by Laina Turner
Every time Claire had asked her to come visit since Todd was arrested, Kate had felt like she couldn’t leave. Now that the trial was over, there was nothing to keep her in New York. Soon, she wouldn’t even have a place to live.
“I don’t know, Claire,” Kate hesitated. The prospect of making a decision felt daunting.
“Why? Give me one reason you can’t come.”
Kate opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out because she didn’t have a reason. There wasn’t a single thing stopping her. She no longer had her home to tie her here and she didn’t have a job or close friends here anymore for that matter. The thought made her want to break down.
“I need to figure out where I’m going to live, for one,” she said weakly, knowing that Claire wasn’t going to entertain that excuse.
“All the more reason to come visit. When do you have to be out of your house?”
Kate reached over to where she had dropped the paperwork and scanned for a date.
“Three weeks. I have to be out on the twenty-first.” Three weeks, she stewed. She couldn’t imagine how was she going to pack up everything and figure out where to live in three weeks.
“Then come in three weeks. It’s perfect timing. Pack up, put your stuff in storage, and come stay with us until you figure out your next move. Three weeks is too short of a time to make an important decision like where to live anyway.”
Kate stayed silent while she thought about the idea. It was true. Three weeks was a short time frame to make important choices. If she were being honest with herself, she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to make that kind of weighty decision. It was the reason why she hadn’t already been looking for a place to live despite knowing the foreclosure would be coming. Maybe Claire was right. Perhaps she should take some time to relax and figure out her next move, so that whatever it might be, it would be the right one.
“Okay,” Kate said tentatively, still not completely sure she was making the right decision.
“Okay? You’ll come?” Claire squealed with delight.
Kate smiled, hearing the excitement in her friend’s voice. “Yes. I’ll come.”
3
Kate watched as the moving company she’d hired loaded the rest of her belongings into the container to take to the storage facility. She’d powered through the last three weeks since telling Claire that she would come stay with her. Kate had packed up the house and focused on all of the work that needed to be done, which had helped to keep her emotions at bay. She’d found that hard work was a great way to temporarily forget that you had problems. Now, all she had left was an empty house that would soon belong to the bank, a car full of clothes and toiletries that she’d packed to take to Claire’s, and memories—both good and bad.
She walked through the empty house one last time, trying not to feel despair at what she’d lost. It wasn’t easy. Her sadness wasn’t about the house, though losing it certainly hurt. It was about unrealized dreams and about starting over from ground zero at her age. It was about not being able to reap the benefits of all of the hard work it had taken to get to this point in her life.
Resolving not to hold onto the past any longer, Kate grabbed her purse and strode out the front door, closing it behind her. She got into her car and backed out. Before pulling onto the road, Kate stopped and looked one last time at the house in which she had once assumed she was supposed to die. She realized what a morbid thought that was. Now it was hard to imagine where she would end up when that day came.
Her grandmother had always said when one door closed, another one opened. Kate just hoped the door she was about to walk through would hold more for her than the one she’d just shut.
The trip to Moonshire Bay would take about eleven hours, so Kate planned to drive only a few hours that day. Since it was already three in the afternoon, she was going to grab a hotel that evening then drive the rest of the way tomorrow.
She had only been in the car for about an hour before her thoughts turned to Todd and everything that had happened. While she knew objectively that what he’d done had nothing to do with her, she couldn’t help but berate herself for not having been aware of his actions. They’d been married, for goodness sake. She questioned how she had missed what he was doing and wondered if she had been too self-involved or too focused on the kids. Had she ignored the signs because she was too busy enjoying the easy life that the money Todd had been stealing provided? She felt partially responsible for what he’d done. If she’d paid better attention, had asked more questions, and had noticed what he’d been up to, maybe she could have stopped him.
She reached over and turned on the radio. She needed something to distract her. She didn’t want to spend the next ten hours obsessing over Todd. Their divorce would soon be final, and he would no longer be her problem. He had already become, and would remain, the problem of the State of New York. She scanned through the stations, found one playing classic rock, and started to sing along with the music.
When Kate’s stomach started growling over the sound of the radio, she realized it was already eight o’clock. Several signs announced the next exit, at which there appeared to be a few motels and several places to eat. This was as good a place as any to stop for the night, she decided. The sign indicated that she’d made it to a city called Ripley, in Pennsylvania. If her calculations were right, that put her a little east of Cleveland, which would leave an easy five-hour trip for the following day. She had driven farther than she’d planned. She pulled into a Comfort Inn and entered the lobby.
“Good evening. How can I help you?” the young woman behind the counter asked with a smile.
“Do you have a room available for the night?” Kate asked, then rummaged in her purse for her driver’s license and credit card.
“Just you?”
“Yep,” Kate responded with a twinge of sadness, which surprised her. It wasn’t as if she had never traveled alone before, but this time felt different. She felt truly alone with no one back home to check in with or to wonder what she was doing. She considered that she still had the kids, but it didn’t feel the same because they were involved in their own adult lives now.
