by Unknown
Levi held his breath as he searched the closet for a final outfit for his uncle. He couldn’t handle the morose thoughts of death and funerals anymore. He laid out a gray suit over the faded blue comforter and left the room. Ran outside to his car.
He started the engine and peeled out of the driveway in reverse. Shifted hard into Drive and sped away from the house. Tomorrow would come soon enough, but until then, he’d delay settling into the house. He’d spend tonight at a hotel.
***
Sunday morning dawned gray and hazy.
A fitting day for a funeral. Levi stood on the balcony of his room at the Spindrift, watching angry waves crash against the shore. A storm was brewing, potent and dangerous. You deserved better, Uncle Peter. The sun should at least be shining on the day of your burial.
Due to the uncertainty of guests showing up for a service, Levi had opted to have a viewing, immediately followed by a service. He’d been tempted to nix the entire thing—he’d never gotten over having to attend his parents’ funerals—but he couldn’t deny his uncle that final homage.
His thoughts drifted to memories of Paige. He’d blocked out her memory, too ashamed and angry at her betrayal to allow her space in his mind. She still lived in Treasure Harbor. Uncle Peter had slipped the information into a conversation about six months ago, but Levi had quickly changed the subject. He didn’t want to know about her, didn’t want to remember she existed. It was the only way to subside the pain.
He’d had other relationships since her, but never another engagement. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to trust a woman after what Paige had done. In the last several years, he’d given up on dating and dedicated himself to his job at the bank. He’d done well for himself and had been promoted to branch manager last spring.
The clouds darkened, and he went back into the room. Checkout wasn’t until eleven, but he wanted to beat the storm, and, judging by the speed of the clouds moving in, he didn’t have long. He packed his bags and took a deep breath. Determined to face the loss of his uncle, he’d already decided no more living out of a hotel. He’d go to Uncle Peter’s house, clean it up, and then decide the future.
Stay in Treasure Harbor, or keep the house as a vacation rental. He wouldn’t sell it—that was certain. Uncle Peter had left it to him, entrusted him with the small legacy. So what if it wouldn’t mean anything to anyone else? It meant the world to him. But could he bring himself to move back, give up his career he’d worked so hard for?
More importantly, could he live in the same town as Paige?
The answer was a resounding no, which left him with the option of setting it up as a rental. There would be a lot of work involved, mainly cleaning and sprucing up the place, but there were plenty of property management companies in the area who could take care of it for him once he returned to Indiana. It would be a smart investment, one he could use to buy his own place in a few years. He already had the down payment—however, he relished the thought of paying cash.
The boy who would never amount to anything. Isn’t that what Paige’s parents had said about him? He might not be a bank president, or have family money like the Burton’s, but he’d worked hard and carved out a good life for himself. He was proud of his success, had proved to himself that he was somebody.
Sighing, he pulled the handle out on his suitcase and wheeled it down the hall, not looking back. He would drop off his belongings at the house, do a little cleaning before he had to be at church that afternoon. He’d keep his mind occupied.
His credit card was on file from check in, so all he had to do upon leaving was turn in his keys and sign a paper. He folded the receipt and slipped it into his pocket. Later, he would add it to his other receipts for the trip.
A deluge of rain crashed from the sky the second he closed his car door. He started the engine, buckled, and then turned on his windshield wipers. Visibility was low, even with them on at full speed. He waited a few minutes until the downpour slowed. When he could see to drive, he pulled out of the parking lot and began the drive to his Uncle Peter’s house.
He passed the church on his way to the house. Cars filled the lot, and a few stragglers carried umbrellas as they hustled to the doors. Was Paige inside? Her family had attended a different church, but many things could have changed over the years. He wished he could stop thinking about her, but being home made it impossible. There wasn’t a square yard of Treasure Harbor that didn’t hold a memory of her.
Uncle Peter’s house appeared dreary in the rain, more dilapidated if possible. Why had he let the house go? Was it partly Levi’s fault because he’d left him alone? But Uncle Peter had understood why he’d had to leave. Had supported his decision. Maybe the upkeep had been too much in his advanced age. Levi frowned. He should have thought about that and sent someone in to help. Why were lessons always learned in hindsight?
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Jagged bolts of lightning shot from the sky over the ocean. He jumped from the car, didn’t waste time to open the umbrella, and popped the trunk from his key fob as he took the several steps to the rear of the car. Yanking his suitcase out with one hand, he closed the trunk lid with the other hand then rushed inside, just in time to miss another downpour.
He flipped the switch right inside the door, and the lights came on. Thankfully the power hadn’t been turned off yet, which meant Uncle Peter must have kept up with the bills, if not the house. The inside looked even worse with the lights on. There’d been enough natural sunlight on Friday that he hadn’t bothered turning them on.
Setting down his luggage, he scanned the area, made a mental to-do list. The plopping of water caught his attention. Following the sounds, he saw a puddle in the hallway, outside of what had once been his room. He went to the utility room, grabbed a mop bucket, and then placed it under the leak. That repair would have to take priority. Lifting his eyes to the ceiling, he searched for signs of water damage. There were none. Good. Hopefully, it will be a quick, easy fix.
