Redemption (The Restoration Series Book 1) (12 page)

 The landing was a little bouncy but eventually smoothed out and we taxied toward the gate. We came to a stop moments later, and my parents stood, motioning for me to stand between them. I pulled my tote over my shoulder and slid between them, glancing back at Davis as his face fell just a little before he turned to grab his own things. He waited for my parents to move forward, then stepped out of the row and into the aisle, shuffling behind us in silence and eventually breaking away from us as we walked down the airport corridor.

 We pushed through the revolving glass doors into the baggage claim area. Once our bags were collected, my father pushed the weighted cart out the door and into the garage while my mother and I followed behind.

 Heading up to the parking garage, I noticed Davis standing at the curb waving down a taxi as it passed him by. A few more taxis passed by without stopping as he struggled to hold his bags and crutches at the same time.

 “Dad?” I pointed
toward Davis. He took in the scene and sighed, then looked at me worriedly.

 “You sure you can handle this, baby girl?”

 “I’ll be fine. But, I don’t think it’s right to have him taking a taxi with all his stuff after everything he did.”

 “I suppose it wouldn’t be very kind
of us if we didn’t offer to help.” He nodded and then purposely walked toward Davis, calling his name.

 I watched as my dad reached out for Davis’ bags while Davis protested, glancing warily between my father and I. A knot formed in my stomach at the apparent refusal, knowing that he may be ready to be separated from me and our situation. I noticed a few words were spoken and his eyes flung to mine once again, holding my gaze with his beautiful darkness, waiting for my approval. I nodded slightly and his shoulders relaxed before handing the bags to my father and following him, albeit a little uncomfortably.

 My parents situated the luggage in the back of my dad’s extended cab pickup truck and took their seats up front.

 “You sure about this, Nova? I can call a friend or a taxi,” Davis hesitantly whispered in my direction, standing a few feet away.

 “Yes. It’s fine.” Without another word, I turned and stepped up into the truck and closed the door behind me before I could second-guess myself.

 Davis hobbled around the truck and opened the door, sliding his crutches inside and hefting himself into the seat, grunting with the effort. When he was situated, my dad pulled out of his parking spot and made his way out of the garage.

 “So, where do you need to go, son?” My dad asked, glancing in the rearview mirror as he waited for directions.

 “I’m on the outskirts, sir. Little town called Jamestown.”

 “Really? Where is your house? We’re from Jamestown as well.”

 “Oh. Um, my grandparent’s ranch is out on highway seven, past the Richmond ranch.”

 “Jack and Elsie Matthews? Those are your grandparents?” His wide eyes and smile brightened his face.

 “Yes, sir.” He nodded, glancing over at me.

 “Well, how about that. Really small world, I’d say.” Dad tapped the steering wheel with his fingers and drummed out a short beat.

 “Agreed, sir.”

 My mind reeled. He lived less than ten minutes away from me, but I didn’t remember ever seeing him around, which although not
impossible, it was unlikely. Especially since we were neighbors.

 “What school did you go to?” I asked, curious about his history.

 “Well, I actually went to school in
Trunksville, but moved to my grandparent’s ranch just before my senior year in high school. I completed my studies
from home that year before I left for college.” I briefly caught sadness fall across his face before her turned it away from me to look out of the window.

 That explains it. “Where did you go to college?”

 “We’re alumni for the same school, actually. Texas State.”

 My eyes went wide and then I tried to picture him in school, wondering if I had ever noticed him before. He caught on to my whirling thoughts and grinned in my direction.

 “I was a bit ahead of you, graduated the year before you arrived.” He answered my unspoken question. “I’ve been in Sydney ever since.”

 “Why’d you move to Sydney?” I found myself curious to know more about this man. He kept in his own space on the other side of the truck but answered me patiently with each question.

 “Well, I was recruited into Corinth during my third year, and when I graduated, I was assigned to Sydney.”

 “How did you know about Corinth? What do you mean by ‘recruited’?” I wondered how someone got involved in that line of work, or even if maybe one day I might be interested in getting involved myself. Of course, I had a lot of fixing to do before I could even begin to think about that.

