“What the fuck! Let me go!” I scream.
“What did you tell them? You might as well tell me, I’m going to fuckin’ kill you either way,” he snarls, slamming my head against the wall.
I gasp at the pain and feel blood trickle down my forehead. I start to see stars at the same time I hear, “Cottonwood Valley Police. Let her go and put your hands in the air.”
From the corner of my eye, I can see Sheriff Young with his gun drawn.
“You’ll pay for this,” Daryl growls into my hair before throwing me to the floor. Another officer rushes into the room. Daryl fights him, but he easily takes him to the floor and cuffs him.
I sit up, but stay on the floor, shaking too badly to stand.
“Jessie,” a man’s voice says. “Jessie, look at me.” Sheriff Young kneels in front of me. “Your head is bleeding. Are you hurt anywhere else? Paramedics are on their way.”
“I’m okay. You got him?” I lean to look past him as more officers rush into the room.
Two officers hold Daryl to the floor, his hands in cuffs. Another officer pulls a handgun from Daryl’s waistband.
He had a gun.
He was serious. He was going to kill me.
The Sheriff nods. “Yeah, we got him. He’ll be going away for a long time. You did good, Jessie.”
“How are you here?”
“I got worried when you mentioned stopping back at home. We conducted a short drive-by and saw Daryl’s truck on the street.”
“Thank you.”
The effect my father has had by dealing drugs to this community is sickening. He’s torn families apart, ruined lives, and even ended them. I don’t feel sorry for him—I hope he spends the rest of his life behind bars.
And now, I hope I can spend the rest of my life doing exactly what Gran said.
Living.
Jessie
What time are you getting home? I’m at the ranch.
Kacey
A couple of hours. Come over whenever.
Jessie
Will do.
It feels ridiculous to be more nervous for this conversation than I was to talk to the police. But here I am, mind racing as I walk from the main house over to Kacey’s place. She visited Knox for the weekend and doesn’t know I’ve spent the last couple of nights here. Even with Daryl in jail, Carson and Cody both felt better if I spent some time here.
It’s been good for me. I always feel at peace on the ranch. It’s been two days since Daryl’s arrest, and I asked Cody and Carson to let me talk to Kacey. For years I’ve hidden things, told half-truths, and even lies to hide my shame and protect her from him. That stops today.
I hate that I’ve lied to her, kept her at a distance at times, and been a shitty friend. I did it to protect her, but that doesn’t make it right. I owe her an apology.
Some days it feels like you’re my best friend, but I’m not yours.
Her words have haunted me since then. She’s wrong, sheismy best friend, but it still stings. I can understand why she would feel that way and ultimately, I’m grateful she told me. Not telling her about my father was supposed to protect her, but the lies of omission have started to show, and I can see how much it has hurt her.
Rein bolts down the front steps to greet me as I walk up the drive. “Hey, girl.” I pet her before climbing the steps. Kacey sits in one of the two rocking chairs, two glasses of sweet tea on the table between them. She has one leg bent, relaxed in her joggers and long sleeve. It’s the end of September and fall has fully hit the Colorado mountains.
