Willow creek, p.1
Willow Creek, page 1
Table Of Contents
Family Tree
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
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Willow Creek
Copyright © 2022 by Tabatha L. Haddix.
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Print ISBN: 978-1-945445-45-3
eBook ISBN: 978-1-945445-44-6
For Barb and for Ike.
The world isn’t as bright without you.
Family Tree
To see a larger version of this family tree, click here.
Prologue
Whisper, Utah
June, Five Years Earlier…
The late-morning sun seared everything it touched, inside and out. Blistering heat was doing its best to penetrate the walls of the house, reaching through the thick stone-and-stucco construction to fight with the air-conditioning.
“One last look, just to make sure.”
Eighteen-year-old Ezrielle Paige-Rose spoke the words in a hushed tone even though she was the only person in the house. Despite it being broad daylight outside, she felt as if she were sneaking away in the dead of night, committing some sin or crime that was punishable by death. In a way, she supposed she was.
She was getting ready to run away from home.
Four days ago, she’d turned eighteen. Three days ago, she’d graduated high school with honors. And the day before yesterday, she’d been summoned to her maternal grandfather’s house for a meeting with the family patriarch, Ezra Paige.
A staunchly upright and moral fellow, her grandfather saw things such as imagination and individuality as tools of Satan himself, crimes against God and nature. And since Ezri exhibited symptoms of both heinous personality traits, she and Ezra were commonly at odds with each other.
Upon her arrival, she’d gone to his study only to find him meeting with someone. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Your message said to come directly in.”
Ezra waved her into the room, toward one of the stiff-backed chairs in front of his desk. “Sit down here, girl.”
Swallowing her unease, Ezri did as she was bade. She nodded at the round-faced blond man who had stood upon her arrival, then focused on her grandfather.
With no little pomp and circumstance, Ezra introduced them. “Hansen Imes, this is Ezrielle. Hansen’s a good provider, young lady. He owns nearly fifty acres of land half an hour from here, land with rich pastures and iron-clad water rights.” Ezra waited, expectant.
Perplexed, Ezri gently cleared her throat. “Pleased to meet you, sir,” she told the man, who appeared to be at least ten years older than her, maybe fifteen.
Ezri huffed impatiently. “Ezrielle. Hansen has consented to join the church, and in exchange, we’ve offered him your hand in marriage.”
Horrified, all Ezri could do was turn to stare at the stern-looking man seated beside her and shake her head in denial, then back to Ezra. “Grandfather, no. I won’t—”
“You will!” he thundered, slapping his hands on his desk before standing. He straightened his waistcoat. “Don’t make things difficult, girl. The deal has already been brokered. I’ll announce your betrothal during Sunday morning services. Two weeks from today, you’ll exchange your vows.” He dusted his hands together, coming around the desk, the subject closed in his mind.
“Now, I’ll allow the two of you a few minutes to become acquainted, but the door will remain open. Hansen’s a busy man with a large operation to oversee. And I believe you have an appointment in town with your mother shortly, young lady. Good day.”
Ezri couldn’t breathe. She’d known pressure would be upon her to marry now that she’d graduated from high school, but never in her wildest imaginings had she expected this.
As Hansen opened his mouth, she jumped to her feet and cut him off. “This won’t do. I have to go.”
She left the large house at a near run. By the time she’d reached home, half a block away, she was shaking from both panic and fury.
“He can’t do this to me. He won’t do this to me,” she swore as she crossed the rear driveway and opened the kitchen door. “I won’t let him.”
Eugenia Paige-Rose turned as Ezri entered the kitchen. “How did it go? I’m so excited for you, sweetheart. Isn’t he handsome? I helped pick him, you know.”
The wall behind her was the only reason Ezri was still on her feet. Hands flattened against its hard surface, she sank into its solid support. “Of course you knew.”
Her mother giggled. “Yes, I did. Silly girl. We should head to town now. I don’t want to be late for my doctor’s appointment.” Eugenia laid her hands on her baby bump. “I’m so happy for you. Someday soon, you’ll be the one getting the ultrasounds.”
Her mother left the kitchen, oblivious to—or perhaps uncaring of—Ezri’s distress. Even now, Ezri was never entirely sure whether her mother acted with willful ignorance or cheerful calculation when she wanted something.
It hardly mattered now, though. The trip to town had become more vital than ever before. Desperate and feeling hunted, Ezri went to retrieve her purse.
With any luck, she’d have at least an hour while her mother was in the doctor’s office. She’d use that time to get in touch with her high-school science teacher, Felicity Fannin, and plan an escape.
