“Well, don’t forget I called dibs on being the maid of honor. Whenever you decide you’re ready to settle down.”
Charli chuckled. “And in the unlikely event you change your mind about men, you know I’d gladly do the same.”
Ellie had a feeling she wouldn’t change her mind anytime soon, but Charli didn’t need to know that now.
“I’ve got to go,” she said instead. “It’s time I started getting something done, if I don’t want to sleep on the floor tonight. The house is a dusty mess.”
“Eek, I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes. I’m slouched on the couch, enjoying a glass of red with nacho chips.”
Charli let out an audible sigh of contentment, and Ellie smiled. She wished she could be there, too. That was one of their feel-good moments after a long, stressful day.
“I’m hanging up on you now, friend.” Ellie said the last word through gritted teeth, making Charli laugh.
They said goodbye, and as the quiet of the house engulfed her, Ellie questioned her decision. Would she be able to live here all alone, without knowing a single person she could hang out with?
After opening all the windows to let more fresh air in, she went outside and looked sadly at the back garden. The inside of the house was in bad need of a makeover, and the outside wasn’t any better. The once lush garden that Ellie remembered filled with colorful flowers was now a withered patch of brown and beige. Her grandmother would cringe at the sight; she’d always been fond of her garden, and Ellie couldn’t remember ever seeing a weed or a dead plant.
“I’ll get it back to how it was, Grams,” she said, as if her grandmother could hear her. She smiled up at the sky, then went back inside to concentrate on more urgent tasks, like cleaning the room where she’d be sleeping and getting rid of all the dusty sheets that covered the old furniture.
Tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep and with a clear head, she’d write a to-do list and start working on getting the house back to a livable condition.
Chapter Three
“I think it’s time Sophie and I moved out, Mom,” Adam said at breakfast the day after the nightmare. After going back to bed, he’d lain wide awake, staring at the ceiling of his old bedroom, thinking about the call from Mendosa, and feeling the need to get back on the case rush through him like a powerful drug. His family would never let him work on the case again, but he knew he’d never truly be able to leave the past behind—not until he’d found the man and brought him to justice.
As seconds ticked by, he realized he would never really move on if he kept living in this house, if he kept leaning on his mother and his family. He needed to get a grip, accept the fact that he was now a single parent, and learn to deal with it.
“I was wondering when you’d say it,” his mother said in a sweet tone, as if she’d been expecting him to say those words for a while. “I didn’t want to kick you out, but I knew that sooner or later you’d leave the nest. Again.”
His throat constricted, and for a moment he doubted his decision. Maybe he should stay a little longer, just until Sophie started kindergarten. But his mother placed a hand over his and squeezed.
“Adam, we’ll always be here to help, and you know you can count on Hannah’s family to babysit or help in any other way, too. You’ll never be alone, even if you move out.”
His vision blurred for a moment and he blinked, looking away. He could pretend and fake it all he wanted, but his mother had an uncanny ability to always see behind his mask and call him out on his bluff.
“I met Glen the other day,” he said. “He reminded me the position of deputy sheriff is there whenever I’m ready, so I guess I’ll be needing someone to look after Sophie when I can’t pick her up from preschool.” He took a sip of coffee from his mug and waited a moment for his heart rate to settle and his stomach to unknot itself, as his mother nodded and smiled. “I’ll see if I can start with morning shifts or something, so I don’t have to trouble you too much, but—”
“Looking after my granddaughter and helping my son would never be trouble,” she interrupted him, patting his cheek gently, the way she used to do when he was a child—only, his cheek was scruffier now. “But yes, I think it would be best if you managed to work around Sophie’s schedule, at least until she goes to school. She needs to know she’ll always come first.”
“She does. She’s everything to me, Mom.”
His mother smiled. “I know you love that little angel, and so does she. I just worry that moving out could be unsettling, make her think we don’t want her here anymore. She grew up in this house, she doesn’t really understand what you went through. So make sure you spoil her a little for the first few days.”