The clerk clicked a few keys on her computer. “I have a king room available, free breakfast from six to ten, cable, and WiFi for $105.”
“I’ll take it,” Kate said, sliding her credit card and license across the counter.
The clerk ran the credit card through the machine and then frowned. “I’m sorry, ma’am. It says it’s declined.”
Heat flooded Kate’s face and she knew that it was beet red. Feeling panicked, she wondered how she was going to pay for her room. Would she be relegated to sleeping in her car? Was that what her life had come to?
When the woman handed the card back, Kate realized she had selected one that had been cancelled because it was connected to a joint account with Todd. She thought she’d cut all of those up, but apparently she hadn’t. Breathing a sigh of relief, she reached back into her purse and fished around for a working card before sheepishly handing it to the clerk.
“That one worked,” the woman said after a moment. “You’re in room 217, and here are your keys. Go down the hall to the right and take the elevator up to the second floor. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
Kate moved her car to a parking spot, then grabbed her suitcase from the back. She was relieved that when she walked back in, the clerk was on the phone. Kate assumed the woman didn’t care about her card being declined, but Kate couldn’t help being embarrassed. To her, it represented more than just a credit card. It was, once again, a reminder of how stupid she’d been not to see what Todd had been doing right under her nose. It drove home just how much of their finances she’d been oblivious to.
The hotel wasn’t fancy, but it was clean. Thankfully, the bed was surprisingly soft. Kate was exhausted and didn’t feel like going out to get food, so she found a pizza takeout menu on the desk and ordered her favorite—deep-
dish pepperoni and pineapple.
Screw the calories.
She had too many other issues to deal with, and the extra twenty pounds on her five-foot-six frame could just stay there. It wasn’t as if she had anyone to impress.
Kate channel-surfed while waiting for the pizza to arrive, and once the driver had texted her that he was in the lobby, she went down to get it. She tipped the man generously and practically ran back to her room. She thought she’d been hungry before the pizza arrived, but that was no match for how she felt once the scent wafted through the air. Her stomach began rumbling furiously.
She’d already bought a Diet Coke from the vending machine, so she took it and her pizza and settled on the bed to watch a Friends rerun.
Kate woke up with a start the next morning. She’d fallen asleep watching TV and it was still on. She glanced over at the clock and saw that it was already 8 a.m.
Time to get on the road, she thought to herself. She hopped in the shower and went through her morning routine. She threw on black leggings and an oversized yoga top, then put her brown hair up in what her daughters would call a messy bun. Normally, she wouldn’t go out of the house looking so casual because she’d feel too frumpy, but that morning she didn’t care.
She grabbed a cup of coffee and a banana from the hotel breakfast area, then headed to her car. Pulling out of the parking lot and setting her GPS, she forced herself to focus on the fun she’d have with Claire instead of allowing herself to think the negative thoughts that had plagued her the day before.
It was early afternoon when Kate pulled into Claire’s driveway, ready to get out and stretch her legs. As she looked up at the house in front of her, she could already see how Claire would have fallen in love with it. The cottage-style house with blue shutters had a relaxed, country vibe that screamed Claire.
Claire must have heard her pull in, because before Kate had opened her car door, Claire was walking down the porch steps to greet her. Kate got out of the car just as Claire grabbed her for a big hug. Kate found herself returning the hug as if she were clinging to a life preserver in the middle of the ocean. Maybe, she thought, that was what she was doing. After all the turmoil her life had brought in the last couple of years, Claire inviting her to come stay and get away from it all was a lifeline. Kate hadn’t realized how much she needed her friend until that moment.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Claire said, her face breaking out in a wide grin. “Let me look at you. You don’t look any older than when I met you thirty years ago. So not fair.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” Kate smiled, happy that she had decided to come. This was exactly what she needed. “So why aren’t you at that diner of yours?”
“Because it’s not nearly as important as you, so I took the day off. Perk of being the boss.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Kate protested, but Claire waved her concerns away with her free hand.
“Let’s get your stuff inside.” Claire hadn’t changed. She never took no for an answer. “Are you hungry?” she asked as they walked into the house.
Kate nodded. “Nothing like sitting in a car, snacking constantly, to work up an appetite,” she replied.
“Your room is at the top of the stairs on the left. Jim and I are at the end of the hall on the right. Run your stuff up to your room and when you’re ready, come down and I’ll take you to the diner for the best lunch you’ve ever had.”
Kate agreed and walked towards the stairs but paused when Claire’s phone rang. Claire pulled it out of her pocket to look at the screen.
“I need to get this. It’s the diner,” Claire explained to Kate, then picked up the call and said, “Hello?”
Kate took a couple of steps away to give Claire some privacy and looked around the living room. While the outside of Claire’s house was styled as a classic cottage, the inside was done up in the new, trendy, farmhouse look. It was beautiful. Kate ran her hand over the mantle, which was made out of an old railroad tie, and was admiring it still when Claire came back into the room.