On his way back to the front of the house, he gathered the dirty dishes from the living room and took them to the kitchen. He did a sweep of the other rooms for dishes but didn’t find anything. After returning to the kitchen, he grabbed the bottle of dish soap from the window ledge and squeezed a shot into the stream of hot water coming from the faucet. He scrubbed furiously, removing every minute speck on each dish, as though each spot of grime erased was atonement for leaving Uncle Peter. Keep moving, don’t let your mind wander.
When there wasn’t a dirty dish left in the house, he grabbed a trash bag and went through each room, throwing away weeks old newspapers, candy wrappers and any other garbage he found. Slowly, the house began to take shape again, lost its need for a Condemned notice.
Levi caught a glimpse of the time on the stove. 11:09. He’d only been at it for two hours, though it felt much longer. The church didn’t expect him for another four hours. He went to the closet to retrieve the vacuum cleaner but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
Who could that be? Few people knew he’d returned to Treasure Harbor, and he’d requested his attorney and Pastor Riggins, along with the funeral director, not to tell anyone. If anyone came to Uncle Peter’s funeral, he wanted it to be to pay their respects, not out of curiosity of Levi’s return. And as far as he knew, all three of those men were sitting in church.
He walked to the window, peeked outside. Rivulets of rain and fog prevented him from seeing the visitor, and he had no choice but to ignore them or answer the door. Manners instilled in him from a young age prevented him from acting as though he hadn’t heard the knock. He wiped his hands against his khakis and twisted the doorknob.
His breath caught in his lungs.
Standing soaking wet on his porch was the one woman he never wanted to see again. Her blonde hair was a few shades darker, no longer the platinum color it had once been. She stood the same height, but had added a few pounds that rounded her out nicely. A strained expression pulled at her mouth
, and her green eyes held waves of uncertainty.
Why was she here?
He shook his head, breaking himself of the trance brought on by the shock of seeing her.
“Paige?”
Chapter Three
Paige couldn’t speak. Everything in her went numb. For the first time in eight years, she laid eyes on the man to whom she’d once been engaged. He’d really come home.
She allowed herself to look at him, soak in the sight of him. The years had been kind to him. His physical features hadn’t changed much—he still stood a head taller than her and had the same thick light brown hair she’d loved to run her hands through. Brown eyes held the same solemnness they’d always held, only at one time, she’d had the privilege of seeing them light up for her.
“Paige?” His voice, deeper than it had been in their early twenties, interrupted her thoughts.
Opening her mouth to speak, no words came out. She swallowed and tried again. “Hi, Levi.”
“What are you doing here?” His brows rose in a suspicious arch which accentuated the harsh glare in his eyes.
“You left this at the hotel.” She held up the wallet in her hand.
Narrowing his eyes, Levi reached for it. Flipped it open. “How did you get my wallet?”
She rubbed the back of her head, tempted to turn and flee, but she wasn’t wasting the unexpected opportunity. She’d finally get her answers. “Housekeeping turned it into the front desk.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.” Levi’s broad frame filled the space of the doorway.
Rain continued to fall on her, but pride wouldn’t allow her to invite herself into the house. “I work at the hotel.”
“On a Sunday?” A touch of sarcasm laced his tone. “Isn’t that for the working class and against Burton family rules?”
The jab made her flinch. “It’s one Sunday a month, and my parents don’t rule my life.”
His eyes traveled the length of her. “You’re soaked.”
She blinked, caught off guard by his abrupt change of subject. “There’s a monsoon going on out here in case you haven’t noticed.”
He hesitated a moment before nodding his head toward the home’s interior. “Come in and dry off.”
“I should go…” Now that she had her opportunity, she wasn’t sure she wanted it. What if he gave her answers she didn’t want to hear?
“It’s not safe to be driving.” He moved out of the way, offering her passage into the house.
Holding her breath, she stepped through the door and observed her surroundings. She crossed her arms and shivered. “Not much has changed.”
“Everything’s changed.” He rubbed his eyes and sighed.
Drops of rain dripped from her clothes, forming a puddle around her. “I’m sorry about your uncle.”
“Me too.” His gaze landed on her wet clothes. “I’ll get you some dry clothes, then throw yours into the dryer until the storm passes.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she protested, but he’d already left the room.
He returned a minute later with a shirt and sweatpants. “It’s not fashionable, but it will be more comfortable than what you have on.”
“Thank you.” She accepted the clothes and made her way to the bathroom. The sink and toilet were dirty. Poor Mr. Peter must have had a hard time getting around at his age, let alone cleaning.
She stripped off the sopping clothes and hung them over the shower bar until after she changed. Pulling the gray T-shirt over her head, she caught a familiar whiff of laundry detergent. That Levi used the same brand he had eight years ago made her smile, but she couldn’t explain why. The navy sweatpants swarmed around her, and even after rolling the waistband several times, they were still loose.
Her heart beat a little faster. There was something oddly intimate about wearing Levi’s clothes, especially when they’d been estranged for so long. Caught between basking in their comfort and wanting to change back to wet clothes so she didn’t have to wear his attire, Paige stared in the mirror.
