Chapter 5

I came to Mark, still out cold. I tugged his arm and called to him, trying to get him up. He wasn’t responding.

“Leave him.”

I thought the voice was in my head until it was repeated. I’d turned all the lights off except a single strand but I could still see his form in the bright moonlight, sitting on the bench under the cedar. Even though I’d only heard that soft baritone once I knew instantly who it was.

His name was Brain Meadows. He was Amanda’s brother and she asked if he could come. He was single and Chloe was trying to hook him up with one of her friends. I was thinking the more the merrier and agreed.

Without even trying he became the center of attention when he arrived. He was tall, 6’2’’ I found out later, with curly brown hair with just a touch of gray frosting on the ends, and startling gray eyes. Amanda introduced us and he took one of my small hands in both his and thanked me warmly for inviting him. I was almost toungue-tied but I stumbled out a reply. Amanda stood by grinning as he walked away.

“He tends to have that effect on most women, honey. Watch.”

I did as he walked through the yard, greeting old friends, and noticed the entourage of single ladies and in a couple of cases married ones that followed him. I asked Amanda a question without thinking.

“How is it a hunk like that single?”

She sighed. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it over coffee sometime next week.”

And now here he was, in my backyard.

“Will you help me get him into the house?”

His answer surprised me. “No. Let him lie there. It might give him a better prespective come morning.”

“Why are you here?”

“I was a bit concerned about you, so I stayed to see you’re safe.”

I walked over and sat down, sighing. “I don’t think that given his present shape he’s going to be much of a problem, but I do appreciate your concern.”

He surprised me by changing subjects. “Do you like it here?”

“Very much. I’ve never had so many friends or met nicer people. Are all Southerners this charming?”

He shrugged. “The majority, especially in smaller towns like this. You’ll find most always willing to help if they see a person has trouble or is in need. Most of all of us were raised to be polite to everyone. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule everywhere, I just think they’re more rare here.”

I saw his bright teeth flash in the moonlight as he grinned. “What you must learn, Miss Jenny, is not to confuse our polite demeanors with passiveness. Oh, we’ll probably remain polite right up until the time you make us angry enough to kill you. Then the gloves come off.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I finally worked up the nerve to ask him to help with Mark again.

“No. Leave him, let him spend an uncomfortable night lying in his own juices. Maybe he’ll learn something from it.”

I felt like I had to defend him. “Please, he’s...”

“A complete and utter ass, from what I observed tonight. I analyze people for a living, Jenny. If I may, I’d like to make a few observations.”

I nodded, wondering where he was going.

“I get the impression this is not new behavior for him. I have the feeling he’s disrespected you quite often in the past. I also think you’d like to leave but you have no money, no social system, and nowhere to go.”

I was amazed how right he was. My parents had passed in an accident and I’d received a pretty good inheritance. Mark was blowing throught the money pretty fast so I put it in a money market account that could only be accessed by me. When he found out we had a horrible arguement over it. I almost always gave in, but not this time.

“The only way that money comes out is to buy a house. I’m tired of renting and we’ve already gone through half of it. At the rate we’re going, and by we I mean you, it will all be gone in less than a year. Not gonna happen, understand?”

He didn’t like it but there was nothing he could do about it. Then something went wrong with his old job and he found the one he has now. Real estate was a lot cheaper here so we looked around. He picked this house and I was overjoyed because it was the one I wanted. We used what was left of my inheritance and only had to finance a third of the cost. It depleted the account, so he was right. I had no money of my own, no one to run to, and no way to run. I was truly trapped.

“You’re right. I have no money, no support system, no one to go to. I’m trapped here!” My bitterness and shame came out in my voice.

Even in the moonlight I could see his eyes glitter. “You are so wrong! Even if you have to rely on the system, there are shelters and programs that can help you. Personally, I don’t think you have to look that far short term. You have more friends than you know here. Your praises have been sung to me by people who would surprise you. Amanda would shelter you in a hot minute.” He reached into his wallet and handed me a card. “Here. Hold onto this. If the time comes do not hesitate to call these people. My number is on the back. Call it second. If I can’t come myself I’ll send someone.”

I took the card and felt a bit of remorse for not defending my husband.

“He’s really not that bad, you know.”

“Well that makes everything all right then, doesn’t it? By all means stay with him while he chips away at you until you’re just a hollow shell. Just be careful if you challenge him or decide to use the card I gave you. You’re probably the only thing he has in his life right now that he has complete control over. If you tell him things have to be different, or that you’re leaving him, it may unhing him. He’ll immediately try to get you back under his thumb by any means necessary. Any means. understand?”