Small town romance boxed set

by Goodwin, Emily

  “Must be, because the Amazon box is gone. They know we’re onto them. Weird, isn’t it? It’s been there for months then disappears days after we investigate.”

  Nora meets my eyes and beams. “We’ll have to check it out next week when I move back home.”

  A couple seconds tick by. “What?”

  “I’m coming back to Dale Hollow. Karen Young offered me a job.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.”

  I can’t quite understand what Stephanie says next, she’s so excited. Nora tells her the details about the job and says she’ll call later when she’s done with work. She hangs up, trading her phone for the salad she packed this morning.

  “You have to leave today, don’t you?” she asks me.

  “Yeah. I have to work.”

  Nora nudges me with her elbow. “And you’re worried about Charlie, right?”

  “Just a little. We’re not apart very often, you know.”

  She laughs and takes a bite of her salad. “Do you think he’ll get along with Binx?”

  Shit. I hadn’t thought of that. “They’ll get used to each other. So, can I take that to mean you’re moving in with me?”

  “It’s what I want. I’ve loved you for so long I don’t want to waste any more time.”

  “I don’t either. This week is going to go by slow.”

  “Oh, I know.” She mixes up her salad. “I’m off tomorrow, then work the rest of the week. I’ll try to get most of my packing down way ahead of time. What should I do with my furniture?”

  “What’s yours and what’s Becca’s?”

  “Most is mine and came from Mimi’s house. I don’t want to take the couch and TV stand if she’s going to stay though.”

  “No, I wouldn’t want you to either.”

  “I still have a unit full of her stuff in storage.”

  “In L.A.?”

  She shakes her head. “Here. I went through it all and got rid of a lot of it around the same time Becca and I moved in here. Mimi liked traditional-style, so a lot of the bigger items don’t look dated and can be used for years.”

  “Bring whatever you want. The second you move in, it’s your house too and it needs to feel like it. And we both know I’m not good at decorating.”

  “You do need help.” She smiles. “I’m already excited for Christmas. The place has to look gorgeous with snow.”

  “It does. You might not like it as much when you’re driving to work in the morning. You’ll have to take the Jeep.”

  “Oh, right. My little car doesn’t like snow.”

  I laugh. I’ve been planning on getting a new Jeep in the next year or two. Instead of trading in my old one, maybe we can trade in Nora’s instead. She’ll be my wife by that time anyway, I’m sure of it.

  “You’re lucky you get to work from home.”

  “Yeah,” I agree. “The road is one of the last to get plowed.”

  She untwists the cap on her bottle of water. “Maybe it’s because it hasn’t happened yet, but I like the thought of getting snowed in with you.”

  I smirk. “We won’t be bored.”

  “Not at all.”

  The rest of Nora’s break goes by too fast, and I walk her back in and kiss her goodbye. I spend an hour and a half walking around, trying to kill time until Nora gets off work. I end up back at the apartment, planning to sketch out some concepts until Nora’s shift ends.

  Becca is home and opens the door when I knock. Nora gave me her key in case no one was there, which was what I was hoping for.

  “Hey,” she says, stepping aside to let me in. “Did you guys sneak off for a quickie during her break?”

  “I wish.” I start to head into Nora’s room to find paper and a pen.

  “She’s moving back home, isn’t she?”

  I turn. “Yeah. She told you she got a job offer, right?”

  “She did. Does she know when she’s leaving?”

  “As soon as she can.”

  “Oh.” Becca sighs.

  “She wants to talk to you about it later. I know she’ll miss you.”

  “I’ll miss her too.” She goes into the little kitchen and shakes a bottle of nail polish. “But I’m glad she’s going home. I’ve sat back and watched her deny her feelings for you for over four years. She puts on a strong front and is able to fool almost everyone, including herself. I think we both know her well enough to know even the strongest fronts can’t be held forever.”

  “There’s nothing I’ll ever regret more than those four years without her.”

