Winter Storm Read online

  The doorbell rang.

  “For Christ’s sake. Sorry.” Rebecca looked a little guilty even though it wasn’t entirely clear to whom. They both quickly straightened their clothes. Callie followed Rebecca to the door, watching her open it to…

  “No way. Nicole, this is—”

  “Inappropriate,” Rebecca finished her sentence. “Unless you came to give me the money you still owe me for your whiskey.”

  “What?” Callie wasn’t sure she had understood that correctly.

  Nicole smiled. “Never mind.” She looked Callie up and down. “So, I assume you didn’t know. Anyway, my rental broke down, so I was hoping that even though you both hate me, I could call someone from here.” She walked inside, unimpressed by Rebecca’s startled look or Callie’s glare at her.

  “Why don’t you use your cell phone? Why are you in the area anyway? Oh, whatever, I don’t even care.”

  “You were friendlier earlier today,” Nicole remarked. Callie saw Rebecca’s questioning gaze, unable to meet her eyes for longer.

  “Being friendly to you is always a mistake as it seems. Now make that call and go.”

  “You’re in a hurry. I didn’t interrupt anything? Oops,” Nicole said. “I guess I did.” Callie realized they hadn’t cleaned up well enough, as her bra was clearly visible, half underneath the couch cushion.

  “By the way, Rebecca, did you get in touch with that counselor yet?”

  “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Rebecca’s tone would have been cool enough for anyone to get the message—anyone but Nicole. “If you don’t leave this house within the next five minutes, I’ll call the sheriff.”

  “No, you won’t,” Nicole said cheekily. “You know it’s true. Why else would you meet the new bigot in town once more?”

  “I didn’t…wait.”

  “That’s right.” Nicole smiled. “I go to church too.”

  “Callie, come on, you don’t believe that. I didn’t go to talk to him again—all I wanted was a moment for myself. Obviously, that’s not even possible in church anymore. I’m going to call Bev now.”

  “A pretend family. Children need both mother and father.”

  “Those were his words, not mine!”

  Callie had the bad feeling that she should have stopped this interaction minutes ago. Deep down, she always known that it had been a mistake to encourage Nicole. She was also disappointed. This was how much Nicole’s claims to have changed to the better were worth.

  “Whatever you’re trying here, it’s not working. You lied to me many times, so guess who I believe right now.”

  “Okay. Then just ask her why she brought the booklet home if she never thought about using that contact information.”

  “This is ridiculous,” Callie said with conviction. Rebecca might have to catch up on a few facts, but she had Reynolds figured out.

  “Have you even seen that paper, Callie? They condemn what we are. Go, look into her purse. If your girlfriend was as wonderful as you’d like her to be, she wouldn’t have brought this crap home with her.”

  “Rebecca?” This couldn’t be true. Tonight was meant to be a new beginning, not the opposite.

  “Have you all gone crazy? I forgot about the damn leaflet. I put it in my purse, yes, but not because I was planning to use that number.”

  “It’s what you say now,” Nicole said, triumph shining in her eyes. “I’ll let you two figure this out. In any case, it seems like you have some things to talk about. I’ll just make that one call and go.”

  “Callie.” With regard to Nicole’s continued presence, Rebecca’s voice had dropped to a painful whisper. “I never said these things. You need to believe me.”

  “Shh. We’re not discussing this while she’s still here. Nicole? Are you done?”

  “You tell me to go. Fine.” Nicole gave her a long considering look. “The sex must be amazing for you to put up with all of this. Bye.”

  They stood in silence for a moment after the door fell into its lock.

  “You must believe me,” Rebecca said. “It was a rather unpleasant conversation. I wanted to get out. Hell…” She laughed unhappily. “If I even considered this for a second, I certainly wouldn’t see some counselor favored by Father Reynolds. Frankly, I dislike him more every time I talk to him.”

