A Fresh Start (18 page)

Paige sighed and got out of the car, closing the door behind her. “Jane, listen. You look amazing, you can do so much better than him. You can have someone who will treat you like the queen of his world.”

Jane swallowed as her eyes reddened.

“I know; I know it’s hard to hear, but he’s a jerk. You deserve better.” Paige leaned over and gave her a hug. “I understand if you hate me for this, but I think you needed to hear those words.” Paige took a step back and gave Jane a small smile.

“Thank you.” Jane brushed her tears away.
 

“Find a new job away from here,” Paige said. “You have a degree in anthropology, you can be more than a librarian. Go out there, meet someone new.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“You won’t know until you try. Give it shot, you deserve that much. What’s the worst that can happen?” she asked. “The most is you will continue to be your librarian.”

Jane laughed dryly.

“Think about it.”

“Okay.”

Paige gave her another quick hug. “All right, see you soon.” She got back into the car as Jane trotted into her house.

“Everything all right?”

“Yeah, I think it will be.”

“You sound confident.”

She nodded. “Do you believe in coincidence?”

God always had a plan; a plan for good; a plan much bigger and greater than what she could ever conceive.

So many things had converged in this little town over the past few months.

God had moved things such that Justin was back here at the same time she was. If Amy hadn’t had to go to the hospital, Justin and her would never have met. Their lives would’ve passed by each other like any other stranger in the world.

She got her fresh start, not just away from her stalker, but to learn how to live a real abundant life.

And maybe it wasn’t just about her. Maybe part of God’s plan for her to be here was to help Jane.
 

“I’m not sure.”

She turned her face to the side and said, “I think our paths could’ve easily passed each other without crossing, but God made sure we met.”

“So you’re glad we met?”

“Why make it sound like a question when you already know the answer?” She grinned mischievously. “Yes, I am glad we met.”

“Good,” he said. “I’m glad we met, too.”

“Thanks for coming along today.”

“Where do you think I can find a flag pole around here?”

She laughed again, shaking her head. “Let’s give her a chance. I think she had a pretty bad day herself.”

Justin and Paige took the next two days off. They spent two days doing nothing but talking and watching movies. Since she hadn’t gotten her TV, the two days were mainly spent at Justin’s place until it was dinner time with the Seymours.

Jane had called Paige, asking if she could accompany her on a shopping trip for some working clothes.

Paige wasn’t sure if it was the makeover, the confrontation, or her talk that had impacted Jane. Whatever it was, she was glad that Jane was going to try something new.

The first step was of course to get herself looking more professional.

Paige was glad to help.

And so, after two days of doing nothing, she spent Wednesday shopping with Jane, getting their nails done, and even getting a massage.

Pine Bluffs ended up being better than she could imagine. A slower pace. A dashing new boyfriend.

“How are things going with Justin?” Jane asked as they strolled into a cafe.

“Good. Very good.” She chuckled at her own answer. “And you? How are things between you and Keith.”

“We met on Monday. He said he like my new look.”

Paige nodded though she wanted to roll her eyes. She’d always thought deeds were more important than words. If he had truly thought so, he should’ve stood up for Jane on Sunday.

They settled into their seats, placing their bags down.
 

“We met at Lion’s park; the same place we always meet. Nine-thirty at night.”

Paige sensed something significant about the time, but she didn’t know what it was.

“I had dinner on my own and walked around to kill time. That was when I saw him having dinner with Gloria. I stood outside like an idiot, watching them chat and laugh.”

“Is he seeing Gloria?”

“I don’t know.” Jane pushed her fringe aside.

“You didn’t ask?”

Jane closed her eyes and sighed. “What right do I have to ask?”

Paige drew in a deep breath and pursed her lips. It was so tough to hold her tongue. Just then, her phone buzzed. She took a glance of it and saw Justin’s name across the screen, but she turned back to Jane without picking up the call.

“It’s all right, answer that. I’ll get us some coffee. What do you want?” Jane stood from her seat.
 

