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“He still leaves them there. It's his house so who are we to tell him otherwise.”
Allen smiled. “So the people of Maple Meadow are embracing of others.”
“We try. Is that why you moved here?”
He sighed as he pulled into her driveway. “I moved here to be closer to my dad.”
“That's sweet.” She cleared her throat. “Is there another reason?”
Did she feel it? He wasn't running from his past. He only wanted to start over. His wounds, deep as a fathomless sea, but he was healing. Allen would surface soon, but not now.
In his younger years, more women meant more options, but choosing monogamy as an adult freed him from reckless relationships. Old friends thought he was crazy, including Desmond at one point, but Allen couldn’t revert. He did the internal work. Yet, sitting in Heather’s driveway with her a few inches away, for the first time in a while, he wondered if he was ready.
He looked over at her. “Maybe one day I'll tell you.”
Chapter 11
“So… why are you late again?” Desmond asked as he dribbled a basketball.
Allen set his gym bag on the bleachers, his sneakers squeaking on the wood floors. “Had some errands to run.”
He wouldn’t tell his cousin he got caught up at the local antique shop in town. Desmond would kid him for looking at “old stuff.” In Allen’s opinion, the pieces he found had a history. He learned it from his mother. He didn’t enjoy going with her to antique shops and flea markets as a little boy but his mother loved finding different pieces of furniture, lamps, or tables to add to their home.
Allen didn’t plan on keeping up the hobby as an adult, but he felt that much closer to his mother with her gone. She kept a list of all the items she wanted to find and she didn’t have time to finish. This was his gift to her. He didn’t look for antique pieces often, but today was an exception.
He found a step stool that reminded him of the one he used in the bathroom as a little boy. With rustic chipped paint and boot jack legs, Allen couldn’t leave the stool behind.
“Errands?” Desmond raised an eyebrow. “You work too hard.”
He shook out his arms. “You ready for the rematch?”
“For the record, our last game wasn’t a fair one. How was I supposed to know Morgan would stop by?”
Allen chuckled. “You let your woman distract you. Come on, let’s get this game going before the kids need the court.”
The basketball swished through the net and banged against the headboard as he and Desmond scored points. The first to get fifteen won. Allen dabbed his sweaty forehead with his t-shirt.
He needed a diversion from Heather. Between volunteering with the fair and therapy at her house, he couldn’t get her out of his head. Should he confide in Desmond? Not yet. His cousin would have a field day and tell Morgan. While Allen loved Morgan, she and Desmond told each other everything. He was glad they would marry soon. They acted like a married couple already.
The final point arrived and Allen dribbled around his cousin. He would win and—was that his phone? He could ignore it but what if it was his dad? Allen lost the ball and Desmond made the winning shot. Desmond did a happy dance while Allen rushed to his phone.
It was Heather. She called?
“Everything alright?” Desmond asked.
“Yeah, just a… patient.” Was she only a patient? Not after the way she looked at him during their tinsel fight. A tinsel fight? He still chuckled over that one. He called her back.
“Everything okay?”
“Oh—I’m—yeah,” she stammered.
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yes, I wanted to know if we could switch up our sessions.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“I thought of a walk in the park with Tinsel? Sorry, but I’m tired of being at home.”
