Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Aggie

I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep because I was so excited, but I dozed right off in record time and slept like a rock. The first thing I do when I wake up is look at the clock, and it’s a little after eight, so I get up, make some coffee, eat a piece of toast, and climb into the shower.

An hour and a half later, I’m on my way to the farm. It’s not far from my place and definitely close enough that if I forgot something, I could run home pretty easily and pick it up. On the way there, I pass a little house that belonged to GracieJenkins, if I recall correctly. She’s been dead a few years, but the house looks great, and I heard somebody at the farm owns it. I haven’t been down this road a lot of times, but I remember the old folks who lived out past the farm, Jesse and WillodeanPettit. They were black folks too, and we knew them from church. Mr.Jesse used to always carry JuicyFruit chewing gum, and he’d give all the kids a stick of gum after the service. Nice old fella. She was always really, really quiet and never looked people in the eye. I always figured she’d been beaten a lot, but not by Mr.Jesse. Every time he’d say her name, she’d smile like she’d just been crowned queen of the ball.

When I turn into the drive at the farm, it takes a second for the buildings to come into view, but when they do, I see somebody walking across the lawn. It’s a blond lady, and I remember her from school―AudreyLanders. But she works here now and she’s married to one of the guys. Hollywood, I think. I pull up beside her as she walks along the drive and put down my window. “Hey, Audrey!”

“Hey, Aggie! Good to see you! You here to see Priest?”

“Yeah. Seen him around?”

“He’s out back working on that boat of Reboot’s. That thing is a time suck, but it’s actually starting to look better now. I think they might just about have it back in working order. Do you know which cottage is his?”

“No.”

“I’ll take you over there. Mind if I ride along?”

“Of course not! Hop in!” I wait while she rounds the car, then let her climb in and point me up the drive. “That cottage right there―the one with the orange door.”

“Wow. That’s really… orange.”

“Yeah. It was paint somebody had mixed at the store and then didn’t like, so they gave it to him free. If he doesn’t like it, he’s doing a great job of pretending that he does! Just park anywhere. If the door’s locked, I’ll take you around to where they are.” We both get out and, sure enough, the door’s locked. “Come on. They’re just out here.”

We round the back of the equipment shed to find half a dozen guys working like bees. “Hey, Priest!” Audrey calls out. He’s bent over behind the boat and when he straightens, he glances from her to me and smiles. “Somebody’s here to see you!”

“Hey, baby girl!” he crows and heads straight for me. A couple of the guys glance over at us and grin. “You made it!”

“Did you think I wouldn’t?” I ask, a smile stretching my lips.

He laughs at that. “I thought you might wake up this morning and come to your senses!”

“Nah. I figured I’d give you a second chance,” I say, and I can feel my cheeks heat up when he drops a little kiss on one of them.

“That’s good! Here.” After fishing around in his pocket, he produces a ring with a couple of keys. “This one’s for the cottage. Just put your stuff wherever.”

“Thanks. Want me to come back out here?”

“You can, but it’s boring. But it’s almost lunchtime, so if you want to go over to the kitchen, most of the women will be over there.”

“Okay. I’ll see you in a bit.” It’s my chance, so I lean over and give him a peck on the cheek. He flashes me a huge smile when I pull back. “Bye.”

“Bye, babe.”

Audrey and I start the walk back toward the cottage, but when I turn to look back, he’s watching me go, grinning, so I give him a little wave and keep walking.

“Looks like you guys hit it off,” Audrey says quietly.

“Yeah. We’re tryin’ it on for size,” I answer, my tone hushed.

“Priest is a good guy. I think you’ll get along fine. Take your time. I’m sure I’ll see you in the kitchen,” she says as we stop in front of Priest’s cottage.

“Yep. See you in a few minutes.” I don’t have much in the way of bags, so I grab them both and head up the steps on the porch. The key slips in and in seconds, I’m inside.

All that talk about personal responsibility? He obviously takes that seriously. This is the neatest man’s residence I think I’ve ever seen. Everything is put away, the bed is made, no dirty clothes anywhere, and even though it’s obvious he’s used the bath towel, it’s hung neatly on the towel bar. Everything is picture perfect. One look in the closet reveals a space almost three feet wide that’s empty, complete with waiting hangers, so I hang up my clothes and put my shoes on the closet floor. A quick check of the dresser reveals three empty drawers, so I put my underclothes and socks in there, then find an empty shelf in the bathroom and put all of my toiletries there. There are also two empty drawers in the vanity, so I put a few things in one of those. He made sure there was room for my things, and he can’t possibly know how good that makes me feel.

