The truck stopped in front of the Bybee’s house, and men started spilling from the cab. In the next moment, the back got opened, and Jim appeared. He shook hands with one of the men, and even from three hundred yards away, Farrah understood what was happening.
The Bybee’s were moving.
Confusion cascaded through her with the force of a waterfall. Had they sold the farm? If so, to whom? And what would become of her?
So though her limbs felt encased in ice, she turned back the way she’d come and started walking toward the house. She bypassed the little lot where she parked every morning, and continued along the fence line to the dirt road that led to town.
“Corey?” she asked when she was still several paces away. “What’s going on?”
Corey kept her hands in her pockets as she pulled her coat tighter against her body. A hint of unshed tears sat in her eyes. “Moving day.” She couldn’t seem to look away from the men as they hauled out boxes and stacked them on the porch.
“Where are you going?”
Corey focused on her now. “Farrah, we’re moving into town.” She spoke so slow, which only caused Farrah’s bewilderment to double.
“Town?”
“We’ve spoken about this numerous times, dear.” Corey withdrew her hand and put it on Farrah’s arm. “Do you not remember?”
She shook her head, her nose so numb and her face practically frozen. “Where are you living?”
“We bought a nice condo in that newer building just south of downtown.” She gazed at Farrah with pity and a healthy amount of concern in her eyes. “Farrah, you said Meredith lives in that building. Remember?” Her fingers tightened, and Farrah looked at where she was gripping her arm.
Problem was, she didn’t remember.
“Do I have a job?” She blinked through the bitter cold, wondering what January would be like if mid-November was already this wicked cold.
Corey sighed, the sound somewhere between defeat and frustration. “Yes, dear. Meagan is going to stay home with her twins. We hired you full-time a month ago.”
“What about…?” Farrah stalled as Darren came through the front door carrying a sizable credenza all by himself. He made it look easy, just like everything he did. But he wore some definite emotion on his face, and Farrah couldn’t decipher it all before her view of him got blocked.
“Corey, I need you in here,” Jim called from the porch, waving at her to join him in the house.
“Darren agreed to keep all the staff,” Corey said. “It was part of the contract.” She gave Farrah another sad smile, and went up the steps to see what her husband needed.
Darren.
Darren?
She inhaled sharply, like she’d been underwater for a long time and had just now broken the surface.
Darren bought the farm.
Darren will keep all the staff.
Darren will move in before Thanksgiving.
Darren, Darren, Darren.
Everything Corey and Jim had told her came rushing back, flooding her mind with words and filling her body with emotion.
Darren headed back up the steps too, only paces from her. He hadn’t looked at her once. Hadn’t spoken to her.
She felt so warm that she was sure her body heat would be steaming off of her. How much time had she lost? And what had she done in that time to move Darren up the list?
With a groan and a spike of anger, she realized she hadn’t done anything. Hadn’t worked on anything. That she was actually no closer to a solution for herself than she’d been when she’d broken up with him.
Whipping out her phone, she made a decision—maybe the first real decision in months. She called Dr. Kenna’s office, and said, “I need the first available appointment.”
