Page 80 of Broken Bonds

Later that night, Rion starts loading all the boxes from the extra storage room into the back of my truck. Once we realized we’d be staying, we all took a trip back home for necessities and our vehicles. Link already had his truck, but I needed mine and Rion wanted his Ducati.

Since he can’t exactly load his bike down with all this stuff, he’s taking my truck for the night, and I’ll drive his bike home. Fucker is lucky I had an interest in learning all those years ago when he bought it.

I’d offer to help him load everything up, but it’s a Friday night, soJinxis busy. There’s no way I can step away and leave Maribel to tend the bar alone. Not to mention if anyone decides to get rowdy.

It takes him over an hour of going back and forth, and when he’s done, he comes to let us know he’s heading out to Ramsey’s to get started unloading everything. After that, it’s just me and Maribel.

I keep my mind busy by talking to some of the regulars while also keeping everyone’s drinks filled. The night goes by rapidly, two o’clock sneaking up on us. Maribel hollers for last call and the bar empties quickly after that. Once I help Maribel clean up, I head back to our rental, the cold night air stinging against my exposed skin, keeping me awake. It’s nearly four when I finally walk through our door and fall into bed, exhausted.

Unsurprisingly, I dream about Ramsey. I dream of happier days, where she’s in my arms and miniature versions of her are climbing all over us.

ChapterTwenty-Five

RAMSEY

Jillian and I brainstormed,coming up with the idea of a road trip and working out all the details. No particular destination, just an open road ahead of us and the chance to enjoy the journey together. I’ve been eager to venture out and discover abandoned towns, and to take the time to explore. To stumble across something that was once so full of life and to witness it as it is now, a snapshot of that moment in time, is something extraordinary.

After doing some research together, we were able to find a straight trip that would take us through a few ghost towns in the state. Once we’d thoroughly researched the history of each of the towns, we made a list and programmed our GPS to navigate us to each of the places we wanted to visit. Having our trip planned, we set to work on packing and loading the back of the car.

We leave early the next morning, the back end of my SVU loaded down with snacks and our clothes and anything else we might need. Jillian takes the first shift of driving, which means I get radio rights. I look through my Spotify and pick one full of early 2000s music and connect it to the car’s Bluetooth.

We spend the first few hours snacking on junk food and singing our hearts out. I smile and laugh so much my cheeks hurt, and it feelsamazing.The scenery is breathtaking, despite the season.

Not wanting to go too far away just in case, we stuck to finding places around the state. A small town called St. Elmo is our first stop, which admittedly made me chuckle because all I could think about was Sesame Street when I saw it on the list. Apparently, it’s one of the most well-preserved ghost towns, in spite of numerous fires, with several original structures still intact. The only building that’s been rebuilt is the town hall.

When we arrive in the town, I feel like I’ve gone back in time, as if I’m being transported to a different era. As we pull up, there are many wooden buildings that line either side of the dirt road that runs through the town. The website I found on my phone says this town was founded in the late eighteen hundreds and was once a vibrant gold-mining town and a well-known whistle-stop on the Pacific Railroad. It reminds me of the old western shows the older omega that ran the group home always played in the communal TV room.

We park and get out, looking around with wide, awed eyes. Jillian grips my arm and vibrates with excitement. I look over and we grin at each other.

Most people visit in the summer, but since it’s still winter, we practically have the place to ourselves. St. Elmo is a regular tourist attraction in warmer months, so it’s kind of nice that we’re the only people around.

“Shall we explore, little lady?” I ask her, bowing as best I can with my ever-expanding midsection.

She snorts and smacks me on the shoulder when I stand back up.

“Let’s go, cowgirl.”

We link our arms together and set off down Main Street. I glance at my phone and note it says there are forty-three remaining buildings that are scattered throughout the town, and I want to see them all. The first building we stop and check out is a hotel.

The Home Comfort Hotel is one of the original buildings of the town. The windows have lace coverings in them, and the building itself seems to be well maintained. The restoration of the original horizontal log foundation has left the structure with a quaint, attractive look.

“You know, this website says this town has had a ton of hauntings and paranormal activity. Think we’ll see a ghost while we’re here?” Jillian asks as we poke around the outside of the building.

I laugh at her.

“I don’t know if I believe in that stuff.”

“Oh, I do. This here says something about a ghost right here at this hotel named Dirty Annie. Known as Annabel Stark, she’s the most famous ghost in the town. Cool,” she murmurs as she reads off whatever she found on her phone.

I get closer and lean over her shoulder so I can read it for myself.

Annabelle “Dirty Annie” Stark is the most talked about spirit of St. Elmo. She was the eldest of three siblings born to Anton and Anna Stark, known as some of the most prominent betas in town. Anton was a section boss in the mines and Anna ran the Home Comfort Hotel, which is located on Poplar Street, as well as the general store. Both structures still stand to this day.

Anna thought of herself and of her family as better than everyone else in town, and maybe she was right. After all, typical mining towns in those days boasted an array of miners, prostitutes, and railroad workers. Because of this, Anna kept her children secluded from most of the town.

Annabelle and her siblings worked dutifully at their parent’s store and hotel, which were considered the cleanest establishments in town.

After her father’s death, Annabelle continued working with her overbearing mother. Eventually, Anna sent her young daughter to work at a telegraph office in a neighboring town. Annabelle felt alienated, lonely, until she met her husband. When they eventually married, Annabelle left with him for Trinidad. The marriage, however, didn’t last, and she soon found her way back to St Elmo.

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