“Everything okay, Claire?”
“Yeah,” she said. “One of my gals twisted her ankle and can’t work the rest of her shift, so I need to go in. I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. Business comes first.”
“Why don’t you get settled in and just meet me at the diner? I can still feed you and we can chat in between tables. I also have stuff for sandwiches and a macaroni salad in the fridge if you prefer to hang out here and relax.”
“Meeting you there sounds great. I’d like to see more of the town.”
“I’ll text you the address. It’s only about ten minutes from here.” Claire gave Kate a quick hug, then grabbed her purse off the side table and her keys from a hook next to the front door. She blew Kate a kiss before closing the door.
Kate put her hands on her hips and expelled a breath, though it wasn’t the same feeling of frustration that she’d gotten used to for the last eighteen months of her hectic life. It was a sigh of relief. She was glad that she’d come to Moonshire Bay. The comfort of an old friend’s company was exactly what the doctor ordered.
4
Kate drove into town and cruised down Main Street, spotting May’s Cafe out of the corner of her eye—though she didn’t see any available parking. The downtown area was bustling, thanks to Moonshire Bay’s healthy tourist trade. People walked up and down the streets, and Kate noticed several cute shops she couldn’t wait to visit.
She headed to the next block, turned right, and found a parking lot behind the downtown buildings. It was a gorgeous day, and since she needed the exercise, parking a block away didn’t seem like a big deal. Plus, it would give her a chance to get a closer look at some of the shops. Kate spied a parking spot at the end of one row and sped up a little to take it. Pulling into the empty space, she realized that her car was crooked—making it difficult for the driver of the car on her right to get into their driver’s seat. Kate didn’t want to be one of those people who didn’t care about inconveniencing others, so she shifted into reverse to back up and straighten her car.
She had barely begun to back up when her car jolted suddenly, and she heard the crunch of metal on metal. She slammed on the brakes so hard that her head snapped back. Putting her car in park, she looked over her shoulder to see a red car directly behind her and a very handsome man stepping out of the driver’s side.
From where she was sitting, he looked to be a little over six feet tall with a slim build. He had on mirrored sunglasses so she couldn’t see his eyes, but his mouth was set in a tight line and he looked angry. She couldn’t blame him. She had backed into his car, though he must have been going way too fast to have snuck up on her so suddenly.
Kate got out of her car and opened her mouth to speak, but she didn’t get the chance.
“Do you always back up without looking?” he snapped, which immediately put her on the defensive. She couldn’t help but bristle at his tone.
Kate clenched her fists. She was angry, though more at herself for not seeing him than at him. Still, it was an accident, and he didn’t need to be such a jerk. Who did this guy think he was?
“I did look! You came out of nowhere. Maybe you should slow down,” Kate snapped back.
He ignored her—which infuriated her even more—turning his back and calling someone on his phone.
“Have a hot date you needed to cancel? Is that why you’re in such a rush?” she demanded, her tone biting. He tilted his head as if she amused him. This angered her more. She’d had her fill of arrogant men who thought they were above reproach.
“I was calling the police. You know, to file an accident report,” he said slowly, his mouth curving into a slight grin. She saw a little gray in his brown hair and figured him to be about her age.
That made sense, she thought to herself, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of hearing her say it. It was then that she took notice of his car. The passenger side, wher
e she’d backed into it, was crumpled. But other than the damage she’d caused, his vintage Alfa Romeo Spider was in immaculate condition. Now she felt even worse. Her dad had been a car aficionado, and she knew what it must have taken to get that car into such pristine condition. The parts couldn’t have been easy to find.
Kate and the man waited in uncomfortable silence. Luckily, it was only around ten minutes until a police car pulled into the lot.
She’d held her emotions in check during the wait, but when she saw the police car, she started to shake. Just the thought of more legal issues, even pertaining to something minor like a car accident, sent her anxiety through the roof.
Why couldn’t she make it through a single day without a problem?
She could see the guy looking at her with interest, then he frowned. Great, she thought, holding in a groan. She was sure he could tell that something was wrong and probably thought she was a nut job.
“What did you get yourself into this time, Zach?” the police officer said as he approached them.
Of course, they knew each other, Kate bemoaned. It was a small town, and here she was, the outsider. She wasn’t sure the situation could get any worse.
Kate had expected the guy to start blaming her, but he surprised her when he took off his sunglasses and said, “My fault, Toby. I was focused on getting a parking spot so I wouldn’t be late to my meeting and I was going too fast. She backed up and I snuck up on her, so she didn’t see me.”
She wasn’t sure what shocked her the most about Zach, the words coming out of his mouth or his piercing green eyes.
The cop wrote up the accident so that they’d have the information for insurance purposes. She and Zach, who finally introduced himself properly, exchanged numbers.