Galen's Gemma - Dale Mayer Page 0,9
up. I was at a play rehearsal, and I got sick. I didn’t want to be there or have anything to do with it in the first place, but they had insisted. While I was there, I got really nervous and started throwing up,” she said honestly. “I called and told them how I couldn’t do it, and they were coming to pick me up when the accident occurred.”
“Ouch,” he said. “But still, not your fault.”
“No, but it was in a way,” she said, “and you can bet my sister never let me forget it.”
“That’s not true,” Rebecca said from the doorway. “At least I didn’t mean for you to feel that way.”
“For years,” Gemma said, surprised that her sister was there, “you threw it in my face, saying how they’d be alive if it wasn’t for me.”
“I didn’t mean it though,” she said. “I was a mixed-up teenager.”
“You think?” Gemma walked toward Rebecca, hands shoved in her pockets, frowning at her. “Looking after you hasn’t been easy, you know?”
“Because you were supposed to stop looking after me,” she argued, “like eight, nine years ago.”
“When you came to me pregnant?” Gemma asked. “Or when you were wondering aloud if you should marry Joe because you wanted some security?”
Zack stood behind Rebecca at the open doorway, easily hearing everything.
At that, Rebecca had the grace to look ashamed. “Okay, I guess I have been a trial to you, haven’t I?”
Gemma shrugged her shoulders irritably, the rehash of their history never pleasant. “It is what it is. You haven’t been easy to look after, but that’s all water under the bridge now.” Gemma gave her a forced bright smile and turned away.
“Hardly,” Rebecca said. An awkward silence ensued as the four of them looked at each other. “Zack says Joe was murdered.”
“Right, so because Zack said it, you believe it now?” Gemma asked in outrage. “Even though that’s exactly what I’ve been telling you this whole time?”
“Yes, but you didn’t have any reason why.”
“Right. If you say so.” Gemma turned to face the guys. “If we’re not leaving right away, which I think is the wrong thing to do, I’ll go lie down and get some rest while I can.”
“I don’t see why we had to leave my home at all,” Rebecca replied.
“Because someone tried to break in twice two nights ago. And he will come here next,” she said with a tired sigh. “Just ask the men. They already know it.” She listened as her sister turned to Zack.
“Are they?”
“Yes,” he said quietly, “they will come here.”
Just as Gemma headed to the small rear bedroom, Galen called out, “What was your plan after this?”
She turned and looked at him. “I’ve rented a cabin not very far from here,” she said, “with the idea that we could blend into that area.”
“What kind of a cabin?”
She gave him a ghostly smile. “It’s kind of a hippie colony,” she said. “They have a couple cabins they rent out for extra money.”
“You don’t think we’ll stick out like a sore thumb there?” Rebecca cried out in shock.
“I said a hippie colony, not a back-to-square-roots type thing. They have internet and computers.”
“It’s not a bad idea.” Zack nodded. “Depends if anybody can track the transaction?”
“They only do cash, and I arranged it a long time ago,” she said.
“Why?” Galen asked, curious.
“Because, once Joe started down this pathway at work, it looked to me like he was heading into trouble. I tried to talk him out of it for Rebecca’s sake, but he said he had to do what was right and that he’d try his best to keep her safe in the meantime.”
“I never knew you did that,” her sister said, staring at her in shock. “He never said anything to me about it.”
“He didn’t say anything because you didn’t want to hear anything,” Gemma said in exasperation. “You haven’t changed, Rebecca. You want what you want, and you don’t want anybody telling you anything different or unpleasant ever.” With a shake of her head, she sighed. “I’ll try to get a quick nap. Then you guys can decide if you’re coming with me or not.” And, with that, she closed the door to her bedroom.
*
Galen looked at Zack and grinned. “I like her.”
Zack snorted. “You would. She’s always been clear about right and wrong.”
“Like how? It would be nice if someone around here liked me,” Rebecca complained. “You like me, Zack, don’t you?”
He nodded affectionately. “Yep, but I’ve known you for a decade.”
“Right,” she said sadly.