This is my private moment. The water envelopes me and this is my fifteen minutes of peace in my own home where I can escape. No kids. Nothing. Just me... for a precious stolen moment. I look at my shower massager. Hmmm, thinking as I lean against the tiled wall lathering my body with the sponge in slow circular motions. My mind wanders thinking of Him and my eyes close as I picture so clearly the man touching me. The image of his arms pinning me against the wall, leaning over me with his low. Unless the two over at Connors Store had hanged themselves by now.Knowing that the only three left were holed up in the bank with the banker and his employees, Eli slipped down the alley and across the street once more. He made his way down to Connors Store and looked inside the storeroom. The two young men were still hanging on.He left them where they stood in the chair and slipped past the hotel to the marshal’s office.He tapped three times quickly and softly before opening the door. He stuck. .. I woke up, my head pounding in pain. My mouth tasted of old tire.I sat up, looking around the room. I was in a cheap motel room. There was a black haired woman sleeping next to me. Alice, I realized. I called her after I fucked that woman. Karmen, I think her name was. After Mark ... oh god, he dumped me. Tears threatened to spill out of my eyes.No, keep it together, Mary. He's just reacting to the death of his dad."I'm sorry, Mary. I just ... I just don't find you pretty," his words echoed. My uncle’s phone rang (he still had a landline), and he went to answer it. I could only hear snippets of his conversation, so I muted the volume on the television.“Well, I’m not so sure she wants to talk to you right now,” I overheard my uncle. “She’s been doing very well living out here with me. I don’t know, I’ll ask her.”My uncle came back into the living room. “Tara, your mom’s on the phone. Do you want to talk to her?”I immediately felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I hadn’t.