Page 23 of Soldier Cowboy
Yes, it hurt, but she didn’t respond.
“Why did you ever let him pick you up at the apartment?” her friend Mallory had asked.
“That’s not fair. It wasn’t like I knew this would happen.”
It wasn’t the first time Jennifer’s friends made her feel as if all ofthiswas her fault. She’d encouraged it somehow. She hadn’t been firm enough in her rejection. From time to time she thought she felt Dan watching her from outside and she wouldn’t allow any of her male friends into the apartment, lest he get the wrong idea and start harassing them next. Eventually, it wasn’t much of a problem as one by one she lost friends. Once, Dan had shown up in the middle of the night banging on her door, threatening suicide if she didn’t let him in. It was a particularly sensitive subject for Jennifer, one he should understand, and it had sent her in a downward spiral. She’d called 911 but he was gone before they arrived.
A new phone accomplished the fact he could no longer text her, but it didn’t stop him from watching from across the street. Mallory had gone with her to the police to file a restraining order, but since then Dan hadn’t technically done anything wrong. If he showed up at the apartment and knocked on her door, he would have violated the order, and she could technically call the police and have him arrested. Jennifer didn’t want to do that. If he lost his job, he’d be even more despondent with far more time to obsess over her. And he’d be angrier because now she’d done something to truly hurt him.
When he could no longer text her, he sent flowers and cards. He watched her from across the street. She’d caught him once, as she tried to swim laps in her condo’s pool. Her favorite way to unwind and she hadn’t been able to indulge in weeks.
“Have you told your family?” Mallory asked. “You need to tell them what’s happening. Maybe they candosomething.”
Once she’d confided in her father, who’d never been thrilled with her choice of occupation, he was the one to suggest/order time away from home to let matters calm down. But how much time would be enough? Should she wait for Dan to give up and move on to some other poor and unsuspecting woman? She felt trapped and resented allowing Dan to win by forcing her to retreat. To rearrange her life. But as her father pointed out, he was winning anyway when he forced her to live in fear.
For now, she’d issued a statement that the podcast was on hiatus.She’dnever mentioned her issues with an obsessed fan, not wanting to make herself the story. Even now, she didn’t see how she could ever talk about this. It was humiliating. She should have known better, but she’d never dreamed of the kind of popularity the podcast had brought her. Now it would be best called notoriety and if she didn’t get back to podcasting soon, she was fairly sure she would be done.
Colton was still resting after she’d unpacked, so she wandered through the house inspecting every nook and cranny. It was her nature to snoop, hence her choice of profession, and surely Delores wouldn’t mind. This was her house, after all, and the lovely woman reminded Jennifer of her own grandmother. She found the kitchen stocked with pots and pans, cookie sheets and pie pans. Silverware in one drawer, a rolling pin and cookie cutters in another.
In one drawer, a matchbook labeled “The Shady Grind” alongside a pad and several pens and pencils. A list labeled “phone tree” was of interest. Beulah had talked about this as a system of disseminating information like people must have done in the olden days. Jennifer would love to know more of this antiquated system.
She made her way over to the paperbacks, sliding her finger across the spines. There were several western novels, some self-help, and plenty of historical romance. All good choices which further validated her high opinion of Delores. Then, Jennifer hit the jackpot. Photo albums and scrapbooks.
Her own mother had scrapbooked for years when Jennifer and her brother were young, so she recognized the stencils, cut-outs, and stickers. Delores had beautifully decorated pages and the center of her subject was clear: the brothers. They were seen in photos from the time they were children.
“First week at home with Marge and Calvin” the page read. There were photos of a younger Riggs, recognizable though thin and scrappy. Still clearly in charge of his younger brothers, one hand draped around each one protectively. Sean and Colton were look-alikes even then, their wild brown hair lightened by the sun, similar expressions of mischief in their eyes.
They were close, clearly, and once more the pebble of regret formed in her throat. She missed the easy relationship she’d had with Joe before he’d entered the service. Even now, even though he had improved, they weren’t as close.
The photos and pages progressed and ended with Colton dressed out in his Army fatigues. Obviously at the start of his career and not the Green Beret he’d become. He looked so much younger, thinner, eager. It was a story she understood far too well. She put the scrapbook down and went for another album, flipping through pages of picnics and proms and days by the lake.
There were photos of Sean and Bonnie Lee, and also Colton with a blonde girl who appeared often in the photos. It was only when she heard the knock at the door that Jennifer realized she’d spent hours immersed in her study of the Hendersons.
She peeked through the curtains and found Delores’s happy smile on the other side.
Jennifer unlocked and opened the door. “Colton is taking a nap. He drove us straight through for about twenty-four hours.”
Delores handed Jennifer a paper bag. “That’s okay. I brought some supplies for y’all.”
“We were going to the store later.”
“Now you won’t have to.” Delores went back to the ATV she had ridden over to fetch more boxes.
Jennifer set the bag on the kitchen counter and began to unpack. Flour, sugar, butter, eggs, milk. Canned soups and chili. Rice.
“This is one of Colt’s favorite.” Delores placed her hand on the can of Tex-Mex chili con carne.
Jennifer helped Delores put the groceries away. “Thank you for this. I’m sure Colton really appreciates it as well.”
“I for one am glad he’s sleeping, and we gals have a chance to chat.”
Gosh, she hoped Delores wouldn’t grill her on details she’d have to remember for Colton later.
“I see you found my albums.” Delores gestured to the couch where Jennifer had been sitting just before she arrived.
“It’s nice looking at him and his brothers grow up through photos. I…really don’t know that much about Colton. We’re still getting to know each other.”
Jennifer loved the way this sentence was also 100 percent true.
