Off the Grid Read online

  “Is that the lie you tell yourself to keep from feeling bad about your single status?”

  Lilac bit her tongue. She would not stoop to this harlot’s level.

  Alex huffed. “Thought so.” She brushed past her. “Oh my God, Thorn. I was so worried about you,” she cooed. “I just had to come and see for myself that you were okay and being taken care of.”

  Sure, come on in. She closed the door behind her, gagging on the overpowering stench of vanilla musk.

  “Alexa? What are you doing here?” Thorn asked. He sounded genuinely surprised to see her. It was a bonus.

  “I told you. Once I heard about the snake bite I just had to come here,” Alexa said, laying it on thick.

  “Funny, you didn’t want to do that for the report.”

  “What? That wasn’t me, it was Peter and Lilac. She’s after my job, and she’ll do anything to get it.” Alexa glared over her shoulder and curled her upper lip. She turned to Thorn and pouted.

  “She saved my life,” he deadpanned.

  “Of course she did. She’s not homicidal.”

  Her stomach worked itself into knots. The easy dismissal crawled under Lilac’s skin. She straightened to her full five foot eleven inches and slipped her feet into her moccasins.

  “I’m going to check on a few things outside so you can talk.”

  “No, I want you to hear this,” Thorn demanded. “Whatever games you want to play, Alexa, you can count me out. I’ve had enough of the run around from you to last a lifetime. We were never committed to one another. I thought we might be able to try for more, but you showed me with startling clarity how wrong I was. For that I’m grateful. It saved me from wasting my time, again.”

  “Baby, you never said you wanted to be serious,” Alexa whined.

  “And now I don’t, so you can keep your pet names to yourself.”

  “What did she tell you?” Alexa nearly hissed the words.

  “Nothing I didn’t already know. You and Peter are more than boss and worker, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah, but it’s nothing serious. It’s never been,” Alexa said with a wave of her hand. The flippant gesture chilled Lilac to the marrow. No one should be so careless with another person’s heart. You never knew what they might do. Love was an emotional thing that blinded people to faults, and caused irrational behavior.

  “And that’s exactly why in the long run we’d never work. We don’t see things the same way. I wonder if we ever really did.”

  “Wait, what are you saying? Have those antibiotics scrambled your brains? Because it sounds like you’re choosing that thief over me.”

  “You should watch the words you throw around. I didn’t steal anything. Peter gave me this job,” Lilac said, taking up for herself for the first time against her workplace bully.

  Alexa scoffed. “Why would he do that? I know you must’ve begged and pleaded. Maybe you were extra persuasive.”

  “No, I don’t get ahead on my back, unlike others I won’t even draw attention to by naming. I told him the truth. I’m the best reporter there and if he didn’t give me better I’d walk. It’s pretty evident he agreed, because he assigned me to this last minute as a way to prove I could work under pressure with little notice. I know you think the world revolves around you, but this time you’re mistaken. My only competition is myself. If you’re going to call me out of my name, you’d best make sure I did what you’re accusing me of. ’Cause as of today, I’m done taking your shit. You want to act all high and mighty, do it elsewhere with someone else.”

  Alexa’s mouth flopped open and shut like a fish trying to breathe out of water. “Wow. You came out in the woods and decided to grow a spine? How quaint. You might want to remember who the queen bee is when you come back to reality.”

  Lilac laughed. “Oh, honey, bless your heart. You’re not even the queen. That’s a legitimate title recognized by all. You’re just the concubine of the king, the illegitimate thing on the side he tries to appease and keep warm and waiting in his bed. I thought you knew that.” She clucked her tongue. “It’s always so sad when silly girls get their feelings hurt.”

  “You bitch,” Alexa hisses.

  “If the title fits I’ll wear it with a crown and a sash,” Lilac said with a shrug. It felt good to unleash the years of pent up aggression.

  “Do you see how spiteful she is, Thorn? These are her true colors.”