Instead of heading on out, I sit down on the sofa. There are magazines on the coffee table, so I pick them up. One of them is Modern Psychology . Another is Science for Today’s World ―it’s one of my personal favorites in magazines because they explain very complex topics in ways that anybody can understand. The third one is Kentucky Now . It’s a literary magazine published right here in the state, and I had a piece published in it several years back. To say I’m shocked to see it there would be an understatement. This man is just full of surprises.

At a quarter to noon, I decide to head on over to the kitchen to see who’s there. As soon as I step inside, I see Tinsley, sitting at the table, snapping green beans. “Hey, girl!” she sings out.

“Do y’all need help?” I ask Penny and Izzy.

Penny shakes her head. “Not really. We’ve got it under control. The pies are in the oven, and Mavis will be back in a few minutes to take them out. Grab a seat and sit and talk to us.”

“You can help me with these beans,” Tinsley announces. “We’re feeding a fuckin’ army here, and I been breakin’ these damn things all mornin’.”

“Sure!” When I sit down across from her, she pulls a big mess of beans out of the bowl with her hands and plops them down on the table. I guess that means I’ll be dropping the trimmings on the table, but that’ll still be easy enough to clean up.

“So what have you been up to?” Penny asks.

“Nothin’. Just work and talking to Darius. That’s about it.”

“So y’all had your date last night?” Tinsley asks with a grin.

“Yeah. We did.”

“Sorry I was laid up when you got to the salon. Gotta say, Marguerite did a great job on your hair. Looks amazin’.”

“Thanks!”

“Have fun on your date?” Izzy asks.

“Yeah. It was nice. Quiet. We just talked. Trying to get to know each other, ya know.”

“That gets hard when all them urges start,” Tinsley throws in, and I know what she’s fishing for. “I get it.”

“Yeah. Couldn’t accuse y’all of that. All they did was fight,” Izzy says with a laugh.

“Yep. Couldn’t stand each other. You know what they say, that fine line ’tween love and hate? I know ’zackly where that is,” Tinsley answers with a laugh. She points at Izzy. “Y’all wudn’t much better.”

“Nah. We weren’t. Best relationship I didn’t really have, at least at first.” I don’t dare ask right now, but there’s a story there. Maybe I can ask Izzy about it sometime. “Not like you two,” Izzy says and points at Penny.

“Nope. We pretty much knew from the first time we saw each other. I think Hollywood felt the same way about Audrey,” Penny says.

Oh, yeah. My question. “Hey, do one of you own that house up the road? Mrs.Jenkins’ house? I thought I remembered―”

“Yeah, that’s me,” Penny offers. “She was my grandmother. Nobody else in the family cared about it, and I was trying to get away from my crazy ex-husband, so I took it. Bastard found me here anyway, but I don’t regret coming here, especially after meeting Patch. I use it for work now. Mavis has an office in the house too. It’s a quiet place where we can work without the guys running in and out, interrupting us.”

“I can see how that could be. And Mavis?” One of Penny’s eyebrows rises with my question. “I mean, she has an office there?”

“Oh! Yeah. She’s the webmistress for the farm. Putting together a nice website for the guys to introduce themselves and show off the things they’ve made or are making. It’ll eventually be capable of taking orders and things like that,” Penny explains.

“That’s nice.”

“Speak of the devil…” Tinsley says as Mavis steps into the kitchen.

“Y’all talkin’ ’bout me?” the little brunette asks, grinning.

“Yep. Sure were. Talking about how cute ya are,” Tinsley says with a laugh.

“You know what they say. When you’re talking about me, you’re letting somebody else rest. Hey, Aggie!”

“Hi!”

“I see Tinsley’s put you to work,” Mavis says with a grin.

“You think I’m gonna do all these by myself iffen I ain’t gotta? Hell naw,” Tinsley says, laughing.

“You come to get the pies out?” Penny asks.

