Where One Road Leads

by Cerian Hebert

  “You don’t have to apologize, Em. Gus was much better off at Matt’s. They’ve really bonded over the past few months. I hear Gus even goes running with Matt on occasion.”

  “And what about you and Matt?”

  What about it? Krista stared out the window. Matt was a large part of her reasons for going back, just as he’d been before Ricky had sidetracked her for several months.

  At least once a week Matt had made the drive from Quail Ridge to Boston to visit. He’d sacrificed Thanksgiving with his family to spend it with her while she was stuck in the hospital recovering from gunshot wounds to her shoulder and hip. He’d even smuggled in some of his mother’s turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie. It had been the best meal she’d ever eaten in her entire life, and sharing it with the man she loved made it all the better. Despite the pain it caused, she’d laughed when he spread out a tablecloth across the hospital tray table.

  Though reluctant to hear the details, she made him tell her what had happened that day.

  “The last thing I remember was the second shot hitting me. I saw the snow falling and then your face. I thought I was dead.”

  Matt had squeezed her hand. “I know. You told me goodbye and that you loved me. You scared the hell out of me, honey.”

  “How did you know to come?” She’d felt her cheeks burn. Had she really said she loved him? It must’ve come as a shock to him to hear those words from her.

  “Several people saw Ricky drive into town. It took a while to track him down. We had no idea you were even at the cemetery until we drove up on the two of you.”

  “I went there to say goodbye to Jay,” she confessed.

  Matt had nodded. She didn’t have to expand on it, he understood.

  “By then you were on the ground, Ricky standing over you. I thought for sure we were too late.”

  Krista squeezed her eyes shut, but a flood of tears had escaped anyway. Matt tucked a tissue into her hand.

  “What happened after?” she asked roughly.

  “As soon as he saw us, he backed off and headed to Liz’s grave. By then we had two other units there so I stayed with you until the ambulance got there.”

  “And Ricky is in custody?”

  Matt had paused. Krista patted her eyes with the tissue so she could see Matt’s face clearly. His jaw was tight and his gaze dropped to their hands.

  “You don’t need to worry about him anymore. He took his own life.”

  Krista had sucked in a startled breath, though she shouldn’t have been shocked by the news. Like Ricky had said, what was left for him?

  “I can’t say I’m surprised. Sad, but not surprised.”

  “Sad? He nearly killed you.”

  Krista had shrugged. “He was just one more casualty of that night fifteen years ago. And it all could’ve been prevented.”

  She could go back home and rebuild her life without worrying about trouble lurking around every corner. She’d pick it up where she left off, move into the loft at the mill until she could have a new house built, and step back into the role of running the center. And back to developing her relationship with Matt.

  “We’ll see where we go from here,” she told Emily now. “Things are getting back to normal.” Three more miles and they’d be back in Quail Ridge. The closer they got, the sweeter the air became.

  Emily smiled. “He’s crazy about you.”

  Krista chuckled. She’d never discussed her love life with her sister before, and it felt awkward.

  “Then he’s crazy. I don’t think he’s had moment of peace since I came back into town.”

  “Just think how dull his life would be without you,” Emily pointed out.

  “I’m looking forward to dull. I’ve had enough excitement to last me five lifetimes. From now on, if he wants excitement, he’s going to have to find it elsewhere because I plan on taking up knitting and gardening.”

  “The hell you will. You’ll find something else to do and I’ll be jealous and amazed by you again.”

  “What?” Krista shot her sister a look of shock.

  “You heard me. Despite everything you’ve gone through in your life, you never gave up. You took it and made yourself better for it. I don’t think I could’ve handled a fraction of what you did. I would’ve folded like a house of cards.”

  “You don’t know that,” Krista replied quietly.

  “Yes, I do. I knew it all along, that’s why I’ve kept my life as simple and safe as I could. I’ve had a good life. Sure, it’s been dull and I resented your freedom and your success.”

  Krista felt stunned by her sister’s confession. How could anyone be envious of the chaos that had been her life? “I can’t believe you felt like this. I always thought you were ashamed or embarrassed by me.”

  Emily reached for Krista’s hand. “I won’t lie to you and tell you I didn’t feel those things in the beginning. It was hard going to school with everything that happened, but eventually people forgot my ties to you.”

  As they passed the Quail Ridge town line, they fell into silence, giving Krista time to digest what Emily had told her. Another thing to add to her list of fixables, yet they seemed to be off to a good start.

  Anxiety built inside her like a gathering of agitated birds in the pit of her stomach. She pressed her hand against her belly hoping to calm them as they neared the center of town. Who would be waiting for her? This was her first time back since the fires, not including her brief visit to the cemetery. Maybe no one would be there for her.

  “Where are we going?” Krista had been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed Emily had turned off Main Street until they were heading toward the remains of their old home.

  “There’re some things I want to get from the barn while we’re in town. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No, I guess not,” she replied faintly. She didn’t really want to see the remnants of her home, yet after everything Emily had done for her, she couldn’t say no.

