Part 18 (2/2)

”Shut up, George.”

”Well, h.e.l.l, Ollie,” George whined, ”everybody knows.”

”Shut up.”

”All that's neither here nor there,” Emery shouted from the barber's chair. ”The problem isn't Katie Love and her boy. The problem's Chelsea Kane. She shouldn'ta come here. We been sayin' that all along. She shouldn'ta come.” Judd's patience was wearing thin. ”But she's saving the G.o.dd.a.m.ned town!”

”She ain't savin' the town,” George argued. ”Town's solid as a rock.

Always has been, always will be.”

”You keep on believing that,” Judd said, ”and you'll go right down with the rest if anything happens to Chelsea Kane.” He made for the door. ”And that's a promise.”

”That's it,” Matthew Farr told Donna the instant the store cleared of customers. He slammed the cash drawer shut hard. ”I don't want you seeing her again.” Donna frowned in the direction of the woman who had just left, but Matthew gripped her chin and brought her face around fast. ”Not Mary Lee. Chelsea Kane. There hasn't been one person in here this Morning hasn't been commenting on her. Fire in the barn? Who cares about a fire in the barn. Did you know she was pregnant?” Donna contemplated lying, but something inside 394 The Pa.s.sions of chels” Kam n't let her. Chelsea had been kind to her from @,'start. They were good friends now. She owed something more than cowering before Matthew. ou did,” Matthew sneered. ”b.i.t.c.h.” He tossed face away. ”She rubbed her chin, careful to keep an eye on *Why didn't you tell me?” he asked, and thumbed chest. ”I had a right to know. She waltzes around store and spends time with my wife and no one lis e she's pregnant? They say it isn't even s.” e spat. ”Tramp. The first time I laid eyes her, I ew she was on the make. I could smell it, .1 tell you.

But I wasn't failing for that. Not me. I ,:,wasn't being fooled by those innocent eyes. You? ”You were taken right in. She knew a sucker when -she saw one She got you out introducing her to your aerobics cla.s.s, then running with her, and you fled. Stick around with her, and it'll hap- ,.nearly got ki ..pen again. That woman is a menace. I don't want you seeing her again.” Donna had every intention of seeing Chelsea again. In fact, she was waiting for her coffee break to run over and make sure Chelsea was all right. The fire at the barn must have frightened her, and that on top of the accident at Kankamaug. Donna had been hoping Chelsea would spend the night at Judd's. It would have been good for her. ”Do you hear me, Donna?” Matthew said, exaggerating the movement of his mouth enough to make it Ier from le owed atthew._ an insult. ”I don't want you seeing her again.”

”She's my friend.”

”Speak so I can understand you!”

”She's-my-friend.”

”She's a disgrace to this town. Nothing's been the 395 Abwtwm Deunsky same since she arrived. And now this. Pregnant. She's not even married, for G.o.d's sake.”

”So what?”

Donna cried, then reeled when he slapped her across the face. She caught herself on the edge of the counter, regained her balance, and steeled herself to face him. But he was suddenly looking off toward the door, wearing a totally charming smile. ”Morning, Ruth. You're looking well today.” Pus.h.i.+ng Donna aside, he strode forward. Donna flattened her hands on her skirt, straightened her back, and took a deep breath, but no amount of outward composure could ease the turmoil she felt. She didn't know why he had to hit her. He was hurtful enough without that.

She didn't know why she couldn't bring charges against him. She didn't know why she couldn't divorce him. Jos.h.i.+e knew things weren't right. So did half the town. So what if they talked? So what if her parents were mortified? So what if Matthew spread cruel stories? Desperate to be out of his sight if only for a minute or two, she ran back through the aisles and slipped into the back office. There, without conscious intent she found herself opening the bottom drawer of the desk, removing a small revolver, and gathering it to her chest. She could say it was an accident, that Matthew had been showing her how to use the gun and it had gone off and killed him. She could say that she had mistaken him for a thief. She could even say it was self-defense, since both Nolan and Neil Summers would testify to earlier bruises. It would be an interesting trial. A Farr against a Plum. It would certainly give the people of Norwich Notch something more 396 ”M FAM91MM or cbeaftm hik about than Chelsea Kane's being pregnant. felt footsteps and looked up in alarm just as came through the back door. Her face must given away some of her anguish, because he suddenly inside the office and closing the door. ”4je touched her cheek. ”It's red. He hit you, didn't She wondered what it was about some men that e them sensitive and kind, while others were mean. She wondered why some were honest, while others twisted every word to suit themselves. She wondered why Nolan hadn't come to town just a few ooner, before she'd married Matthew. She years s wondered what it would be like to wake up to a smiling face and a kiss.