“Yep. I think they should be done.” I watch as Mavis grabs pot holders and heads to the oven.

It’s easy. The banter. All of these women seem really comfortable together. I don’t know how Audrey interacts with them, but I have to believe she blends right in. Seems like there’s somebody missing…

“Hey, you talked to Natalie?” Penny asks Mavis.

“Not this morning, but she’ll be out later. She’s at her house, sorting through things.”

“Is she moving out here?” I ask.

“She will eventually. Paddy’s still in EMT classes, so they’re staying at her house several nights a week. I think when he finishes with those, she’ll probably move out here. She’s just going through everything, getting rid of things she knows she won’t want to bring with her, things like that. Getting ready,” Mavis explains.

“Makes sense. She’s a federal judge, right?”

“Yep. Eastern District of Kentucky,” Penny says. “Matter of fact, I need to talk to Patch about going to see Sela.” There’s a name I don’t recognize. “I think she’s in a rehab facility now. I almost hate to go because I’m afraid we’ll run into Bear, and I don’t want to embarrass him or discourage him in any way.”

“Yeah. There’s one I didn’t see coming,” Izzy says.

“None of us did,” Mavis adds. I have no idea what they’re talking about.

“I mean, who’d-a thunk it?” Tinsley says. I glance over at her, and she whispers loudly, “Bear and Sela. It’s complicated.”

“I see.”

“No. You don’t. None-a us do. We’re just kinda waitin’ and keepin’ our mouths shut,” Tinsley says quietly. I have no clue what that means, and I decide that I’ll ask Darius about it later.

“Sounds like a plan.” I just go on breaking beans and minding my own business.

The door opens and an older woman steps inside. “Hi, girls!”

There’s a chorus of “Hi, Sarah!” and Mavis says, “Hi, AuntSarah!” so I figure they must be related.

“You guys have a good trip?” Penny asks.

“Boy, did we ever! That’s a great place. No wonder you liked it there, Izzy,” the woman named Sarah says.

“Did you see Dean?”

“We did! He’s doing great. Got a girlfriend,” Sarah says and winks. Then she pivots and takes a look my direction. “Well, hi there! Don’t think we’ve met.”

“No, ma’am. I’m Aggie. I’m a friend of Darius’.” There’s confusion on her face until I say, “Priest.”

“Oh! You know, I’m not sure I knew his real name! I’m Sarah, Mavis’ aunt. We’ve been to a school in Knoxville. Central States Training. Lenny’s learned to do basic maintenance on the bird so they don’t have to hire everything done.”

“That’s wonderful.” I have no idea who Lenny is. Do they live here too? I don’t know what’s going on.

“Just wanted y’all to know that we’re back. We’re staying here for the weekend instead of going to his house. Think I’m gonna go unpack and we’ll be back in a little bit.” As she turns to leave, she spins back to face me. “Nice to meet you, Aggie. Hope we get to know each other.”

“Me too,” I answer, and I watch as she makes her way to the door and then disappears into the sunshine.

Twenty minutes later, the guys start coming in. I guess they’re hungry. They’re still pretty grubby from working on that boat, but their hands are clean, and so are their faces. I watch them all collect their lunch and head to a table they probably think is downwind from the rest of us. Darius is the last one in the door, and he heads straight to me. “I know I look like I just came in from a refugee camp, but do you mind if I sit with you?”

“Of course not! You guys get a lot done?”

“A good bit. It’s coming together. Most of the body work is done, and the electrical is done too. Paddy’s got the motor running, and he’s putting everything back together. Bear and Bulldog have the trailer in good shape, and I’ve been out there carpeting the skids on it so the boat doesn’t get scratched up when it’s winched up onto it. All in all, we’re moving right along. You have a good time in here?”

“Yeah. Everybody’s been really friendly. Oh, and I met Sarah.”

“She’s a sweet lady. So they’re back?”

“Yeah, apparently.”

“Good. Lenny’s a good addition to the farm. I’m glad Tony and JohnHenry didn’t get bent out of shape with him wanting to come here.”

“Tony and John Henry?”

“Yeah. I’ll explain all of that later. So as soon as I get the skids done, I’m cleaning up and I’ll be done for the day. Probably about another hour. Is that okay?”

“Of course! I’ll help them clean up from lunch. I got all of my stuff put away in the cottage.”

