The Truth of Us

By Renea Porter

Seven years ago, leaving home was easy for Ellie Carlisle. With her business steadily growing in New York she was ready to take it to the next level. But a routine trip to the bank turns into the worst day of her life. No longer feeling safe, Ellie decides to pack up with her son and heads back home, out west.

Ever since he was young Dell has always worked on the Carlisle's Farm. Everyday he regrets not telling Ellie how he felt before she left town. Dell now the small town's sheriff still manages to find time to help out on the Carlisle's farm.

When Ellie returns she and Dell connect again and its as if she never left. Ellie's son Ben takes a liking to Dell and the three become inseparable. When feelings become involved Ellie's faced with a decision to either go back to New York or stay in Kansas to make a new life for her and her son. But someone from her past comes to even a score putting her life in danger.

Will Dell be able to get to her in time? Will Ellie stay or go back to the city that welcomed her seven years ago?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Renea Porter
• Release date: Feb 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524294861

Renea Porter

Renea Porter is best known for writing realistic stories with realistic characters. Her stories may even cause you to shed a tear or two. She mainly writes New Adult and Contemporary Romances. However, she's not afraid to venture into other genre's like Paranormal Romance. She enjoys spending time with her husband of fourteen years, and step son. She calls Pennsylvania home, but loves to travel and try new things. In her free time you can catch her reading books, watching reality tv, and baking.

Book preview

Boys,

If you like her, if she makes you happy, and if you feel like you know her, don’t let her go.

-Nicholas Sparks

Chapter One

PAST

New York was once the city I longed to be in. In the thick of the action. The bustling commuters, crazy traffic, and all the people that made up the city. But as I arrived home to my apartment and sat my keys on the table next to the door, I realized the city had lost all of its charm.

I had just gotten back from the police station after enduring a horrible event. Today started out as any ordinary day, but one thing changed the course and it all went to shit. After checking in at the office, I had received several checks from a few clients that I helped design their spaces and I headed to the bank. 

Impatiently, I stood in line, waiting until it was my turn to reach the teller, and that was when everything changed. Four gunmen barged into the well-known bank and robbed it. The moment I saw them, I stuffed the checks inside my purse. Shock quickly took over as they roughed us up, making us lie on the ground and keep our heads down and not look at them as the tellers filled their bags. Two men were the watch dogs over us, and two were stuffing the money. My heart raced as I hoped I wouldn’t become a distraction. Don’t they always go for the woman in the movies, or the weak guy? I thought about my son. I didn’t want to die and leave him motherless. He was already fatherless. We’d been through enough the last two years.

My worst nightmare became real as soon as the police surrounded the place. They started negotiations and we became hostages. My heart never slowed, and I prayed I would make it out alive.

One hour into the robbery, one guy was dead because he tried to use his cell phone. Mine remained in my purse, and thankfully, it was already on silent. It seemed odd to me that they hadn’t taken our belongings, but I clutched it to my chest as I sat hunched over in a corner with a woman on one side and a guy on the other side. We didn’t speak, but the woman cried hysterically and I thought she would be killed.

Two more people died, their lives stolen from them by the gunmen. 

We were into hour five of the standoff when my hair was yanked from behind as a gunman pulled me to him, my back against his chest. I cried out as he held the gun to my head. My life was at his mercy and I wasn’t sure I’d make it out alive. Why did he pick me?

By hour six, exhaustion was setting in. The police lights flashed through the building and I could hear reporters camping outside. When darkness descended, we could hardly see inside the bank, except for some flashlights the gunmen carried and the lights from the emergency vehicles.

The guy holding me at gunpoint was creepy and dirty, but smart. Being at his mercy made me feel weak. I am weak. I could stomp on his feet and elbow him in the ribs like someone taught me a long time ago, but I knew I was no match for four grown men. One I could take, not three. My heart continued to pound inside my chest. I thought it would fall out at any moment and lie at my feet. From the movies I had watched, I figured maybe the police would have a sniper ready to kill the gunmen whenever the shot was clear, but I knew how horribly wrong such an event could go for the one creating a barrier between the robber and the bullet.

