Big Sky Dreams

Vivian - Chapter 31

Vivian had spent the night tossing and turning, physically tired but her mind just wouldn't stop.  The phone call with Burke had not helped.  She didn't know quite what she was thinking, asking him about his past when she wasn't including him in her present.  But she knew firsthand how men hid darkness until it was too late.

The fear and uncertainty of where Steven was messed with her head.  Was he in town? Had he really tracked her down?  Her new mailing address was listed as Moss Agate Springs, but all her mail went to a post office box.  What happened if he went to the local bar last night and asked around about her?  She hadn't really made any friends in the time since she had moved, but people knew that she had bought the place.  Would anyone try to let her know if he was asking around?

Refusing to let the stress and worry get to her, she got up.  Her plan for the day was to send Ellie and Matt off with a backpack, lunch, and one of the walkies she had picked up in town to explore their land.  At best, it wasn't a very well thought out plan, but while they had made friends, none had made the effort to invite them anywhere.  But, hopefully they could spend some time at the pond and explore their land a bit more.  It was going to be a lovely day for it, warm and clear out.

Heading into the kitchen, she caught herself checking the camera app on her phone every few minutes, despite knowing that it would chime an alert if the camera was activated.  Shaking her head and chiding herself, she focused on making coffee and then packing the backpacks for the kids.  Once they were out, she would be able to concentrate more on what she needed to do.

***

The time crept on as the sun dragged itself across the sky.  The kids and Pax had left an hour or so before with strict instructions to not go swimming at the pond, even though they both were competent swimmers.  Vivian had asked them to check in every so often on the walkie, but so far they had only done so once.  She didn't want to worry them by checking in too often, so she resisted the urge to ask if they were okay.

Busying herself with work, Vivian felt her nerves fraying at every noise the house made.  The camera at the entrance to the driveway still had not activated, and Steve had not texted her yet that day.  But she knew that he was on his way.  The dark slithering sensation that made the skin of her back crawl was her intuition telling her that danger was drawing near.

Pushing back from her desk, Vivian strode to the window and looked out, her hands braced on her hips and her feet wide, a power position she hoped would give her more confidence.  Glaring out at the beautiful day, she snorted at herself, an unladylike noise her grandmother would have chided her for.  Refusing to cower in the house until he showed up, Vivian turned from the window and headed downstairs.

Normally, Vivian would wear her muck boots out to the barn, but today she decided to go with her hiking boots.  They wouldn't be as easy to run in as sneakers, but they would provide some protection from the uneven ground if she needed to run.  A looser pair of jeans and a t-shirt would allow her to move freely while her hair was secured to her head in a tight bun.  As ready as she was going to get, Vivian went to the barn.  The mares would be wanting their morning grain.  She figured she would have a two-minute warning to get back to the house if Steve triggered the camera at the entrance to her driveway.  Plenty of time to drop everything and get back inside the house.

Keeping her phone where she could see it, she mixed up the grain for the mares, meticulously adding in the correct supplements for each of them.  They had made some good progress in the week since she had first brought them home, and she looked forward to working with them more closely.  Rushing to give them their grain, she still took a moment to touch each of the girls, to get them used to her presence.

As she worked, Vivian struggled to think of anyone else she could call to help her.  Burke was obviously at the top of her list, followed by Hunter, but in keeping to herself in the time since she had moved to Moss Agate, no one had really reached out to her.  She wasn't particularly religious, so she didn't have a church family, the kids' teachers were only distant acquaintances, and she hadn't gotten around to networking with any of the other accountants or CPA's in the area.  She supposed that the people who saw her the most were the cashiers at the grocery store and the feed store.  

Taking the time to stroke Dorothy's cheek, Vivian startled as her phone chimed.  Unlocking her phone, she opened the camera app as blood began to drain from her face.  An unknown car had just pulled into her driveway.  Bolting for the house, she mentally went over her preparations.

Steve was here.

It was showtime.