  “Looks to me like she spoke her mind. I don’t know what you came here looking for, Alexa, but you won’t find it. I assure you, if you speak ill of my woman again in my presence, we’re going to have a serious problem.”

  His woman? Her stomach fluttered. Emotions swirled inside of her like a tornado.

  “Your woman?” Alexa asked.

  “Did I stutter?”

  “No. But I-I thought—”

  “You thought wrong. Now as you can see, I’m just fine. My woman got me to the hospital in plenty of time and has graciously volunteered to care for me until I’m back on my feet. So while I appreciate your concern, I’ll have to ask you to leave as I was told to relax and rest.”

  Alexa stood; her dazed expression and blank stare reminded Lilac of a living doll. She turned and slowly trudged away with slumped shoulders and downcast eyes. The phrase slunk off like a dog with its tail between its legs surfaced in her head. She’d never seen the beautiful blonde look so defeated. She almost felt bad for her … almost.

  The front door shut and Lilac placed her hands on her hip. “Your woman?”

  “Seemed right, don’t you think?”

  “You weren’t going to ask me?”

  “I was, but her appearance forced my timetable up. There was no way in hell I was going to let her think she ran anything around here, or that insulting you was okay.” He shook his head passionately. “You do want to be my woman, don’t you, my girl? At this point I can’t imagine life without you.”

  “Is that so, Mr. Finch?” she asked.

  “It is indeed, Ms. Fehr.”

  “What are we going to do about that?”

  “We’re going to have ourselves a courting,” Thorn said.

  The words made her belly tingle. He was going to do this right.

  “You going to talk to my daddy, Thorn Finch?”

  “I am. I know you’re a grown woman, but he’s a traditional type of fella, and I’d rather not piss him off this early on.”

  “Why not?” she whispered.

  “’Cause I plan on being there for the long haul, darling.”

  “You want to be more specific?”

  “Mark my words, Lilac Fehr, you and I will be walking down the aisle before too long.”

  “Those are some big words.”

  “And I mean them.”

  Warmth spread through her body like the aftereffect of a good dram of whiskey. Things were accelerating at an insane rate, but she couldn’t deny the rightness.

  “You want that with me, Li?”

  Covering her hot cheeks with her palms, she nodded. “I do.”

  “Then we’ll have it. For now, I want to enjoy the rest of the day with my woman uninterrupted.”

  ***

  “We have so much to talk about,” Cece said, handing her a cup of coffee. Lilac laughed as she sank down onto the comfy cream-colored sofa in her best friend’s apartment.

  “I suppose we do.”

  “You’re freaking glowing, so I know more than building campfires and collecting nuts and berries went down. Dish, woman.”

  “Thorn and I are seeing each other.”

  “W-what?” Cece sputtered as she choked on her coffee.

  Lilac patted her on the back. “You think you’re surprised?”

  “What the hell happened out there in the words, Lilac?”

  “Nothing short of magic and I truly believe God’s work. On the outside, we don’t make any sense, but together we fit.”

  “You sure it wasn’t a serious dick down that made you read too far into things?”

&nbs
p; Lilac giggled. “No. He stood up for me against Alexa, Cece. Sent her out of the cabin with a dismissal worthy of a king.”

  “Good. Jesus. Have you told anyone else?”

  “No. I want to get the story out there first and figure out the right way to break the news to my dad.”

  “It’s a good thing he lives out there. It’ll keep Daddy Fehr from killing him.”

  “Oh stop. You’re awful.”

  “I’m serious as a heart attack. When does this article come out?” Cece asked.

  “Another month or so.”

  “How did tall, weird, and bearded win your heart over?” Cece asked.

  “He doesn’t have the beard anymore.”

  “Oh, that explains so much.”

  “Shut up, I’m not that shallow. Under his gruff exterior he is still very much that boy from high school. He’s sweet, strong, and funny. We had so much common ground it was a natural progression for it to develop into more. Plus, the attraction is insane.”

