HARLOW
It’s weird how easily I fell into a rhythm of being with Lyle and his family here on Port Ranch. I had never known a real loving family that did things together because they wanted to and had a huge extended family that was around. The only living grandparent I had was my mom’s mother and she lived in a retirement home in south Texas. We saw her maybe once or twice a year, but now I’m realizing that my parents just weren’t those types of people. They had a family because that was the expectation, they didn’t have a family to HAVE a family.
Brian and Tracy’s homestead was just that: home. They raised their daughters with so much love, as well as Granger who practically grew up here. Family and loyalty were important, but not in the same way they were with my parents. My parents wanted loyalty by following the master plan and not stepping out of line. To Brian and Tracy, loyalty was a helping hand or a drop in for coffee. Loyalty was the kids always have each other’s backs in school because family first and foremost. Loyalty was love and it was something their children and grandchildren WANTED to do, not something they were forced into doing.
The ranch started out as a place that I felt like I was a visitor at and only a few weeks in, I felt like I was part of that special brand of loyalty and love. I still woke up every morning with Lyle to make him breakfast and send him off for the day. I usually went back to sleep for an hour or two and then started to go downstairs in the morning to have coffee with Brian and Tracy and any of the sisters that ended up there.
Around lunchtime, I would help Tracy put something together for the guys who were bound to stop by. I sat around with them and listened to the arguing and joking back and forth. The cursing was something that still came as a surprise to me, but I didn’t expect them to change just because I was still that goody girl deep down inside. Most of the afternoons I would head back into our apartment and catch up on some reading or watch Netflix. I had taken up baking in my free time. I wasn’t even close to as good as Brielle or Tracy, but Lyle sure didn’t mind the cakes and cupcakes that ended up in the house.
Sundays we had big family dinner in the evening and I loved catching up with all the kids. They were currently home from school for Winter Break, but they usually stayed in their homes or back and forth between the homes that were down by the pond. Every once in a while they’d come up to visit, especially Laney and Ella. Those two have become my little friends, but the closer I get with the two of them, the sadder I get about my own relationship with my sister. Officer Ruiz had left me a message a couple of days ago saying that there would be a pretty big break coming in my case soon, but he didn’t say what. He did say that it might be concerning, but I didn’t want to call him back, mostly out of fear.
I stared at my phone, my sister’s number plugged into the call screen, but I couldn’t decide if I wanted to press to call or delete the number and put my phone away. I yearned to hear her voice and tell her all about the amazing man that I had met in Lyle, but I was still angry at her for that bait and switch she did with Lyle. Taking a deep breath (and a gulp of wine), I pressed the called button and listened to the phone ringing, three times...four times...finally, before the fifth, my sister picked up.
“Hello?”
“Abby? It’s me.”
“Harlow?” Her voice lowers to a hushed voice. “Give me just a second.”
I couldn’t hear her anymore, but I could hear a lot of noise like she walking through a hallway and then finally walked through a door and down some stairs. I didn’t know for sure, but my initial gut reaction was that she was at my parent’s place.
“I’m so glad to hear from you Harlow. Did you call because you heard about Mom and Dad?”
“No. I called because, uh, I missed you and I didn’t like how we ended the last conversation.”
“You changed your number.”
“I needed a fresh start. Now, what is going on with Mom and Dad?”
“It’s so horrible, Harlow. I don’t even know where to start. I’ve been trying to stick around the house to hear everything that is going on, but the more I hear the sicker to my stomach I get. I just...I can’t believe it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, speak please.”
“Sorry, sorry. Did you hear about Samuel’s plea deal?”
“I knew that he was going to make one, but Officer Ruiz hasn’t told me that he went to his arraignment yet.”
“He hasn’t, he’s scheduled to in a week once he’s released from the hospital. He’s going to get jail time, but it is going to be a reduced sentence because he flipped on Mom and Dad and Mr. Goodall.”
“Flipped? Did I hear you correctly? Do you mean that they were the ones responsible for my attack?”
“No, but just as criminal. Dad’s been stealing form the church and Mom and Mr. Goodall were helping him.”
“What?” I yelled at so loud that I was truly concerned that Tracy or Brian would come running in worried about me.
“That was my reaction too. They’re claiming that it wasn’t as bad as he’s making it out to be, but the lawyers have been here almost every single day trying to figure out the “story” that they’re going with and it is disgusting.”