Adam chuckled. “She’s already been spoiled enough, but yeah, I guess I’ll have to make sure Glen is a little flexible with the shifts. Or maybe I’ll take Kean up on his offer and build furniture for his clients instead.”
His mother stood and picked up the empty plate in front of him. “I’d be happier to know you’re keeping yourself away from trouble by carving and sanding, but you’ve got to do what feels right to you.” She smiled and retrieved his empty mug before he could stand up and bring it to the sink. She was the first one when it came to spoiling kids and grandkids. “You can always use your hobby as a source of extra income. Kids get more expensive the older they get.”
“Tell me about it,” he said on a sigh. His daughter’s latest obsession over Frozen had already filled her room with dolls, cushions, sheets and even a towel robe. Before that, she’d had a thing for Bugs Bunny, and he wondered what would come next. Lauren, his sister-in-law, had a bet going on with Kean that it would be Barbie, while his brother said it was likely to be My Little Pony. Adam hoped it would be Lego—at least that was something he understood and knew how to deal with. As much as he loved his daughter, he still felt a little awkward playing with dolls. Which proved he’d do practically anything for his little girl—even give up his man card and sit on a carpet brushing dolls’ hair and dressing them up for the ball. Yeah, he definitely hoped her next craze would be Lego. Or Transformers. Or dinosaurs.
* * *
Two hours after speaking to his mother, Adam walked into Kean’s latest work in progress, stepping over wooden beams and unopened bags of cement. He nodded and greeted Jimmy, one of the two extra guys his brother had hired for this project. Kean’s business had grown steadily since he’d moved back to Spring and decided to start Cavanagh Contracting. The good thing about small towns was that they always looked after their own. Once Kean came back from Portland and opened his business, nearly every other resident came up with renovations or things they needed done. Within two years, business was booming, and the continuing demand meant Kean had not only never been out of work, but sometimes had to hire extra workers to complete projects on time.
“Kean’s out back,” Jimmy said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. Adam thanked him and crossed the spacious room to the back of the house. Even though his brother was an architect, he loved getting his hands dirty. From the way Kean’s workers talked, he was a pretty great boss to work with.
His brother was busy reducing some beams with an electric saw and didn’t hear him approaching.
“Yo, foreman!” Adam shouted to be heard over the buzz of the saw. Kean’s head whipped up, and he switched off the saw. Adam stepped closer.
“’Sup, bro?” Kean said, mimicking his slang. He lifted his protective goggles and removed his work gloves, placing them on top of the beam he’d been cutting. “Perfect timing. I was just about to take a break. I see you read my mind.” He nodded at the tray with two coffee cups Adam held in his hand, and smiled.
“I stopped by Mom’s bakery and picked up something to get you through to lunch time,” Adam said, handing him the bag with freshly-baked muffins their mother had just taken out of the oven when he’d stopped by. Kean’s face lit up, and he grabbed the paper bag, took out a muffin, then reached for a coffee cup.
“Thanks, l
ittle brother.” He took a sip from the cup and sat on a pile of wooden beams, then motioned for Adam to join him. “So, what brings you here? Apart from being a thoughtful brother who likes taking care of his older sibling.”
Adam chuckled as he sat down next to him. “I’ve decided to move out.”
Kean froze with the muffin half-way to his mouth.
Adam smiled. “I think it’s time I tried standing on my own two feet. I appreciate what you’ve all been doing over the past three years, but I can’t keep living in our childhood room, eating Mom’s food, and pretending I’m back in high school. Hannah isn’t coming back, and I need to start living my life as a single dad.”
“Yeah, well, I can see where you’re coming from,” Kean said, after he’d swallowed the mouthful of muffin he’d been chomping on while Adam spoke. “I mean, I loved being back home when I came back from Portland, but after a couple of weeks I felt the need for space. Mom’s great, but she’s always Mom, you know?”
