Chapter 16—Ohio
It did not go well when Susan told Derrick of her plans to return to Ohio. He was preoccupied with his own life. By his voice inflection, she could tell that he didn’t want to deal with her growing anxiety and need to find a way to handle her identity crisis. And that meant going home.
“It isn’t a good time, Susan. I have a craps tournament. And I can’t send Bruce or Max with you because I need them here. Wait a couple of months, and we’ll all go. You had the locks on the house changed, and your neighbor is keeping an eye on the house. It should be fine for a while.”
When she frowned, he smiled at her over the rim of his coffee cup. “You have a whim, honey. You’re a little homesick. I know you feel neglected when I have tournaments, but I need to know that you’re waiting for me when I get home. You can’t leave, Susan. I need you.”
“It isn’t about the house—it’s about me. I need to leave for a while,” she said, not wanting to go in-depth about her identity crisis. She was pretty sure that Jack had already told him what had happened in the counseling session. It was as though he didn’t want to listen when she tried again to tell him how important it was for her to go back to her house in Ohio.
That night when they went up to the bedroom, he took special care to make her feel loved. There was on the nightstand, and he’d written a lovely note telling her how much he loved her. That night, they made love, and he told her over and over how much he loved her. He was a fantastic lover, but sex didn’t take away that feeling she had to leave.
Two days later, Susan walked out the door, telling everyone she was going to the spa for the day. She left in a hurry with a carry-on bag that held her computer and vitamins, telling herself she had plenty of clothes in Ohio. She knew that she couldn’t take the Glock on the plane without special paperwork and left it on a shelf in the closet.
Susan was as nervous as a cat as she waited to board the plane. She’d left her car in short-term parking, telling herself she would be back in a week. Once she boarded the plane, she chose a window seat, hoping that no one would sit in the middle position. She exhaled when the plane started to taxi down the runway. It was a non-stop flight, and she would arrive in Columbus at four fifteen p.m. She wanted to get there before dark, and she hoped it wouldn’t be snowing. It would take her an hour and forty-five minutes to drive to Brier Hill.
She’d only meant to rest her eyes for a minute, but when she opened them, she found herself looking down at the Rocky Mountains. It looked desolate, and she suddenly felt more alone than she’d ever felt in her life. The attendant came by with the food cart, and she ordered a hot tea. She sipped it slowly, making a mental note of what she would do when she arrived home. She would have to go to the grocery store first; whatever food there would be outdated.
There was turbulence when coming into Columbus. She heard the wheels go down and braced herself for the landing. She looked out the window, and the snow was coming down hard. The flakes were huge. It was then she realized she didn’t have a coat or boots.
The rental car agency drove the car up to the door, and she only had to walk a few steps. Shivering, she jumped into the Land Rover, brushed the snow off, and turned up the heat. She started when the attendant knocked on the window.
“Do you know how to use the 4-wheel drive,” he asked.
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” she said.
“We’re in for some bad weather. I hope you don’t have to go far.”
“Thanks,” Susan said, slowly accelerating—being cautious as she familiarized herself with the car.
She could hear her cell phone ringing at the bottom of her purse. It had to be Derrick. He always called several times during the day. She knew he would be frantic if she didn’t answer, but she couldn’t. The roads were slippery. She crept along at twenty-five miles per hour and prayed they would treat the roads with rock salt soon. But they didn’t, and the slick highways worsened. It was so bad that she decided not to go to the grocery store.
She was upset with herself that she hadn’t brought a coat. Jenny had a huge selection of coats that she could have brought. Susan slammed her hand on the steering wheel. She’d told herself she wasn’t going to think about Jenny, besides the car was warm and toasty, and she wouldn’t need a coat.