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Fall was here, bringing with it almost a straight month of rain. Even if I had the time to work on the trailer, the weather wouldn't allow it. As I stood outside looking for the cause of my latest leak, exhaustion seeped into my bones.
My gaze drifted over to Elara's place, which had been empty for two full months. A memory flashed through my mind—Elara in overalls, ready to help me work on the trailer, her smile brighter than the sun.
I wished I could stop torturing myself like this. Every spare second, images of Elara, her smile, her body, her smell, crowded my head like unwelcome house guests.
"Focus, Cole," I muttered, spotting a blockage in the guttering.
But of course, that set off another memory of Elara. Sitting in the diner together, sipping cocktails in our fancy clothes, snickering at how unsexy the word “gutter” was.
I grabbed a stick from the ground and poked at the mass of leaves in the gutter. Some of them fell down onto the floor, wet and stodgy.
“Job done,” I muttered, “ish.”
Clearly, I needed to get a ladder and go up there properly with the correct cleaning tools. But today, I had other stuff to do. I’d promised to build Lexi and Rhea a ninja obstacle course after they’d aced yet another jujitsu grading.
But I mean, what even was a ninja obstacle course?
Hoops? Climbing ropes? Steps?
Google said it was basically a fancy jungle gym, so I'd gathered the supplies—timber, hand grips, sturdy ropes—and was ready to begin. My toolbox thudded in the mud. Rain misted my hair.
Life had been pretty fucking unbearable these past two months. The job in Goldharbor Bay had become a nightmare when we'd discovered asbestos in some of the popcorn ceilings. Everything ground to a halt as we meticulously deposed of it. Then, the weather turned, and the delays had stacked up. It felt as though the job would never end.
At least the girls were well. Rhea seemed to be doing better at school, and Lexi was just as sparky as always, albeit still obsessed with New York.
“We have to go for Christmas, Daddy,” she’d told me. “They have this huge Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center.”
I managed to focus on the obstacle course, starting with digging a shallow trench to fill with soft material in case the girls fell. It was grueling work, so I was grateful when my phone buzzed in my pocket.
It was Ida. I sighed, wiping the rain and sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand before answering.
"Sis."
"Hello, stranger!" Ida said. "You've been dodging my calls."
"I've been busy."
"No one's that busy. I'm glad you're still alive."
I'd barely been into town since Elara had left. Firstly, I really was busy. Secondly, I wanted to avoid gossip. Thirdly, I had this thing about seeing the “For Sale” sign on Elara's bar. I didn't want to see that it had changed to a “Sold” sign.
"Well, that's kind of you to say."
“Listen, are you going to be at the council planning meeting?"
"Yep,” I said through gritted teeth. “Can't wait."
After Elara almost sold her store to 7-Eleven, a few folks in town had gotten talking. We were working on amending the town's charter so that only independent businesses could rent or buy commercial property on the main street. The aim was to preserve the town's character and support local trade. All very noble, and definitely something I cared about, but it was an extra thing to juggle, and I was out of hands.
"Woohoo! Local politics," Ida said, just as sarcastic as me. "But seriously, I’m glad you’re going. I don’t think I could do another one without backup. Did I tell you at that last meeting Mrs. Brown literally objected to every single point raised?”
I chuckled. “Mrs. Brown really cares about the town.”
“So do I,” said Idea. “But I also care about getting home in time for my dinner.”
Not long after Ida and I stopped talking, my phone buzzed again. Another McCoy. Ethan this time, sending me a message.
Hey, wanna grab a coffee? Meet me at Java Joe's in thirty.
