Punished by Divorce

Ruport, Chasea

Naomi

After being on the road for over forty-eight hours, with five stops, I had finally arrived in Ruport, Chasea. The excitement was overwhelming as I navigated my way through the small country town that would be my home. My timing had been perfect. It was late afternoon, and the sun was still out in full force. The heat was welcoming, especially since Cidwood, Crey had been a rainy city. I smiled as I spotted couples walking hand in hand down the sidewalks. I saw children chasing each other in the large park area and, of course, a few people just going about their business. I spotted the police station, fire station, and the smallest shopping center I had ever seen in my entire life. I saw a pet shop, a hardware store, and even a bookstore. A diner, a library, and a bakery. I felt almost giddy with excitement as I finally spotted the real estate office. Parking wasn’t an issue, so I parked the car directly in front of the office. I stretched my legs and pulled at my purple t-shirt as I got out. I was hot and sweaty, but I was far too excited to worry about it.

“Are you…you must be Naomi Scott,” a voice said from my left. I glanced over to see a woman approaching and I simply nodded. Even though I wore a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, this woman looked as if she lived and breathed the country life. She had on the tiniest pair of jean shorts I had ever seen in my life and the blue was faded, and I secretly wondered how long those little shorts would last. She wore a white cropped top, and then she had on a plaid blue and white shirt, unbuttoned, with a real cowboy hat. I wasn’t in the city anymore and what really drew me to her was the fact that her blonde hair was loose, looked like it hadn’t seen a comb in about a week, and not an ounce of makeup on her pretty face. Those piercing blue eyes of hers studied me just as closely as I studied her.

“Yes,” I then said, and she smiled.

“I’m Cheryl…the estate agent you spoke to on the phone,” she said, and all I could do was stare at her.

“Did I come at a bad time?” I asked as I glanced back at the office. The door was still open, but her attire told me she wasn’t on the clock.

“Nope, not at all…I was just about to send everyone home and lock up. Would you wait for me?” she questioned as she started for the door.

“Sure,” I said. After all, what else could I say? I watched in fascinated horror as three other women left the office, all dressed in the same manner as Cheryl. Was that their dress code? An older man came out, and he looked the same, except his jeans weren’t short shorts.

“Howdy little miss,” he greeted, and I smiled. I was going to love it here. “Cheryl told me that you are the one that bought old Mrs. Crawling’s cottage,”

“I…ah…I purchased a cottage, yes,” I said. I had no idea who old Mrs. Crawling was, not that it mattered. It was mine now.

“It went for dirt cheap, so that was a steal,” he remarked with a chuckle, and my smile slowly fell away. Had I done something wrong? I shook my head as I thought about how much the little cottage had cost me. It had been cheap, which is why I had jumped at the chance to claim it as my own. It hadn’t left me with much money, but I had a plan.

“Is it still fully furnished?” I asked Cheryl as she came out. She closed and locked the door before she turned to me.

“It is, but…it is a bit outdated…plus her sons are still cleaning out the shed. I told them to get it done…so I do apologize,” she explained. I just nodded, as I had no idea what I was supposed to say to that. “Well, let’s get going, it’s about thirty minutes away,” Cheryl said. The old man hurried off without saying another word and I waited for Cheryl to make a move.

“Um…should I follow you?” I asked, but Cheryl shook her head and pointed at my car.

“No, I don’t live that far from the place…if you don’t mind giving me a ride up there,”

“Oh, no, of course not,” I quickly said as I went back to the car. I wasn’t sure how I felt about having her in my car for a thirty-minute drive, but what choice did I have? Once she was in, I started the car.

“Not much stuff,” she whispered, and for a second, I considered ignoring the comment. But I was trying to be more outgoing. Maybe Cheryl could be my first friend. If I got that right, then she would be my first female friend.

“No, I just…I just went through a divorce and he…ah…” my voice trailed off as I considered how much I actually wanted this stranger to know.

“Hey…Naomi?” I glanced over at Cheryl for a moment, and she smiled. “When I first heard from you, I knew you were looking for a fresh start. Ok? You don’t have to worry about anyone judging you out here…all we care about is helping each other out…and yes, gossip. So, if you want the whole town to know your business, just…be careful who you talk to about your past,”

“Does that include you?” I asked and she laughed.

“Unfortunately, yes…sorry,”

“No worries…” I said as I shut my mouth. I wasn’t quite ready for the town to know about my past, but I was thankful that Cheryl had been honest enough to warn me that she was one of the town’s gossips. However, before the silence could get awkward, Cheryl started talking about everyone and I smiled. This was going to be great.