  “Can I see?” It was true that Nicole had lied to her before. Callie wanted to believe that Rebecca wouldn’t be so naïve to fall for the hateful words. She just couldn’t make sense of the scene that was unfolding, all the implications that Nicole’s accusations held. There was no denying Rebecca was going through a difficult time. However, Dina’s teenage woes would have become an issue at some time anyway. That had nothing to do with Rebecca’s rather complicated coming-out.

  “Please, let me just throw it out. Burn it if that makes you feel better. You can’t believe…I told the truth! I told everybody. How much more proof do you need?”

  “You told everybody after I nearly got raped, and then you couldn’t take it back.”

  It was true, Callie tended to test partners, a long-term habit of needing an assurance that they wouldn’t leave her. Asha had shrugged it off. Nicole had thrown a plate at her.

  Rebecca just stared at her in disbelief for a moment, then she turned away and walked out of the room.

  “Where are you going?”

  “What is it with you, Callie? Go, look at that paper if you must. I have no idea what’s even in it, and I don’t care to find out. I wasn’t going to call that counselor to see if he could make me any less gay. Granted, there’ve been some tough times, but I thought it was all worth it. I’m not so sure anymore.”

  The cold shiver down her spine turned into an icy grip of fear.

  “Rebecca, don’t go. That’s just the way Nicole is. She manipulates everyone.”

  Rebecca buttoned her coat in angry quick movements, reaching for her scarf.

  “Maybe, but you believe her anyway, because she’s a real lesbian like you. I get it.”

  “Please, don’t—”

  Rebecca slammed the door behind her. Moments later, Callie heard the engine of her car.

  “Damn you, Nicole,” she whispered, wiping a hand over her face. This time though, it wasn’t just Nicole’s doing. She walked back into the kitchen. They’d never even made it to dinner, and minutes from now, Maggie would return. At a loss of what to do, she sat at the table and cried.

  Even when your dreams came true, nobody promised they’d last forever. Callie jumped to her feet. She wasn’t ready to let go yet. She couldn’t just sit here and give up. She had to find Rebecca. Where would she go though? The church was probably the last place at the moment. Roz? Callie didn’t even know her address. Since they picked up Saturday brunch again, they hadn’t met at Roz’s yet. Callie stepped outside, shivering as the snowflakes brushed against her face, but determined.

  The roads had been icy like this the night Maria Lowman, Rebecca’s sister-in-law, died.

  Callie was scared. Rebecca hadn’t taken her cell phone, so she couldn’t reach her that way. She had to find her though. Soon.

  An idea sprang to mind, and all of a sudden, she knew where to go. When she put on her boots, the phone rang. Debating with herself for a second, Callie picked up.

  “I’m sorry, this is not a good moment, we—”

  When she was quickly interrupted, she listened.

  “Oh, my God. No. Of course, I’ll wait here.”

  The clock in the living room showed 8:15 p.m.

  At this moment, scared didn’t even begin to cover the state of Callie’s mind.

  Chapter Eight

  “Not fair of you to leave me alone,” Rebecca mumbled, shaking in the cold wind. In her haste, she had forgotten about gloves. “I could really use some of your sage advice, because I keep messing up.”

  Of course there was no answer. There would never be any. It was kind of ironic. Maria hadn’t been that much older or experienced. It was just the way she
had handled life that Rebecca had admired endlessly. She never questioned her identity or let anyone else do it. Rebecca missed her. This friendship, however, was another part of her old life she never be able to get back.

  Maybe it was true—maybe they’d rushed into their relationship when there was nowhere else to go, but with lives on the line other than their own, there wasn’t much time to waste. She hadn’t meant to hurt Callie. Rebecca was just tired of trying to find ways to get over her own insecurities, constantly failing. Therapy might do her some good, if not of the kind Father Reynolds had suggested. Callie was overcoming a trauma of her own. Rebecca thought she took up too much space lately.

  She was freezing. The shoes she put on were not fitting for the weather. Of course, after a few minutes, she’d just go back to her car and drive home. Sometimes it sucked to have people depending on you. She’d apologize. She’d go around in circles once more.

