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Except, he didn’t have any details, and it was killing him.
And now she was standing there in front of her house, talking to one of his brother-in-law’s foreman, having reappeared like she’d been never gone in the first place.
“What the fuck?” he muttered, slowing to a stop, and pulling up to the curb behind what he now belatedly realized was her car.
Something else he hadn’t seen in months.
He threwhiscar into park, pushed open the door, and got out.
Seeing the bracelet dangling from Raven’s rearview as he rounded the hood almost had him getting right back in his car and driving away.
Cole, his nephew, had made that for her.
He knew because he had an identical one—only it was sitting at the base of his gearshift. Green and gold beads that were shaped like trains interspersed with pink glittery ones. All on a purple pipe cleaner.
It wasn’t the least bit color coordinated.
But Cole had spent hours making them for all of the Jacksons.
Family bracelets, he’d called them.
And Raven had one hanging from her rearview.
“Christ,” he muttered, thinking he should turn around, get back in his car, and go straight the fuck home.
He’d worked all day.
He didn’t need this shit.
He didn’t need to tear open wounds and stir shit up between him and Raven again.
She was back. She had to be feeling better after all this time. Clearly, she didn’t need him.
Her house, he saw as he continued walking anyway, moving up the front walk, looked perfect from this angle, completely untouched by the fire that had ripped through it. There was a bit of staining on the rocks, left there by the flames and smoke, and the lawn was more dirt than grass and plants from all the work that had been done to date. He also didn’t know what the back of the house looked like, considering that was where the bulk of the damage had been, but everything he could see through the wide front windows appeared to have been put back together.
Walls. Trim and baseboards. Carpet and hardwood.
Cabinets in the kitchen. Appliances and granite.
“We’ll go for our final on Wednesday. Hopefully, you’ll be cleared for occupancy by the weekend.”
“That sounds amazing.”
Connor missed a step when her voice reached his ears.
It was…different. The same and yet different and…it settled somewhere in his belly, somewhere that had been cold for a long time.
“Thank you so much,” she added as they shook hands.
The contractor’s eyes hit his—and Connor didn’t slow. He knew the man. His sister’s husband, Rob, might own the construction company, but he took on enough jobs in town and through the neighboring ones that he needed help. That included multiple foremen, including Hank, who was manning Raven’s job.
He knew the moment Raven took in that Hank was staring over her shoulder.
She spun on her heel, eyes going wide.
Then her face went blank.
Fully blank.