“Anything else you need?”

I give him what I hope is a flirtatious smile. “Just you.”

“Oh, you’ll get that in an hour or so. Before I get finished, you can go out and explore if you want to. Check out the helicopter, the creek, whatever you want. You’re free to roam here.”

“I looked out back. You’ve got a garden.”

I see a little pink spread across his cheeks. “Yeah. It ain’t much, just a little spot. But Mavis and Sarah like to garden, and so does Audrey, so I think next year we’re going to have a big garden, plant a lot of vegetables, see if we can save ourselves some money. Do you care anything about that kind of thing?”

“I love to garden, but I really haven’t been able to with the apartment. But that would be awesome.”

“You’ll sure be welcome to join in. Well, I’m gonna get back to it. Soon as I’m done, I’ll shower and I’ll be all yours.”

“I like the sound of that!” Before I can even blink, he leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek. The idea that he’d do that in front of everybody makes me very hopeful.

“Then I’ll see you in a little bit.” He stands and makes his way to the door, but when he reaches it, he turns and gives me a little wave.

“Hey, Aggie, good to see you out here,” a voice says, and I turn to find Patch standing there.

“Good to be here! This is a wonderful place. Everybody’s been so welcoming and friendly.”

“Yeah, well, if they’re not, you tell me and I’ll yank a knot in somebody’s tail! I hope you have fun out here. Priest is a good guy, and I’d really like to see him happy.”

“I don’t want to do anything that’ll make him unhappy,” I assure him.

“Just looking at you makes him happy. I’m sure anything else you do for him will make him ecstatic. See you for dinner?”

“I dunno what he’s got in mind, but I’m sure you’ll see me around.”

“Good! Later then. Have a good afternoon.” His boss just welcomed me. I feel like I really do belong here now.

When I get back to the cottage, I look around. There’s nothing that needs to be done. I do think to check the dryer―it’s empty. So is the washer. And the dishwasher just has a few things in it, with the indicator on the front turned to “DIRTY,” so he’s waiting for more stuff before he washes it. That makes sense. Then a funny thought runs through my head.

Why don’t I take a nap?

That’s a luxury I don’t often offer myself, and I decide that maybe I should. I can take a nap if I want to! My first inclination is to lie down on the sofa, but then I decide that there’s no reason why I can’t lie down on the bed. Surely he’s not so fussy that he’d mind. I pull the comforter back so I’m lying on top of the blanket, and there’s a throw on the chair across the room, so I pull that over me and lie down. Wow, this bed is comfy! And I didn’t realize how stressed I was about coming out here, but I have to make a conscious effort to relax. Even though it's hard at first, eventually I can feel the tension starting to ease.

At some point, I understand that I’ve been asleep awhile when I rouse a little and hear water running in the shower. He must’ve come in and headed straight in there, so I just stay curled up and try to go back to sleep. I don’t hear the water shut off, but I feel an arm across me, and I roll a little toward whoever it belongs to. A deep voice whispers, “You wanna get up? Or you wanna go back to sleep?”

“Sleep,” I whisper back.

“Okay. We’ll sleep.” I feel his lips on the nape of my neck, and his body is warm against my back. Falling asleep isn’t difficult when I’m so comfortable, relaxed, and safe.

Safe. I feel safe with this man. Most people might think that’s weird, a convicted murderer―the first time I’ve let my brain call him that―but I don’t see him that way. To me, he’s the man he’s presented himself to be, somebody honorable and straightforward. Lying here with him, his arm across me, feels sweet and calming. Everything about him calms me. Suddenly, I find myself wanting to talk to Patch, but for the moment, my world is right.

When my eyes open again, I’m alone, so I get up and head toward the kitchen. Darius is sitting on the sofa, his laptop in his lap, when my croaky, sleep-hoarse voice says, “Hey.”

“Hi, sleepyhead! I didn’t want to wake you.”

“How long have I been asleep?” I ask as I round the end of the sofa, and he pats the cushion beside him, so I plop down.

“Oh, just an hour since I came in. It’s about three thirty. Got anything in particular you want to do?”

“Thought I might walk around the farm a bit, see what’s out here.”