  Rebecca turned around when she heard the sound of footsteps in the wet snow. Who else was crazy enough… Then she saw Callie, David with her, and her heart started to race. She wished she could simply faint, like it would happen in the movies, but she remained painfully aware instead. Rebecca had no doubt that something terrible had happened.

  * * * *

  “Rebecca, I need to tell you something.”

  “No.” Rebecca shook her head. “I can’t! I can’t hear it. Please.”

  At that moment, Callie irrationally hated David, for planting that thought on Rebecca’s mind, and for embracing her, like it was still appropriate. Maybe it was, maybe she was overreacting, but she didn’t like him acting as if they were still a couple.

  “Craig picked up Maggie after the book club,” she said. “Jenny thought it was okay, since…he’s her uncle, and he was the sheriff in town after all.”

  Rebecca looked at her like she hadn’t understood what Callie just said.

  “Craig? Why?”

  David spoke, though not without glaring at Callie first. “We don’t know. He hasn’t called yet and I can’t reach him. When we talked, he gave no indication that he even wanted to talk to the girls. I just don’t know.”

  “Then find out! He’s your brother!” There was a tinge of hysteria to Rebecca’s voice. Callie stepped closer, touching her arm.

  “Let’s go home first.”

  “My baby,” Rebecca whispered.

  “Don’t do that,” David said. “He might have been a jerk, but he’d never hurt her.”

  Maybe it wasn’t his intention, Callie thought. If he was drinking though and getting in the car with the girl… Her stomach clenched painfully at the thought.

  “He’d better not,” Rebecca said. “I’d kill him.”

  * * * *

  Jenny had been waiting for them in her car. She was in tears.

  “I’m so sorry, Rebecca! I didn’t know! I thought it was okay with you!”

  Rebecca swallowed the answer she wanted to give her. When Beckett and Weller had played a cruel prank, killing the girls’ beloved guinea pig, she’d hurt for Maggie. She wasn’t sure whether the current situation wasn’t worse than the threat the sons of businessman Weller and former mayor Beckett had presented.

  David might be right that Craig wouldn’t want to hurt Maggie in the first place, but he hated Rebecca. If he’d wanted to torture her, he was doing a pretty good job. She couldn’t hold on to one clear thought, her mind clouded with fear. Something like this had probably been his intention in the first place.

  “Did you call Bev?” she asked. Craig had once been the one to call when you needed the police.

  David looked uncomfortable. “I was trying to reach him first. Rebecca, he’s still my brother.”

  “I called her,” Callie said, all eyes on her in an instant.

  “What? How do you…it’s not your daughter. This is not your family, as much as you’d like to pretend it is!”

  “David.”

  “Don’t defend her. Just don’t, Rebecca. You know things would be very different now if it wasn’t for her.”

  “That’s ridiculous. It’s not Callie’s fault that he lost it. I just want my daughter back.”

  “Bev worked with him before. She’ll know how to handle this,” Callie suggested.

  “How would you know?” he asked acidly.

  “Leave her alone, David.” Her words lacked the anger to back them up though. She was so very tired, like all her energy was being drained from her.

  “It’s okay, Rebecca,” Callie said, and she sounded just as exhausted as she got up to leave. “I can speak for myself. Call me if you need me.”

  * * * *

  She knew she should have stayed, been there for Rebecca, but Callie couldn’t stand to be in the room for one more minute. It was remarkable what tragedy could drag to the light. David had been polite most of the time she’d known him even after he’d learned about her and Rebecca. That didn’t mean some very different feelings were still simmering under the surface. She couldn’t blame him.

  There was a soft knock on the door, and without waiting for an answer, Rebecca stepped inside. She sat next to Callie on the bed.

  Callie was searching for something, anything comforting to say, but she found she couldn’t come up with a thing, feeling like a failure. Craig Lowman always made her uncomfortable. She was just as scared as anyone else about what he might be up to, but she was not surprised that he had snapped. Rebecca pulled her close, and Callie held on. It was hard to distinguish who needed the comfort and reassurance more.

  “I know it’s not my place. I’m never going to be her parent.” She wanted to slap herself. The last thing Rebecca needed was to have someone else to console.