It was agreed upon that they let someone go every fifteen minutes or the police wouldn’t meet their demands. We were into hour seven, and they released two people safely out into the madness. Chaos ensued and I was envious of those freed. Inside the bank was silent; the only thing we heard was the gunmen’s voices as they talked about strategy.

That was when my world stilled and went into slow motion. Two of the gunmen were killed instantly, spreading blood all over the place, followed by another shot to the third guy who was injured. The guy that held me at gunpoint was freaking out, and somehow, he got away. But I was free. Free. You never know how precious your freedom is until it’s about to be taken from you.

The police barged in and cleared the bank of any more gunmen, and then helped us out to the awaiting ambulances. Newscasters tried to get comments from us, but the police made them step back. The dead stuck in my brain. My heart went out to their families.

As I sat in the back of an ambulance the paramedic cleaned all the blood off me that he could; he was gentle and nice and didn’t pry. He kept telling me it would be okay. That I was safe. I was shell shocked. I didn’t feel safe. Nowhere felt safe, but the one place I couldn’t wait to leave. Home.

Chapter Two

AS SOON AS I ENTERED my apartment, I immediately ran to my son, Ben, and hugged him tight. He wrapped his little arms around my neck. I thanked my babysitter, Bethany, for watching him and I paid her extra for watching him longer than expected.

Releasing Ben, I told him to go get ready for bed and I’d be in to tuck him in. I dug out my phone and called my father. The robbery was worldwide news by now, and he always watched the news. He never, ever missed the late-night news. It was an every night ritual of his.

Hello. Ellie?

Hey, Daddy.

Are you okay, pumpkin? Are you hurt? I saw the news.

Those words made me stop breathing. I gained my balance and resumed deep breathing.

I’m fine, Daddy. I wasn’t fine. I’m okay. Nothing that a hot, steamy shower can’t wash away, I lied.

When you coming home?

Was he reading my mind? I was thinking about booking the first flight out in the morning. Is that okay?

Yes, and bring that grandson of mine. I heard a sigh of relief in his voice. I’m glad you’re safe. 

I didn’t feel safe.

Ellie?

Yeah.

Come home. I’ll have Dell pick you up at the airport, okay?

Okay. See you tomorrow then.

Hanging up with Dad, I powered the laptop on and booked us a flight for first thing in the morning. As I did, all those summer memories came flooding back to my mind. My dad working around the ranch with Dell, his employee. Dell was five years older than me, and I looked forward to every summer when he came and worked on my father’s ranch. I had a bad crush on him, but knew he would never look at me the way I had hoped he would. He was a man of few words, but he was there when my momma passed away from cancer, and he taught me so many things.

He never gave me any inkling if he was interested in me or not. But I made every excuse in the book just to be next to him. He was a very hard worker, and it gave my father a break every now and then so he could spend time with me. Daddy and I were never really close, at least not until my Momma died. But he was stubborn as a bull, especially when I told him I was moving to New York to pursue my dream in interior design. He laughed and asked how I was planning on paying for it. I worked as a waitress and took as many shifts as the boss would allow, and I took classes at night.

My son, Ben, came along two years later.

Owning my own company had its advantages and disadvantages. One thing was the work never stopped. My company had a reputation for being one of the best in the business, so we were in high demand. Luckily, I had plenty of staff to cover me for a while. There was plenty of money in my savings to live off for a few months in case of an emergency, and in this case, it was.

I desperately needed a shower to wash away as much of the events of the day as I could. I tucked Ben in bed and told him about the adventure we’d be going on. He was excited. Then I hopped in the shower, and the hot water and steam seemed to calm my nerves a bit.  I didn’t feel clean, by any means, but once the water had grown cold, I wrapped myself in a towel and packed for our trip and tried to sleep.

