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“You got stuck in the hallway, son?”
Gladys’s voice yanked me out of the memories of a lifetime ago. I hurried to the kitchen and put the bags on the counter, next to the sink. I turned the faucet, but the steady drip of water didn’t stop.
“Still haven’t gotten that sink fixed?”
She waved her hand, and the gold bangles adorning her wrist jingled. “The plumber will be here later.”
“I can look at it for you.”
She pulled out a chair and sat down with a grunt. “No need. You’ve done enough on this house already. I need to sit down for a minute to rest my knees. They’re acting up today.”
“You should probably lie down. I can unpack the groceries for you.”
“You’re such a sweet boy, but that’s fine. I’ll get up in a minute. Have to pick up my nephew from the airport.”
The air flew out of my lungs, and an imaginary vise, more than likely guilt, tightened around my chest. “Your nephew is coming home?”
How had she pulled that off? Troy hadn’t set foot in town since he left for college on a full scholarship. His aunt had always flown out to him whenever they’d wanted to spend time together.
Why was he coming home now?
“It’s about damn time,” she said. “I finally put my foot down. I am not getting on another plane. He’s as healthy as a horse. Shouldn’t he be the one visiting me?”
I licked my dry lips, but my tongue was just as parched. “That makes sense.”
“I told him I would pick him up. Hopefully, these old knees don’t give out on me, but what to do? I can’t leave him stranded at the airport. Although I suppose he can get a cab, but that’s rather expensive all this way. Don’t you think?”
My heart thumped in my chest. Don’t do it. Remember, he didn’t accept your Facebook friend request. He doesn’t want anything to do with you.
“I can pick him up for you.”
This is a bad idea.
“Oh, I couldn’t put you through all that trouble.”
“It’s no trouble at all. The garage is closed today. I had nothing planned but to putter around the house fixing things that ain’t even broken.”
“Well…if it’s not a problem, I don’t see the harm. I’m sure you two will have a lot of catching up to do.”
We did, but I wasn’t sure Troy would ever be ready for what I had to say.
It’d been ten years.
2
TROY
I’d argued with my grandaunt not to pick me up from the airport. The stubborn woman won, of course. Just as she’d won in getting me to return to a town I’d sworn ten years ago I’d never come back to.
As put out as I was at her for manipulating me to visit, I was relieved I didn’t have to pick up a car and drive the hour and a half to our home. My back-to-back flights left me exhausted.
In less than twenty-four hours of arriving home in Atlanta from a cybersecurity conference in Barcelona, I’d had to pack and catch a flight to Minnesota. I foresaw nothing but sleep in my near future, which was fine with me. I had no intention of wandering around town while I was in Rosewood, lest I ran into him.
I had one reason for being here—convincing my grandaunt to pack up house and move in with me.
Grabbing my bag from the carousel, I dragged my feet toward the waiting area while deactivating Airplane Mode from my phone. A couple of missed calls popped up and a voice mail from Gladys. Frowning, I pressed Play, and her sweet voice filled my ear through my AirPods.
“Troy, honey, my knees are acting up, so I won’t make it to the airport, but not to worry. I’ve asked a sweet, dear man to pick you up.”
