Meant To Be (Coming Home To The Grove 2)

So this morning I walk into Patty Cakes excited to see her.

“I gave her the day off,” Patty says. Instead of smiling and her usually happy self, Patty actually looks mad.

“Is she okay?” I ask her.

She grunts at me and turns to help the next customer.

I try Carrie’s cell phone again, but she doesn’t answer, so now I’m really starting to get worried.

Thinking she might be sick, I get back in line to get some soup to take to her. “Can I get some soup to go, please?”

Patty dishes it up and puts it into a bag, her movements jerky. She holds the bag out of my reach. “Carrie’s too good for you, and you were lucky to have dated her.” She shoves the bag at me. “Here, free of charge. I hope you choke on it. Leave Carrie alone.”

“What are you talking about? What’s going on? Where is Carrie?” I ask her question after question. My whole body is tense, and I know I need to see Carrie. Whatever has happened, we can work this out.

“Carrie knows you’ve been telling all your cop friends that she disgusts you and that you’re trying to further your career by dating the daughter of a close friend of the governor.”

I don’t even deny it I’m so shocked by such an outlandish, crazy theory. I’m speechless.

Patty ladles up another serving of soup and holds it up. “Now go and get out of here before I decide you should wear it instead of choking on it.”CarrieI’ve cried more than I ever have before. More than should be humanly possible. I hate that I fell so hard and so fast for Scott.

But who could blame me really? He seemed like such a genuine guy. I still have trouble wrapping my head around what happened.

I freeze up when I hear my bedroom door open. My mom and dad both have been in and out checking on me. I feel my mom settle on the bed next to me. Her hand goes to my back and she starts to rub it like she did when I was just a child. “I’m so proud of you for being such a strong independent woman who knows who you are and what you want. Even though Scott turned out to be a dud, he helped you find your confidence to stand up to me when I was wrong… Don’t let him take that from you now.”

I sit up and hug my mom tight, feeling a little stronger, but it still hurts. I never knew something could hurt so bad.ScottEnough is enough. It’s been three days, and this ends today.

I get out of the cruiser and approach Carrie’s parents’ house. Donald comes out of the house before I even reach the door with his hands fisted at his sides and anger all over his face. “Get off my property.”

I hold my hands up in front of me. “Carrie was lied to, and I just want the chance to talk to her.”

Her father refuses. “I’m not allowing you to hurt her any more than you already have. You need to leave.”

Donald obviously doesn’t care that I’m the sheriff of this town. He only sees a man that has hurt his daughter. I’m desperate to talk to her, but she won’t answer my calls, and she hasn’t been back to the bakery in three days. I’m going to lose her if I don’t do something.

When I don’t budge, Donald pulls his cell phone from his pocket. “I’m going to call the state police to come and physically remove you, which we both know will cost you in the next election.”

But I don’t move. “I don’t care about the election. I care about Carrie. Do what you have to do, but I’m not leaving until I’ve spoken with her face to face.”

Her father hits the send button and has the phone to his ear, but I’m not leaving.

Carrie comes out of the house and takes the phone from her dad, ending the call. “I can handle this.”

Her father doesn’t go into the house, and her mom comes out onto the front porch and stands behind Carrie at her husband’s side.

She walks toward me, stopping out of reach. “I don’t care, Scott. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. You lie, and you lie, and you lie. I’m done listening.”

Her words gut me, but I’m drawn to her, wanting to be closer, and I take a step toward her. “Carrie, I wasn’t lying to you. Listen to me.”

She puts her hand out, stopping me. “I deserve to be treated better, and I don’t deserve to be talked about the way you talked about me. No apology is going to make up for that kind of disrespect and personal betrayal. Nothing.” Her last note ends on a sob, and I swear I can feel my heart breaking in two, knowing what she’s going through.