Adam chuckled. Yeah, he knew. Their mother loved spoiling her kids, and her nephews and nieces as if they were still children.
“Still, you didn’t go that far away, did you?” Adam said, referring to the fact that Kean had built his house just a few hundred yards away from their parents’ place.
“Dude, do you have any idea how expensive building a house can be? At least that way the land was free of charge and I could splurge on materials. Besides, Mom was happy I’d still be around, and it was far enough away to give me my privacy. Everybody won.”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with the fact you also get free dinner every night, does it?”
“Busted.” Kean chuckled. “Anyway, back to your decision. How can I help? Do you want me to build a house for you and Sophie next to mine?”
Adam shook his head. “No, it would take too long to build it from scratch. I was hoping you could help me find a place. I can’t really afford to buy something fancy, but as long as Sophie has her own room, I can sleep on a pull out couch or something.”
Kean waved him away. “Pfft, as if I’d let my brother live in a shack. I have my reputation, you know. Let me make a few calls. I’ll find something suitable you can afford. I can always look for something that needs renovating so it’s cheaper. Renovations will be my housewarming gift for you, of course.”
Adam smiled and took a sip of his lukewarm coffee. “Thanks, man. I’d be happy to help out.”
“Great, it’s settled then. Any particular area you’d like me to check out?”
Adam thought of his dream of a house by the beach, a house he’d be sharing with Hannah and their children. He didn’t have to give up on the dream, even though it would be just him and Sophie living there.
“Somewhere near the beach would be cool. But whatever you come up with that I can afford will work.”
“The beach it is, then. I have to get back to work now,” Kean said, standing up and popping the last piece of muffin into his mouth. “I’ll see you at dinner, and I’ll let you know if I’ve found something.”
Adam nodded, thanked him again, and walked through the house back to his car. The more he thought about it, the more confident he felt that he’d made the right decision. It was time to start living his new life.
Chapter Four
Two days after her arrival, as she was boxing up stuff that had belonged to her grandparents, Ellie was questioning her decision of moving in alone. The end of her task seemed nowhere near.
The day before, she’d sat at the kitchen counter with a notepad, a pen, and a cup of strong coffee. The brand new coffee-maker had been Charli’s housewarming gift, since she doubted Ellie would find any kind of modern appliances in Spring Harbor, let alone a decent place to drink some equally decent coffee. She’d jotted down a list of what needed to be tackled first: the porch, the roof, and other bigger things would be her top priority in terms of renovations, but first she had to get rid of whatever she wasn’t going to need. As sad as it made her, that included most of her grandparents’ possessions.
Moving around all her life, Ellie had learned to travel light and never get attached to things, especially if they couldn’t fit inside a suitcase. Her grandmother, on the other hand, had always been rather sentimental. Ellie had understood from the moment she’d removed all the white sheets covering the furniture that the first, and probably most time-consuming, task would be to pack up all of her grandparents’ belongings and decide what to do with them.
When she arrived back in Spring Harbor, she’d noticed what looked like an antiques shop in town. Once she was finished packing everything, she’d go and see if they’d be interested in taking some of her grandparents’ stuff.
She put the last ceramic figurine in a box and closed the lid. The morning had flown and her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. After eating a sandwich, she grabbed an apple and walked out into the garden, the sky clear and blue, with only a few white clouds. She inhaled the fresh salty air and ate the apple while sitting on the old Adirondack that was still in good condition in spite of its age.
While she was chewing on the last bite, her eyes settled on the small, wooden toolshed at the far corner of the garden, and she decided to check it out before she went into town. She retrieved her set of keys from the kitchen and crossed the abandoned-looking garden. She unlatched the lock, and when she pulled open the squeaking door, she let out a surprised gasp. The red bike she used to ride when she was in high school was still there, looking barely used. Her grandfather had bought it for her when she was fourteen. She’d thought that once she stopped coming to Spring Harbor her grandparents had given it away. Instead, here it was, a painful reminder of those happy summer days, as well as a ‘welcome home’ gift, in a way. She didn’t own a car, had never felt the need to in San Francisco, but she’d given it some thought after she got the job at Spring Bunnies. Her house wasn’t that far out of town, but having a vehicle wouldn’t be such a bad idea. With the bike, she could take her time looking for a used car, while she focused on renovating the house and bringing it back to a livable condition.
