Page 61 of Rumors in Bayberry
“We’re here,” Sadie said.
“It’s a cute place.”
She nodded.“From what I understand, it was Wes’s childhood home.”
“Is everyone from Bayberry?”he asked in a teasing tone.
“Only the really cool people.”
“Hey.”He frowned at her.“Are you saying I’m not cool?”
She smiled and shrugged.The banter felt good after what they’d been through in the past not quite twenty-four hours.“Come on.I messaged Kate from the restaurant, and she said that she was working from home this afternoon.”
They made their way up the sidewalk that led to the wraparound porch and the sweeping front steps leading up to the double-door entrance.Before Sadie could knock, the door swung open.
Kate rushed out and gave Sadie a hug.When she pulled back, she said, “I’m so sorry about the fire.”
“Thanks.How’s Binx?”
“He hasn’t come out from under the bed in the guest room.Poor guy.He seems rattled.”
“Can I go see him?”
“Sure.He’s still your cat.And I think he really wants to see you.”
“Thanks.”Sadie stepped inside the house and then turned back.
“Don’t worry,” Kate said.“I’ll show Reed around.”
Sadie nodded and then headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time.She knew her way to the guest room because she’d helped Kate paint it a pale blue and then they'd hung new white curtains.
She rushed into the room and stopped next to the bed.“Binx.Binx, come here.”
“Mrrr…” Binx crawled out from under the bed.
“Binx.”Her tone rose with excitement.
After giving him a quick onceover and noticing not a single hair on his body had been injured, thanks to Reed, she scooped him up into her arms.Binx let out a loud purr as he rubbed his head against her chin.
“Thank goodness you’re safe, little guy.”She hugged him.“How am I supposed to leave you now?”
As she ran a hand over his silky soft fur, the events of the past twenty-four hours caught up with her.There was nothing she could do about the newspaper burning down.And she couldn’t do anything about her apartment, which was now nothing more than ash.Reed didn’t need her to do anything for him.Thankfully, he was on the mend.
But there was something she could do about her job.It felt like it was all she had left.She could feel her position slipping out of her hands.Sadie couldn’t sit still and let that happen.
She sat Binx on the bed and then sat down next to him.He climbed onto her lap and laid down.Boy, he was getting to be a big boy.
She pulled her phone out of her purse.Her fingers moved rapidly over the screen.It took a little while, but she finally had a flight reservation for the next day that would get her to New York.She intended to talk to her editor in person.She would show her she was serious about continuing her career.
And now that she was leaving, Sadie felt like there was a lot left unsaid between her and Reed.She wasn’t sure how to say what she was feeling.Her best form of communication had always been through her writing.That’s it…
She reached into her bag and pulled out the mini notebook and pen that she always carried with her.Technology was great, but batteries died.With pen and paper, she could always jot down notes for a new story.
This time, she wasn’t writing a story.This time, she was writing a goodbye letter.She was better writing down her thoughts than she was uttering them.When she wanted to say something deeply personal and emotional, the connection between her brain and her mouth sometimes had a disconnect.
She opened the notebook.The first page was blank.And so, she began to write.To her surprise, the words came easily to her.The pen moved effortlessly over the page…
Thunk!
