Page 54 of Harmony Island Gazette
If only Kevin would get here so I could actually say those words out loud.
Willow delivered my chicken strips and French fries, and I was halfway through the plate when the chair next to me was suddenly pulled out. I startled, expecting to see Kevin standing there, but instead I was met with the man who had pulled out of my parents’ driveway yesterday morning.
I stared at him, confused why he was in the process of sitting next to me. "Excuse me. I am waiting for someone."
The man didn't look phased as he stared at me. "I know. Mr. Proctor sent me. Name’s Collin Baker.”
Confusion swirled in my mind. Did he just say Mr. Proctor? "I think you have the wrong person,” I said.
He shook his head. "No, I don't. You’re Juniper Proctor, and your husband, Kevin, sent me."
I stared at him. “H-how do you know my husband?”
The man extended his hand as if he expected me to take it. "I work for his father, Mr. Marcus Proctor."
When it became apparent that I wasn't going to shake his hand, he dropped it into his lap and leaned against the chair. I could tell that this was not his normal day-to-day job. He was doing this as a favor for the family.
"Why were you in my driveway yesterday morning?" I asked. My brain was scrambling to put together the pieces, and I was coming up short every time. What was I missing?
"I was on official business yesterday morning. It's nothing I can discuss with you." He folded his arms across his chest.
"Well, why are you here instead of Kevin?" I asked. In all honesty, I just wanted him to leave. The food I just consumed now sat like a rock in my stomach. And the last thing I wanted was to lose my lunch just moments after eating it. But if he lingered, that was going to become a very real reality.
"Kevin asked me to come to tell you he's not able to make it today. He said you weren’t answering his texts. He didn't want to leave you here alone, so he asked me if I could run by and tell you."
“Oh.” That was all I could say. I came to the diner with such hope for closure and the ability to move on. But it seemed like I wasn't going to get any of those things. My future was once again stagnant. And I hated it. “Well, thanks for coming to tell me."
He nodded, looking as if he had done his job, as he stood and pushed his chair back under the table. He said a quick goodbye and headed back towards the front door, not pausing to wait for me to return the sentiment.
I wasn't sure how long I sat there trying to process what had just happened, but when Willow came over and asked me if I was finished with my plate, I realized I had sat here for quite a while. If I didn't get back to the store, Boone was going to send a search party for me.
And that's when reality hit me, and it hit me hard. If this man worked for Marcus Proctor, and he was talking to Boon yesterday in the wee hours of the morning. Did that mean…
I wanted to throw up, cry, and scream all at the same time. My brain had put together the pieces of the puzzle, and yet I was unwilling to stare at the final product. The final product that had my heart ripping to pieces.
Boone worked for the Proctors.
The man who I’d stupidly thought, in some sort of mystical, kismet way, was sent to my family to protect me, was not fate finally showering me with good fortune. No, he was just another proof of the manipulation of the Proctor family. He was the doorway back into my life that Kevin needed. And I was the stupid prey who’d let him in.
Tears brimmed my eyes. I felt stupid and ridiculous and naïve all at the same time. I’d let myself get close to this man. I’d let him into my home. I’d told him my secrets.
Oh God.
The baby.
Had he told Kevin about the baby? What about the Proctors? I doubted that Marcus or Candice were going to let me raise this child all on my own. If they knew that I was pregnant, they would be speaking to a lawyer. The baby would to be taken from me the moment it was born.
Fear crashed into me. Willow approached the table, but I wasn't in the mood to speak so I grabbed a twenty out of my wallet and slammed it down on the table. Before she could ask me if I wanted the change, I pushed out my chair and hurried to the front door. Thankfully, she didn't follow after me.
It wasn't until I was out on the sidewalk that hot tears started flowing down my cheeks. Luckily, I knew the way back to the grocery store like the back of my hand, so I didn't really need to see where I was going. I tried to muffle the sobs that wanted to escape. I didn't want to cry over Boone. I wanted to be stronger than this. But I was heartbroken.
By the time I got to the store, and was standing outside, staring up at the sign, I realized walking back into this place was the last thing I wanted to do. I didn't want to face Boone. I didn't want to face the reality of what the future was going to hold. I'd been so optimistic about things when I woke up this morning, and now it had crumbled before me faster than I could blink.
I wanted to go home.
I fished my keys from my purse and walked to the back of the store where I’d parked my car. I opened the door and climbed inside. I found a napkin in the center console and wiped my tears. I started the engine and pulled out of my parking spot.
A sense of relief washed over me as I drove up my parents’ driveway and turned off the engine. I couldn't wait to get into my room, where I would shut the door—shut out reality. There I could think about what I was going to do. How I was going to handle all of this.
