by K. C. Crowne
But how?
“What’s wrong?” Alexis asked.
“What do you mean what’s wrong?”
“Well, for someone who’s about to get married in a few days, you don’t seem that excited.”
I had wanted to keep it a secret, to come out about it in my own time - but we were running out of time. Lillian had been right, with a wedding literally days away, how much longer could I sit around and try to formulate a plan - much less, do it alone?
“Let’s go across the street and grab some lunch, we can talk about it there.”
Alexis looked at me for a long time. “Alright, that sounds like a plan to me. Want us to drive you over or--”
“Oh no, I can walk,” I said, wiping at my eyes.
Alexis looked up at the storm clouds overhead, but if she was concerned about the rain, she didn’t say anything. She looped one of her arms into mine, and the other in Luna’s, and together, we crossed the road to the tiny little cafe that had been there for as long as I could remember. Many things were changing in this town - small, mom and pop businesses being taken over by mega-corporations like the CVS I had just left - but some things stayed the same. And I was grateful for that.
But that feeling quickly subsided as we walked up to the door. A sign was plastered on the front that just broke my heart.
“Georgette’s is closing,” I said, feeling like someone kicked me in the gut for the hundredth time that day. The bad stuff just kept on coming.
Alexis continued reading the sign, frowning. “It appears so. Their last day is next weekend. Says that a Starbucks is moving in.”
“Figures. Nothing is sacred anymore,” I muttered, pulling at the door and holding it for my sister and her girlfriend.
As we entered, the cafe’s namesake greeted us with a friendly smile.
“Is it true, Georgette?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” the old woman said, her smile wavering. “They offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse, and I’m not getting any younger.”
I knew Georgette was getting up there in the years. Many would have retired by now, but she somehow kept going year after year after year. I was starting to think she was immortal. She had no children to pass the place down to, so I understood that at some point, the place would likely switch hands, but I had always hoped another local would step up and fill in - not a chain coffee shop. I had come back to Red River after college because of all my familiar haunts, the places I had grown up with - like this cafe - and slowly, but surely, they were all closing their doors in favor of McDonald’s and Starbucks - as if the world needed another town that was exactly the same as every other one.
The three of us took a seat at the booth Alexis and I always ate at - it was in the far corner with big, bright windows that faced the trees. I wondered how long it would be before those trees were knocked down in favor of a parking lot.
“The usual, girls?” Georgette asked as she handed us the menus, more for Luna’s sake than ours, I was sure.
“Yes, please,” Alexis said. “I can’t believe this might be my last time having your French toast, Georgette.”
“And yes, the same for me as well.”
Georgette turned to Luna with a smile. “And you, hon? What can I get started for you?”
Luna glanced down the menu for a second before ordering a salad and a tea. Georgette took the menus and went back behind the corner, giving us some space to talk at last.
We were eating at a weird time - a little early for lunch, but still too late for breakfast. On weekends, the place would be packed for the brunch crowd, but during the week, everyone was at work during this time and we had the place practically to ourselves. I felt confident that I could talk to my sister here. Georgette had been privy to so many of our personal conversations in the past, and never once did she gossip or let the news move outside these cafe walls.
But still, it was hard finding the right words.
“So, what’s going on?” Alexis asked, after Georgette had dropped our drinks off. She added some sugar to her coffee as she stared at me. “You still haven’t taken those sunglasses off, which is making me think you’re trying to hide something.”
I slipped the sunglasses off, answering my sister’s question.
She slammed her fists down on the table. “Dammit!. I’m going to kill him.”
Luna put a hand on my sister’s arm. “One second, let her tell us what happened. Maybe it’s not what you think.”
Luna offered a sideways glance and a smile, and I knew she didn’t believe the words she said, but she was still trying to give me the benefit of the doubt, nonetheless. I appreciated her calmness; I knew she could temper Alexis’s anger.
I sighed. “Sadly, it is what you’re thinking. Peter and I got into a fight over the wedding, something stupid really, and it got physical.”
The words were hard to say, and it sounded like another person’s voice speaking them. Part of me wasn’t even sure it was real to be honest. I kept thinking eventually, I’d wake up from this nightmare.
“I’m going to kill him.” Alexis was already on her feet and edging out of the booth.
“Alexis, wait,” I said, standing up in front of her. I placed my hands on her shoulders. “We both know you’re no match for Peter. I didn’t tell you this so you could go after him - I told you so you’d understand why there won’t be a wedding next weekend.”
Alexis’s face softened. “Thank God, you’re leaving him,” she said.
“I am. I don’t know how yet, but I’m going to leave him. After this, I can’t excuse his shitty behavior any longer.”
“He was always a dick,” Alexis muttered.
“He was, but I ignored it for too long. So please, sit down. I don’t want any more drama today, and you getting punched by my soon-to-be ex-fiancé will not solve anything; it’ll only upset me more.”
Alexis nodded and reluctantly sat back down. Luna took her hand in hers, and I thought to myself, how nice it would be to have a love like there’s. One where both people supported each other through anything.