“Mocha latte. Thanks.” She picked up the call as Jane plodded over to the counter. “Hey.”

“What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.” She laughed, incredulous at how sensitive he was to even her voice. “Do you need something?”

“I need to hear your voice.”

She laughed softly. “Seriously.”

“I seriously needed to hear your voice.”

“Stop it,” she said, even as her grin continued growing wider.

“I’m calling to ask if you want to spray paint the deck on your own or do you want me to do it?”

“You’re done? That’s fast.”

“So? You seemed to enjoy spray painting.”

“Yeah, let’s do that together. Maybe later?”

“Okay, am I allowed to ask what time you’re coming back?”

“I’ll be back in a couple of hours. I’ll text you when I’m leaving the mall?”

“All right.”

She dropped her phone into her bag and helped Jane with the coffee. “Thanks.”

“Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, he was just checking something with me.”

Jane nodded with a wistful smile.

“Jane,” Paige said, staring right at her. “If Keith even cares that little bit for you, he won’t be treating you this way. There’s nothing wrong with you, except for the fact that you’re allowing him to treat you so horribly.”

“He is different when he’s with me.”

“That isn’t enough. And I don’t believe you think that it’s enough. If you didn’t want more, you won’t be looking so sad. Forget him, find someone else. Find someone who’ll call you up for no apparent reason, who’ll put you as priority instead of having to meet you secretly in a park.”

Jane cupped her hands over her neck and stared down at the coffee.

“I’m sorry,” Paige muttered, feeling guilty for upsetting Jane. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No,” Jane interjected. “You’re right. Each time he calls me up to meet, I’ll get so happy. I don’t really care where we meet, I’m just glad he called. But when I get home, I can’t help loathing myself.”

“Then why do you still meet him?”

“When we’re together, he makes me feel special. He’d say things like I’m the only one who truly understands him.”

Keith was more of a jerk than Paige had thought him to be. “Do you believe that?”

“I used to.”

Paige nodded slowly. “Okay. I’m not trying to force you to make a decision, but how about this? Stop picking up his calls and stop meeting him for a while. See how you feel about it. Besides, absence makes the heart grows fonder, right? Maybe your sudden absence will finally make him realize that he wants to be with you.”
Or that you don’t need him.

Jane’s head bobbed up and down as she considered what Paige was saying. “That sounds like a good plan.”

Paige smiled, praying that Jane would stop subjecting herself to be tortured emotionally by Keith.

She wished Jane had a brother like Andrew.

If anyone ever treated her this way, Andrew would definitely make sure the guy learned what an idiot he was.
 

After all those times when she had been frustrated with Andrew for being overprotective, she now truly realized how blessed she was.

His overprotectiveness allowed her to be who she was without getting pushed or forced into feeling inferior about herself.

As they left the cafe, Paige was determined to pay it forward. She would do whatever she could to help Jane.
 

“Ne voglio. Voglio comprarne.” She checked her answers against the PDF on her phone and grinned when she got it right.

Giving another push on the chair, she lifted her feet off the ground and enjoyed the sway of the new swinging chair that Justin had installed for her. Setting her phone aside, she picked up the card she’d found on the chair.

Hope you like my housewarming gift. From, Justin.

She wasn’t sure when he’d fixed up the chair. They only completed the spray painting around 11 at night. She had washed up and gone to bed after Justin left for home.

The chair was there when she opened the door, along with the small card on the cushion.

She tipped her head against the silver metal chain and looked out at the sky while her chair swung back and forth.

She stared idly up at the clouds, watching them drift as a wave of cool breeze swept by. Seemed like summer was finally moving on and making way for autumn to arrive.
 

Her head turned toward the corner of the street when she heard the engine. Even before the car steered into the street, something inside raised a red flag.

She dropped her feet to the floor and stopped the chair from swinging while her fingers tightened against the metal chain.

Once the car turned in, her stomach twisted into knots.

It wasn’t Justin’s truck.