”Donna,” he said with a look of pleading. He took her face in both hands and held it with care. ”Why do you let him do this to you? You don't deserve it.” With a whisper touch he kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose. When he drew back, the look of pleading remained. ”You don't have to put up with I've told you that before, and I'm begging you now. We have a.s.sault and battery ten times over. But It wouldn't even have to come to that. If you filed for divorce, just the threat of going public might keep him away.” She shook her head in a way that said it might not. ”We can get a court order,” Nolan argued. ”He wouldn't have any choice. He'd have to stay away from you and Jos.h.i.+e then.” He looked down at her hands and for the first time saw what they clutched. ”Where did you get this?” She shot a look at the drawer. ”Good G.o.d, you don't want to use it.” He took it 397 from her and was about to pocket it when she clutched his arm. ”It's Matthew's? I don't care. There's no need to have it around.”

”He'll be angry if it's gone,” she said, and prayed she'd said it softly enough so that Matthew wouldn't hear. She looked nervously at the door. Nolan slipped the gun back in the desk and closed the drawer. Then he pulled Donna to him, holding her hands in his, right between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s where the gun had been. ”Promise me,” he said. ”Promise me that you won't ever use that unless he comes at you first. Anything else and you call me. Promise?” She didn't want to promise any such thing. There were times when she was filled with such hatred that the gun seemed the only answer. There were other times when the despair was such that she was almost tempted to turn it on herself.

But there was Jos.h.i.+e. And Nolan. And even Chelsea. Chelsea wouldn't take her life in despair. She would fight. Donna was working on that. She really was. Nolan kissed her. He rubbed his knuckles against the side of her breast in as intimate a touch as he'd ever given her. ”I love you,” he said. She let out a breath, not knowing whether any sound came out with it and not caring. Leaning against Nolan was wonderful. So was letting him touch her. He made her feel whole and worth having and so very feminine. She loved him, too. He tipped up her chin with an easy finger. When her eyes were focused on his mouth, he said, ”Someday you'll be mine. I don't care how long I have to wait. But you'll be mine. I promise you, Donna. You will be.” 398 The Paswons of Chasm Kmw wanted to believe him, wanted it so badly. *You will be,” he said again as he gently set her [email protected] The words gave her the strength to pull herself together and return to the front of the store. Hunter Love lived on the west side of town, past . hospital, in a neighborhood just shy of Cutters Corner. Chelsea had to pa.s.s by his place on four succes- $Ive nights before she finally saw signs of life there. She pulled into the dirt drive beside the Kawasaki and went to the door. It was a while before he ., and then his expression was guarded. ”Hi,” she said. ”How're you doin'?” He glanced out at the Pathfinder, then scanned .the front yard as though he expected her to have backup along. When he realized she was alone, he grew even more wary. ”How come you're here?”

”I want to talk.”

”About what?”

”Work, for one thing. You've been great at the quarry since Judd was hurt. Thank you for that.”

”He know you're here?”

”Judd? No.”

”I thought you were spending all your time over there.” She shook her head. ”No reason to. He thinks he's all better.”

In fact she had stopped by his house each day since the accident.

Sometimes she saw Judd, sometimes she didn't. ”The fact is that he can't do what he was doing before. He doesn't have full mobility of the shoulder, and he won't for a while, but G.o.d forbid he should admit it.”

She had 399 Barham Definshy spent more than her share of time at the guardrail watching from above while he directed the men. ”If he sees something that needs doing, he tries. He hasn't seen much. You've been one step ahead of him. I appreciate that.” Hunter looked unimpressed. He sucked in a corner of his mouth and curved his hand around the door. It occurred to her that he might not be alone. She tried to look beyond him, but he was a solid black figure blocking her view. ”Is someone here?”

”No.”

”Can I come in?”

”That might not be wise.”

”Why not?”

