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“Maybe it will be true love?” Rowan suggests.
Sydney just shrugs and the conversation turns to town gossip. We make virgin margaritas as quietly as possible so that we don’t wake Harper.
It’s late by the time we call it a night and I walk out with Sydney around midnight.
“It’s nice to have you back home,” I say, giving Sydney a hug before we part ways and head to our cars.
It was hard not to miss my friends or be jealous of them when they left for college. I never could have afforded it and I used to wonder if I was making a mistake and should have just taken out some loans.
Now it feels like it was meant to be. I’m about to open my own nursery, my dream business, I have a second date with the only man who has ever fueled my fantasies, and both of my best friends are back in town.
Life is pretty perfect right now.
So why does that thought have me wondering when the other shoe is going to drop.
ChapterSeven
Jasper
“You know, most people would wait a day, maybe even two, before asking their guests to do manual labor,” Brooks says as he helps me haul out the washing machine.
“You volunteered!” I argue, narrowly avoiding wedging my finger between the washing machine and door.
My shoulder is killing me and I have a feeling that it’s going to be sore for a few days after this. Brooks mumbles something that I don’t catch and I choose to ignore him as we haul the washing machine out to the waiting truck. Someone from town bought it and the dryer and we’re trying to load it before the people from Goodwill come to pick up the couches and end table.
I hired a construction company and they’re supposed to come tomorrow to start work on the place. I have to get the place cleared out before then.
“Thanks,” Ms. Watson says with a smile as she hands me the cash and Brooks closes the truck bed.
“No problem.”
She waves as she heads down the street and I turn back to Brooks. He’s rolling his shoulder and I wonder if his shoulder is acting up too.
Brooks got hit in the back and shoulder. He broke two of his ribs and tore a tendon in his shoulder and another in his back near his shoulder blade. Luckily, his ribs are mostly healed by now and his surgery on his shoulder was successful.
“Want me to move anything else? Maybe hop up on the roof?” Brooks jokes and I grin, slapping him on the back.
“Nah, let’s take a break and grab a beer.”
We head back inside and I open the fridge, taking out the six-pack that I put in there this morning. Brooks twists off his top, taking a long pull on the bottle and I follow suit.
“Nice place,” Brooks says carefully as he looks at the dilapidated kitchen and living room.
“Yeah, home sweet home,” I mumble.
The carpet is worn and dirty. There are holes in some of the walls and scratches and cigarette burns on most of the furniture. I’d like to say that this was all new but the truth is that it was this bad when I was living here too.
“How are you doing with all of this and your dad?” Brooks asks.
He knows a bit about my family and home life and I’m sure that he knows this is a sensitive subject but I trust Brooks. He’s a good guy and I know that he gets it to some extent.
“I’m okay. It’s weird being back. When I left, I was like the town pariah and then I went into the military and now people are looking at me like I’m the town’s golden boy.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” he asks.
“Not necessarily. It’s just that it feels fake. None of these people helped me when Gray and I needed it but now they can’t wait to shake my hand and welcome me back.”
“So, you think you’ll be leaving soon?”
