Galen's Gemma - Dale Mayer Page 0,32
her.”
“Well, there’s no tie anymore,” Zack said, with a finality that Galen believed. “It was a long time ago, but I guess I didn’t quite let it go.”
“You need to now, before you’re hooked up as the second husband.”
“That’s not in the cards,” he said. “I spent a lot of time back and forth with her. I don’t want to get caught up in that all again. She’s very manipulative. Not what I want at this stage of life at all.”
His tone was dry but no longer holding hurt. That was something at least. “Ouch. She just saw another choice and went after it? Like climbing a ladder to a better life?”
“As far as I can figure, yes. The fact that she married him helped some but not a whole lot.”
“Nobody likes cheaters,” Galen said, “particularly if you’re the one being cheated on.”
Zack laughed at that. “It’d be nice if there was another way. Other than being the cheating person.”
“Still, it was a long time ago. It’s time to let it go, man.”
“Hence the question about going to Levi’s. I’m done with her and all that drama.”
“Good.” Just then Galen’s phone buzzed. “It’s Levi. They are tracking us on satellite.”
“Sweet. Can he get us any details on that vehicle in front of us?”
“Says it’s a pickup, a smaller one, but he can’t give us anything more than that.”
“Still, a small truck matches up with what Gemma saw with our security cams.”
“Yep, but the whole thing stinks. How did anybody know we were here at the commune? Nobody followed us from Joe’s cabin. I ran a bug check on my truck and at Joe’s cabin and our cabins at the commune.”
“Me too on Rebecca’s cabin.”
“So Rebecca calling Gemma, saying she was kidnapped, just makes me wonder if she gave us the information not because she was being kidnapped,” Galen stated, “but because she was in cahoots with those guys and wanted to get away from the whole deal.”
“Don’t worry. I wondered it myself,” Zack said harshly.
Galen looked over at him. “It will break Gemma’s heart if her sister is involved like that. Gemma’s all heart, and Rebecca is all bitch from what I can see. Of course she doesn’t want to be here, and I’m seeing her not at her best,” he admitted. “Maybe under different circumstances I’d think she was fine.”
“For a long time I didn’t think Gemma had a heart,” Zack said with a laugh. “But I’ve come to realize she’s got far more heart than her sister does. At the time, I was listening to Rebecca’s vitriol, and, if there’s one thing Rebecca can’t stand, it’s competition. She has to knock all other women close to her. I worry about her relationship with Becky later.”
“I do too,” he said. “Sounds like Gemma’s family life was pretty rough with the younger sister being the perfect one. So Gemma chose to spend her summers up here. As soon as she managed to get here the first time, she insisted on coming back every summer thereafter. Until she left her childhood home.”
“I can see that. I only know what the sisters told me about their parents. Snobby. Very self-centered and all about appearances. They were likely delighted to get rid of her for a few months. They were all about themselves.”
“Just like their youngest daughter.”
“Exactly like Rebecca,” he said. “And, just like Joe, I wasn’t blind to her faults, but somehow they didn’t seem to matter.”
“And now?”
“Now I’ve learned an awful lot about life and have had several other relationships,” Zack said. “Now I can see how different she is, and it’s not the kind of different I would choose to spend time with.”
“Good,” Galen said, and he sure as hell hoped his buddy meant it. “Of course, traveling to the US would be good too. New jobs, new chance to get out, to see new faces, to meet new people.”
“Find another long-term girlfriend, you mean,” Zack said with a laugh. “I’m okay, you know? It’s been really good to see Rebecca through this and to realize just how much I don’t want to be with her.”
“Good for you,” Galen said with a nod. “And I’ve realized just how much I do want to spend time with Gemma,” he said, laughing. “Didn’t expect that.”
“From what Bullard was saying about Levi’s group, maybe you should have. It sounds like everybody else on his team has found a partner.”
“They have,” Galen said. “Maybe that’s one of the reasons why you should come too.