Maisey didn't see much of Brett over the next week. He'd popped in when he got back from Medicine Hat, but only long enough to grab a bite to eat and head over to the bunkhouse to talk with Travis. She was a little bummed because she wanted to share her letter from his Aunt with him. He hadn't come back in by eleven and she was dozing on the couch, so she flipped off the TV and let herself fall asleep.
Brett had kept Travis up until 10:30 and then gone for a walk. He could see the light from the TV flickering in the living room, but he didn't want to talk with Maisey. He wanted to put some distance between them. He wondered about the door being open to the master suite: he didn't think he'd seen that door open since Aunt Lizzy had passed, but he didn't want to talk about it with Maisey. It was her house now, he reminded himself, he wondered if she'd move into that room. Part of him hoped she wouldn't. Part of him hoped that she would leave it unused until she found someone worthy of sharing it with her, someone very different than her ex: someone that would cherish her. A pain of sadness went through his heart, he hated the idea of someone else with her. He sat on his tailgate nursing a beer and thinking about the conversation he'd had with Travis.
To truly make the Bogs as successful as everyone kept telling him it could be they would have to spend a lot of money: set up a breeding program, build new structures--including a proper bunk house and cook house, new barns, a new water well and a lot more. It wasn't the money, it was making sure he didn't bite off more than he could chew. Travis had suggested started with the bunk house and cook house while they learned and studied and it made sense. He wondered again if he should build himself a house separate from Maisey now that Ned had given her the main house at the Bogs. The idea made him feel uncertain--he decided he'd wait for a bit until she started to heal.
The lights from the TV stopped flickering and Brett sighed with relief. When he went in the house it was to realize that Maisey had passed out on the couch. He thought about moving her but worried that touching her would shatter his control and make him want to stay with her again. He went to his room and closed the door.
The next morning Brett was up and out with the crew before Maisey woke up at 430 to make breakfast. She decided to shower and pull out her laptop to write, wondering if like it had been when she was married if writing would be a way for her to deal with her emotions.
After a few hours of working Maisey grabbed her purse and her keys, and headed out the front door telling herself that she wasn't accountable to Brett.
Brett, feeling like a prick, came in the back in time to hear the engine turn over and the Dodge pulled out of the driveway. He shrugged and rifled in the kitchen cupboards for food he didn't need to cook assuming she was headed into Blindloss for something she needed.
Maisey opened the window and turned up the music as she drove along. As she passed the feedlot she almost put her foot on the brake but she kept driving instead. While online typing she'd looked up hair salons and day spas and decided it was time. She felt lousy and hoped a day of pampering and a hair cut would help.
The day spa, had a package she had been able to book online included a 2 hour full body wrap, a 1 hour hot stone massage, manicure, pedicure and facial as well as an overnight stay at the hotel it was connected to. She added a cut, color and style to the package. She was nervous about the spa people seeing her scars but she stopped herself from going down that road off self pity. She'd left early enough she'd have time to do some shopping before her first treatment.
As she pulled into the parking lot of the first clothing store she found she wished she'd thought to call Anna. She sat in the truck for ten minutes before she talked herself into going into the store.
It turned out to be a fairly decent store, though in her anxiety she didn't remember what it was called. They sold a variety of styles and while it was busy with clusters of people, the only person she had to deal with was the twenty something staff member that offered to help her. Her nametag said get name was Beth.
"I haven't bought a new wardrobe in about eight years" she admitted to the young woman. "I'm living on a ranch now and I need something different than yoga pants and tshirts."
"Can I make some recommendations?" the young woman smiled, "I have some ideas already that I think will be very flattering and useful based on your skin tone and build." Maisey nodded and followed Beth around the store.
Soon enough Maisey found herself in a dressing room surrounded by jeans, casual pants, tops, skirts and dresses. Beth insisted that as long as an item fit that she needed to step out of the change room and show her. The first thing she put on was jeans and a Western shirt similar to the style Brett usually wore over top of a tshirt. The outfit had been paired by Beth and fit perfectly, just the right amount of loose and tight. When she stepped out into the area with mirrors Beth was there and a smile lit her face.