  Becca gives me a sympathetic look. “She said you were trying to look out for her, so don’t beat yourself up too much.” She tries to open the bottle of nail polish but can’t get the lid to turn. I take it from her and twist it open.

  “Thanks,” she says. “You make her happy. You always have. Back in high school, when Mimi…” She trails off, becoming emotional. “If you could make her happy then, you can make her happy anytime.”

  “It took me a while to figure it out, but yeah. I can. And I will.”

  Chapter 45

  Jack

  I plug my phone in, impatiently looking at the black screen. It’s two AM, and I know Nora is up worrying about me. Unable to pull myself away, Nora and I stayed tangled up together hours longer than we intended. The thought of grabbing my laptop and getting back in the car is tempting even though I’m tired. I’m not able to do all my work from the laptop anyway.

  Drumming my fingers on the nightstand, I keep staring at my phone until it gets enough of a charge to turn on. I send Nora a text instead of calling just in case she is asleep, telling her I’m home safe and am getting in the shower.

  I strip in the bedroom and walk naked to the bathroom, not liking how quiet the house is. I’ve never been in the cabin completely alone before. There is a good chance I’m going to my parents’ after the shower to get Charlie.

  Exhaustion hits me once I sink into bed. I grab my phone to see if Nora texted back. She hasn’t yet, meaning she must be sleeping. I lay down and try to do the same. The solitude gets to me, and when I open my eyes, I see the cabin as it was when I first bought it.

  As it was when Jason and I used to sneak in.

  My phone rings, and it’s like Nora and I are on the same wavelength. I need her right now to make the visions fade.

  “Hey, babe,” I say, and my heart stops racing.

  “Hey.” She sounds sleepy.

  “Were you sleeping?”

  “Kind of. I had a weird dream.”

  “What happened in it?”

  She yawns. “I was worried about you getting tired while driving, so I asked Mimi to keep an eye on you. Then I dozed off and she told me she already was.” Nora pauses, and I can imagine her brilliant green eyes glossy with tears. “And that she always will.”

  “I think she is.”

  “I do, too.”

  “I love you, Nora. Go back to sleep. I’ll call you in the morning.”

  “Okay. Love you, too.”

  We hang up and I go back to staring at the ceiling. Then something Nora says comes back to me. I asked Mimi to keep an eye on you. It’s not the first time I’ve heard Nora talk to Mimi or her parents. I don’t think she knows I’ve noticed her tip her head to the heavens and whisper to her family, but I have ever since we were kids.

  I sit up, look around the room, and inhale.

  “Jason,” I say, waiting after speaking his name. “I hate you for what you did. I hate what you made me do. And I hate that you never came to me before. Something had to be off in your head and I could have helped. Or gotten you help.” A chill comes over me. “I hate you for what you did, but I forgive you.”

  A knot loosens in my chest. I look out the balcony doors at the stars. “I forgive you.”

  * * *

  “Is it all going to fit?” Nora steps back, looking from the storage unit to the moving truck.

  “I think so.”

  “That’s encourag
ing.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “You’re the engineer. Figure it out,” I tease.

  “Oh, I will. But I need your muscle to take it from point A to point B.”

  “Glad to be of use.” I lean over and kiss her, and then start loading the furniture. Once we get the storage unit emptied, we go to her apartment for the last time. True to her fashion, Nora boxed everything up the day after I left and has it lined up by the door for ease of loading.

  After a bit of a tearful goodbye with Becca and Liam, Nora and I head out. I’m driving the moving truck, and she’s driving her car. Nora fishes her keys from inside her purse and hesitates, looking back at the apartment.

  “Having second thoughts?” I ask.

  “No.” She turns to me, smiling. The sun catches the gold in her hair. “I was thinking of how far we’ve come. And how much I’m ready.”

  “Ready?”

  “To go home.”

  Chapter 46

  Nora

  “Where does this one go?” Stephanie carries a box inside the cabin.

  I peek inside. “Kitchen.”