  “And the sex?” Cece asked, leaning in.

  “Mind blowing.”

  “Damn, sounds like a keeper, Lilac.”

  “I really think he is.”

  “Only you could go off the grid and find love.”

  “Am I crazy, Cece?”

  “No more than the rest of us. We all just want to find that someone who makes the insanity of the world make sense, and our flaws seem like pluses. If he does that for you, I’m happy. I can’t give my blessing until I see the two of you together, but you know I support you no matter what.”

  “I do know that. It’s one of the many reasons why I love you. Enough about me. What did I miss while I was gone?” she asked.

  “I got the bid on the hotel remodeling job.”

  “Oh, Cece, that is fantastic! Congratulations.” As an interior designer, a franchise contract meant big bucks, and freedom to splurge because of the budget. It was a designer’s dream come true. The sparkle in her friend’s eyes was nearly blinding.

  “Thank you. I can’t wait to get started. There’s a new investor interested in bringing a little tourism into town. I think it’d be a great move for us. He seems to really like the rustic, authentic feel we have going, so I’m hopeful he won’t try to change us too much. You know I’d never take the gig If he was trying to pull a corporate takeover.” She sneered.

  “I can’t wait to see what you work up for samples.”

  “He wants to do a country chic take, so you know I’m in heaven, right?” Cece placed a hand over her heart.

  “When do you start?”

  “I’ll begin mock ups next week. It’s a whole new ballgame looking at things now. Don’t get me wrong, I love decorating people’s homes, but this is insane. There are so many different things to choose from with higher price points, and much more is expected in terms of execution and choosing what the client is looking for.”

  “You’ve always been excellent at reading people, so I have no doubt you’ll knock this out the box.”

  “Thank you, love. Have you begun working on your big article?”

  “You know me, I have my main points written out on note cards. I learned so much it was hard to condense.”

  “You look incredible. You weren’t kidding when you said it did your body good to get out there and put in some manual labor.”

  “You should try it some time.”

  “Um no, I’m good. I’ll stick to my runs and Zumba,” Cece said.

  “You are so a city girl at heart.”

  “You take that back,” Cece said.

  “Nope.”

  Cece slapped her with a pillow and the epic battle was on. They ended up a winded, laughing heap in front of the couch on their backs breathing heavily. The best friendships were the ones that never really changed, no matter how many years rolled by.

  ***

  Thorn

  He wasn’t a man who scared easily, but standing in front of the two-story brick home, he was terrified. He rang the doorbell, and waited for what felt like an eternity before the door opened.

  “Mr. Finch?”

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Fehr.” He offered up the bouquet of fall flowers. “These are for you.”

  “Can I safely assume you’re not here to steal my wife from me?”

  The rich tenor made him stand up straight. Despite being in his late sixties, Jebediah Fehr was an imposing man. Slender with broad shoulders, and dark eyes that could stop you in your tracks, he was the main hurtle to be jumped if he wanted permanency with Lilac.

  “Yes, sir. I’m here about courting your daughter.”

  “Let him in, Mother. We don’t want the neighbors wagging their tongues or accusing us of being inhospitable.”

  “Come on in, Thorn,” Mrs. Fehr said. The tall woman with kind eyes, a bright smile, and soft voice winked. He could see Lilac in them both. From her heart-shaped face to her rich skin tone, smile, and straight nose. An ally!

  “We’ll take coffee in my office if you don’t mind, Mother.”

  “I’ll add a little snack, too. Thank you for the flowers, Thorn,” she said before she veered off to what he assumed was the kitchen. He had to bite his tongue to keep from calling her back as he followed the silent man into his lair. They stepped into a room full of bookcases and a large mahogany desk. It was clear to see this room had gotten a lot of TLC. From the pictures of his children growing up to the expensive black leather chairs on either side of the desk. As an accountant it made sense that Mr. Fehr would want to be comfortable.

