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“Thanks Mom!”

I listened to the footsteps above me, walking out the side door. Seconds later, her car started and left the drive. I was alone, able to dwell on my own thoughts. Now that my idea was out there, I needed to set the next steps in motion. I grabbed the notebook, my laptop, and my pen before heading back upstairs. As a kid, my favorite place to focus was the screened-in porch. It overlooked the trees and creek in the backyard. I couldn’t think of a more peaceful place.

Turning the laptop on, I started researching Landon again. I needed to focus on the man, not the incident that changed everything for him. He was more than that. Unfortunately, the accident and his quick departure from the popular literary world and spotlight took up the first few pages of searching. Finally, after digging for a while, I found what I was looking for. It didn’t take long to fill a few pages of notes. Afterward, I created an outline based on the questions I’d formed. Before long, a couple of hours had already passed by.

Reviewing what I’d written, my mind wandered to how I’d felt when I stood close to him. I could definitely understand what my mother saw in him. He had a rugged exterior, a mystery that left me wanting more. After reading more about the accident, I knew he was most likely dealing with both mental and physical aftereffects, even after all these years. Something like that didn’t just go away. I bet there were few people who understood that.

That might be my in, appealing to his recovery and how difficult it had been. I didn’t want to come off as an opportunist or shallow. Honestly, the more I read about him, the more I wanted to get to know him, whether he agreed to a story or not.

I growled when my phone rang again. Seriously? “Hello?”

“Tara! I wondered if you’d changed your number.”

“No, Wendell. I’m just weighing my options. I’m also working on a possible story.”

“I’m assuming you’ve listened to my messages. The board would love to have you back.” He stammered a bit before adding that he would too.

I noticed he didn’t ask about the story. “I have. I’m not sure what I want to do that, though. I need some time to consider my options.”

“That’s fair. Maybe a week? Two weeks?”

“I would say at least two, but I don’t want to be held to that. If it takes more, it takes more.”

He sighed on the other end, but with the board pressuring him, I knew he had no choice but to give me what I needed. It was a bit of a win for me. One I wasn’t expecting. I wasn’t silly enough to think I would get unlimited time to decide my next move, but it gave me a bit of leeway. It was a reminder I needed to make the most of my time here.

“Okay. Keep me posted, please. I’m hoping you choose to come back. I think we can give you what you need if we come up with the right plan.”

I thanked him, hanging up. Hopefully, that would hold him off long enough for me to figure some things out. Glad to have that checked off my list, I focused on Landon again. I didn’t get far before my stomach growled, letting me know I needed to eat. It was only 11:00, but the cinnamon roll had long ago left my system. I should have eaten two. I moved everything to the side, pushing myself out of my seat. I remembered seeing egg salad in the fridge yesterday.

Checking first to make sure it was still there, I toasted a couple of pieces of bread. There were some perks of being home again. My mother’s cooking was high on the list.

8

LANDON

Beth Foley had called earlier, apologizing that a pair of pants hadn’t made it to my pile. She offered to have them delivered, but I told her it wasn’t a problem to pick them up. As much as I dreaded going into town again, I feared the possibility that Tara was the delivery person more. I was making progress, but I certainly wasn’t ready for someone to visit my home. Especially when that person caused my stomach to flutter in ways it hadn’t in a decade.

I finished my dishes and changed into jeans and a T-shirt. I’d rather get to town early, just in case things got busy. Even though I didn’t want her at my house, I was still anxious to see Tara again. I wondered if she’d have the same effect on me. Maybe yesterday had been a fluke, something I’d eaten? I pressed the pause button—I was way ahead of myself here. I knew nothing about this girl. It was possible she’d only been visiting her parents yesterday, and at the end of the day, she had headed back to someplace else. Maybe that someplace else was one she shared with a loving husband and family.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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