 “That is a long story and should probably wait for another time.” His voice dropped sadly and he turned to look through the window at the passing scenery.

 I nodded and turned my face toward my window, suddenly feeling like I was interrogating him. Growing a bit uncomfortable, I decided to let the conversation go and watched the streetlights light the highway as we headed through the west side of town and out of the city limits toward the farmlands.

 
Eventually we drove through the center of Jamestown, passing by all the familiar places of my childhood. The general store, the feed store, and the veterinary clinic all lined the main road, with little shops huddled together in every direction. We came to the other side of town and headed west across the river, turning onto highway seven toward the Matthews Ranch. Eventually, we pulled up to a wide green pasture and gravel road that led up to a large two-story white country house with a full wraparound porch. There were lights on inside and whinnies echoed from the horses that ran to greet us along the wooden fence.

 The front door to the house opened and the porch light flickered to life as Mr. Matthews stepped out. Our headlights flooded the area and my father pulled to a stop. Mr. Matthews waved as my father stepped out of the truck and greeted him.

 “Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Drake,” Davis spoke before opening his door and stepping out. He took one last look at me and held my gaze – almost as if he was memorizing me. He smiled softly and his eyes crinkled once again before shutting the door and cutting off our connection.

 “Davis?!” Mr. Matthews exclaimed, rushing toward Davis and nearly knocking him off his crutches when he grasped him
into his thick arms.

 Davis wrapped his arms around his grandfather and buried his head in his shoulder. I watched as Mrs. Matthews came out on the porch, realization dawning in her expression when she saw who was standing in their driveway. She ran and drew both of her men close as my father patted Mr. Matthews’ shoulder, probably telling them everything that Davis had done. And I’m glad they would know. They deserved to know what kind of grandson they had.

 As soon as my dad delivered Davis’ bags inside the house, he stepped out of the way and moved back toward to the truck. His eyes swung up into the rear view mirror and he winked at me, before reversing the car to turn around and head home.

 That little gesture brought a sense of normalcy back to my world. My dad, the fun-loving, charismatic, overprotective, and yet silly man. For the first time since “the event,” as I had deemed the past week, I felt like hugging my father. I wanted to feel his embrace and his security.

 As soon as we pulled up our own ranch, I hopped out of the truck and rushed around to the other side as my dad stepped out. When he turned around to face me, I slowed my steps, and his eyes got wide as he stepped back, uncertainty and worry etched
in his face.

 “It’s okay, dad,” I said as I moved into his embrace and slowly wrapped my arms around him, cautiously counting down to calm myself from freezing up. He gently wrapped his thick arms around me, pulling me in tighter to him, and the emotions broke through his toughened exterior. He cried, kissing my hair, my forehead, and my cheeks over and over as if I was so precious to him. I knew I was, and I was glad that his touch was finally welcome. I felt safe, a feeling that had been harshly ripped from my grasp.

 “Come on, dear. Let’s go inside.” Mom wiped her eyes and moved up the steps, the sound of her keys tinkling in her hand.

 As soon as I walked through the door, Millie, our fifteen-year-old beagle, hobbled excitedly over to me, nudging my legs until I bent down to scratch behind her ears.

 “Hey, Millie-girl.” I crooned and bent to love
on her. She barked excitedly and turned in circles as my fingers brushed across her back. I couldn’t stay crouched as my legs began to burn from the wounds. I winced as I pushed myself to stand up, quickly reaching out to steady myself on the side table in the living room. Millie stilled and whimpered, noticing my pain. She nudged her wet nozzle against my calf and looked up at me. Her sixth sense was sending off alarms that I was injured, and now she was worried. Her tail bent down and she turned her back end toward me, standing guard to the rest of the room.

 “Shh. It’s all right, Millie-girl.” I whispered softly, scratching behind her ear one more time before moving through the room. The smell of home rushed through me and brought a calming sense of peace with it. It smelled of vanilla and blueberries. My mother loved blueberries and baked with them on a regular basis, pulling from the blueberry bushes that grew in the backyard and freezing them so she would have them ready all year long. The living room was comfortably decorated with a large brown sofa, worn in many places, but soft and perfect. Two large leather-wrapped chairs rested on the opposite side
with the fireplace embedded
between them. This was home.