  “I can’t fault your manners, boy. What I’m more concerned about are your intentions and your worth. You started off on the right foot. Try not to go downhill from here.”

  “I want to marry your daughter, sir. Anything other than forever with her won’t do.”

  Mr. Fehr nodded. “Keep talking.”

  “I don’t need to tell you Lilac is intelligent, sweet, encouraging, funny, and beautiful, but I will, because I want you to know she’s the most precious thing in the world to me. She literally saved my life when she got me to the hospital after a snake bite. But she saved my soul when she showed me women like her still existed in the world. I’d all but given up on finding someone to build my life with.”

  “And what kind of life are you looking to have?”

  “One she and I will decide together. I have enough money to take care of her and any children who’ll eventually come after marriage, of course. I’m honest enough to tell you even if I don’t procure your blessing, I’m going to keep dating her, because I can’t imagine life without her. She’s a beacon of light in a very dark world, Mr. Fehr.

  “That she is, my boy. I’m glad to hear you can see it. You don’t think this declaration is a bit premature?”

  “At my age, you know what you want and what you don’t.”

  “And what exactly do you want?

  “A woman who can love me flaws and all.”

  “And you think that one woman is Lilac?”

  “I know it is. I spent a lot of time praying for my future wife, and then she appeared unexpectedly on my doorstop. I didn’t want to believe it at first. I made a right ass of myself and she put me back in my place real quick.”

  Mr. Fehr laughed. “Oh yes. Like her mother, she won’t let you get away with anything. So you’d best get used to it if you plan on being a part of the family.”

  A series of knocks came at the door.

  “Come on in, Mother.”

  Mrs. Fehr walked in with slices of pound cake, a black carafe of coffee, sugar, and creamer on a tray. She set the spread out on the desk between them.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Fehr.”

  “Thank you, Mother.”

  “You boys are welcome.”

  She left the room with a cheery grin.

  “I like that you came to me to ask my permission. I’ve never heard much bad about you. But your ways seem odd to me. Why come home and seclude yourself?”

  “Because I needed time to discover who
I was going to be. The military changes a man, and while I love our town, I couldn’t be the small-town boy they once knew. I had to forge a new way and heal from the taxing job I’d been doing for ten years. It was something I needed solitude to do.”

  “Fair enough, my boy. And now?”

  “I’m not secluded, I’m running a business. One that’s doing well, and in order for that trend to continue I had to be willing to put in hard work. My home might be off the grid, but it has everything needed to keep her comfortable. The only throwback is the outhouse, and that could be changed if she wished. I’m willing to compromise as long as it means having her in my life.”

  “I want you to remember that I’m an old man. My life has been lived, and I have three strapping boys to take care of their mother if need be. I have no problems killing you should you hurt my flower. Cream and sugar?”

  Thorn gulped. “Black is fine, thank you.” He knew from experience the men who talked of things casually were the ones who could pull them off. “I understand, sir. I never want to hurt her.”

  “I believe you, son. That’s why I’m going to give you my blessing. I want to see my Lilac happy, and we both want grandbabies. Lord knows we’d die waiting for the boys to give us any. “

  Thorn laughed and took a sip of his coffee.

  “One more thing, son. Does my daughter know you’re here right now?”

  “No. I felt this was something that needed to happen between us.”

  Mr. Fehr nodded. “I agree. I’m old-fashioned, but there’s nothing wrong with that. It worked just fine for my generation.”

  They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they drank their coffees and he got the feeling he was really going to enjoy having him for a father-in-law.

  ***

  He felt almost silly as he lit the candles in the middle of the fancy white tablecloth covered table. His mom assured him Lilac would love it, but he was so far out of his depth it wasn’t funny. They’d slowly integrated one another in with their family members. His brothers couldn’t stop giving him shit, and neither could hers for that matter, but she was adored by the Finches. They’d kept the number of people who knew about their relationship small as they awaited the upcoming article. Today was a huge milestone. He’d be free to speak about her.