"That is great! but I'm getting your a different Western shirt, those colors don't work as well as I thought they would, we're going to go lighter tones." Maisey nodded and went to try on the next selection. She had saved the single feeling dress for last. Beth had picked up a spagghetti strap dress that was white with big wildflowers on it and paired it with a denim jacket. Looking at it Maisey worried about the length: the scars on her legs weren't as bad as her back but she was still conscious of them. All three other skirts she'd tried had been long.
Maisey pulled it on and froze in the dressing room stall. She loved the fit and the feminine feel of the material but she couldn't tell if the scars were noticeable. Beth must have decided she'd been too long, "Do I ned to get a different size?"
Steeling herself Maisey unbolted the door and opened it a crack, "I have bad scars on my legs from an accident," she admitted in a small voice, remembering being tied up and the lashing she taken after she'd tried to run anyway early in their marriage, "I'm afraid that's all people will see."
Beth smiled, "Come on out so I can see and I'll let you know." Maisey hesitated and slowly opened the door wider and turned around, "oh honey, " she smiled, "there's not hardly a mark visible, I'd never know if you hadn't told me. Get yourself a pair of boots or strappy sandals and with legs like yours nobody will notice a thing. I'm getting you two other dresses in a similar style, that's just perfect for you!"
Maisey let Beth talk her into taking all three dresses, three pairs of jeans and five tops-- three Western and two other, more feminine tops. It was more money than she'd spent on herself since things changed with Luke. The helpful cashier even recommended where to go for shoes and boots. Laden with two bags Maisey blocked out everything in the busy mall except Beth's directions to the footware store where she picked a pair of cowboy boots, a pair of hiking shoes and, because Beth had called and told the staff, a pair of strappy sandals.
Done with her tasks Maisey hurried to her truck and the quiet safety of it, away from people.
She closed her eyes and leaned on the steering wheel taking inventory. While it had been difficult, Maisey knew she'd just managed to do something on get own that Doc Andy would say was miraculous for her stage of recovery. She hated when he said anything, she just wanted to forget it all and get on with life, then she would get triggered by some memory or situation. She no longer hid when a door slammed.
She checked her phone, it was eleven o'seven she needed to check in to the spa, her first treatment would be in half an hour. There was no messages, though she doubted Brett would say anything. Something had changed with him and it was like he'd been avoiding her.
The hotel and spa were an easy find, she parked and took her things inside. A hotel staff member gave her a room key and told her the spa would be expecting her back down in ten minutes and showed her where to go.
First order of business was her hair. Luke had never let her cut it. She had so many bad memories, but she also remembered Brett running his fingers through it while they watched a movie and when he'd come sleep with her during a nightmare, he loved it long.
A stylist greeted her and made excited noises about her hair. In the end she cut it at the middle of her back-- still long enough to be long and short enough the length difference was drastic. The stylist had even admitted they'd be able to use what what cut off for wigs which made her happy. They wanted to dye the color but Maisey said no.
The wrap and massage were next. Maisey was anxious about this. When a woman attendant entered the room she looked at her hands, "Never had a massage before honey?" Maisey shook her head. "You're in for a year then sweetheart, I am Janelle" the woman had a western twang that reminded her of Dolly Parton in old movies, she went on to describe the treatment.
"I have scars," Maisey said finally.
"Abused?" Janelle said knowingly. Maisey nodded almost imperceptibly, "not a worry, honey, I see it more than you'd think. I'm not here to judge, this is about you feeling good and beautiful and relaxing. You just git yourself naked and lay on your belly on that table under those blankets and leave everything else to me." she squeezed Maisey's hand and left the room, telling Maisey she'd knock before coming back and immediately went to see what other treatments were booked and who they were with.
Maisey turned off her phone ringer, stripped and lay on the bed the way Janelle had told her to. After a while Janelle knocked and came back in.
Maisey fell asleep under Janelle's magic hands. She never understood before how people could enjoy a massage but it felt so amazing. When she was done the massage, Janelle covered her in special mud and seaweed and had her lay on her back so she could do a facial and scalp massage, encouraging her to stay sleeping if she wanted. A long soak in a mineral bath removed all the mud and seaweed.
She was wrapped in a specialty bathrobe and returned to her hotel room through a special spa use only elevator where she was reminded of her manicure and pedicure the next morning and to hydrate.