2. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Ryan
T he highway is crawling with traffic. Brake lights flare in front of me like a taunt, and I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, biting back a curse. Cedar Ridge . I never thought I’d be driving back into this town again, yet here I am, stuck behind a minivan with an “I Brake for Moose” bumper sticker and a backseat full of screaming kids.
Alice hums softly to herself in the backseat. She doesn’t know how much I hate this place or the memories it drags up. The tidy little streets, the nosy neighbors, the way everyone knows your name and thinks they have a right to your business. Cedar Ridge was supposed to be where my last marriage worked out and I built a life. Instead, it became the place where everything fell apart.
The minivan inches forward, and I follow. I promised myself I’d never come back, but then family obligations came calling. The land my father left behind is in limbo, and now it’s my job to deal with it. As a property law attorney, it’s a clean-cut case: sign the papers, get the deed back, and move on. Simple enough. But nothing about Cedar Ridge stays simple for long.
“Daddy?” Alice pipes up from the back. “Are we almost there?”
“Almost,” I say softly, careful not to take my irritation out on my five-year-old. “Just a little longer, sweetheart.”
She sighs dramatically, and I catch her pouting in the rearview mirror. “This is boring.”
“Welcome to my life,” I mutter, which earns a small giggle from her. At least one of us finds this funny.
By the time we drive past the “Welcome to Cedar Ridge” sign, the sun is low in the sky and casts the town in a golden glow. The streets are as I remember—quiet, lined with maple trees and buildings that haven’t changed in decades. It’s quaint, sure, but it feels more like a trap than a homecoming. I pull into the parking lot of the only decent hotel in town, throw the car into park, and let out a breath. We made it.
“Come on, kiddo,” I call as I open Alice’s door and lift her out. She clutches her stuffed rabbit, ears worn from years of being dragged around. “Let’s get checked in.”
The lobby smells faintly of lemon polish and old carpet, and the receptionist greets us with a too-wide smile. She’s young, maybe in her late twenties, with blonde curls that bounce when she talks.
“Welcome to the Maple Inn!” she chirps. “How can I help you?”
“Checking in. Ryan Blackwood,” I say curtly, shifting Alice to my other arm. She’s heavy for her age, but I’m not about to put her down in a place like this.
“Of course!” The receptionist types on her keyboard, sneaking glances at me as she works. “Staying long?”
“Just a couple days,” I say. Hopefully less .
“Well, you’ve picked the best place in town,” she says with a wink as she slides a key card across the counter. “Room 204. I’m finishing my shift soon, but let me know if you need anything. Anything at all.”
Her smile falters when I don’t respond. Alice shifts in my arms, her head resting against my shoulder, and I know she’s tired.
“This way,” the receptionist says, grabbing her clipboard and leading us to the elevator. Her voice has taken on a softer tone, but I’m not buying it. I’ve seen that look before. They think a kid means vulnerability or an opening to something more. Not happening.
The elevator dings, and just as I step in with Alice, my phone buzzes in my pocket. The name on the screen makes my jaw tighten: Vance.
“One second,” I mutter, stepping back out and answering the call. “Blackwood.”
“Ryan,” Vance says hoarsely. “We need to move the meeting up. One hour earlier.”
“I just got into town,” I snap. My patience is hanging by a thread, and I swear if this man—
“And?”
“That’s not going to work.”
“Not my problem,” Vance says. “Take it or leave it.”
“Are you kidding me?” I pinch the bridge of my nose and try not to raise my voice. “Fine. I’ll be there.”
The call ends with a click, and I shove the phone back into my pocket, muttering a curse. Alice looks up at me with wide eyes, her little face falling.
“Do you have to go again?”
I crouch down so we’re at eye level, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I’ll be back soon, I promise. And when I am, we’ll go for a walk, just you and me. Sound good?”
She nods slowly, though her lower lip juts out in a pout. “Promise?”
“Promise,” I say, holding out my pinky. She hooks hers around mine, and I kiss her forehead before standing up. That’s when it hits me that I can’t just leave her here alone.
I turn to the receptionist, who’s leaning casually against the wall, watching us with what I can only describe as amusement. “I need a sitter,” I say bluntly. “Any recommendations?”
She hesitates, then glances at her watch. “Well, my shift is ending in ten minutes. I could stay with her until you return if you’d like.”
My instincts scream no. I don’t know this woman, and the last thing I want is to leave Alice with a stranger. But I’m desperate, and the clock is ticking.
“You sure?” I narrow my eyes.
“Positive,” she says with a wide smile. “I love kids. And she seems like a sweetheart.”
Alice clutches my hand. “Daddy, can she stay?”
“Fine,” I say finally, pulling out my wallet. “I’ll pay you for your time.”
“Oh, no need.” She waves her hand dismissively. “Consider it a favor.”
Favor or not, I make a mental note to set up a camera in the room before I leave. I won’t take any chances. Thankfully, I brought one with me, and setting it up behind the mirror on the vanity takes only seconds. “Alright,” I say once I’m done, and hand her the room key. “I’ll be back in two hours, tops.”
“Take your time,” she says with a smile, but I don’t miss the way her eyes linger as I step into the elevator.