Over the past two years, she and Ezri had become good friends, with Ezri looking up to Felicity as a mentor and guide. When it had become apparent late in Ezri’s sophomore year in high school that her family found her ideas of going to college to be absurd, she’d gone to Felicity for help.
Having escaped a similar situation herself as a teenager, Felicity understood the stakes. She’d been helping Ezri secretly apply for college and prepare for that journey throughout her entire senior year. Both of them were hoping against hope that Ezri’s parents would acknowledge and respect her choice to leave the life path they’d set for her, and allow her to find her own way in the world.
That had not happened. Quite the opposite, as Hansen’s presence signified.
“And if you can’t get up with her? What then, Ezri?” she whispered as she followed her mother to the car so she could drive Eugenia to town. She didn’t have a car of her own and barely had over five hundred hard-earned dollars to her name. If she didn’t reach Felicity today, she didn’t know what she’d do.
If her grandfather announced her “engagement” to the congregation and Ezri was present, she feared she’d end up going through with the marriage simply to keep from further disappointing her family, even though it was the last thing she wanted.
But luck was with her, and once she’d relayed the update to Felicity, they’d put their oft-discussed contingency plan in place.
Now, two days after her disastrous meeting with her grandfather, Ezri looked around her parents’ house one last time. She was nearly paralyzed with fear. She’d lied to her parents the previous evening and convinced them she was having a horrible time with her period, with violent cramps and even some vomiting. After all, it was often the truth, a well-documented misery.
Her father had been so horrified by the details, he’d readily agreed to allow her to stay home from morning services in order to get her to shut up.
“But you’ll attend this evening,” Dawson Paige-Rose had said as the family, including Ezri’s seven younger siblings, left the house an hour earlier. “Otherwise, your grandfather won’t be pleased, and I won’t have that. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
She surreptitiously watched the family leave, well aware that this was probably the last chance she’d have to see them for some time. She anticipated things would be strained between them, especially at first. But once her parents accepted her decision, once they learned her individuality and desire for independence wasn’t a lark or a slight against them, she hoped they would forgive her for her duplicity.
After all, since she was a few years o
Utterly terrified that something would go wrong—that Felicity wouldn’t arrive before her parents returned from church, that her friend’s car would break down, that Ezra would get wind of Ezri’s plan to escape and try to stop her—it was all she could do not to bite her fingernails bloody while she waited.
But Felicity’s shiny blue convertible pulled up on the street in front of the house just then, five minutes earlier than they’d agreed. The sight of the car brought Ezri to tears. She grabbed her two bags and purse, hesitating long enough to glance around one more time, then hit the door running.
“Toss those in the back. Is that all you’re taking?” Felicity asked as Ezri dashed to the car.
“Yes. We need to go. Someone might see us.” Her gaze flickered nervously around the neighborhood, feeling fifty pairs of eyes boring into her. Most everyone living in this section of Whisper was family or church members or both.
She tried to shake off the feeling of being watched as she buckled her seatbelt, knowing full well that everyone who would care that she was leaving was mostly likely at the church ten miles away. “Did you get the ticket?”
Felicity handed her a thick envelope as she pulled away from the curb and sped off, kicking up a dust cloud behind them. “It’s a long bus ride, nearly forty-eight hours. You’ll board in Parowan, and you’ll have to make two transfers. But you’ll be safely ensconced with my aunt Cecelia in Knoxville by Tuesday evening. Cece is overjoyed that you’ll be joining her.”
Ezri stared down at the envelope’s contents, stunned. There was a thousand dollars in large and small bills inside, along with the bus ticket.
“Felicity…”
Her former teacher waved a hand. “Don’t you dare try to do something foolish like refuse the money. You need it, Ezri. It’s your insurance policy. Cece is more than happy to have you as a boarder, but in case that doesn’t work out, if the two of you don’t get along, you need something to fall back on. Are you wearing your money belt?”
Unable to speak around the lump in her throat, Ezri nodded.
“Good girl. Put that in there, then. Remember, do it like I told you—spread the bills out so they don’t make a big lump. Thieves will look out for that.”
“And put some in my socks, as well. I remember. The money for the ticket…”
“Isn’t anything you need to worry about right now. If it makes you feel better, consider this a loan to be paid back when you’re truly able. Or pay it forward someday, help someone out who’s in a similar situation. That would mean more to me than cold, hard cash.” Felicity’s mouth tightened. “Being able to help you means everything to me, knowing you have a decent start at a future. So many girls don’t, even in this day and age. Did you leave letters so they know you’re going of your own free will?”