The black sedan drove past the Seymours and toward her house, parking right beside the stone pavement.
 

She grabbed her phone and got to her feet, intending to go back into the house and lock the door. But as she stood, she peered into the car’s windshield and her jaw dropped.

The driver side door opened and Cole stepped out from the car, glancing around. “You’re really here.”

“What…” Paige couldn’t move her legs.
How did he find me?

Cole ran up the stony steps and onto deck, taking her hand. “Do you know how worried I’ve been? You shouldn’t have left so suddenly; I’m sure there wasn’t a need for that. Come back with me.”

She pursed her lips and slipped her hand out of Cole’s as gently as she could. She couldn’t have been clearer in her letter.

Clearing her throat, she swallowed and said, “I’m sorry, Cole. I’m not going back with you. I’m sorry it took me two years to realize it, but…but,” she stuttered. “But I don’t love you and I’m not going back with you.”

“Don’t be silly. You’re just upset over our fight.” He reached out and took her hand again. “Everything is fine. Come back with me and you’ll see that.”

“It’s nothing to do with our fight. I’m happy where I am and I’ve no intention of going back.”

“Paige, you’re being stupid. This whole stalker thing is blowing out of proportions. No one broke into your house. What’s the point of going into your house? It serves no purpose.”

Paige drew in a deep breath and pulled her hand from Cole’s, this time more forcefully. She hated it when Cole talked down to her. She knew it happened, and she didn’t need his agreement for her to know it was true. “Cole, I don’t want to talk about that anymore, not with you. I’m sorry you made a wasted trip, but I’m not going back with you.”

“You heard the lady.”

Paige looked over Cole’s shoulder and saw Justin standing in front of her porch.
 

Cole ignored Justin and continued. “Don’t be stupid. You got frightened by something you thought happened. It was nothing. Your imagination got the better of you.”

She raised her hands, palm out, and took a step back. “Doesn’t matter if you believe me. Even if I do go home, I won’t go back to you.” She quickly moved around Cole and took Justin’s outstretched hand.

But Cole grabbed her by the arm and jerked her back, forcing her to come to a stop with a gasped.

“Do you know how worried I was?” Cole bellowed.

Justin stepped between them and ripped Cole’s hand from her. “There’s no need to get rough.”

She’d never seen Cole this angry. She stayed behind Justin, watching Cole.

“It’s time for you to go,” Justin said, dragging Cole down the porch while making sure he kept Paige behind him.

And when she heard that, something in her mind clicked; she finally remembered the vital question she hadn’t asked. “How did you find me?”

Cole shrugged off Justin’s hand after much struggle and turned back to Paige. “Who is he?”

“How did you find me?” she asked again. She hadn’t told anyone where she was. Not even her own mother had her new address. She hadn’t brought any of her old credit cards along. Andrew had opened another account for her, and she’d paid everything with cash.
 

She did everything Andrew told her to, so how did Cole find her?

If Cole could find her, that meant her stalker could as well.

Justin must’ve seen her distress. He took a step forward and grabbed Cole’s arm like how Cole had done with her. “She asked you a question.”

“You’re making all these stupid decisions simply because your imagination got carried away. Look at yourself! Living in this pathetic town, teaching in a high school, getting together with small town losers.” Cole’s arms waved about as he tried to pry Justin’s hand from his arm. Then he gave up and jabbed his finger toward her. “I was there for you whenever you needed me. Then you just up and left without telling me?”

Paige wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying. She saw his crazy attempt to get out of Justin’s grasp, but all she could think of were the letters, the roses, the photographs, and the phone calls.
 

She took in a deep breath and lowered her voice. “How did you find me?”

“Are you seeing this guy?”

“Answer my question,” she seethed.

“Mrs. Garner,” Justin suddenly said. “He said you were teaching in a high school. You haven’t even started work.” He shoved Cole aside and went over to her, pulling her into his arms.
 

She closed her eyes and clutched onto Justin’s T-shirt.