Katie swiped at her eyes, her fingers slick with salty tears. She could barely breathe but the words kept coming. “She started to steal money from his wallet. Never more than a dollar or two, because otherwise he would notice. Normally, he locked his wallet up at night, but sometimes, he would forget. It took so long to get enough money for her to escape. Because that’s what she had to do. Escape. She had to go someplace where he would never find her, because she knew he wouldn’t stop searching for her. And she couldn’t tell anyone anything, because her family was gone and she knew the police wouldn’t do anything. If he so much as suspected anything, he would kill her. So she stole and saved and found coins in the sofa cushions and in the washing machine. She hid the money in a plastic bag that she put beneath a flowerpot, and every time he went outside she was sure he would find it. It took so long to get the money she needed because she had to have enough to get far away so that he’d never find her. So that she could start over again.”
Katie wasn’t aware of when it had happened, but she realized that Jo had taken her hand and she was no longer watching herself from across the room. She could taste salt on her lips and imagined that her soul was leaking out. She wanted desperately to sleep.
In the silence Jo continued to hold her gaze. “Your friend has a lot of courage,” she said quietly.
“No,” Katie said. “My friend is scared all the time.”
“That’s what courage is. If she weren’t scared, she wouldn’t need courage in the first place. I admire what she did.” Jo gave her hand a squeeze. “I think I’d like your friend. I’m glad you told me about her.”
Katie glanced away, feeling utterly drained. “I probably shouldn’t have told you all that.”
Jo shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry too much. One thing you’ll learn about me is that I’m good with secrets. Especially when it comes to people I don’t know, right?”
Katie nodded. “Right.”
Jo stayed with Katie for another hour, but steered the conversation toward easier ground. Katie talked about working at Ivan’s and some of the customers she was getting to know. Jo asked about the best way to get the paint out from under her fingernails. With the wine gone, Katie’s dizziness began to fade, leaving in its wake a sense of exhaustion. Jo, too, began to yawn, and they finally rose from the table. Jo helped Katie clean up, though there wasn’t much to do aside from washing a couple of dishes, and Katie walked her to the door.
As Jo stepped onto the porch, she paused. “I think we had a visitor,” she said.
“What are you talking about?”
“There’s a bicycle leaning against your tree.”
Katie followed her outside. Beyond the yellow glow of the porch light, the world was dark and the outlines of the distant pine trees reminded Katie of the ragged edge of a black hole. Fireflies mimicked the stars, twinkling and blinking, and Katie squinted, realizing that Jo was right.
“Whose bicycle is that?” Katie asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Did you hear anyone come up?”
“No. But I think someone left it for you. See?” She pointed. “Isn’t that a bow on the handlebars?”
Katie squinted, spotting the bow. A woman’s bike, it had wire baskets on each side of the rear wheel, as well as another wire basket on the front. A chain was wrapped loosely around the seat, with the key still in the lock. “Who would bring me a bicycle?”
“Why do you keep asking me these questions? I don’t know what’s going on any more than you do.”
Katie and Jo stepped off the porch. Though the puddles had largely vanished, sinking into the sandy loam, the grass held on to the rain and dampened the tips of her shoes as Katie moved through it. She touched the bicycle, then the bow, rubbing the ribbon between her fingers like a rug merchant. A card was tucked beneath it, and Katie reached for it.
“It’s from Alex,” she said, sounding baffled.
“Alex the store guy Alex, or another Alex?”
“The store guy.”
“What does it say?”
Katie shook her head, trying to make sense of it before holding it out. I thought you might enjoy this.
Jo tapped the note. “I guess that means he’s as interested in you as you are in him.”
“I’m not interested in him!”
“Of course not.” Jo winked. “Why would you be?”
Alex was sweeping the floor near the coolers when Katie entered the store. He had guessed that she would show up to talk to him about the bicycle first thing in the morning. After leaning the broom handle against the glass, he retucked his shirt and ran a quick hand through his hair. Kristen had been waiting for her all morning and she’d already popped up before the door had even closed.
“Hey, Miss Katie!” Kristen said. “Did you get the bicycle?”
“I did. Thank you,” Katie answered. “That’s why I’m here.”
“We worked really hard on it.”
“You did a great job,” she said. “Is your dad around?”
“Uh-huh. He’s right over there.” She pointed. “He’s coming.”
Alex watched as Katie turned toward him.
“Hey, Katie,” he said.
When he was close, she crossed her arms. “Can I talk to you outside for a minute?”
He could hear the coolness in her voice and knew she was doing her best not to show her anger in front of Kristen.
“Of course,” he said, reaching for the door. Pushing it open, he followed her outside and found himself admiring her figure as she headed toward the bicycle.
Stopping near the bike, she turned to face him. In the front basket was the umbrella she’d borrowed the day before. She patted the seat, her face serious. “Can I ask what this is about?”
“Do you like it?”
“Why did you buy it for me?”
“I didn’t buy it for you,” he said.
She blinked. “But your note…”
He shrugged. “It’s been in the shed collecting dust for the last couple of years. Believe me, the last thing I’d do is buy you a bicycle.”
Her eyes flashed. “That’s not the point! You keep giving me things and you’ve got to stop. I don’t want anything from you. I don’t need an umbrella or vegetables or wine. And I don’t need a bike!”
“Then give it away.” He shrugged. “Because I don’t want it, either.”
She fell silent and he watched as confusion gave way to frustration, then finally futility. In the end, she shook her head and turned to leave. Before she could take a step, he cleared his throat. “Before you go, though, would you at least do me the favor of listening to my explanation?”
She glared at him over her shoulder. “It doesn’t matter.”