56
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After breakfast, it was decided to take two vehicles to Baraga. It would be a bit crowded to take just one crew cabbed pickup, even before bringing Matt home. Zenna joined the sheriff in her police pickup and Barb and Lisa went with Steve in the green pickup.
“Has Barb talked to ya dis mornin’?” the sheriff asked.
“No,” Zenna replied.
“She should probably be checked out by her doctor.”
“Maybe we can get her to agree tomorrow. She didn’t want to be left at home today. She wants to make sure Garth is behind bars.”
“I don’ blame her. I jis’ wanna make sure he didn’t hurt her too much – looked like he tried ta strangle her. Sometimes, complications from strangulation occur da next day – so, keep an eye on her, if ya would.”
“I will, Sheriff,” Zenna promised.
“Call me Sid, would ya? At least, when it’s jis’ us, eh.”
“Sure...” Zenna looked out the window, thinking only of Matt. She wanted to see him so badly, but didn’t want to leave without him. She couldn’t handle that. “Do you think we’ll be able to bring Matt home?”
“Purdy sure. If he will agree ta be monitored an’ everyteen, I don’ tink dey will object. He’s not violent. Da monitor will prove dat he’s not gonna run again, eh? I would stake my career on him.”
“Why?” Zenna asked.
“Whadd’ya mean?” Sid countered, seemingly surprised.
“Things don’t make sense. You know that Steve grows pot and you don’t even care. You trust him beyond anything that makes sense. Why?”
“I owe him,” she replied simply. “Jis’ like almost everyone in Ash Creek owes dat lovely, lovely man! Yer so lucky ta git ta marry into dat family – assumin’ ya an’ Matt plan ta tie da knot.”
“Yes, we do,” Zenna replied, smiling. “I fell in love with him almost at first sight. Is that strange? Do you believe in such things?”
Sid sighed. “I did… once.”
“What happened?”
“He was in love wid his teacher,” she replied. “I couldn’t compete wid dat.”
“You love Steve,” Zenna realized aloud.
“Don’t say anyteen… it’s not possible now. I wasn’t made fer him.”
“But after Debbie died...”
“He was already married by den… dough dat didn’t last… Den der was Julie… He loves deeply an’ completely – an’ it was never wid me.”
“How do you owe him though?”
“Zenna, yer still young an’ full of stars in yer eyes, eh, da sparkle of pregnancy – it suits ya. Not all secrets are fer yer ears, sweetheart. Mine would depress ya, an’ I won’t have dat on my conscience!”
Zenna let it drop, remembering what Steve had said – that there were many secrets in Ash Creek – some of which would endanger her. “Many Ash Creek secrets are coming out now,” Zenna said quietly.
“Not mine,” Sid replied tersely.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean yours. I didn’t realize I’d said that out loud. It was just something Steve told me when I was in the woods with Matt.”
“If Steve’s pot patch caused me any headaches – even pot smoke – I would arrest him an’ turn him in myself, regardless of da debt I feel towards him. But he doesn’t cause problems, so I pretend I don’t know. If da judge we see today suspects Steve has a pot patch, I have no idea what happens on dat hill, got dat?”
“Of course.”
“I don’ mean ta be standoffish, Zenna,” Sid continued as the trees flew past on both sides of the highway.
“You’re fine, Sid,” Zenna replied. “You don’t have to tell me your secrets.”
“Maybe one day. But I hope ya never go through half of what I’ve been through, eh.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Ya don’ have ta be, kid.”
♥
The silence loomed in the green pickup. Barbara was sure she didn’t want to start the conversation. She had only a vague memory of what happened during the night. She remembered seeing Garth threatening her horses. He dragged her to his pickup… and something around her neck… after that, it was dark. She woke up wondering what had happened and why her sweat pants were on backwards.
Lisa was quiet behind her as well. It was too quiet.
Although she had known the road to Ontonagon by heart, she didn’t know the road to Baraga very well. They never went that way, except when they needed something in Marquette, which wasn’t often.
“Sleepy?” her father asked.
She shook her head.
“Are ya okay? Tell me da trut, eh?” he persisted.
“Why shouldn’t I be okay?” she asked.
“Ya don’ know? What did dat man do ta ya?!”
“What do you remember?” Lisa asked.
“He threatened Cinder an’ Virginia. Den he took me ta his pickup – told me not ta fight him or he’d kill my horses.”
“Anything after that?” Lisa prompted.
She shook her head.
“Shit, Barb!” Steve shouted. “He frickin’ raped ya! I nearly shot him off ya, but decided I couldn’t risk hittin’ ya accidentally.”
Barbara shuddered, her hand going to her neck.
“And dat! He was tryin’ ta strangle ya wid yer sweats! I almost killed him right der an’ den! But I want him ta rot in jail, rememberin’...”
“I tink I remember now. I couldn’t fight him because I needed ta breathe. He wanted ta kill me dough… he wants us for his rose garden – all tree of us. Me, Lisa, Zenna. Where are dey – Keith, Garth and John?”
“Dey’re in Baraga as well. We are gonna do our best ta make sure dey stay der!” her father said nearly in a growl. “We’re also gonna see ‘bout bringin’ Matthew home. Sid tinks we should be able ta git dat.”
“I hope so!” Barbara replied. “I wanna see how crazy he is fer Zenna!”
“It’s bad, darlin’. Really bad!” Steve grinned. “I want to see da day when some guy is as crazy fer ya! Gart was bad… but someone will be good. I’m sure of it!”
“I don’t need a man,” she said dourly.
“Yer still very young, Barb,” her father reminded her. “Ya have plenny of time ta make da right one fall head-over-heels in love wid ya!”
“Even if I have a baby?” she asked.
“Da right one will love ya an’ yer baby!”
“Promise?”
“Absolutely! But not today. Today, we have ta file charges against da Cowans an’ git yer broder home.”
♥♥♥
Back to chapter 1
Character Info and Notes
Available to purchase (in print) at Amazon. Ebook version coming soon. (As soon as Draft2Digital formulates the link.)
Image Credits
Matthew Nygaard
Genesis 8 by DAZ 3D Studio
Myles Beard by AprilYSH (sold through DAZ)
Adrian Hair by yitao0526 (sold through DAZ)
Hunt Pants by DragonBreath
Native American top by Pusey Designs
.
Zenna Williams
Genesis 8
Mitzy hair
Basic Wear by DAZ
Set
willow trees by Stonemason
fallen tree by Hivewire
grass by Erock 3D
background image from Pixabay
Previous Stories:
Catch up on LBRY.
Location:
Ash Creek is a fictitious town in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I've attempted to keep the spirit of the people as well as make liberal use of the Yooper accent/dialect. Yes, I've heard it spoken, but it's an inexact science, so please forgive me any errors and enjoy this work in the spirit with which I write... with deep love and affection for the area.
Please read my note on romance, teenage intimate relationships and underage sex. I apologize if my understanding conflicts with your sense of morality, but I'm only looking at things realistically, not ideologically. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!
Writing and artwork copyright myself 2005-2105 – all rights reserved.
If you are interested in helping me publish these works, please contact me on Facebook or Discord, viking-ventures#2883.
Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
(Buy my work at RedBubble, TeePublic, PicFair and DeviantArt.)
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