  “What’s going on here?” Krista straightened in the seat as they approached their driveway. At least a dozen cars lined the road on both sides of the drive.

  “Hmm, not sure,” Emily replied, her voice light and casual. But a tiny smile played on her lips that said she knew exactly what was going on.

  “Liar.” Krista couldn’t find her voice to say anything else.

  Emily turned into the drive. Where the old house had once stood, a new structure had taken its place; a two-story Cape Cod style home. Krista pressed her palm against her open mouth. Through the blur of hot tears she saw the crowd of people in the yard and the “Welcome Home” sign over the porch.

  “What have you done?” she asked her sister through her hand.

  “We thought you needed a real home to come back to,” Emily replied.

  Krista fell against her sister’s shoulder. Emily slid her arm around her.

  “No one deserves it more than you do. Now, why don’t you wipe your eyes and get out and meet your adoring fans.” She gave Krista a squeeze, then eased her up.

  Before she opened the door and climbed out, Krista studied the crowd of people waiting expectantly for her. It was overwhelming, nearly too much for her senses, but these people had banded together to show their support for her. It filled her heart to near breaking. This was the first time since the accident stole all normalcy from her life, that she could say with any certainty people weren’t judging her negatively.

  Emily had to urge Krista out of the vehicle and immediately they were crowded by well-wishers. Carla, Patricia and both Matt’s parents were there, and many others who had played roles in making the youth center happen. They hugged her and welcomed her back. Still, as much as she appreciated and soaked in their attention, she wanted to see Matt and Gus. Neither of them seemed to be
present. Maybe Matt was on duty, with Gus still at his house. It took a bit of the elation out of the moment.

  “Okay, people.” Emily pushed through the crowd and took Krista’s hand. “Thanks for coming, but Krista’s had a long drive and I’m sure she’s dying to get inside and take a look at her new home.”

  There was a murmur of agreement, final hugs and goodbyes. Krista held onto Patricia longer than the rest. Patricia had lost so much, too—her daughter, then her husband and one of her sons. Despite it all, she stayed firmly in Krista’s camp and managed the center in her absence.

  “We’ll talk, okay?” she whispered in Patricia’s ear before she released her. She wanted to help Patricia as much as she possibly could.

  Patricia nodded and kissed Krista’s cheek, then pulled away.

  At last Emily stood in front of her. “I’m leaving now. I put your bags on the steps. I’d stay but I really need to get to Boston before the traffic gets too heavy. I love you, big sis.”

  She kissed Krista softly on the cheek and before Krista could react to her sudden exit, Emily had climbed into her truck and started the engine.

  So that was it. Everyone went off and left her alone with her new home. Two suitcases sat next to the door, waiting for her to bring them in and to start her life.

  She picked up her suitcases and opened the front door, filled with expectation, wondering what she’d find. She stepped into a tiled foyer with a tall oak coat rack next to the door and a leafy ficus tree. Beyond was the living room. She walked in, admiring the dusty rose carpet, white walls with blue, green and rose stenciled flowers. Someone had been busy. They’d done a wonderful job making the room welcoming and warm. The walls were decorated with Ansel Adams and Renoir prints, and an old grandfather clock that had once belonged to Krista’s grandmother. Emily had taken it after their mother’s death.

  More plants hung in the sunny windows, giving the place life. It was a beautiful little home and she marveled at how Emily had managed to have it built so quickly and without her knowledge.

  After admiring the living room, Krista turned and gasped.

  Both Matt and Gus stood in the entryway to the kitchen. Both smiled, Gus in his own, tongue-lolling way. For a long moment, she stared at them. She’d cried too much in the past few months and she didn’t want to do it now. What she wanted and what she got were two different things, though. She shoved the tears away impatiently and hurried to them.

  She sank down so she was at Gus’s level and touched his head. The dog lapped at her fingers.

  “You’re looking good, Gus,” she said to him. “Matt’s been taking good care of you, hasn’t he?”

  Then she turned her attention to Matt. He held out his hand and she took it. His grip was warm and firm as he helped her to her feet. He didn’t immediately take her into his arms. She didn’t push herself on him either.

  She’d only seen him a week ago, but it seemed like months and months. She drank him in, his heathery green sweater and faded blue jeans that hugged his thighs. He’d gotten a haircut. She reached out to touch his hair, trailing her hand over his cheek.

  She bit her bottom lip as she gazed at his eyes. They were more green than hazel. He looked better than he’d been during any of his visits to Boston. On the other hand, this was the first time they’d been together in some kind of normal situation. She’d recovered, stood in her own home, finally free of any kind of the threat. Matt no longer doubted her. For the first time in years everything seemed nearly perfect.

  She found herself rather shy at the moment, lost in what to do next. Still, she held on to his hand and smiled.

  “I’m in shock,” she confessed with a shrug. “You and Emily keep secrets well.”