”People will see your car here. You've got reputation trouble enough without me.” Chelsea didn't give a d.a.m.n about her reputation. The look she gave him told him that, seconds before she stepped past him into his house. ”Close the door. It's cold out there.”

She heard the door close behind her, but her attention was riveted to what was before her. ”Wow,” she said, ”what a surprise!” From the outside the house looked like every other one on the street, and though, she hadn't seen the insides of the others, she doubted they were like this. What should have been a cl.u.s.ter of postage-stamp rooms was one large, open s.p.a.ce straight to the roof, with a brick fireplace glowing warmly In the center. ”Did you do this?” She sensed his handiwork in the finish of the walls, the rafters, the diagonal planks on the floor. ”I'm the only one crazy enough to.”

”It's not crazy. It's great.”

”I didn't do it because it was great. I did it 400 The Pa.s.sions of Cbe&m mme was a ause d and being confined.” A can't st es when at him. As hadchappened once I wkeads lboacckked up in tiny spa She loo .before, she was as shocked by what he'd said as by e fact that he'd said it. He opened to her. She dn't know why, any more than she knew why she 71dentified with him. But she did. That was probably [email protected],@,”y she'd come. ”I can't stand being touched, either,” he warned, %o if you're here because Judd won't have you and need someone, forget it. I'm not interested.” She felt a quick anger. ”Come off it, Hunter. I'm not here for that, and you know it. If there was a s.e.xual attraction between us, we'd have done something about it long before this, but there's nothing. On either side.” He didn't argue. She dropped her coat on a chair and continued her study of the room. The furniture was minimal and modern, ironically like much of what she'd left behind in Baltimore, except all in a lightly laquered pine. In the left rear corner was the kitchen, in the right rear a large platform bed. The. rest was an open s.p.a.ce dominated by a long sofa-cus.h.i.+ons set in a straight pine frame-and an elaborate stereo system. Its headphones were dangling off the edge of the sofa, emitting a distant sound, which explained why he hadn't heard her knock at first. The stereo system was state of the art and had an extensive compact disc collection, mostly cla.s.sical, to match. She would have liked to spend a day with ft. Returning her attention to the room, she said, ”You made the furniture yourself, didn't you?” He had his hands tucked under his arms. ”It was something to do.” 401 Barbara Deumhy ”It's beautiful. You're very talented. You could do this for a living and be successful at it.” She bent over to touch one of the cus.h.i.+ons. ”Who made these?”

”A woman.” ”Someone from the Notch?” After a pause he said, ”Actually, she lives about forty miles up the road. I picked her up In a bar, slept with her, then saw her work. She sews better than she screws.” ”Maybe she says the same about you,” Chelsea said, and sat right down on the sofa. She crossed one knee over the other, folded her hands in her lap, and turned a pleasant smile his way, He stared at her, glanced behind him curiously, then faced her again.

”Did we have an appointment?”

”Do we need one? You've seen me throw up.

You've seen me faint. Don't worry. I won't give birth to my baby on your sofa. I just want to talk.”

”About your barn?”

”For starters.”

”What do you mean, for starters? What else is there to talk about?”

”We always seem to find things, you and V ”Yeah, and one of us always ends up p.i.s.sed off.”

”You. That's why I'm here. You can't walk out of your own home.”

”Wanna bet?”

”Come on, Hunter. I'm lonesome. I want to talk.

Please, sit down?” He looked at the headphones dangling over the edge of the sofa. After a minute he crossed to the stereo receiver, turned it off, then went on to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator. ”Want a beer?” 402 1he'raswows Of chaften Anne another four months. Do you have any tea?”

”It's beer or orange juice.” juice, please.” He brought it to her in a tall gla.s.s, then took his ttle of beer by the neck and hunkered down re the fireplace to apply a poker to the logs. ”I n't torch your barn,” be said In a factual voice. ”I think it would have made a great studio.” They had argued about that during the renovan of Boulderbrook, but Chelsea had insisted on Ing one of the bedrooms. She wanted to be able to rk in the middle of the night without going outide. Hunter, on the other hand, had broader otions. Given his earlier comment about being ked in small rooms, she could understand why. ”Who do you think did it?” ”Beats me,” he said as he poked at the logs. ”Could it have started by itself?”

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