I sat back down just as Georgette brought out the food.
“Everything okay here?” she asked, raising a brow.
“Everything looks great,” I said, even though I knew she wasn’t asking about the food.
“Let me know if you need anything, hon,” the old woman said, stepping back behind the counter and out of earshot.
“So, what’s the plan? Do Mom and Dad know yet?”
I flinched at her words. “Not yet. And I don’t really want to talk about them right now.”
“Mom will give you so much crap, I’m sure,” Alexis rolled her eyes.
“Come on, Lex,” Luna said softly. “If your mom knew that he hurt your sister, I think she would change her mind about him.”
Both Alexis and I looked at Luna.
“I doubt that. Mom is all about marrying for money and living the easy life, just like she did,” Alexis rolled her eyes. “She’s never approved of Charlotte’s career; thought she should put more effort into her relationship and focus on raising a family with Peter instead.”
While Alexis might have an extra cynical vision of our parents in her mind, I also knew that my mother was prone to look over difficulties in a relationship - like when Dad cheated on her - in favor of the life they built together.
And yes, Mom loved Peter.
“I’ll deal with them later. Right now, I need to figure out where I’m going to go from here, since I can’t go home and stay with Peter after calling off the wedding.”
Alexis and Luna shared a look. I knew the two of them lived in a cramped studio apartment in downtown Atlanta. Being a photographer and a model didn’t lend itself to getting paid well, especially starting out, and I knew they wouldn’t be able to house me.
And going back with my parents? The very idea filled me with dread. Especially if my mother decided to try and help us reconcile or some bullshit. I didn’t want to work things ou
t with Peter. He hit me. I was done. Period.
“Well, maybe you could--”
Before Alexis finished her sentence, my phone went off. A text message. I frowned, worrying about who it might be. Peter? Some of the guests coming into town early? A wedding vendor asking about details? None of those things I wanted to deal with in the moment.
I dug my phone from my pocket and Luna and Alexis continued discussing options for where I could go. Alexis was rightfully concerned that if I stayed in town, Peter could find me and cause more harm, and honestly, I wouldn’t put it past him. Especially since I’d be embarrassing the hell out of him by calling off the wedding. He simply wouldn’t stand for being embarrassed.
I found my phone and opened the message. My heart thundered in my chest as I stared at a text from Lillian Harvey.
“What is it?” Alexis asked.
“It’s-- well, a plane ticket to Utah. In my name.”
Alexis grabbed my phone and studied it. “Utah? Why Utah? And who sent this?”
I came clean and told her about my run-in with Lillian, and how she wanted to escort me to Utah to stay with her sons for a bit, just until everything blew over.
“I’m not sure I want to do that though.”
“Girl, you need to go,” Alexis said, handing my phone back to me.
“But Eli and I, our history and all, it’s complicated.”
“That was what, thirteen years ago? Come on, I’m sure he’s over it,” Alexis said. “And if his mother is buying you a ticket to Utah, I imagine she cleared it with him first.”
“You think so?”
“Uh, yeah, I imagine she wouldn’t just drop in or anything.”
Luna nodded in agreement.
“I just can’t believe she booked the ticket without asking me first. I told her I’d think about it.” Lillian really meant business, clearly. I stared at the tickets in awe. It felt like my heart had jumped into my throat, and I could hardly think straight from the million thoughts rushing my head at the same time.
Alexis leaned across the table and took my hands in hers, staring me deep in the eyes. “Go, Charlotte. I worry about the fallout from calling off the wedding. If Peter hit you over an argument about flowers, what will he do when you call the whole thing off? I worry about you, sis. You need to get out of town. Once this all blows over, you can come back.”
“But the garden-- who’s going to take care of the community garden?”
Alexis chuckled. “Sweetie, you can grow another garden, or you can come back to this one,” she said softly. “They’re just plants.”
Alexis had always supported me in my passions up until that point, so I let her comment slide. I knew she was more worried about me than anything else, and yes, to many people, they were just plants. But I had worked so hard on my garden, and it was finally coming together. The town of Red River was finally getting a community garden, one that I put together. It had been my pride and joy, my passion for the last few years, and I was just going to walk away just as my dream had come to fruition.
“I’m sure someone else can watch over it while you’re gone,” Alexis said.
And she was right. It wasn’t just my garden, even though it felt that way to me. It was the community’s garden. Others would step up and take care of it in my absence, and I could come back here once things calmed down.
But that wasn’t the only thing holding me back.
“Do you really think Eli okayed this? Okayed seeing me? After what I’d done to him?”
“Char, yes, if his mother can forgive you, I’m sure he did too. And I’m sure he okayed you coming out there before she booked the tickets.”
Chapter 2
Eli
“What are your thoughts on adding a pantry to the kitchen?” Declan asked as we pored over the floor plans. “Think we’ll need one if it’s only a guest house?”
I was seated at my dining room table with the four guys from River’s Edge Construction.
