You Can't Hide by Theresa Sneed (uplifting novels TXT) 📕

Nancy. Millie seemed to guess her thoughts. “Yeah, we leave the keys in the carts usually, but you can keep them in your purse, too.”

Wendy was just leaving her pink cabin when they pulled up. “Hi, girls.”

“Hi, Wendy. Hey, do you have a moment?”

Wendy glanced down at her watch. “Writing group is in thirty minutes. Sure. What’s up?” She gestured to a bench in the front of her cabin beneath a large oak tree.

Millie gave her the note. “This was left at Nancy’s cabin.”

Wendy looked down at it. “It doesn’t surprise me, after last night’s revelations.” She gave Nancy a knowing look. “I mean, you had to almost expect it.”

Nancy wasn’t pleased with her answer, though the non-urgency in her voice somewhat calmed her nerves. “You know who wrote this?”

“Oh, yes,” she said, without hesitancy.

Relieved, a small puff of air escaped Nancy’s throat. “Well?” she pressed.

Wendy pursed her lips tight. “I can’t tell you, Nancy. No more than I could confirm who you are to anyone.” She shrugged when Millie looked her way. “It’s her right to remain private just as much as it is yours.”

“But she left this at her cabin.” Millie interjected.

“Yes, after Nancy confirmed her speculations.”

“You mean, she knew all along?”

Wendy nodded. “Yes, she did.”

“Oh.”

“And your identity is still intact. She’d never tell a soul.”

“So, why did she leave me this message?”

Wendy paused. “I can’t speak for her, but I’m betting, by the looks of this note, that she might not even remember that she left it for you.”

“Oh.”

“So,” she said standing. “Are you coming with us to writing group?”

“I had been planning on it.”

“Oh, come on Nancy,” Millie said, “Wendy says the woman probably doesn’t even remember any of it.”

“Well, except for my outburst, I’m sure she won’t forget that.”

“Trust me,” Wendy said. “This woman would be mortified if she remembered writing this letter, and knowing her the way I do, I doubt it very much that she will. You can be assured that your secret is safe, for as long as you want it to remain so. But seriously, it wouldn’t do you any harm to tell everyone who you are, and what you’ve experienced.” She patted her arm. “In fact, it might do you a world of good.”

“I suppose.”

“Good.”

“No, wait. I don’t mean I’m going to, but it would be nice to have someone to talk to about it . . . I think,” she added, not sure why she’d say such a thing. She didn’t want to talk about it at all.

“Come to writing group with us. You don’t have to stay—just give it a try.” Wendy gestured to the lodge which was next to her cabin.

“Yeah, come on, Nancy,” Millie said, tugging on her arm.

“Um, okay,” she stuttered. She would do what Wendy had just said, give it a try, and then leave. She followed them up the steps of the lodge.

She imagined it to be like one of those therapy groups she’d visited shortly after her escape from Merrick, and she shuddered. Sitting around in a circle and listening to both men and women talk about their lives had only heightened her fears.

The lodge was bigger than she’d originally thought. They passed through several large rooms and out the other side of the lodge into an inner courtyard interspersed with trees and flowers. Just having the walls of the courtyard surrounding her, gave a sense of safety and protection from the outside world. She wondered if that had been the intention in its design—a safe haven within a sanctuary.

In the middle of the courtyard, a few women had gathered, some she’d already met, others she’d never seen before. A soft melody played from hidden speakers—Bach, Nancy thought. Two women sat at a long, wooden table painted white. It was old, but its dents and scratches added a definite character to it, as if it belonged there, perfectly fitting into its outdoor setting.

In the middle of the table, a pile of letters lay haphazardly tossed in a heap, and she wondered how anyone could receive mail at a private facility. She’d thought that the location was undisclosed, almost top secret. Maybe I’m wrong, she thought. Wendy and Millie were engaged in conversation with some of the women who had just entered the courtyard. Nancy stood still, not sure of what to do. After a few minutes, it was obvious that they’d forgotten her. She could easily slip away, but yet, something about the place captivated her.

No one seemed to notice as she strolled the courtyard, exploring its fountains, benches, and private nooks hidden beneath its massive willows. “This place is great,” she whispered. Parting the feathery-veined leaves hanging almost to the ground, she peered under one of the willows. A young woman sat beneath its boughs, reading a book. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

The woman smiled and closed to the book. “No need to be.” Extending her hand, she said, “I’m Gem.”

She shook Gem’s hand and then pulled her hand back. “I’m Nancy.”

She grinned. “Hi, Nancy.”

She seemed to already know her name, but that was probably just more of Nancy’s wrongful conclusions.

Gem glanced at her watch. “Oh, dear, Sofia frowns on tardiness.” With a wave, she pushed passed Nancy, through the long, thin leaves. She looked back. “Come along.”

Nancy followed her to the white table, which now had six women sitting around it. Millie’s eyes caught hers. She patted an empty seat and gestured for her to hurry. Nancy slipped in beside her, just as Sofia entered the courtyard.

Sofia was much less formal than the night before. In blue jeans and a bright yellow shirt, her dark hair was tied loosely behind her back, wild strands falling across her olive-colored shoulders. She carried a pile of paper and a small box in her hands. Her normally staunch expression was replaced with a serene, friendly one, which surprised and confused Nancy. While the women at dinner last night had gone quiet at her arrival, here, she was greeted with waves and welcoming words.

After a quick