THE MOMENT THE PLANE landed in Hays Regional Airport, in Kansas I called my Dad and made my way to baggage claim to get my bags. My nerves were starting to kick in because Grainville was a seventy-mile drive from there, and I hoped things wouldn’t be weird between us. At the stand, I grabbed a coffee and sat in a booth with my bags, knowing it would take a while for Dell to get there. Ben was already falling asleep next to me. The plane ride had him excited.

The town was so small that everyone knew everyone. I didn’t think there were even five hundred people in the town. Grainville was known for its wheat fields and windmills, centered between Wichita and Kansas City. Raised in Grainville, everyone knew you. You couldn’t hide anything, and everyone knew everything. It’s not so bad. The community is tight knit, and always rallied around when one of their own needed help. Most people clung to that tightness, yet some escaped... like me. I felt like it was choking me, and I had to get away to pursue my dream.

Coming back made me feel nostalgic, and the memories kept flooding over me. Quiet. That was a sound I wasn’t used to, especially not in New York. The last time I was there was three years ago, I spent the Christmas holiday with my dad and aunt, but Dell wasn’t around during that time of year so I didn’t see him. In fact, I hadn’t seen Dell since I was eighteen. I wondered if he still looked the same.

I was much more mature at twenty-five, but still felt the country seeping into my pores. Some say you can’t take the country out of the girl. Most people wouldn’t notice I was from such a small town, as I don’t have an accent. My southern drawl only came out when I was mad, and it takes a lot for me to get mad. I wondered if he still looked to same.

My phone beeped, bringing me back into reality.

I’m here, the text read.

Be right there, I replied.

I trashed my now empty coffee cup and scooped Ben in my arms trying to lug my bags at the same time out front. As soon as he saw me, he quickly emerged from his truck and hurried to grab my bags.

I’ll get those. His muscled arms lugged the bags into the bed of the truck.

Opening the back door, I carefully slid Ben inside and quietly buckled him in.

Are you just going to stand there, or come give me a hug?

My smile widened as he picked me up into a bear hug, lifting my feet off the ground. Suddenly, things felt normal.

Setting me back down on the ground, I noticed him looking at me from head to toe and back again. He didn’t look so bad himself. It’s good to see you, Ellie.

You, too, Dell. That’s my son, Ben.

He rushed to open the truck door for me. I slid in, and he closed to door and leaned into the window.

He looks like you, he added. It’s been too long, he continued before moving to slide into the driver’s seat.

Dell hadn’t changed much, but his muscles were more defined than I remembered. His hair was almost a buzz cut barely there. His face was manlier, clean shaven, and his green eyes were still my favorite feature. Seeing him brought so many memories to the forefront. Ones I had forgotten about until I saw him.

How was your flight? he asked.

It was fine. I couldn’t get here fast enough. How are you?

Good. But my main concern is you. How are you really doing? I heard the concern in his voice as he pulled the truck onto highway seventy. The highway would take us straight to Grainville.

I’ll be okay. I’m glad to be home and finally get to see my dad. How is he, by the way?

He’s alright. You’ll see him in about an hour. Traffic wasn’t bad coming in. 

I smiled. So how you been? I hear you’re a big shot sheriff now.  

His eyes crinkled. If anyone looked sexy in a cowboy hat and tight jeans, it was Dell. He was the whole package. It was a wonder no one had scooped him up yet. I bet he’s the hottest bachelor in town.

I am the sheriff, but I’m no big shot. He winked.

What is it with the winking?

I turned my head to watch the scenery out the window go by. Dell turned on the local country music station on low, and it brought a smile to my face. I remembered some nights we would sit on the tailgate of his old truck and listen to music; it was one of my favorite things to do with him. I bobbed my head to the music while he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

An hour later, Dell pulled into the ranch deemed with the Carlisle family name that I grew up in. It still looked the same. The white paint was wearing off, but the wrap around porch was still intact.

Stopping just before stepping on the porch, I pictured Mom coming out onto the wraparound porch; her apron wrapped securely around her waist. She spent many