  I grab another box from the truck, only to have it slide out of my hands.

  “Need help?” Doug asks, going for the box I’m struggling with.

  “Please. It’s too heavy.”

  He picks it up. “What the heck is in it?”

  “Books.”

  “That explains it. Living room?”

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  Going for something a little less heavy this time, I bring in a bag full of clothes. I check on Binx on the way. We set him up in the downstairs bathroom, and Charlie has been outside the door, sniffing at him since we got here.

  “Binxy boy,” I call, sneaking in and shutting the door behind me. Binx slinks out from behind the toilet to rub on me. “How are you doing? I know you’ve moved a lot, but I promise you this is the last time.”

  I open a can of cat food, spooning it into his bowl. Patting him once more, I go back out and take my clothes upstairs. The floor creaks behind me and I turn to see Jack, carrying a white wooden nightstand like it weighs nothing at all. He sets it down and rushes to me, picking me up by the waist and spinning me around.

  We kiss and fall back on the bed. I hook my leg over Jack, cupping his face with my hand.

  “I fucking love you, Nora Renee Fisher.”

  “And I love you, Jack William Harrington.”

  He kisses me again, sliding his hands down my waist and under the hem of my dress. The floor creaks and Jack snaps up.

  “You have got to be kidding me,” Veronica says, exasperated. “Why is it always me who walks in on you two?”

  I laugh and sit up, smoothing out my dress. “Sorry.”

  “I’m not sorry,” Jack quips, wiggling his eyebrows, making me laugh even more.

  “And why am I unpacking shit downstairs when you two are up here making out?” She rolls her eyes. “Mom just got here with pizza.”

  “We’ll be right down,” Jack says and turns back to me. The stairs creak under Veronica’s feet and he stands, pulling me to him once more. “Do you feel like you’re home?”

  “I do.”

  “Me too.”

  I tip my head. “This has been your home.”

  “I know. I can’t really explain it, but it feels even more like home now that you’re in it.”

  We go down, eat pizza, and spend another few hours bringing stuff in and trying to organize. After everyone leaves, Jack, Charlie, and I take a break on the balcony upstairs. I rest my head on his shoulder, soaking up the last of the fading light from the setting sun.

  Jack gets a text and frowns when he reads it.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “Greg, from the PTSD group asked if I can lead the next meeting. He’s seeing if different members can take turns until we find a replacement for Wyatt.”

  I know how hard it is for Jack, how this brings up the memories and emotions he’s trying to forget. “What are you gonna do?” I ask gently.

  He considered for a moment, then turns his face to mine. “I’m going to do it. It’s a hard road to walk, but like you said, I need to keep going. I want to find the light at the end of that tunnel too.”

  I wrap my arm around his. “You will.”

  * * *

  “You know what just occurred to me?” I ask Jack. We’re walking up the sidewalk to Stephanie and Doug’s house.

  “What?”

  “Whenever we go see one of our parents, the other is going to know.”

  “Shit, you’re right. And then they’ll wonder why we didn’t come see them when we saw the other.”

  “We’re doomed.” I laugh. The smell of chicken enchiladas hits me as soon as I open the door, reminding me how hungry I am. Stephanie’s sitting on the couch and gets up to hug us both as soon as we walk into the living room.

  “You’ve been back for weeks and I still miss you,” she tells me. “And you too, Jack.”

  Doug hugs me next and shakes Jack’s hand.

  “I know,” I say. “Once things settle down I’ll see you more.”

  “I always hated moving.” Stephanie motions to the house. “When we moved here I swore it would be the last time.”

  “We’re far from done,” Jack says. “It’ll be a while before we’re settled completely, but we’re getting there.”

  We stashed all the extra furniture upstairs in the unused bedrooms, only to take it out. It’s currently cluttering the living room and Jack is in the process of tearing down the walls in the two small bedrooms.

  It didn’t take us long to realize that we both want children in the near future. And before they come, we need to get some of the major renovations done on the house. To save money, we’re doing much if it ourselves. We got started right away, chipping away little by little every day at the very long to-do list.

