My throat suddenly goes dry.
“I thought it was something I’d done. Then, guilt turned to anger, and I cursed your name more often than I care to admit. I thought maybe you’d gotten cold feet before the wedding. But that’s not it…”
I press my eyes closed as memories of days long past play in my mind.
“I’m sorry to ask, but I need to know: what made you run?”
I hitEND CALLand pocket my phone without saying goodbye, because there are some ghosts I’m just not ready to face, and some conversations I might never be ready to have.
4
GREER
What was I thinking coming to this place?
It takes less than an hour to walk up and down main street, even with stopping to read all the signs in the windows.
It’s not that Iron Peak is bad in any distinguishable way. In fact, the people here look happy, and there’s a true feeling of community.
But it’s so unlike where I grew up, and I feel out of place.
I was two hours away from home, driving toward farmlands that were hiring when I finally took my brother’s call. He was absolutely furious when I told him what Mom and Dad had planned for me, but he was renting a room from an old man, and couldn’t let me stay with him.
He convinced me to head to Kellan’s, saying he’d help me get on my feet. And he was right. After years of silence, Kellan came through, agreeing to house me.
I can’t waste this opportunity.
I look to the right, at an old brick building with tall, narrow windows. Above the door, a placard reads: Iron Peak Ridge Public Library.
It’s a sign. Literally and figuratively.
The door creaks when I open it, announcing my presence when I’d rather go unseen. A few feet inside, a dark-haired woman pushes a book into place on a shelf.
She turns to face me, adjusting her glasses. “Hello!”
“Hi!” I give a short wave and try to smile, but my lips skew.
Her eyebrows lift. “May I help you?”
My mouth falls open because I’m overwhelmed and haven’t a clue how to fix my train wreck of a life.
A concerned expression washes over the woman’s face.
“I’m lost,” I blurt.
The smile reappears on her face. “Where were you looking to go?”
“Here, but…” I sigh. “I’m a little out of my element.”
“Just about everyone is with the advent of ebooks.” She nods deeper into the room. “Let me show you how to work the card catalog.”
“No…it’s more than that. I need to study for my GED, but I have dyslexia, so I need help with that too.” Might as well go all-in.
“Right this way.” She pivots, heading towards the back of the building. “My name is Evelyn, by the way. I thought I knew everyone in Iron Peak, but every once in a while, someone emerges from their hobbit hole and says ‘hello’—” she pauses, “not that you look like a hobbit!”
I laugh, feeling more at ease. “I’m Greer, and I’m actually not from around here.”
She stops in front of a shelf full of enormous books with boring, white spines and grabs a few. “May I get you set up with a library card?”
