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"I thought you were crazy about Sylvie."
"I was. But I want to settle down and make a life somewhere. She wasn't ready for that." Joel cleared his throat and grabbed his second glass of whiskey as soon as the server set it down. He took a long swig. "So, that's over. And now I've met Chloe. She's great. Don't you think she's great?"
"She seems great. But she has a lot of baggage, including a child, a very young child. You ready for that?"
"I want a family, so why should I shy away from someone who has a child? I never considered it in New York because a lot of my friends are single, and the city is full of wonderful adult activities. But here, there are so many family things. It's almost like you're the outsider if you're not in a relationship and you don't have a family."
He frowned. "That makes it sound like you're settling, Joel."
"I'm doing exactly what I want to do. And once you get to know Chloe, you'll know why I like her so much."
"Is her ex-husband around?"
"He's a soldier. He's overseas somewhere and doesn't come home much. They've been divorced for three years. She said they were high school sweethearts and simply outgrew each other. It doesn't sound too messy. Anyway, we'll see how things go. It's early days."
"If you're happy, I'm happy."
Joel grinned. "What about you? Are you happy?"
"I'm great. And I'm looking forward to exploring. I told you that my dad brought me here when I was a kid, so it will be interesting to see what I remember."
"That's right. Well, you're going to like it here. And we can go biking, hiking, sailing. It will be like the old days."
"Didn't you tell me the job was very busy right now?" he asked with a laugh.
"Yeah, it is. But hopefully, I can carve some more time out of the schedule. It's tricky because we're pitching to build another development on the north shore. If we can get that job, that will support my satellite office plan. So, tell me about Chloe's rental property. I know her parents have a tight budget. If I can help in any way, I will. I know they're hoping to get it up for sale within two months, and I guess Chloe will get a portion of that sale in return for managing everything. I think she could really use that money."
"I'm not sure of the timing yet. It depends on what Chloe wants to have done and what kind of rot we find in the house. It's apparent that at least one leak ran unchecked for a long time."
"That's too bad."
"But it's difficult to see what's there, because Chloe's tenant was a hoarder. That house is full of junk, mountainous piles of stuff. Just getting that out of the house will take some time. But I'm confident we can work something out."
"Good. I wanted to help her myself, but I've got everyone tied up on my project, and we're already a little behind. But I may be able to come up with some day workers for you. Also, tools and a truck, courtesy of the company."
"That's very generous."
"I want this to work for Chloe, and I'm happy to have you here, so a double win." He paused. "This town is going to change you, Decker. You mark my words. In a few months, you'll be a different guy. You won't want to leave."
Joel's words sent an odd shiver down his spine. He didn't want to be a different guy, and he would leave, because that's what he did. He never stayed in one place too long. He didn't even know how to do that.
An odd memory flashed through his head. His dad dragging him out to a car parked at the curb. He felt sad. He wanted to cry. His dad had pointed at the setting sun over the horizon and said, 'That's where we're going, Decker. If I could teach you anything, it would be this. Never look back. The future is always better than the past.'
He'd wanted to believe his dad, because it made him feel better, so when they'd driven down that road, he hadn't looked back. It had been the same with every goodbye after that. In fact, he rarely said goodbye. He just moved on.
"Decker?" Joel asked, bringing his attention back to the present. "You okay?"
"I need another drink," he said.
"And I need some food," Joel said, waving to the server. "We'll order and then you can tell me what you've been up to the last couple of years. You know, it is possible to post photos online, share your life."
"I prefer to live my life, not memorialize it."
"You can do both. Your father did. He took photos everywhere you went."
"Not of himself. Not of me. And aside from spectacular landscape or historical photos, I think most people's photos make them feel bad."
Joel gave him a bemused look. "That's not true. I like to look at my photos. Remember the good times."