  Matt grinned. “We thought it would make a good welcome back to town. There’s still some work left to be done, like the landscaping. We figured we’d leave that for you.”

  Krista nodded, too caught up in the way his eyes held hers, to talk about something as mundane as landscaping. There were more important things to discuss. She wouldn’t push, in case she was way off base.

  “No, this is fine. I think I’d love to do some gardening, something peaceful after a long day at the office.”

  The expression on Matt’s face, the way he tilted his head and nodded, and the way his lips turned up in a slight smile, pleased her. Made her want to kiss him.

  He’d been careful with her after the shooting, as if afraid he would hurt her more. Yet she could hardly bring herself to wrap her arms around him and feel his body against her. She’d been dreaming about his touch for months, yet found herself nearly speechless around him. Shy, too.

  “Can I bring your bags upstairs? Show you the rest of the place?”

  His suggestion provided a good break from the awkward moment. Matt retrieved her suitcases and led her up the carpeted stairs to the second floor.

  “I’m stunned,” Krista declared, not wanting to let another long moment of silence pass between them. “How in the world did this get built so quickly?”

  She recognized touches from Emily’s home mixed in with the new décor. Still, they’d left enough empty space for her to put in her own flair.

  “Well, we cheated a little,” Matt replied. “It’s really a modular, but it’s hard to tell.”

  “Really?” That did surprise her. The place was sweet, and as he gave her the brief tour, she couldn’t imagine anything more perfect, exactly what she would’ve chosen for herself.

  “It’s like starting from scratch,” she declared when they came back into the living room. Maybe that was what she needed to do, leave the past behind and face the future.

  “I’ve been so used to living out of a suitcase and an empty apartment for most of my life,” she explained. She wanted him to understand how much this meant to her, how much she wanted it. “I never made a home for myself, not since I had to leave Quail Ridge for jail. Nothing in my life seemed certain or solid after that. I never felt safe enough to put down roots.”

  Matt nodded, his lips tight and brows furrowed as if troubled. “I was just the opposite.”

  For the first time since her arrival, he pulled her gently to him. She melted against his hard chest and inhaled deeply as if to reclaim his essence. It felt so perfect being in the safe circle of his arms again, as if they would provide as much protection from the outside world as the walls of this house could.

  “I thought I had set down roots and I was determined not to break them, not even when Rachel walked out on me. I needed that anchor. I needed to keep the familiar close at hand. Now suddenly those things don’t have the same meaning.”

  Keeping her arms tight around his waist, Krista pulled back so she could look at Matt’s handsome face.

  “I hope you’re not planning on pulling up stakes and moving out of Quail Ridge,” she teased, although she was deathly afraid he planned to do exactly that.

  When he laughed and pulled her back to him, a great deal of weight lifted off her shoulders.

  “No, I’m not leaving town,” he assured her. “Though I did put my house on the market. Since we decided to build this house for you, I thought I’d move into the loft over the mill. A new start without the pieces of Rachel and our old life together.”

  Krista nodded in understanding. This was as big a step for him as it was for her.

  “Then we’re both starting fresh together.” Krista touched her lips to his cheek, and feathered kisses across his stubble-roughened skin until she reached his mouth.

  “Together,” he murmured against her lips. His hands roamed up her back and tangled in her hair. “I love you, Krista. I hope that doesn’t scare you.”

  Krista shook her head. “Nothing scares me anymore, Matt. I love you too.”

  Matt caressed her cheek. The touch was so sweet and she hadn’t realized how
much she wanted, needed. Missed it. She was starting from scratch, and that meant she no longer would be afraid to let love into her heart.

  Also from Cerian Hebert and Soul Mate Publishing:

  NO GOING BACK

  As if moving from Los Angeles to a New Hampshire town with less than two hundred residents isn't enough for ex-Hollywood socialite, Ari Milbanke, she has a house full of someone else's life, the lonely ghost of a teen-aged girl and a handsome neighbor who runs a horse rescue facility. She has a lot ahead of her as she settles her two young daughters into their new life while trying to hide the one she left behind.

  Sam Beauchamp was content with his life. Rescuing and training horses has always satisfied him, but when newcomer, Ari and her daughters came into his life he realized how much was missing. Even the ghost attached to the decade’s old mysterious disappearance isn’t enough to deter him. What might, though, is Ari’s inability to be open with her past and who she really is.

  Available now on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/k5959ff

  GOING GOING GONE

  When Nell Moreno returns to her small hometown after a lengthy absence, she’s not too surprised no one recognizes her, she’s certainly not the overweight teenager she used to be. While hiding her true identity, Nell “wins” hunky fireman, Elijah Knight, at a charity auction and she’s determined to give the one-time bully a little payback for the misery he caused her when they were teens. However, over the next few weeks she discovers he’s changed a lot too and as they fall in love, Nell is left with the dilemma of how to admit she’s lied to him about who she really is.