I feel guilty about leaving Alice behind. But this deal needs to be handled, and once it is, I’ll be one step closer to leaving Cedar Ridge behind for good. The last thing I want is my daughter being uncomfortable in any way. It’s bad enough that she has no maternal figure in her life since her mother, Ria, left us. My plan was to marry Ria and have kids later. But after one reckless night, Alice was born. Ria and I weren’t married yet, but I loved our daughter completely. I loved Ria, too…or so I thought. But she had bigger dreams than building a family with me. She wanted to sip champagne on private jets and go on lavish holidays. So, one day, she packed her bags and just…left.
I’ve just pulled out of the parking lot when my phone rings. Aunt Linda’s name comes up, and I immediately expect the worst. Her voice thunders across the receiver.
“Ryan Theodore Blackwood! Why didn’t you tell me you’re in town? Where are you? Why didn’t you drive up to the family house?”
I roll my eyes as I tighten my grip on the wheel. I’ve not even been here for ten minutes, and she’s somehow heard about my arrival.
“We just checked in at the hotel, Aunt Linda. I told you, we’re just staying for a little while.”
“Hotel? A hotel ?” Her voice is high-pitched, as if she’s about to faint from the shock. “You’re my nephew! Here, in the name of the Lord, is your aunt! And you chose to stay in a hotel instead of my house? Oh Lord, I’m dying.”
I pull over because there’s no other way to handle it. “Look, Aunt Linda, I didn’t mean to upset you, okay? I thought it wouldn’t be comfortable if you—”
“Not comfortable?” She cuts me off. “You think I’m uncomfortable? I’ve been waiting for you and Alice to show up. Jason and Luke were just over! They couldn’t have been more thrilled when they learned you were back. You can’t just leave us hanging like this!”
I cringe. “I didn’t intend to—”
“Oh, no, no! You’re coming over for dinner. That’s it. No excuses. I don’t want to hear it.”
“I believe there’s no saying no to that.”
“There isn’t. You’re gonna get your butt here, and we’ll dine together like the big, happy family we are.”
“And Caleb?”
“What about Caleb?”
“Will he be there too?”
She pauses. “Caleb is not your business.”
“I know, but—”
“No buts, boy. No buts. And so what if Caleb will be there? You’re brothers, not sworn enemies. You’ve been at this for six years now. Six! And for what? It would be best if you learned to forgive, and I don’t care who’s right or wrong anymore. Life is too short, and you must stop punishing each other. Family is family. You’ll regret all this fighting when you’re older.”
I bite my lip, not wanting to admit that I know she’s right, even if it stings to hear it. “It’s not an excuse, but I have some business to deal with tonight.”
“I won’t take that from you. It’s family time, Ryan. Now, do I need to set up an extra plate?”
“Why would you do that?”
“You know, just in case you have an extra guest?”
I sigh. “No extra plate, Aunt Linda. Just me and Alice, and we’ll be there later tonight.”
She’s silent, and for a while, I fear she’ll push back. But instead, she sighs, heavy and dramatic. “Fine. Fine . But don’t feel like you can stand us up. We’re having dinner, and you’re staying for dessert. Got it?”
“Got it,” I mutter, already mentally arranging my escape after the meal is over. “We’ll be there soon. See you soon.”
“Fine. And don’t be late!” she says. I sigh and hang up. This is why I never go near her. The last time I stayed at her place, I found myself roped into a blind date with her childhood friend’s daughter. The woman was nice, but Aunt Linda was blatantly attempting to sell me. She’d pulled out all the stops—making reservations for dinner at the most expensive restaurant in town, telling me I needed to “calm down” and get someone before I “ruined my life with all that work.” The whole night was like a question-and-answer session, and I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I shake my head and start the car again.
Vance is waiting in a small, dingy office in the back of a tire shop. He’s tall and wiry, with slicked-back black hair and deep lines carved into his face, probably from years of squinting in suspicion. His pale gray suit, which looks like it hasn’t been dry-cleaned since the late ‘80s, has a faint cigar smell clinging to the fabric.
“Ryan Blackwood,” he says, leaning back in his squeaky chair as I walk in. “The man himself.”
I don’t bother with pleasantries. “Let’s get to it.”
He gestures to the seat across from him, and I reluctantly sit. We go over the terms we discussed on the phone, but when we start talking money, he tries to pull the rug out from under me.
“I’ve been thinking,” he says as he taps his pen on the desk. “We’re going to need to adjust that figure we discussed.”
“Adjust it up?”
“Down, actually,” he says, smirking. “You know, the property’s been sitting there a while. It’s losing value.”
I clench my jaw, trying to stay calm. What a rip-off . I should’ve seen this coming.
“We agreed on a number. That’s the deal.”
He shrugs. “That was before I factored in some additional risks. Your land’s condition isn’t exactly prime, Blackwood. You should’ve seen this coming.”
“Risks?” I snap. “The only risk here is you trying to screw me over. I’ve seen the reports. The property’s worth every dime we agreed on.”
“Look, I’m just saying—”
“You’re just saying nonsense.”
We go back and forth for what feels like an hour, though it’s probably only twenty minutes. By the end of it, my patience is gone, and the deal is still nowhere close to being finalized.
“Let me make this clear,” I say as I stand up. “We’re sticking to the original terms. If you want to back out, fine. But don’t waste my time.”
He looks annoyed, but doesn’t stop me as I walk out the door. I’m fuming as I climb into my car. My mind spins with frustration, but my body demands caffeine. I need coffee— now .
Thankfully, I spot a small shop on the corner with a cheerful sign that reads “Bella’s Place” under a brewing coffee logo. With a sharp turn into the lot, I park and head inside, but there’s another surprise waiting for me: a petite, redheaded surprise.