8. Hadley

8

HADLEY

H adley paced in the small restroom at the dining hall. Two steps one way, and two steps back.

She was a responsible adult, at least for a twenty-year-old. She was never late to work, she never let her license expire, and she always paid her taxes.

She had good decision-making skills, darn it! When someone asked for help, she was supposed to say yes.

So why was she freaking out about agreeing to let Thea stay with her until she recovered?

Hadley picked at her already shredded cuticles and made another turn in the small space. Saying yes was the right thing to do.

She was only freaking out a little bit. Brett and Thea came to the cabin as soon as she was discharged, and Hadley got the whole story in vivid detail. The police came to get Thea's statement about what happened, and the whole bloody tale tumbled out.

Brett's and Thea's dads were both dead–murdered–because of the feud between their families. Hadley had known that days ago, but hearing the gritty details had her more breathless than John Michael Montgomery singing about the Grundy County Auction.

Now, she was locked inside a bathroom–of her own choosing–trying to get her act together.

There was a quick knock on the bathroom door. "Hadley, you okay?" Remi asked.

Hadley threw open the door and plastered on a smile. "All good."

"Great because I'm about to pee my pants," Remi said as she pushed past Hadley.

No more lollygagging in the bathroom. Back to regularly scheduled programming.

Everyone in the dining hall was carefully circled around Thea as she picked at her food next to Brett. The bruises and cuts on her face were another punch to Hadley's gut. There wasn't any way in the world she could have said no when Brett called asking for a big favor. Thea needed help. She'd been through so much already.

Straightening her shoulders, Hadley made her way past the long table where a dozen workers sat vying for Thea's attention. Vera and Stella were pulling trays off the serving line, and Hadley jumped right in beside them.

"You okay?" Vera asked.

Hadley made sure her smile was still in place. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

Stella rested her hand on Hadley's shoulder. Stella had at least ten years on Vera and was ten times as chatty, but the two were the best of friends and even lived together on the ranch in the old foreman's cabin.

Neither of them had children, but they were soothing some of the broken pieces of Hadley's heart as she came to grips with her mom's new normal after the stroke.

"We heard you have a new roommate," Stella said.

"Yeah. Thea is staying with me until she gets well enough to travel. I've missed having someone around all the time, so it'll be nice."

Stella's hand slid behind Hadley's back and around her other shoulder before pulling her in for a hug. "You're doing a good thing. I know it probably isn't easy."

Hadley hugged Stella back, letting go of some of the fear that was silently clinging to her like a tick. "It'll be fine," she whispered.

Stella pulled out of the hug. "Look up Hebrews 13:2."

Hadley pulled her phone out of her pocket and opened the Bible app. She was still in the complete overwhelm stage of her Bible studies, but Stella and Vera were always pointing her in the right direction and showing her how to apply the Word to everyday life.

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares," Hadley read. "Okay. That's pretty clear."

"It is, but we'll be praying for you and Thea just the same," Vera said.

Hadley looked back to the table where Brett sat smiling beside Thea. She'd learned a lot about him today too. Until a few days ago, she'd had no idea Brett and Jess had suffered for years with abusive parents. Brett was always so happy and fun.

But Hadley put on that same face every day, too. Thankfully, her dad's abuse hadn't lasted long, but now she made a conscious decision to seek out happiness every day. If she didn't, the weight of the past would sit heavy on her shoulders, pushing her down until she couldn't get back up.

"Don't leave Brett and Jess out. They've got a lot going on right now too," Hadley said.

"Oh those two stay on the list. It's a miracle they turned out as good as they did."

Wasn't that the truth. Kids who experienced trauma usually either repeated the sins of their parents or resolved to be the opposite.

Hadley picked up a tray and headed for the kitchen. "I think we're playing trivia in a little bit. Want to join?"

"You go on," Vera said. "We've got this."

Hadley checked her watch. "Can we get together a little later to talk about Ava's baby shower? I'd like to get things finalized before we have to start on Remi's. I think we should have both before the tourist season starts so they can get their nurseries ready."

"Absolutely. Come to our place when you're ready," Stella said.

"You got it. I might bring Everly with me. She knows all about planning events, and this is my first time."

Vera swatted a dish towel at Hadley. "Go on. We'll see you later."

"Thanks!" Hadley waved over her shoulder as she went to join her friends for games.

A few hours later, Hadley parked beside Brett's truck at her cabin. Spending time with friends had boosted her outlook on the situation with Thea. She wouldn't be here long, and Hadley could be a good friend to her through the hardship.

The freezing night stung her face as she raced to the front door. Quickly shutting out the cold behind her, Hadley shivered. "Burr."

Brett and Thea sat in the living room, and their wide eyes and pursed lips turned Hadley's already chilly blood to ice .

"What's wrong?"

"My uncle filed a missing person's report on me," Thea said.

Hadley tensed, trying to hide the immediate reaction to the revelation. It was one thing to know the Howards were looking for Thea. It was another to know what lengths they were going to in their search. "Oh, no, no, no. The police didn't tell them anything, did they?"

Thea's cheeks were pale in the spaces without bruising. "No, but it means he knows I'm here, and he's looking for me."

Hadley sucked a breath through her teeth. Think, think, think. What could they do? "That's not good."

Understatement of the day.

Brett sat on the coffee table in front of Thea. Seeing him worried like this only amped up the tension in Hadley's muscles. "I won't let them find you."

