You Free Me

Sample Chapter

Chapter One

Welcome to Crabapple Landing

The sign stood in such a picturesque spot it compelled her to slow down. And given the small paved area ahead, perhaps that was the intention.

Tamara Pierce pulled into the lot at the water’s edge and got out of her car. As she turned to face the shore, a breeze scuttled across her brow, flirting with her bangs and tickling her nose.

She took a deep breath of sea-salty air, filling her lungs to capacity, then holding it. As she slowly exhaled, she felt some of the tension that had dogged her for a thousand miles or so escape with it.

Although she’d left Norville, MO, less than a week ago, she’d shed a bit of its burden with each mile she drove. So many burdens. Guilt, despair, grief. A life where there were no second or last chances because there weren’t any first chances to begin with.

With her next breath, she caught the scent of the crabapple trees across the two-lane highway she’d just pulled off of.

A little bit of the despair crept back in.

The scent reminded her of her aunt and the only times she’d really felt free in her life. Spending a few weeks each summer at the farm just across the border in Illinois, where crabapple trees grew in abundance. The only times Tamara had been away from home—and not very far from home at that.

Turning her back to the trees and looking out past a small inlet to the Atlantic in the distance, she tried to recapture the lightness of moments ago. She was determined this move would change her life—or perhaps not so much change it as live it in the first place. Finally be Tamara Pierce, not who her family wanted Tamara Pierce to be. The person her aunt had encouraged her to be for a very few weeks every summer for most of her life.

Now her aunt was gone—and everyone else—and Tamara had a promise to keep. To set herself free. To live free. To embrace life, love, and laughter.

Looking at the expanse in front of her, she flung her arms wide and said, “I’m free!”

“I think the line is ‘I’m flying.’”

With a screech, and a hop that nearly landed her on her butt, she swung toward the voice behind her. Her hand flew up to cover her throat, as if to stop her heart from leaping any further.

“What?”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. You just looked all Kate Winslet with the wind blowing in your red hair and your arms out to the ocean. Except you had the line wrong. Well, that and the fact you’re standing on dry land, not the front of a ship.”

“What? What are you talking about? And where did you come from?”

“The Titanic? Kate Winslet? Arms spread as the ship cuts through the water saying, ‘I’m flying?’ And I came from the path over there.”

He gestured to a clearly visible dirt path along the water’s edge.

She glanced at it, then swung back to look at the water again. “The Titanic? Who’s Kate?”

At the dead silence, she looked back at the man behind her, catching the “is she for real” look on his face before he wiped it off.

He pointed to the north. “The ship went down farther up the coast, but I was talking about the movie. It came out when I was pretty young, but I thought everyone had seen it at least once, even if it was just because their girlfriend or wife forced them to. Since you’re a girl, and girls love that stuff, I thought you were doing a re-enactment.”

Whatever feelings of free and normal she’d had a moment ago were gone. Poof. Just like that. “No. Sorry. I don’t know it. I mean, of course I know about the Titanic, but I haven’t seen the movie.”

His eyes squinted under slightly arched brows. “Huh. Well, again, sorry for scaring you.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Jake Soltis. You’re not from around here.”

Although he didn’t say it, didn’t even imply it, she got the impression he was thinking, “what planet is she from?”

“No. I’m just driving through.” She hesitated, then shook his hand. “I saw the sign. This spot… It’s so pretty, I had to stop.”

He nodded. “Yep. Lots of pretty spots here in Crabby Landing.”

She felt an unexpected grin explode across her face while a small giggle escaped. So like her and yet so—not. “Crabby Landing?”

His eyes—deep, dark, decadent, chocolate brown eyes at that—crinkled at the corners as he returned her grin with a nod. “Crabapple, crabby. It had to happen. Of course, some of the kids will take it a step further and change that B to a P, so be warned.”

“They don’t like it here?”

“They might, at least to some extent, but they want to leave this place behind for a bigger, and what they think will be a better, place.”

And if they’re smart, they won’t wait until they’re pushing thirty to find the internal fortitude to change their lives.

That thought served as a whack upside the head. She had a goal of bigger and better things herself. And while the population number the welcome sign announced, “Crabby Landing,” was a good size bigger than Norville—the kids there called it Nowhereville—she had her sights placed firmly on New York City. Nothing less would do.

Rubbing her palms against her thighs, she took in another deep breath of sea air. Despite an inexplicable desire to delay—well, not so inexplicable since until today she’d never seen the ocean or breathed its scent—it was time to move on.

“Where’re you heading?”

She looked at him, wondering why he asked. She wasn’t used to people inquiring about her business. At least not strangers. And when you grew up in a town so small it was actually a village, there were no strangers. She was still feeling her way when it came to identifying people that fell into the “stranger danger” category and those who were just friendly and curious.

After a moment, she decided he fell into the latter group.

“I’m on my way to New York City.”

His brows rose. “Yeah? Visiting family or friends?”

She shook her head. “I’m moving there.”

He squinted his eyes a bit. “Job transfer, then?”

What was this? Was he from Welcome Wagon? The local Sheriff’s office? “No. I’ll be looking for a job when I get there.”

With a slow nod and a dubious look, he said, “Huh. Well, all the best with that.”

“Thanks.” Feeling a bit jittery and breathless, she looked at the sea one last time, then took another quick peek at those brown eyes that seemed to see far too much. And squashed the thought that sprang to mind before it took root.

It really is perfect here.

She rubbed her hands against her thighs again, wondering—hoping—if it was the moist air making them feel damp. “So, I’ll be on my way. I’ve still got a long drive ahead of me. Thanks again.”

She turned her back on the temptation to linger and headed across the small parking lot to her car—with its door still hanging wide open.

Fool.

She’d better get out of the habit of not paying attention to things like her own personal security and the security of her belongings if she planned to survive in a place like New York. Where she came from, people didn’t worry much about things like locking their doors.

A moment of hesitation froze her in her spot. Was she doing the right thing? Had she made the right decision? Did she have the skills, the knowledge, the street smarts to survive in a big city?

Pushing forward, she assured herself she could and would learn.

Just because she’d grown up in a small town—a small world—with few friends and fewer opportunities, didn’t mean she was stupid.

She was strong. She was smart. She would survive.

This girl was on fire.

She’d been a barely there smolder for most of her life. The few times the cinders that made up her soul had sparked and looked for the nourishment needed to grow, life had quickly doused them. But this time… this time she kept taking in gulps of oxygen. Oxygen that would stoke the flame, feed the fire, let her burn bright like she never had before.

For the first time in her life, nothing, no one, stood in her way.

And while that still made her sad, she couldn’t escape the glad.

With renewed vigor, she pulled the car door closed behind her, turned the key—the key she’d left in the ignition!—and… crickets.

No vroom. No clicking. Nothing.

She tried again, her heart in her throat, her eyes closed in silent prayer. Please start, please start, please start!

No answer. No sound. Nothing.

Yeah, this girl was on fire.

Her breath caught. Silent tears fell. And with the absence of oxygen and the introduction of water, her fire went out.

At the sound of his voice, her head jerked up from the steering wheel.

“Everything okay?”

Tropes

Small Town
Forced Proximity
Found Family