Page 107 of Day Break

I’d never bonded with people so quickly before in my life. It had only taken a few days for George to win my heart over. It took a little longer for Lane. I had been untrusting and so scared to open up to him.

I’d changed so much in the past year and the last few months. I actually trusted people now, something I had never done before.

Even though I knew that Elliott was locked up with no chance of escape this time, I couldn’t help the sinking feeling that there was something or someone else lurking in the darkness. I guess I still doubted that I deserved a happy ever after.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“The dawn is not distant, nor is the night starless; love is eternal.”

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Lane

After that crazy night, when I’d been held at gunpoint and had to fight off Chloe’s ex, things settled down and fell into a good pattern. A very good pattern.

We’d made a couple of necessary moves to ensure that my family would leave us alone. Possibly even stay out of our way forever. We didn’t take filing the two lawsuits lightly, but they were both well deserved.

The day after Elliott’s attack, we filed the first lawsuit in Chloe’s name against my father for failure to follow the Code of Conduct of a Judge. He’d been the judge who had allowed the crazed man out on bail, knowing he was both a flight risk and a danger to Chloe, someone he not only knew but had current lawsuits against.

The second lawsuit was against everyone in my family for emotional abuse. I hated doing it, but if they were willing to go all the way with their own lawsuits, it was necessary.

After filing that paperwork, Chloe, Byron, and I settled into life together.

I didn’t want to move back out to the apartment above the garage, so I moved furniture instead. After a week of fighting with Byron for bed real estate, it was necessary.

Even if my family was contesting my grandfather’s will, it didn’t negate the fact that he’d left me this place. Because all of his property had been moved into a trust, I could instantly have everything shifted over to my name as trustee.

I knew my grandfather would have wanted me to make the home mine. Correction—ours.

When my family and I had stayed here every summer, my parents had used the guest room, leaving Sherry and I to our own rooms.

Since the break-in, Sherry’s room had sat empty, void of everything that had been hers except one of her spare comforters, which Chloe had found in the linen closet.

My room was still filled with my childhood things. They had seen better days and had no place in a grown man’s room. Especially one I was trying to get romantic in.

Since I had time, I spent an entire day boxing up toys, sports gear, and some very old porn magazines that I’d found under my mattress.

When I was done, I thought of hauling my bed out to the garage, but then realized that the room was far too small for a king-sized bed.

I’d never really spent a lot of time in my grandparents’ room. I hadn’t even gone in there since I was a teenager. So, it surprised me when I opened the doors to find a modern room lacking any clutter.

Actually, the only private items in there were a picture of my grandparents that sat on a newer-looking dresser and a sleep apnea machine on the nightstand.

The walk-in closet was full of my grandfather’s clothes, but I was shocked to see all of my grandmother’s clothes still in there as well.

I touched one of the shirts I remembered my grandmother wearing all the time. Leaning in, I smelled it and was flooded with memories of her.

It was like being hit over the head. The emotions were so strong that I swayed. Love flooded every ounce of my body.

No wonder my grandfather had never thrown away anything of hers. I doubted I’d be able to either.

“There you are,” Chloe said from the doorway, making me jump. “Sorry.” She smiled. Then her eyes scanned my face and she stepped into the closet. “Are you okay?”

I nodded and held up the shirt sleeve. “It still smells like my grandmother,” I said, realizing too late how stupid I sounded.

Chloe’s smile was back. “That’s a good thing.” She touched my arm. “Want some lunch?”

I nodded. As we walked back through the room, I stopped her by taking her hand.