“No. But at least if one party breaches the contract, they’re aware of the consequences.”
I had a feeling we were discussing more than just my lack of a contract for being on the land. It seemed like breach of trust was the bigger issue. But what did I know?
“I want you gone.” She spun on her heel, wrapping her shawl around her as she headed for the house.
I waited to start the jackhammer again until her hand was on the doorknob. And then, with a smirk, I let ’er rip. There was something so satisfying about pounding concrete. It was bone-tiring and all-consuming, and it helped me get out of my head for a while. Helped me escape the grief that threatened to overwhelm me. But soon, there’d be no escaping it. The whole town was invited to a celebration of Scott’s life.
Audrey didn’t bother me the rest of the night. And by the time I went to bed, my skin and eyes were finally looking a little less angry from the pepper spray. I’d even calmed down some too—the physical labor sapping me of energy to give a fuck. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
The following morning, I went for a run to clear my head and release some of my pent-up energy. When I emerged from the shower, my cell phone was ringing.
“Hey, Ernie. What’s up?”
“Hey, man. I just wanted to give you a heads-up about something.”
“Sure.” I tucked the phone beneath my ear as I dug through my drawer for my tie. “What’s going on?”
“Audrey Monroe, Scott’s daughter—”
“Yeah. I know who she is.” I didn’t mean to be short with him, but the woman was on my last nerve. Between the pepper spray and her attitude…
“Ah, okay. Well, she’s been calling around, trying to get one of the tow truck companies to remove your ‘eyesore’ fromherproperty.”
I cursed under my breath, pounding my table with my fist and startling Max. “She’s a real piece of work.”
“Don’t worry. We told her we didn’t have the right kind of truck—that it takes special equipment to haul a tiny.”
“And she believed that?”
“Yep.” He sounded pretty pleased with himself. “She might be a hotshot lawyer from the big city, but we certainly fooled her.” He guffawed.
I grinned. “Thanks, Ernie. I owe you one.”
“Nah, man. I owe you. I love my tiny. You helped me more than you’ll ever know. You’ll have to come over for Christmas. I even got myself a little tree this year.”
“That’s great, Ernie.” I smiled, thinking of how much had changed since we’d met. Ernie had been one of the first homeless vets to receive a tiny house from Freedom Tiny Homes. I was hoping to do even more now that I was retiring from being a hotshot.
After ten years, I was ready for something else. Much as I loved the job, it was exhausting. Last season had been especially so—cutting fire line sixteen hours a day in one of the longest and deadliest fire seasons we’d had. Important as the work was, my passion lay with tiny houses. With giving people the freedom to own a home without going into debt. Or helping others who had lost theirs due to fire or circumstances beyond their control. There were so many hardworking men and women who had simply fallen through the cracks—or never been given a chance to begin with.
After we ended the call, I finished getting ready. It took several attempts before I got my tie right and pulled on my jacket. I made sure Max’s food and water were full before giving her a belly rub and heading out.
My tires rumbled against the gravel path that led to the main road, and I noticed Audrey’s car was gone.If only she’d leave for good and leave me alone.
I tightened my grip on the wheel. I hadn’t thought about where I’d move the tiny house now that Scott was gone. Didn’t want to. There were options, sure. And my truck was more than capable of towing it. But I’d always loved the land behind Scott’s house. Nowhere else had felt like home. And for the past five years—at least when it wasn’t fire season—this had been my home.
I slowed as I drove through downtown, past the streetlights with holiday banners and storefronts decked out for the holidays. I pulled into the parking lot at Davenport’s, noting how full it already was. The service—or should I say, celebration—wasn’t for another fifteen minutes, but the whole town had turned out to pay their respects. Lulu’s Diner was closed, as were most of the boutiques and the cinema. Though Scott would’ve hated the attention, I knew it was exactly the type of celebration he would’ve wanted.
“Hey, Ethan,” Shelby said when I stepped through the door. A Christmas tree stood near the entry, and garland lined the edge of the bar.
“Hey. Thanks.” I accepted a beer from her, trying to ignore the way she leaned over, giving me a clear shot down her shirt.
Though we’d done the whole friends-with-benefits thing in the past, I didn’t have any intention of reviving the arrangement. She was sweet, but I had a feeling she wanted more.
“I heard Scott’s daughter is in town,” she said. “Did she actually pepper spray you?”
Fucking hell.How many people knew about that?
I didn’t respond, sipping my beer instead. But she took my silence as acceptance and said, “If you want me to play nurse, I’d be happy to,” in a suggestive tone.
