The walk-out basement was open and set up for a wood smith. The previous owner had his own business creating leather mugs, belts, and handbags. I didn’t know what I would use this space for, but for now, I would leave it as is. It was like a memorial to the preceding owner when I stepped down here. Some tools still dangled on the hooks, and I found a few scraps of leather as I washed the house, so I arranged those on the table he once used.
The previous owner had been the sole owner. This was his dream home he built with his bare hands. He lived here for some thirty years, before passing away from a heart condition while visiting family down south. He was a widow, so his home went on the market and remained vacant for a year. According to the realtor, the weather turned potential buyers away. They didn’t want to invest the amount of money they were asking if they would only live here four months out of the year. Yes, winter lasted about eight months up here.
The wind howled, and I peered up to glance at the clock.
6:25.
Shit! I said to myself as I logged in to video chat with Margo. She didn’t answer. I bolted from my chair when I heard a loud knock on my front door. I never had company up here, and the closest neighbor, Easton, always used the patio door to come in, and he never came after dark. I put my cell phone in my pocket and headed towards the door. At first, I didn’t turn on the light, so I could stare out through the peephole. I flipped on the light and opened the door in tense excitement.
“Brooks!” I announced, more like a question.
“Hey, Erika,” he beamed. It was like my full heart melted all over again as he stood there staring at me.
“What...” I tried to say before he stopped me.
“I was just passing thorough and wanted to check in and say hi. So, hi.”
“I didn’t know you knew where I lived.”
“Yeah, trust me, it was quite the labyrinth I had to go through to find you.” He shivered and nudged his hands into his pockets.
“I’m so sorry. C’mon in. You don’t need to stand in the cold.”
“Thanks,” he smirked.
“Take your boots off and stay for a bit. Well, if you have time.”
“I don’t want to stay too long. Just needed to see you before I...”
We both made eye contact and chuckled as the wind roared.
“We’re getting a massive storm.”
He grinned.
It thrilled me to have not only company, but to see him again, even if it was forbidden.
Chapter Two
I watched Brooks get comfortable as he wrapped up with the blanket I had folded over my couch. There was so much to catch up on, we were topic hopping for the first few hours—like friends picking up on all the lost years.
“So, how is Jaden?” I asked as I set my glass of whiskey on the coffee table between us.
He acted more serious. “He’s better now.”
“Good. Good,” I acknowledged. “I was hoping he wouldn’t become traumatized by her.” I meant his wife, or ex-wife now. Either way, she did everything she could to use Jaden as a missile against Brooks.
“I didn’t come here to talk about him.” Brooks smiled. His eyes went from me to his whiskey glass, and then he directed his gaze on the fireplace. “I needed to see you. When I heard the rumors you had left back then, I couldn’t believe ‘em. I drove by your house for weeks, hoping it wasn’t true. Then when I saw the For Sale sign, it was like a dagger to my heart.” His voice trailed off as he glanced at me. “So, why did you move?” he asked.
“I’m sure you heard more rumors than me. I mean, we were both part of the rumor for a while. The small-town scandal, I think would be a proper term I suppose.” I took a sip of whiskey and sat up in my chair. His smirk was an acknowledgment he knew what I meant. “I felt I had to leave town, or that they ran me out of town. Kind of felt like I just had to get out of there.”
“In the middle of the night?”
“You heard that rumor too, huh? No, I didn’t leave in the middle of the night like some have said. I left during normal daylight hours. Even rented a moving truck.” I rolled my eyes and grinned. “I rented an apartment about an hour away, in White Cove. Stayed there for a few years to save up money, and then I found this place. Couldn’t pass it up. Moved here a few months ago.”
He responded with a smile. “I don’t know the truth from the gossip. And didn’t pay much attention to what everyone was saying. I just wanted to know the truth. It felt like people wanted to find out something from me, like I knew what happened.”
“It was too much. My divorce. Us. Hearing details from so many women in town, I didn’t know what to think anymore. It pushed me to the edge by everyone.”
“I tried to be there for you.”
He did. I could sense the sadness in his words. “If I could’ve changed how things ended, I would relive all that pain. I would go through everything