“Yes, ma’am, for all the good that will do me.” She was terrified her family would come after her, to sabotage her scholarship and college plans. Not that they would force her into doing something like marrying Hansen. Instead, she feared she wouldn’t be able to stand up against their combined wills if push came to shove.
The drive from tiny Whisper, just outside of Leeds, Utah, up the interstate to Parowan, took close to an hour. Even though her head was spinning, Ezri didn’t have a minute to think about what she was doing. There were too many things to go over with Felicity, too many mental boxes that needed checking.
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll forward your mail to Cece’s,” Felicity said. They’d been using Felicity’s address for all the paperwork related to Ezri’s college application process. “You have all your papers, right? I know I asked you that Friday when you called, but I want to double-check. I probably should have asked that before we left.” She grimaced.
Ezri patted the money belt around her waist, disguised beneath her oversized shirt, with hands that shook. “Everything is here—birth certificate, social security card, a copy of my driver’s license.”
There was also the money she’d scraped together over the last couple of years, once it became clear she was going to have to make her own way. It was a pitiful amount, comparatively speaking, but combined with the money Felicity had given her, it should be more than enough to get Ezri started.
“And your acceptance letters, all your financial aid forms?” Felicity glanced at her. “Cece’s friend works in the admissions office there at Pellissippi State, and she’s aware of the broader picture of your situation, that you’re an independent student. Her name is Gloria, and if you need anything, you can go to her. She knows the system inside, out, and sideways, and she can work it to your advantage.”
By the time they reached the bus stop in Parowan, the adrenaline rush that had powered Ezri for most of the morning was wearing off. She wouldn’t feel completely safe until she reached Knoxville, and possibly not even then, but the tightness in her chest was easing a bit, too.
“Do you have any food?” Felicity asked.
“Yes. I have some energy bars in my purse, and I stashed a few things in my carry-on bag. Water, too, a couple of large bottles.”
“Good. Be careful about leaving your carry-on alone and don’t take food or drinks from strangers. Is your phone charged?”
Ezri nodded. “And I have one of those external batteries that I can use, too.” They’d added a line on Felicity’s plan for her until she could get on her feet. She looked across the parking lot and swallowed hard. “I didn’t expect to feel this sad.”
Felicity’s smile reflected her own remembered heartache. “I didn’t either, when I left. But there it was, sadness and regret. I’m sorry things have to be like this for you. I wish your family could see your potential and your worth outside your childbearing and wifely abilities. Maybe someday they’ll come around.”
“I hope so.” But Ezri was secretly afraid they wouldn’t. “It might take a while, though. I want to be a wife and mother someday, but I want it to be my choice who and when, not theirs.”
Once she had checked in and handed over her large bag to the baggage porter, she turned to Felicity. “I don’t have words to describe how much this means to me.”
The older woman pulled her in for a tight hug. “Sweetie, I know well how it feels to be in your shoes. You don’t have to tell me. We’ll keep in touch. You have e-mail, and we can write letters. There’s the phone, at least twenty apps we can use to communicate, and I make it back to Knoxville occasionally. This isn’t goodbye.”
Ezri clung to her for a moment longer, needing the connection. “Are you sure you’ll be all right when they come asking you about me?”
Felicity’s eyes reflected a steel-willed determination. “I’m more than prepared to handle anything Ezra Paige can throw at me. Let them try their worst. There’s no history of violence in the family, and I have some friends in high-up places who have no patience for your grandfather’s brand of shenanigans, if it comes to that. I’m looking forward to that battle. Never doubt it.”
“I should be the one fighting it,” Ezri told her quietly. “I’m sorry to dump it on you.”
“Hush. You have enough on your plate, young lady. I’m an old tiger who’s used to coming up against men like your grandfather.”
Ezri laughed—Felicity was only fifteen years older than her. “Old tiger, my foot.”
Felicity squeezed her shoulders. “Sweet girl. All you need to worry about is being happy and safe. Go make me proud, Ezri. Go find your life. I’ll see you before too long, maybe at Thanksgiving.”
There was nothing much left to say or do other than board the bus that would take her clear across the country. Resisting the urge to run home with her tail between her legs, she turned and boarded the bus. Twenty minutes later, they were on the road.
With every passing mile, she was closer to the future she’d chosen for herself and farther away from that which had been decided for her. She clung to that knowledge, trying to ignore the heartache that threatened to overwhelm her, the uncertainty about being truly alone for the first time in her life.