Five minutes later, we’re wandering around, and the first place he takes me is the helipad. I didn’t walk out here when the class was here. The helicopter is impressive. I can’t look inside―the doors are locked―but I can clearly see through the cockpit windows. “Do you ride in it?”

“Not very often. I’m usually with the ground crew. It’s usually Patch, Ghost, Paddy, and Bulldog or Reboot. Ghost is Patch’s second officer, and Bulldog and Reboot are medical, so if somebody has to get dropped, it’s one of them. Paddy operates the hoist, plus he’s studying to be an EMT, so he’s with them.”

“Makes sense.”

After that, we walk down to the creek, then we go in the shop and he shows me what he’s working on right now. After that, we walk out to the road and he points out the property lines for the farm. It’s a big place.

I’m starving by dinnertime, and it turns out that Bulldog and Reboot have decided to grill. Hollywood and Paddy are getting in on the act too, working on sides that can be put on the grill with the meat. “Hey, Priest, can you do that macaroni salad you make?” Reboot asks as we step up.

“Sure. I’ll go in and get it started. Comin’ with me or stayin’ here?” he asks as he heads toward the kitchen door.

“Think I’ll stay out here.” There’s a nice breeze, and at least eight lawn chairs are sitting around. He gives me a kiss on the cheek and disappears through the doorway. As soon as he’s out of sight, I turn to Hollywood. “Is Patch around somewhere?”

“I saw him a few minutes ago in the office. Over in the lodge. End of the hallway,” he answers.

“Thanks. I’ll be right back.” This is my chance without creating a big fuss.

It’s not far over to the big building, and when I step inside, there’s no one there, or at least that’s what I think. But as I’m turning down the hallway, a voice says, “Hi!” I wheel to find Sarah standing there.

“Uh, hi. Didn’t see you there.”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you. You lost?”

“No. I wanted to talk to Patch for a minute.”

“Oh, he’s down there in his office,” she says and points toward the end of the hallway where I can see light coming from one of the rooms. That’s when I notice she’s folding towels.

“You stay over here?”

“Yeah, during the week usually. His house most weekends. Lenny and I don’t have a cottage. But as soon as the big ones get finished and the couples can move into them, we’re getting one of the smaller ones. That’ll be nice, even if it is just during the week. More privacy,” she says with a grin.

“That’ll be great. If you’re still folding when I come back by, I’ll help you,” I offer.

“Nah, but thanks. You have fun. I’m almost finished here.”

“Okay. Well, thanks.” I step away and move toward the light at the end of the hallway. When I reach it, sure enough, Patch is sitting behind the desk, so I give a little rap on the door frame and he looks up. I know my smile is nervous when I say, “Hi.”

“Hey there. What brings you to my lair?” Then he laughs. “Well, technically, it’s not my lair. It’s our lair. Hollywood uses it as much as I do. What’s up?”

“Can we talk for a minute?”

“Sure! Come on in.” I motion toward the door, and he nods. Once it’s closed, he smiles. “Have a seat. Something on your mind?”

“Actually, yeah. Kinda. So I was over at Darius’ cottage and for the first time, I thought, ‘I’m sitting here with a murderer.’ And it was weird. I feel safe with him, but it just flitted through my mind, so I wanted to know… Do you think… I mean, is he…” Damn, this is awkward.

“Is he safe to be around? Yes. Absolutely. Aggie, he’s been through hell, a hell he put himself in. Priest has come a long, long way, but he had thirty years to do it in, twenty-eight on the inside and two since he left the max. Every one of those years left a mark on his soul that will never go away. But unlike a lot of guys who get put away, he used it to make himself better instead of giving in to the criminal activities that they’re offered in prison.”

“So you don’t believe he’s capable of hurting somebody?”

