Like the last one, this snippet doesn’t follow immediately after the previous one. I’ve also cut out a couple of things to keep some surprises for when the book goes live. Still, you’ll get a feel for Shay and what she’s walking into when she finally returns home to Mossy Creek. Hope you enjoy.
Welcome to beautiful Mossy Creek!
The green and white sign never seemed to change. I couldn’t even deny what it said. Mossy Creek was beautiful. On the whole, the folks who lived here were the sort to help if you needed it, gossip whether you wanted it or not, and be there for you, no matter what. A stroll down Main Street was like walking into a more peaceful time. Some might call it boring. After all, the town only had one traffic light and the sidewalks rolled up by ten at night. That might be why so many of us left after high school. But it didn’t explain why it seemed like everyone but me eventually found their way home.
And I had no intention of returning even on a semi-permanent basis.
The clock on the dashboard read 08:17 when I turned onto Main Street. As I approached downtown—if you could call the two-block stretch with the small park, war memorial, and courthouse a real downtown—I pulled the bill of my ball cap down lower over my eyes. I wasn’t ready to tell the world that I was back. The fact I hadn’t let Mom know was bad enough. Now I had to figure out how to explain why I hadn’t straight home.
That was also part of why I rented a Ford F-150 pickup instead of a car or SUV. The truck would blend in better here than my usual taste in cars. Although, seeing more than a few sports cars and luxury SUVs I realized things had changed around town more than I thought.
Or maybe I hadn’t paid enough attention before.
I made sure to follow the traffic laws, including the ridiculous 25 miles per hour speed limit and coming to a complete stop at the four-way stop sign at the far end of downtown. Just as I didn’t want anyone recognizing me, I didn’t want to risk being pulled over. One of the town’s pastimes was listening to the police radio. If someone heard my name being run for wants and warrants. . . Let’s just say my mama wouldn’t be happy—with the cops or with me
Once through downtown, the speed limit increased to a whopping 30 miles per hour. Honestly, it should probably be lower, at least for those who hadn’t learned to drive here. The two-lane road wound through the countryside that was technically part of Mossy Creek. There were plenty of blind spots and farm vehicles to make things interesting. That much hadn’t changed over the years.
Strangely, that reassured me.
Five minutes later, I pulled onto a private, tree-lined drive. How many times had I come down this driveway over the years? Too many to count and not once had I felt as uncertain as I did now.
Stop it!
I had no reason to worry. Serena Duchamp understood better than anyone except my parents why I left town. She knew how to contact me if she needed me. She always had. That’s what worried me. If what I saw had already happened, why hadn’t someone let me know?
Did they think I was too damaged by what happened so long ago to be of help now?
I blew out a long, shuddering breath as the memory of what drove me from Mossy Creek returned. I’d been so sure of myself back then, the kind of confidence only a teenager can possess. Like so many high school seniors, I made the mistake of thinking I could handle pretty much anything without help. I learned the hard way just how wrong I was. I also learned just how far some people will go to protect their reputation.
Let’s just say that’s a lesson I’ve never forgotten.
Absently, I rubbed the faint scar running along the left side of my jaw. I could still see the knife in Lanny Tannehill’s hand, the light flashing off the blade just before it sliced into my skin. Pain flashed and blood flowed. All because Lanny and his buddies didn’t take kindly to being told I wouldn’t let them have their “fun” with Wendy Baker. A sophomore, Wendy had been an innocent. She didn’t understand Lanny’s jokes or his insinuations. He knew it and, egged on by his buddies, planned to “expand her education”.
I wasn’t going to let that happen.
(SNIP—asg)
My parents and Miss Serena, as well as others, stood by me. They convinced the sheriff to hold off taking me into custody until he investigated what really happened, not the twisted narrative Lanny’s dad tried to weave. In the end, I graduated with the rest of my class. Lanny and another of “the crew” received their diplomas but didn’t get to walk across the stage. The others were suspended from the football team for the next season.
It should have been enough, but the memory of the betrayal, of how easily those who followed Tannehill’s orders tried to write me off, burned inside of me. Feeling betrayed and hurt, I left town as quickly as I could after graduation. My friends tried convincing me I’d done nothing wrong and that things would go back to normal. What they didn’t understand was normal no longer existed, at least not for me.
Not that I’m sure it ever did in Mossy Creek.
I shook off the memories and parked in front of the white plantation-style house. As I did, the front doors opened and Miss Serena stepped outside. I took a moment to study her, looking for anything that might indicate if the events I Saw earlier really happened. Then I frowned slightly. She looked much the same as the last time I saw her but there were differences. She seemed thinner and she moved slower. For the first time, she looked her age and that hurt more than I wanted to admit. She had always been a force to reckon with and now she looked like a woman on the downside of her life.
Anger flared and I pushed it down. Then I pulled off my cap and shook out my hair. The moment I stepped out of the truck, my feet seemed to move on their own. I crossed the distance to the front porch in a few quick steps. Then I stood in front of Miss Serena. Smiling, relaxing just being there, I bent and kissed her cheek. This might not be home, but it was as close as it got without being the real thing.
Don’t forget Witchstorm Rising is available for preorder. There will be another snippet later this week. Now I’m off to find more coffee and figure out where my head is so I can get back to work. Until later!