Page 31 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
And why should they have to carry her? Shewas a grown woman, able to work. Maybe she didn’t have anymarketable skills other than cooking or cleaning, but there had tobe something in town she could do.I don’t know how todrive.How would she get to town even if she could find ajob?
Suddenly aware of the clammy sweat coatingher palms, she scrubbed them against the pants she wore. Even thesepants were a symbol of the charity that had been granted her. Jeansawaited in a drawer, donated by Vanna, who had insisted Marianneeded more than the thin cotton pants she had always sewn forherself.
Stumbling to the bed, she turned andtoppled, holding herself upright on the edge with effort.
From their brief discussions back in thehotel, Marian knew Myrt had invested months of planning in herescape, slowly saving up enough of a sum to get her by. Therelationship with Bane meant Myrt had a partner now, someone tohelp carry that burden. Something he seemed all-in on, his love andaffection for Myrt making it clear he’d go to the ends of the earthto keep her.
I’ve always been a planner.
It was why the church ladies always askedher to lead their dinners and projects. As long as Marian could getit down on paper, she could make nearly anything happen. For thefirst time in her own life, everything depended on Marian finding away forwards, even when starting with nothing.
Myrt’s pregnancy would mean she’d need helparound the house, but that was easily something Vanna or Sharoncould do.Of course, Sharon has her own kids, and Vanna’solder.Marian could selectively take on the harder jobs,leaving them to mother Myrt as needed. She’d seen the remains of alargish garden behind Vanna’s house. Dirt work was something Marianwas well accustomed to, so contributing to that effort would besomething in the positive column.
Bane’s comment about needing all the helpthey could get to help prepare the building downtown for theintended purposes danced along the edges of her mind. She didn’tknow what a clubhouse was used for, but if it was a mess inside,then there’d be walls and floors to scrub, windows too. All of thatwas within Marian’s meager skill set. She supposed she could paint.Lifting her head, she glanced around the spare bedroom. It wouldtake time to get things done at the clubhouse. Maybe she could testher hand out here first, gain confidence in picking out colors orwhatever was needed for that kind of thing.
Her childhood home had been styled by adozen hands, her father along with his many dead wives, theirefforts piling on until the walls should have groaned at theweight. The only room that had been bare was hers. Tiny, tuckedbehind the pantry near the back of the house, it had originallybeen a mudroom.
There was a room in this house that wassimilar.
Marian froze in place.
Bane had put his friend on the couch lastnight because Marian was taking up the main guest bedroom.
I could make out it was my choice. Say thatthis room’s too big, too bright.
The mudroom would suit her fine. Couple ofwooden boards and she could make a bedstead. Thad’s bunk bed had anextra mattress on top of it, something that had caused laughterabout looking like the princess bed and claiming he needed to watchout for peas.
Mattress on the floor would be fine tostart.
The more she made herself small, the lesslikely it was people would notice her. The more she helped, themore they’d appreciate what she could offer. If it never earned hera dollar, it was still worthy, and working for bed and boardsomething she was well acquainted with.
The trick would be to do all of that withoutsomeone realizing how desperate she was to stay. To be around somany people without letting them see the panic inside her. The feardriving her forwards.
I just have to hide in plain sight.
Should be easy.
***
Einstein
“What’d you say to her?” Bane’s question hadan edge, and Einstein looked away from the stairs where he’d beenwatching Marian make her way up them.
“Me? I didn’t say anything. Woke up and shewas starting breakfast. I startled her at first, but explained whoI was.” He sipped his coffee. “Set the table while she cooked,helped where I could, but she seemed to have her routine down. Shewas fine.”
“She was quiet.” Bane looked down at hisplate. “After that bullshit with Horse, the last thing I need isGunny on my ass about Marian again. I’ll get Myrt to check in withher today, make sure she’s settling in okay.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He realized he waslooking at the stairs again and tore his gaze away.
“You serious about hanging around to helpout downtown?” Bane shoveled the last forkful of eggs into hismouth, staring at Einstein.
“Hell yeah. I got nothin’ goin’ on back inBirmingham. Retro and I had the conversation I needed yesterday, soI can hang around for a few days. I’ve worked construction before,if that’s any help.”
“Big-time help.” Leaning back in his chair,Bane grabbed the coffee carafe again and topped up his cup, thenEinstein’s. “Appreciate the fuck out of it—” Mouth twisting, Baneshook his head. “Okay, that sucks. I don’t do sensitive very wellor bother with assumptions. I was about to call you brother, butthen stuttered my way out of it because with everything I’ve heard,I don’t know if you’d take it from me.”
Einstein laughed, straight from his gut,because the expression on Bane’s face said this not knowing hurthim somehow, and the idea was ridiculous. “That’s okay, man. I’dtake it. Stories I heard from Blackie—who my president trusts withhis life—is more than enough to set you on a different stage fromwhat might have been.” He pointedly glanced at the ceiling, thenback to Bane, one eyebrow up. A quick headshake in response toldhim everything he needed to know. Myrt must not be aware of Bane’sfamily, not the gritty details at least. “No worries, brother.Ain’t no big. You be you, and I’ll do me. I suspect we’ll get onwell enough that way.”
Footsteps sounded overhead, a loud clompingthat couldn’t be Marian. Einstein turned to the stairs in time tosee two boys making their way down. One was early teens, the otherslightly younger, and both wore cautious expressions.Thebrothers.He had seen them at a distance yesterday, trailingaround with the donkey in tow a couple of times. As they approachedthe kitchen, from up close he saw a resemblance with Myrt, but notso much Marian.Wonder why?
