A Chance This Christmas(50)
Up close, Lacey was very pale, her big, green eyes wide as she absorbed her first few minutes of freedom. Jenna had seen that look before on recently released inmates. For nearly three years, Lacey had dreamed of this moment, but now it was here, and all the problems she’d left on the outside – plus a whole host of new ones – were about to descend on her. Then there were all the things she’d have to get up to speed on, because the world hadn’t simply stood still while she’d been wearing prison khaki and living in a concrete and steel box. Taylor Swift had conquered the world. Gay marriage was legal, and marijuana was heading that way. The world had changed, while Lacey’s world had become so small and focused she’d almost disappeared.
Even though their relationship was a professional one, Jenna couldn’t stop herself from throwing her arms around Lacey and giving her a big hug. Ideally, Lacey’s older brother, Sawyer, would be here today, greeting Lacey on her first day of parole, but he hadn’t been able to get away from work, so Lacey was going to have to simply suck up having a hug forced on her by her lawyer.
“Hope you haven’t been waiting too long,” Lacey said, belatedly lifting her arms to return Jenna’s hug. “‘There was a situation in one of the pods and it slowed everything down.”
“I got some work done, no problems.” Jenna couldn’t stop herself from beaming at Lacey.
For over a year now, she’d been getting to know this quiet, smart, determined woman. After hearing about Lacey’s story via another client, Jenna had taken the time to look into Lacey’s case, and it had quickly become evident that Lacey was the victim of a gross miscarriage of justice. Ever since then, Jenna had been advocating for Lacey in any way she could, going through her court records looking for grounds to have her conviction overturned, keeping Lacey up to speed on her parole application.
And now, here they were – day one of the rest of Lacey’s life.
“You want to grab something to eat? Maybe some real coffee? There’s a Starbucks nearby.”
Lacey’s wide mouth tipped up at the corners, slowly becoming a full smile.
“Is it too early for a pumpkin spice latte?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve been mainlining those puppies for weeks. Come on.”
They got into the car, Lacey stowing her bag of personal belongings on the back seat.
“Thanks for the new clothes. I really appreciate you ordering them for me,” Lacey said.
Jenna had bought a few things for Lacey from one of the prison-approved clothing catalogues, wanting Lacey to feel confident on her first day out in the world.
“You’ve got clothes and things at your brother’s place, right?” Jenna asked as she reversed out of the parking spot.
Lacey’s gaze was fixed on the high prisons walls and it took her a moment to snap-to and respond. “Yeah. I think so. I didn’t think to ask.” She glanced down at herself. “I hope my winter coats still fit. I porked up a bit. Then again, maybe the extra layer of fat will keep me warm.”
Gaining weight in prison was a common complaint – prison food was notorious for being high in heavily processed carbs.
“Are there places you can pick up gear locally in Marietta, or should we try to find you a coat before we head down there?” Jenna asked.
The thought of the forecast snowstorm tickled at the back of her brain again, but she pushed it away. Making sure Lacey had the best possible start in her new life was more important than the echo of bad memories.
“Marietta’s not exactly a one-horse town,” Lacey said, giving her an amused look. “We have electricity and running water and everything.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I’ve just never been there. It could be one of those places with nothing but feed stores and flannel shirts and men who chew tobacco and whittle.”
Lacey’s smile flashed again. “Careful, city girl. That hole you’re digging just keeps getting bigger and bigger.”
They continued to talk and joke about nothing much during the short drive to Starbucks, where Jenna ordered two venti pumpkin spice lattes before they hit the road.
It wasn’t until they were on the outskirts of Billings that it occurred to Jenna that Lacey might like to call her brother to let him know all was well and she was on her way. Grabbing her phone from the center console, she handed it to Lacey.
“Feel free to call your brother or anyone else if you like.”
Lacey stared at the phone for a beat before setting it back in the console.
“Thanks, but we’ll be there soon enough.”
Jenna glanced at her, but Lacey’s face was turned toward the window, hiding her expression. Jenna knew Sawyer Gallagher had visited his sister regularly, and she’d assumed they had a good, close relationship. But maybe she’d misread the situation entirely.
God knew, she was no expert in navigating the murky undercurrents of family life. In fact, it was almost laughable that she even felt the urge to try. What was that old saying about getting your own house in order first?
“I really appreciate you doing this for me today,” Lacey said.
“It’s not a big deal.”
“It’s six hours of driving, round trip.”
“Yeah, but it’s better than being in the office.”
She could feel Lacey studying her, and Jenna took her attention off the road for a second to glance at her passenger. A small frown wrinkled Lacey’s forehead and she looked troubled.