“Oh, I think every man on earth, and I mean that in the gender-neutral sense, is capable of hurting somebody if they have to in order to survive or protect a loved one. But Priest was thrust into a violent lifestyle at a very early age. It was all he knew. And then he was squirreled off into prison, where that could’ve continued. But unlike most of those guys, he had an epiphany of sorts. That’s not something that happens for everybody. He got lucky that it happened for him, and it changed his life. He’s not the murderous kid who went away over twenty-eight years ago. He’s a man with goals and aspirations and feelings, feelings like sorrow and empathy and hope and love. The life his previous actions had given him wasn’t what he wanted. He saw where that had gotten him, and he didn’t want that again. He wanted more, and he found a way to achieve that. Wait―I should say he found the strength inside himself to achieve that. He did it. No one else did it for him, and he had zero encouragement. It was all through willpower, his own willpower, and he was determined. That determination paid off. Let me assure you, if I thought he was capable of the kind of chaotic violence he engaged in before he went to prison, he would not be here. Absolutely not. Period. My wife is here. My daughter is here. At some point in time, my son will probably be here. Taylor, Audrey’s little boy, is here. Tinsley and Bulldog’s baby will be here. Reboot’s son will be here. Paddy’s boys will be here. The other women are here. You feel safe with him because you are. I’d trust him with my life―I have trusted him with my life on numerous occasions when we were working a search and rescue. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

“That’s all I need to know.”

“There’s something else you should know, Aggie. There’s a fierceness about Priest that you won’t see often, but it’s there. He’s fiercely protective and fiercely loyal. There’s nothing he won’t do to protect his family, and we’re his family. He’s not going to engage in chaotic, random violence, but if there was a threat to any of us here, I can tell you without reservation that he would squash it like a bug. The offender would not be safe from Priest’s wrath. Someone hurting the people he loves is something he would never allow, and he’d give his life to save any one of us. If you’re with him, you’re as safe as you could possibly be.”

I nod. There’s nothing fake about Patch. I can see he’s telling me the truth. But I have another question, and this one is delicate. “And, um, about sex… Did they… I mean, you know…”

“Have sex with other men in prison? I’m sure they did, either because they wanted to, or because it was forced on them. I know at least one of these guys identifies as bisexual, but the rest identify as straight. I know a few of them were raped in prison, at least a couple of them repeatedly. It’s a different world, Aggie. What they did in there can’t be measured out here. It’s not the same, not at all. I don’t know if they’ve discussed that with their wives and girlfriends or not. That’s up to them. Maybe they never want to talk about it. Maybe the woman really doesn’t want to know. Regardless, talk to Priest. Be honest with him and he’ll be honest with you. And if he says he doesn’t want to talk about it, know that it’s because it’s a hideously painful, embarrassing conversation he really doesn’t want to have with anybody, not just you.”

“Has he ever talked to you about it?”

“Not at length. I ask every man who comes here if he wants to talk about it, and most do. He told me in a nutshell, but no details, and I’m not at liberty to say. That was a conversation we had in confidence.”

“Oh, no, I get that. Really. And I’ll talk to him about it. I just figured if nothing had happened, I shouldn’t even bring it up.”

Patch looks straight into my eyes. “I think you should bring it up.”

“Okay. I will. Thanks. And I’m sorry to bother you,” I say as I rise.

“Absolutely no bother. My door is open to anybody who’s here. We need to have these kinds of conversations, and if I can foster them, I will. If I want this bunch to be a family, and I do, then we have to have the hard conversations to remind us that we’re all here to love, support, and accept each other. No judgment, just forgiveness and love.”

“You sound like a preacher!” I say as I turn to smile at him from the doorway.

“Oh, lawd, girl, I’m a lot of things, but I’m not that! There’s a reason why they call him Priest! But my number one goal here is for no one who lives here to look around and wonder if anybody has their back. I want them to feel like everybody has their back. It has to be that way or we won’t survive, and we sure can’t function as a unit.”

I give him a knowing nod. “I think you’ve met and exceeded your goal.”

He laughs loudly. “It’s a day-to-day process, sweetie. I could wake up tomorrow and the whole thing’s gone to shit. But for right now, it’s all good!”

The walk back to the other building is quiet. “Where ya been?” Darius asks as I step up beside him in the kitchen.

“Just walked over to the lodge. I hadn’t really looked around over there, and I kinda wanted to talk to Patch about his philosophy of this place.”

He grins. “And?”

I let out a little chuckle. “He says it’s a day-to-day process and for today, he feels pretty good about it.”

“Well there ya go!”

“Oh! You’re boiling the eggs and the macaroni at the same time? That’s pretty smart.”

“Yeah. Figured that out all on my own.” He kisses my cheek again and goes back to what he’s doing. “Now all we’ve gotta do is wait.”

Waiting. Now there’s something I’m good at!