She pulled the bike out of the shed, found the pump, and proceeded to inflate the wheels. Then she spent the next thirty minutes cleaning and polishing, bringing the bike back to its original shine. Once she was finished, she smiled to herself while she pushed it around to the front porch.
She rode through the woods, enjoying the quiet broken only by the sounds of chirping birds and crickets. The smell of trees mixed with the salt reminded her of the days she used to cycle on these same streets with her grandmother, or with Ethan jogging alongside her, pretending to train for whatever race he’d be signing up for once they got back to school. He’d always loved jogging, while she’d preferred riding, so they’d found a compromise during their stays in Spring Harbor.
The tall cedars and cypresses grew sparser as she approached the end of Beaver Lane. She turned left, taking the long way into town through the marina, and passed by the shops and cafés that catered to tourists, inhaling the smell of fish and of the ocean as she flew by, the wind lapping her face and the sun flushing her cheeks. She rode by the docks, where a few sailboats bobbed in the water. Other sailboats were out on the water, wind blowing into the white sails, pushing the vessels farther out to sea. Ellie had never been on a sailboat, and she suddenly wished she had. She wanted to experience the thrill of letting the wind take you wherever it pleased, of letting the waves lull you, while enjoying the warm rays of sun on your face. As she turned right at the top of the pier, leaving the marina behind as she headed into town, she added another item to the to-do list she’d started when she moved to Spring Harbor.
A few minutes later she reached Cypress Road, one of the main streets in the town center. The founders of Spring Harbor had been creative when naming its streets. Her grandfather had once told her that all the streets in the town center were named after trees, while the residential streets were all named after animals.
/> She reached the end of the road, facing the town hall with the tall, centuries-old Douglas fir towering in the square in front, and turned right onto Douglas Street, remembering the antiques shop was nearly at the end of the road.
Sandwiched between the small convenience store and the pharmacy, the Tales Of Old Times shop seemed to have popped out of an old movie. Just like most of the other businesses in town, white flower boxes filled with colorful dahlias sat on the sidewalk just in front of the shop window.
Ellie parked her bike in front of the shop and entered, expecting to be hit by the musty smell of old stuff and dust. Instead, a pleasant smell of wood enveloped her, making her feel as if she were stepping into a brand new house that still smelled of freshly carved wood and polish.
Apparently, the shop didn’t just sell antique furniture. There were paintings and knick-knacks, as well as a small selection of souvenirs neatly arranged in a glass display. A sign saying ‘Art Gallery’ hung on the far wall, with a red arrow pointing upstairs.
A woman with gray hair and a friendly smile came out of nowhere, interrupting Ellie’s perusal. “Hello, dear. Can I help at all or would you like to just browse?”
“Hi, um, yes. I was hoping you could help,” Ellie said, walking toward the woman. “I’ve just moved into my grandparents’ house and I’m looking for someone who’d be interested in their furniture. I’ll donate most of their clothes and other things to Goodwill, but there are a few pieces of furniture that are still in good condition and, from what my grandfather used to tell me, they should be rather valuable.” She shrugged. “I’m not really an expert, but I’m pretty sure they qualify as antiques.”
The woman smiled and nodded, introducing herself as Dora Wilkins. She asked a few questions and told Ellie she’d known her grandmother, since they both used to attend the knitting circle before most of the members started having sight or arthritis problems and they were forced to shut it down. She then had a look at the pictures Ellie had taken the day before and told her she’d be happy to go with her son Curtis to see the furniture the following morning. Once they’d taken a better look at the pieces, she’d be able to tell her what they could take.
No End to Love Page 3