“And you didn’t know?”
“Of course I didn’t! I’m just as shocked as you, about everything. I was dumb and naive about everything going on, Low. I’ve been praying every day for your forgiveness because what I did was unacceptable. It was so stupid to think that Mom and Dad knew better than you in regards to your love life. I was just, I don’t know…”
“Brainwashed?”
“It feels that way. I feel like this huge bubble popped and I’m seeing things clearly for the first time in my life and I’m disgusted by what I thought before. Had I know that his intentions were...well..I know you don’t need me to say it, I never would have made the plan with him. I just wanted you to be in a loving marriage like mine and for some stupid reason I thought the only way for that to be was with Samuel.”
“Can you tell me more about Mom and Dad?”
“Ugh, so you know how he runs those huge donation drives every year? The money that is supposed to go to the shelter downtown?”
“Yeah…”
“Well Mom has been fudging the books for years. They only donate 25% of what is actually made, but since Mom is the one that does the accounting work, nobody ever knew that they were taking the cash.”
“How does Mr. Goodall fit into it?”
“They give him the money under the table and in turn, he invests it into his company. When Mom and Dad get that money back in payoffs from investments, it doesn’t show up as anything other than payoffs like their other investments.”
“And Sam knew this?”
“Yeah. Turns out, he was threatening to go to the cops unless Dad and Mr. Goodall brought him in on it, but they both thought it was too risky so instead they put together what they thought was the next best idea.”
“Me?”
“Uh huh.”
“Dad was selling me off to keep Samuel’s silence. Oh my...I...he was treating me like some kind of cheap whore. All his lecturing about letting a guy take advantage of me and going down the wrong road and he knew the entire time that he was trying to push me towards Samuel for one reason only.”
“I’m so sorry, Harlow. I don’t know what else to say. I feel like I could say it a million times and it would never be enough.”
“And Dad is going to be arrested?”
“And Mom too.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen here, but I’m trying to take care of as much as I can. Listen, I was in your car the other day.”
“My stuff..”
“Yeah. I know that we have a long ways to go to fix things, Low, but I want to get you all your stuff because if something happens to the house and it is seized or something, I don’t want your stuff to all be lost.”
“I would really appreciate that. Um, maybe you can have it sent here?”
“I could do that. How are you? I’m sure that’s a loaded question, but…”
“I’m good, Abs. Physically I’ve healed and emotionally I’m getting there. Lyle has been a lifesaver and his family too. You wouldn’t believe this place and how close everybody is. It is night and day from what we grew up with.”
“You deserve it. After everything you went through and how they treated you, you deserve the happiness that you found yourself.”
“I’m so in love with Lyle. He’s totally the opposite of who I thought I’d end up with, but he’s just so perfect.”
“I wish you could hear yourself right now, Low, I’ve never seen you talk about a guy this way. Maybe someday I’ll get the chance to meet him.”
“I like that, Abby, just baby steps.”
“Of course, I won’t push. Just you staying on the phone with me this long is more than I could ask for. Probably more than I deserve.”
The front door opens and Lyle walks in. He lifts his eyebrows to me as I’m still on the phone. I just give him a smile.
“Hey, Lyle is home, so I need to get going.”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll get all of your stuff boxed and then reach out about delivery, okay?”
“If any other news about Mom and Dad comes out, can you call me?”
“Of course. Go have fun with your man and do all that domestic stuff.”
“I will. Thanks for taking my call, Abs.”
“Thanks for calling, Low. Talk to you soon.”
“Bye.”
I hang up the phone and take a giant cleansing breath. I stand up and wrap my arms around Lyle. He holds me as tears begin to fall from my eyes again and he tries his best to wipe them away.
“Was that your sister? How did she get your number?”
“I called her. I just felt like I needed to talk to her. It felt good, Ly, it actually felt good.”
“I’m glad it did. What did you two talk about?”
“So fucking much. I’m going to get dinner started and you should get changed and then we can talk about it.”
“Sounds like a good idea.” Lyle starts to walk away and then turns back towards me, “Hey Harlow?”
“Hmm?”
“You’re a strong, beautiful, loving woman and I’m glad you’re mine.”
“Thank you, Lyle. I love you.”
“Love you too.”