  “Dinner’s almost ready,” Doug says. “I’m going to grab a beer. Do you want one?”

  “Sure,” Jack says, surprising me a bit since he drinks as seldom as I do. He goes with Doug into the kitchen. I sit on the couch with Stephanie.

  “How was work?” she asks.

  “Good. I’m starting to feel like I fit in more now. And everyone is really nice.”

  She pats my hand. “I’ll never get tired of telling you how proud I am.”

  “I couldn’t have gotten here without you and Doug.”

  Her arm goes around me in another hug. “Oh! There’s a new Amazon box. Bigger than the last.”

  “We definitely need to investigate.”

  “I’m bringing the camera,” she laughs, and we rattle off crazy theories. The timer goes off on the oven, and both Stephanie and I go into the kitchen to check on the food. Jack and Doug are standing on the back porch talking. I watch them, then look at Stephanie.

  “Male bonding time?” she suggests.

  “I guess.” Both are at ease, and whatever they’re talking about made Jack smile. I set the table and go to the back door, calling the guys in for dinner. We’re eating in the formal dining room again, and it takes Stephanie and Doug a few minutes to join us. And when they do, Stephanie’s all smiles, hardly able to look me in the eye.

  Doug says grace, and we start eating. Halfway through dinner, Stephanie is back to normal but keeps giving Doug looks. Maybe I don’t want to know.

  Jack stays at the house when Stephanie and I go for a walk around the block after dinner, saying he’s going to stop in next door and say hi to his mom.

  “Should I alert the authorities?” Doug teases us when we get back.

  “There are two boxes now.” Stephanie pulls up photos on her phone to show him. “Something weird is going on.”

  “There is. Very weird. You had Nora pose for a fake photo so you could take a picture of the house.”

  “It’s not fake,” I counter. “I’m in it. Kind of.”

  “You need a hobby,” Doug tells her.

  She smiles. “I might have one soon,” she says
quietly to him. I don’t think I was supposed to hear.

  “Ready to head out?” Jack asks me, interlocking his fingers with mine. “I’m tired.”

  “Me too.”

  We say bye to Stephanie and Doug, and go home. I’m slightly nervous every time I walk through the door. Binx and Charlie did not like each other one bit at first. Charlie had never seen a cat up close before and chased my poor Binxy boy around the house. They tolerate each other now, and Charlie only chases him if Binx gets too close to his food. I’d been locking Binx up in the bathroom when we weren’t home, just to be safe, and only recently started leaving him free.

  Charlie comes running, tail wagging rapidly. He’s not covered in blood, which is a good sign. I take off my shoes, delving deeper into the house. Binx is in his new favorite spot in the loft, front paws hanging over the edge of the balcony.

  “The kids are getting along,” I say to Jack and he laughs.

  “Want to go for a walk?” he asks me.

  “I thought you were tired?”

  “I was, and but now I’m not. It’s really clear tonight. We could look for shooting stars.”

  I can’t say no to that. I run upstairs to pee and grab a jacket, meeting Jack by the back door. He lets Charlie out and takes my hand. We’ve tried to make this a nightly routine while the weather’s nice. The walks aren’t long, and usually we stay on the property. It’s a nice way to end the day.

  Tonight, we go a bit farther to a large rock jutting out of the ground. It’s smooth on top and makes a good place to sit and watch the sky. We sit together, not talking and hardly moving until I see a streak of golf flash across the sky.

  “Make a wish,” I say.

  “I think my wish is about to come true.” Jack hops off the rock and holds out his hand. I take it, letting him pull me to my feet. He kisses me, then envelopes me in his arms. “I need to ask you something I should have a long time ago.”

  “Sure. What is it?”

  His hand goes to mine again, tugging me forward. We trek up a hill, stopping at the top. The sky is alive above us, and the peaceful hush of the forest is the only thing I can hear.