 “I’ll take your things up to your room. Take your mother’s hand and let her help you up the steps.” Dad threaded his calloused hands through my luggage and lifted them with ease, then disappeared up the wooden stairs.

 “You ready?” Mom stepped up to me.

 “I’m okay, mom. I can make it up there. Don’t worry so much.”

 “Yes, well, I’m your mom. It’s my job to worry and help you even when you don’t think you need it.” She threaded her arm through mine and ushered me closer to the steps. I winced again as my thighs brushed against each other. My knees wobbled briefly, but I wrapped my fingers around the wooden railing and lifted myself, step by step, up the flight of stairs. Millie’s nails tapped the steps behind me as I climbed.

 A few very exhausting minutes later I made it to the top. My dad stood by the door, watching my mother help me
into my room. She brushed a kiss on my cheek before she closed my bedroom door as she exited, leaving me alone for the first time in days. I stood there staring at my double bed, which was covered in my grandmothers handmade quilt, as memories came flooding across my thoughts.

 
Grandma led me up to my bedroom and opened the door to the freshly made bed and new quilt draped carefully across my mattress, replacing my old pink comforter.

 
She said, “You’re a woman, now, Nova. This quilt is just the start of your preparation for your future. I made it for you to keep so that when you grow up, move on, get married, and have a daughter of your own, you’ll know that I was always there no matter what.”

 I blinked away tears at the thought of my grandmother. I missed her so much and if anyone could have helped me heal, it would have been her. She was always so full of understanding and patience, but she also knew when to give people a swift kick in the butt when needed. I sat down on the edge of my bed, running my fingers
across the stitching and the blue and white floral patterns. It didn’t take long for the weight of the day to fall heavy on my soul, and my body wracked with sobs. I laid across my bed, burying my face and releasing the overwhelming pain that exploded inside of me. The bed shifted as Millie jumped atop the mattress and moved close to me. I wrapped my arms around her and let myself continue to cry until I fell asleep.

 
My body chilled as I watched my bare feet shuffle down the concrete corridor. Chains bound my ankles and hands as the clanking sound echoed from their collision with the cold cement beneath me. Blood ran down my thighs, across my knees, and continued to flow to my feet. Each step left a bloody footprint, marking the floor as I moved closer to my chamber. The door flew open and inside, he was waiting for me. Demon stood, staring at me with pure hatred, twirling a knife in his fingers. I was pushed from behind and landed on my knees in front of him. “You’re mine, girl.” His voice felt like slime across my skin. His hands reached for my hair and I screamed.

 Startled awake by my own screaming and Millie’s barking, I pushed myself up and covered my face. Millie nuzzled my leg and whimpered. The door slammed open and my dad flew inside, rushing to my bedside. His sudden entrance caused me to skitter backward on the bed and curl away from him in fear. His hand froze in mid-air as he reached for me when he saw my reaction. Sorrow filled his eyes as he took a few steps away from me.

 My mom stepped inside the door and saw my father standing a few feet away from me, then turned and took in my cowering body. She rushed to my side, wrapping me in her arms and smoothing my hair.

 “Shh, baby girl. It’s okay. You’re safe. You’re home. Shh.” She whispered those words over and over again until my sobs quieted and I relaxed into her.

 “I-I’m… sorry.” I hiccupped, wiping my face clear as I looked at my dad. He just shook his head.

 “Nothing to be sorry about, baby girl.” His low voice broke. I knew I needed his comfort and he needed mine. I reached my
hand out to his and watched as his shoulders sagged.

 “You sure?”

 I nodded and waited for him to move beside me. He sat down and gently pulled me into his arms as Mom kept her hands on mine. I laid there
between my parents as they comforted me and prayed over me.

 “Lord, we need you. We need your healing and peace. My baby girl needs you more than anything right now. Please bring back the light in her, extinguish the darkness. Give her rest and help us bring her comfort in this time of trouble. Amen.” My dad leaned down and kissed my hair, breathing me in as if to make sure I was really there with them.