“I look horrendous,” she muttered. Makeup streaked on her face, and her hair was frizzed from the rain. The outfit added to her bulk. Normally she wasn’t overly concerned with her extra fifteen pounds, but Levi’s presence made her self-conscious. Not exactly how she wanted to look for a reunion of sorts. She clucked her tongue. Why did she even care? “Get back out there and get your clothes dry so you can leave.”
Levi waited for her in the kitchen. Though his appraisal was discreet, Paige didn’t miss his observation. She forced her head up high and refused to cast her eyes downward.
He approached her. “I’ll put your clothes drying. If you still drink coffee, there’s a fresh pot made.”
“Thank you.” She handed off her wet uniform and went to the coffee pot. A chill permeated her—the cause a combination of cold air, being wet, and the cacophony of emotions coursing through her.
She found a clean cup sitting next to the coffee maker. Assuming Levi had set it out for her, she poured coffee into it. A chuckle formed when she spotted sugar packets with the Spindrift’s logo on them. She tore open a single packet and poured it into her coffee. There wasn’t anything to stir the sugar with, and she didn’t want to rummage in the drawers. Surveying the room, she spotted a spoon in the drain board. Beads of moisture still clung to the utensil, which piqued her curiosity. As far as she knew, Levi had stayed at the hotel since arriving two nights ago.
When she’d gone in yesterday morning and saw his name on the registry from the night before, her jaw had dropped, and she’d breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t shown up several hours earlier while she’d been on duty. She’d gone out of her way to avoid him, including holing up in her office and even adjusting her hours to go in during the wee hours of Sunday morning so she could leave before checkout time.
Her boss had understood when she’d claimed to have family obligations. The small lie niggled at her, for all the good it had done. Yet, hadn’t it done some good? She’d had time to mentally prepare for seeing Levi, but now she was done avoiding him.
He walked back into the room, his shoulders stiff. “I wasn’t sure if the dryer still worked, but it’s running, and there’s heat coming from it.”
“Why did you abandon me?” She hadn’t meant to be so blunt, had planned to work up to asking during a natural transition.
The hard glint in Levi’s eye told her she’d taken the wrong approach. A bitter laugh erupted from the depths of his chest. “Abandon you? You’re kidding me.”
“What else do you call it when your fiancé leaves town without a trace? No explanation or anything, not even a goodbye.” She sucked in a long breath as she relived all the pain.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, full of derision. “I assumed that our engagement was off when you became pregnant with someone else’s baby.”
Her mouth gaped, and it took her a long, uncomfortable minute to recover from the outrageous accusation. “What in the world are you talking about?”
“Don’t play innocent. Your parents told me all about the baby, and it couldn’t possibly have been mine.” He crossed his arms, sending her a silent challenge to refute him.
“My parents told you I was pregnant? And you didn’t think to ask me or talk to me before you up and ran away?” She didn’t believe him. Her parents hadn’t been crazy about their engagement, but they wouldn’t lie about something like that.
“What was there to say?” He ran a hand through his hair. “They even showed the sonogram with your name on it. I wasn’t going to stand by and watch you have another man’s baby.”
Her legs turned to jelly, and she sunk into the closest chair. The vehemence in his voice clearly indicated he wasn’t lying. This wasn’t happening. She’d wanted answers, but she never imagined a mammoth betrayal from her parents. “I was never pregnant.”
“You’re really going to sit there and lie to me after all this time?” The bitter edge left his voice, replaced by hurt.<
br />
“I’m not lying. All I can say is my parents must have crafted an elaborate scheme, but I knew nothing about it.”
Levi’s story changed everything. If it was true, and she had a sinking feeling that it was, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to forgive her parents. Could she stay mad at Levi for leaving? He should have trusted her, yet she’d have reacted the same way, especially with so-called proof.
“You don’t have a child?” Levi took a step forward, dropping his arms to his side.
“No. I’ve never been pregnant, it wouldn’t be possible.” Rage against her parents exploded inside her. “But since my dad is an obstetrician, he would have access to an ultrasound machine.”
Dropping into the chair across the table, Levi pressed a palm against his forehead. After several moments, he looked up. “How could they? They told me you were too ashamed to face me. I was so stupid.”
She dared to reach across the table and laid a hand on his arm. “You weren’t stupid. My parents are manipulative, conniving people, but even I never thought they’d stoop this low.”
“There was never another man?” His words came out strangled and raspy.
“No. You’re the only man I ever wanted to spend my life with.” She broke her touch and withdrew her hand. “I was crushed when you left, and I couldn’t understand.”
“I’m sorry.”
She blinked away a tear. “What now?”
Sadness filled his eyes. “There is no now. I’m only here to settle my uncle’s affairs and return to Indiana.”
His words pierced her heart. For a few moments, she’d indulged the possibility of a reunion. The foolishness of her fantasy flushed her cheeks. Silly woman. He could be married for all she knew. And just because the truth was out there didn’t mean old wounds would automatically heal. Even if there could have been a future between them, there would be lots of work involved.
“So that’s where you’ve been?” she asked, proud of herself for keeping her voice neutral.
“Yes.”