. Or should I say we do.” She pointed over to my mom who was standing outside the coffee shop apparently waiting to come in.
“Why is she here? And you are with her?”
“Trust me, sweetie, I’m just as shocked as you are. She came to the farm and talked to Terry and me. I was ready to throw her out before she even spoke, but Terry gave her the benefit of the doubt, and I’m glad he did.”
“This has got to be good.” I told Nicole that I needed my break now, and she smiled, agreeing. This place always moved slowly except for our peak times.
Carol and Mom were sitting in the brown leather chairs that faced the window, and I pulled one up to meet them.
“This is a nice place, Elise,” Mom said, trying to make small talk.
“Yeah, it works. Listen, I only have about ten minutes, so what did you need to discuss?” I wasn’t beating around the bush as she could tell.
Carol didn’t say anything but just sat with her hands in her lap. Nicole brought over two coffees for the guests and then made herself disappear quickly. I was assuming she sensed the tension.
“I want to talk to you about the lawsuit.”
“I told you, I already had the money withdrawn and a cashier’s check for you, but I just was waiting to get to the post office and was …”
“I don’t want it.”
My mouth dropped to the floor, and I almost fell out of my chair. I couldn’t find a single word to respond to that. What? She has got to be drunk.
“Elise, I was being forced to try to … anyway, it doesn’t matter now. Garrett has taken care of it all. Here.”
She handed me two envelopes. One with the law office label and the other blank.
I opened the law office label one first, and it had a letter on the front stating that the lawsuit had been amended and a settlement had been reached.
The second was a police report copy. I didn’t understand this one, so I looked at my mom then back at the piece of paper.
“This is a copy of the police report I filed on Bryan years ago. Why do you have it?”
“Look at the last paper.”
“You wrote a report too?” I read over it, and my throat ached.
“I am so sorry for doing what I did to you with this, but all your life, I was a bitter woman who wanted to blame anyone I could for being unhappy. That fell on you and …”
I watched her talking but was shocked by what she was saying. This couldn’t be the same woman I called my mother.
“I can’t just forget the things you have done to me, Mom. I wish I could but—”
“I don’t expect that. I know I can’t erase the things I did to you because, believe me, if I could, I would in a heartbeat. I just want to be a part of your life in any way you will allow me. I already lost one child, and I don’t want to lose you too.”
I felt the urge to hug her and tell her it was okay and that all was forgotten, but instead, I just froze.
I stood after regaining my thoughts and walked over and hugged her.
“Thank you for that, Mom. It is just going to take time, but I am willing to try.”
“That is all I ask. Garrett has made me see the awful things I did to you. It is hard to look at myself in the mirror, but I hope by accepting the things I did and asking for forgiveness that with time it will get better.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, why the sudden change of heart about the lawsuit and on the police report?”
She took a breath, and Carol watched just as I did, waiting to hear what she would say about that.
“Bryan was blackmailing Garrett. I was trying to help Garrett get Bryan off his back. One night, I was at Rowdy’s and saw Bryan. He introduced me to Garrett, and we hit it off. He had no idea that Garrett and I would actually fall in love. Anyway, Bryan knew you had gotten money through Thad, I assume from Garrett, although he regrets it now. He had no clue what Bryan had done to you or what his intentions were. At that point, it was already too late, and he was being blackmailed. I was trying to help him so Bryan would leave us the hell alone.”
I watched as she took a sip of her coffee and then continued.
“Garrett started to do some digging around after I told him what you accused him of when you lived in Liberty not to mention that I hadn’t taken your word for it. Needless to say, Bryan has been hiding quite a record. He has been let go from the police department. You weren’t the only victim who he—”
“Raped,” I finished for her.
“You should have seen the police and Bryan’s dad stand up to him. I will be laughing about the look on his face for years to come. He was stripped of his badge and gun and told he was done working as a police officer. His commanding officer told him he couldn’t have a rapist working on his force or any force, for that matter. Said he was a disgrace to the other men who wore the badge and he should be ashamed to look in the mirror. Bryan started to throw a fit, and his dad actually stood up to him and apologized for always covering his messes and helping to create the monster he had become.”
“Did he admit to the rapes?” I asked, already assuming the answer. Part of me wondered how many there were. Did I know any of the other victims? And did they find someone like Ford to love them and heal them like I had been blessed to find?
“Of course, not. Said it was all hearsay. Lying snake.”
“What did Bryan have on Garrett?”
“It was more on Garrett’s dad. Gambling debts.”
“So Bryan is the scum I always knew he was,” I remarked, not that I had any doubt.
“Worse. Elise, I am so sorry I didn’t believe you. But I still think sending you to Humble was the best thing I ever did for you.”
“I agree. She is a blessing in my life,” Carol said.
“Carol, Terry, Ford … Shay … my life … I can’t imagine my life without them. Humble is my home.”
“Then I did one thing right,” Mom said sweetly but ashamed.
“Yes, yes, you did.” I smiled. I had never noticed I had a lot of my mom’s smile. I guess it was because she rarely smiled.