Hadley knew the truth in those words. Brett might be a jokester, but he was determined to a fault. He'd keep Thea safe at all costs.

Thea sighed. "I know you want to keep me safe, but they know I'm here. I'm sure they know where you live. They keep tabs on all of their enemies."

"But they can't get to you here. We upped security not long after they built the wedding chapel and started having public events here," Brett said .

"It's still not safe," Thea whispered. The defeat in her words was hollow and cold.

"Would it be better to get you back to Alabama? There's a good chance they'd try to follow us," Brett said.

Thea brushed her hair out of her face with a quick swipe. "I've thought about that. I'm sure they have someone watching this place, but I can't stand the thought of putting anyone else in danger. I need to go. I can't do this to Hadley."

"Wait," Hadley said, holding out her hands and stepping forward. If there was a time to stand firm, it was now. "You can stay. I'm okay with it."

"I'm not," Thea said as she attempted to stand.

"No." Hadley moved around the couch to stand in front of Thea. "You're still so beat up. It would be hard to ride in a car that far like this, and you're not released to fly. What if you got in the air and your lung collapsed? I think we need to be vigilant."

"I could stay here too."

Hadley froze, waiting to see what Thea would say. Brett could stay. It wouldn't be an inconvenience to Hadley, and Brett wouldn't have offered if he wasn't willing.

"Just during the night," Brett said. "I think if you stick around the main house or the barn during the day, you'll always have someone nearby in case something happens. I could sleep on the couch at night and leave first thing in the morning. "

Thea looked down, shaking her head. "That's–"

"I think that's a good idea," Hadley interrupted. Before Thea set her mind to shoot him down, Hadley wanted to get her opinion out in the open.

Thea looked at Hadley. She steeled her features to hide any evidence of the fear tingling under her skin.

"I don't mind Brett being here. It'd make me feel better about your safety, and it can't hurt," Hadley said, lifting her hands in the air.

Brett held his clasped hands to his chest, practically begging as he faced Thea. "I promised to give you space, and I'll stand by that. You won't even know I'm here."

Hadley moved toward her bedroom. She'd said her piece, and now Brett and Thea needed to make the final decision. "I'll let you two decide. Just know I'm okay with it either way."

"Thanks," Thea whispered.

Hadley closed the bedroom door behind her and leaned against it. Closing her eyes, she silently prayed. Brett and Thea needed discernment. Hadley needed strength. The Howards and Pattons needed mending that only God could heal if it was His will.

As tough as Hadley's childhood had been, it was nothing like what Brett and Thea had faced. They needed a break. They needed space and rest.

A warmth spread through Hadley's body. Whatever help they needed, she would do it .

The front door closed with a quiet click, and Hadley opened her eyes. She waited a few minutes before peeking her head outside the door.

"You okay?"

Thea squirmed and raised her shoulders where she sat on the couch. "Yeah. Just trying to solve all the problems."

"No need to rush. They'll be waiting for all of us in the morning," Hadley reminded her as she made her way over.

Thea chuckled. "That's what I'm afraid of. And every morning after that."

Hadley rested a hand on Thea's shoulder. "You need rest. It's been a long day. You're still healing."

"I should just go home," Thea whispered.

"What happens when you get there? Do you have someone to drive you to your follow-up appointments? Do you have someone who can help you shop for groceries?"

"Not really. I have friends, and some of the ladies at church would help, but they're mostly older. It's a small church."

"Then let's table those thoughts. At least for a few days. Brett won't let anything happen to you, and the ranch is truly safer now. There were some incidents this past year that brought up the need for heightened security. Jameson has been focused on it all winter."

Thea pushed up onto her good leg and grabbed the crutches. "I guess I need to get ready for bed before Brett gets back."

Hadley stood, facing Thea with enough determination for both of them. "He's a good one, you know?"

"I do. And there was a time when I thought that was a good thing. Now, it just makes it harder to pretend I don't care about him."

"Then don't pretend. What's holding you back?"

"Everything. The odds were always stacked against us, and for a while, I thought we were meant to weather that storm together. Then I started doubting his innocence, and everything got messed up. It's almost like my feelings are being decided for me. Like, we were such a sure thing back then. Did I even think about it before falling headlong into love? I guess I didn't have much of a choice. You feel what you feel, right?"

Hadley shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I've never been in love."

Wrapping her arms around Thea, Hadley held onto her new friend until their breathing was even and slow.

"So, big question coming," Hadley said as she pulled out of the hug.

Thea swiped her hands over her throbbing cheeks. "Bring it on."

"How are you going to shower with one working leg? "

Thea burst into laughter. "I have no idea. Very carefully?"

Seeing Thea's smile boosted Hadley's surety that they could make it through this and come out better on the other side. They just needed time and healing.

"I'll help. We'll figure it out in the morning."

"Thanks. It's probably overdue, but I'm about fifteen minutes from crashing. There's no way I could take on the shower monster tonight."

Hadley gestured toward the bathroom. "You can go first."

"I won't be long."

When Thea shut herself away to get ready for bed, Hadley went to the closet and grabbed clean sheets, blankets, and a pillow. She went ahead and made up the couch.

A light peace had spread over her mind as she headed to her room and sent Brett a text.

Hadley: Thanks for everything. Thea is lucky to have you on her side.

Brett's reply was immediate.

Brett: Don't worry. I'll get this fixed. Just give me time.

Hadley fell onto the bed and closed her eyes. The Lord had made quick work of her fears tonight, and she'd sleep soundly knowing He was on their side.