After a year of planning, my brother’s homes were complete and ready to go, and mine was on the way to being finished. Now we were finalizing the plans for my mother’s house. No, she insisted she would never move to Utah for good, but with her family growing and a lot of grandchildren to visit, she was staying here more and more. And my brothers and I had decided she needed a nice place to stay, with her own private space, when she was here. And if the time came that she wanted to settle down and needed us to take care of her, she’d have her own little house to call home.
Declan was the architect, and most of the work was with him at the moment. Otherwise, I worked with Liam, the construction manager or Clark, the engineer. Ezra, the CEO of the company who was still largely involved with the construction aspect too, sat back quietly.
My phone vibrated in my pocket before I had a chance to answer Declan’s question. I checked my messages and frowned as I realized my mom was texting me.
“Everything okay?” Declan asked.
“Yeah, it’s just my mom. She never texts, didn’t even think she knew how, she usually just calls,” I said, reading the message to myself.
Boarding a flight to Utah now. Bringing a guest so please have a second guest room ready for us. Don’t have time to talk. See you soon!
Mom often popped in for visits whenever she felt like it, which is why we were building her the house, but she always called us first just to make sure it was okay with us. It always was, but she at least asked.
And a guest?
I hurried and typed a response back to her.
Great. Can’t wait to see you. Who’s the guest?
A second later, another message from her.
No time to talk, boarding now and have to turn my phone off. Love you!
She had enough time to type out all that, but not enough to explain who her guest was? I started racking my brain for any ideas. Was she seeing someone new? It had been a long time since mom dated anyone. Her last boyfriend, Earl, was over five years ago and mom said she had no interest in dealing with the drama of dating at her age, she was enjoying being single. But maybe she met someone special?
I had no idea what was going on, but I put my phone away and got back to the meeting just as Declan and Liam started arguing about the layout of the kitchen and whether it was practical, pulling Clark in to discuss the logistics of plumbing.
“I think the pantry is good, and I will put my faith in the four of you to figure out the exact layout. I can finalize whatever you come up with,” I said.
A flight from Nashville to Tennessee meant I only had a few hours until my mom got there. Until her house was built, she stayed with me in the rental. Originally, this place was meant to be a temporary home while we finished up our business here - tracking down our half-brother after our father died. We had intended on going back to Tennessee at some point, but then the flood happened, and we began to fall in love with this little town of Liberty. Now my brothers had families of their own, living in their custom-built homes on the land we’d bought together, and I was going to be in my own home within a matter of months. The rental was large enough to hold myself, my three brothers and even our mom for short visits, but now it was just for me. Since I was the only one without kids, it made sense that mom stayed with me. I had plenty of room now, after all.
We wrapped up the meeting, but there was still something else on my mind.
“Hey, Ezra, I had an idea I wanted to run past you and the guys,” I said.
“Shoot,” he said, his dark eyes focused on me.
“Well, you know how there are still a lot of people here without homes, after the flood and all? I was thinking, I have a lot of money from my dad’s inheritance, I thought about building a few, maybe starting a non-profit, and if so, would you guys be interested in working with me?”
“Of course we would,” Ezra said. “This town is our home, always has been. We’d be happy to help the people of Liberty get back on their feet.”
The others agreed with him, just as
I thought they might. These guys were good guys. We’d hired them because they were local contractors, a small business with a stellar reputation. Over the last year or so, however, I’d gotten close enough to consider them friends, which is why I had thought about opening up shop with them.
I hadn’t really talked it over with my brothers, but I knew they would support me. We’d originally worked in the security and PI business, but over the last year, my brothers had all went their own ways and I could tell their hearts weren’t in it as much anymore. Neither was mine, come to think of it. But I needed something else, and I knew that deep down, I wanted to do something more than just security. I had the funds thanks to my dad’s lucrative business dealings and might as well put it to good use helping people.
“Well then, I’ll be in touch and we can start planning for that after we finish with this project.”
My brother, Mason, had recently started a non-profit to help veterans, and it had really got me thinking - did I really want my life to be for nothing? When I died, what sort of legacy or impact did I want to have on the world around me? I didn’t have any kids, and from the way my life was going, it didn’t seem likely they’d be in the cards for me. No wife either. I had nieces and nephews out the wazoo, however, and it made me think about what sort of example I wanted to be for them.
I was going sort of a transformation, of sorts, just trying to figure out the next step in my life. My partying days were over, it was time to grow up and do something with my life. I had the money thanks to my dad, and I had the resources to make a difference. No reason not to leave the world a better place after I croaked if I could.
I showed the guys out, and then got to work. Mom’s guest room was set up and ready for her, I always knew to expect her to show up randomly. But the other rooms… well, after my brothers moved out, they were more storage than bedrooms. I was sure at least one of them still had a bed, even though I hadn’t had to go into any of them for months. Mason was the last to move out, so his room was most likely ready to go. I’d just want to put some sheets on the bed, clear out whatever crap Mason left behind when he moved, and check that the bathroom was stocked.