Page 9 of The Breakdown
Natalie waited to see if they were going to share what they were thinking, but when they didn’t, she continued. “He’s been harassing me, stalking me even. Calling me at all hours of the day and night. And he…” She stroked her neck. “Did this. I reported him, but a friend of his lied and provided an alibi for him, so the best I could do was get a restraining order against him. Now he’s having other people follow me and harass me and I just can’t take it anymore. I’m going nuts. So, earlier today when I saw that I was once again being followed, I lost my tail and drove out here, just to get away for a little while. Only, my car decided to implode on me and well, here I am. Thankfully, I’d already packed an emergency bag full of necessities.”
June looked to Vaughn again. They exchanged a long glance. June spoke to Natalie once again. “Sounds like you’ve been through a lot, sugar. I’m so sorry.”
“Me, too,” Vaughn said. “No one deserves that.”
Natalie stifled a cry. “Thanks, but I feel bad. I shouldn’t be burdening you all with this. It’s just that, I feel like I’m losing it. Ever since I started crying in the car, I can’t seem to stop. I’m just totally breaking down.”
“That’s understandable,” Vaughn said. “When you’ve been traumatized like you have.”
“What are you going to do now?” June asked. “Do you have a plan?”
Natalie snorted. “Disappear?”
June squeezed her arm. “I wish you could, sugar. I wish you could.”
There was a brief silence. Then Vaughn pulled June aside and they whispered together off in the corner. Natalie stared at the counter, feeling exposed and vulnerable. She’d just shared some of her deepest troubles with these people and now they were discussing her. She couldn’t help it, but she felt ashamed. She shouldn’t be in this position. But this was how her life had seemed to always go. She’d just always had to deal with the worst of circumstances, including her time with Allen. God, why had she ever bought into his bullshit?
Because he promised me a life beyond all the bullshit I’d been through.
Vaughn and June returned with June placing a hand on her shoulder, as if to reassure her, but it did little to calm her nerves.
“You do believe me, don’t you?” The last thing she wanted was for these two nice people to worry about her lying. “I can show you the copy of the restraining order. I have it.”
Vaughn spoke. “You can show it to us if you’d like. But it’s not necessary. We believe you. We’ve had some experience in this area, unfortunately, with a close family member. We remember what it’s like. The pain, the anguish, the constant looking over your shoulder. And we don’t want you to have to do that. So, we’ve talked it over and we think you should stay with us, in our guesthouse. We’re not using it and it would give you a safe place to hide for a while…”
Natalie spoke up, her need to reassure them now instant and overwhelming. “I could pay rent. I mean, not much, but I’d give you what I could, and I’d be glad to help out around the ranch. I know I don’t know much, but I’m a fast learner.”
Vaughn smiled.
June chuckled. “Well, Vaughn’s a heck of a teacher and we could use an extra hand. And you deserve to feel safe in the place where you lay your head. Everyone does.”
Natalie held back more tears, ones of gratitude. She felt hopeful for the first time in ages. “I really appreciate this,” she said. “You have no idea.”
“Do you need to get anything else from your place?” Vaughn asked.
“No. And even if I did, I wouldn’t go back. I wouldn’t risk it. Besides, I don’t need much.”
“She can get whatever else she may need here,” June said. “Or we can pick it up for her.”
“That work for you?” Vaughn asked.
Vaughn and June were going out on a limb for her. They didn’t even know her, yet they were willing to help. Her luck was finally changing. “If it works for you.”
June patted her shoulder. “It’s a deal.” She headed for the front door. “I’ll let you and Vaughn work out the rest while I go hunt down Hazel.”
“I can do that, Gram,” Vaughn said, making a move for the door.
“No, no. You stay and work things out with Natalie. I’ll be just fine.” She shrugged into a light raincoat and tamed her unruly hair beneath a black cowboy hat. Then, with one last smile and a wink toward Vaughn, she was out the door and back into the stormy night.
“She’s very nice,” Natalie said. “You both are.”
“Like she said,” Vaughn said. “We’re just being hospitable.”
Natalie laughed. “You mean you’re always this nice to strange women you pick up off the side of the road?”
“Mm, you seem to be the exception.”
“Guess I’m just lucky.”