  “Maggie knows you love her and care about her. I know that.”

  “Look,” Callie said, hoping her tears wouldn’t be audible in her voice. “I’m sure he just wants to scare you. Which is bad enough, but at least we know who he is. He’ll return her safely.”

  “Once upon a time I would have believed that. I don’t know what to believe anymore. How could he? She’s a little girl, and she had nothing to do with any of this!”

  Callie just held on tighter, wishing she could ease Rebecca’s pain. It was everything she could do at the moment.

  When they returned, Beverly Wilkins, the town’s sheriff, was talking to Jenny. Her calm and professional manners did a lot to ease the tension in the room. She suggested a trace on Craig Lowman’s cell phone, then went to make a few calls for the necessary arrangements.

  They settled in to wait.

  * * * *

  Craig called David around midnight. Rebecca wanted to tear the phone out of his hands and yell at her former brother-in-law. She wanted to threaten him with everything possible. Most of all, she wanted to hear Maggie’s voice and know that she was okay.

  “Craig, what the hell are you doing?” David said. “Why drag Maggie into this mess?” He listened for a while, shaking his head. “You know I’ll try to help you, whatever. Mom will, too, but you must return Maggie immediately. Yes, she’s here. Wait a minute.”

  Rebecca clutched the phone in a white-knuckled grip. She wanted to be calm, talk to him the way Bev had suggested.

  “The last time someone threatened my family, I almost shot him. Remember that!” were the words that came tumbling out instead.

  “Rebecca!” David hissed.

  Callie gave her a half-smile.

  “Just shut your mouth. You have no idea what family means,” Craig returned.

  “You think you do, kidnapping your niece. I get it. Must feel so good to terrorize others.”

  “You destroyed my life! Everything,” he accused. “If it wasn’t for you and your whoring around, I’d still have a job. Maria would still be alive.”

  There was something in the tone of his voice that terrified her.

  “Put Maggie on the phone right now. I want to hear that she’s okay.”

  “Oh really? You have no idea what you put me through. Are you feeling pain n
ow, Rebecca?”

  “Please.” She didn’t care what he or anyone else thought about her. She needed to hear Maggie’s voice, right now.

  “She’s a decent kid,” Craig said. “It’s a miracle considering the mother she has.”

  “We can talk about this, right? Just bring her back home.”

  “Whore,” he spat. “You had it coming.”

  “Craig, wait, I…”

  He had hung up on her.

  Bev had told them that while successful, the trace hadn’t been 100 percent conclusive. She asked David if he had any idea about friends or relatives Craig could have gone to.

  David shook his head. By now, he looked scared too. Rebecca had the fantasy of just ignoring him and everyone else, and falling apart like she’d wanted to ever since David and Callie had appeared at Maria’s grave. She couldn’t. She couldn’t let her little girl down.

  “He didn’t make a lot of friends lately. Why the hell did Maria stay with him?”

  Rebecca’s accusatory tone didn’t sit well with David. “Maybe she didn’t think that a difference in opinion was reason enough to throw away her marriage! You’re really concerned about that now?”

  “No, I’m not. I’m concerned about the well-being of my daughter.”

  “Our daughter,” David said with a pointed look to Callie.

  Callie ignored the jibe. “In the area, are there any hotels, bed-and-breakfasts? It seems to me like he doesn’t have that many places to go, and he has to stay somewhere.”

  Rebecca shuddered at the thought, her ex-brother-in-law, out of control, mindlessly driving around with Maggie. How far gone was he, and how long had this been going on? Maria had confided in her that the marriage was more of an arrangement, that they both went their separate ways in almost everything.

  Craig Lowman hadn’t had a lot of bad luck all of a sudden. He was rude, bad at his job, and his career-wise problems had been a long time coming. He wasn’t to blame for the death of his wife, or the grief that resulted, but now he was looking to make someone responsible for all of it. He had decided that Rebecca was that person.

  “We have to go look for them,” she said, locking eyes with Callie. “The storm is getting worse. They had to stay somewhere.”