Chapter 5
Astrid
I watched the car disappear around the corner and finally released the breath I’d been holding.
Thank God I’d never have to run into him again or endure another wave of secondhand embarrassment.
After all the charming insults I'd hurled his way, my face was probably tattooed into his brain permanently, and not in the adorable, romantic way people dream about.
“Why is he so intimidating?” Kelly asked, abandoning the bubbly, five-star passenger act she'd put on just minutes ago. “Honestly, it’s a miracle I survived even half an hour in there.” She paused, squinting thoughtfully. “But I swear he looks weirdly familiar.”
“Probably in your nightmares,” I teased. “He’s definitely got that vibe.” With that face and those intense eyes, he could easily pass for one of those high-fashion models, if only his personality didn’t belong on an FBI watchlist.
“Are you two just going to stand there forever, or are you coming in?” a voice called, pulling my attention toward the doorway. My eyes lit up at the sight of a woman smiling warmly enough to crinkle the corners of her eyes.
I rushed over, throwing my hands around her. “Eleanor!”
“Oh, Astrid.” She hugged me tight, giving my back a comforting pat. “Thank God you're okay. I nearly panicked when Kelly messaged, saying you'd gotten stranded at that ghost bend.”
“I’m totally fine,” I reassured her. When Dad died, she and Kelly had dropped everything to be there for me without ever needing to be asked. Without them, I wasn't sure I'd have survived the wreckage of those days.
“Mom, it wasn’t just Astrid.” Kelly huffed, crossing her arms. “Your daughter made it out in one piece too, in case you forgot.”
“Oh, sure.” Eleanor gave Kelly a pointed glare. “I sent you to bring her back safely, and instead you caused a mess.”
“It was my fault,” I admitted sheepishly. “I kind of panicked when I heard about Hitchhiker’s Bend, and Kelly caught the vibe and panicked right along with me.”
“See?” Kelly said triumphantly, slinging an arm around my shoulders. “My best friend’s on my side.”
“So, now I’m your backup?” I fought back a smile. “Should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
“Azzie!” she huffed. “Rude.”
A man strode into the doorway, a file clutched in his hand. “Eleanor, what did you do to Mabel this time? She’s—” His voice broke off the moment his gaze landed on me. “Astrid!” He blinked, clearly startled. “When did you get here?”
“That expression says it all. Kelly and Eleanor didn’t give you a heads-up, did they?” I grinned, stepping closer, and gave him a quick hug. “Surprise, Steve. Just got here.”
Steve Jones—Kelly’s dad and Orange Falls’ mayor. He looked pretty much the same as he had five years ago—not an ounce gained, just a few deeper lines around his eyes, and a bit more grey in his hair.
“They did.” He affectionately patted my head. “Just didn’t realize it was today.”
“Trust me, Astrid,” Eleanor scoffed. “I told him two days ago you were coming and reminded him again this morning, right before Kelly left to pick you up.”
Steve drew his brows together, bewildered. “Did you?”
Eleanor sighed. “Honestly, you and your daughter both have the memory of goldfish. I could toss you both into Emerald Lake, and within seconds you’d forget how you got in there.”
“Whoa, Mom,” Kelly protested, hands raised defensively. “Leave me out of this. My memory is miles ahead of Dad’s.”
“Sure,” Eleanor nodded. “Yet, somehow, at least three times this week alone, you've wandered into the kitchen asking, ‘Mom, have you seen my….?’”
A laugh burst out of me before I could even think to swallow it down, earning a fierce glare from Kelly.
She huffed, nostrils flaring like a bull about to charge.
Pretty hilarious, considering not two minutes ago she'd insisted she knew Iceberg from somewhere, without the slightest clue as to where she'd seen him.
“You can argue about memory loss all you want, but later.” Steve intervened. “Let’s at least welcome Astrid before she thinks she's walked into the middle of a family feud.”
“Finally, something out of your mouth that isn’t campaigning for votes,” Eleanor mocked.
Steve shot her a look that seemed to say, Do we really have to do this?
Ignoring him, Eleanor turned to me and nodded toward the house. “Come on, Astrid.”
The house welcomed me like a hug after a long, exhausting day.
Five years ago, I’d fallen in love with this place, and five years later, absolutely nothing has changed—the deep-blue curtains framing the windows, oil paintings arranged artfully across the walls, and furniture perfectly complementing every cozy corner.
“Astrid, mind if I borrow Eleanor for a minute?” Steve asked, already steering her aside before I nodded.
“What sort of trouble have you stirred up with Mabel now?”
Not exactly subtle borrowing , considering his voice carried easily enough for me to hear every word. I tried not to eavesdrop, distracting myself with tall glass vases of peonies placed in one corner. No doubt, these were from Kelly’s greenhouse.
“Nothing,” Eleanor said lightly, but the tiny hitch in her voice gave her away. “What’s that Marble fussing about now?”
“Really? And who went around town saying my clubhouse project would overshadow the Ashbournes? Now she’s throwing a tantrum.”
Ashbournes.
I racked my brain, trying to place the name, and then it clicked. Right, the Ashbournes: Orange Falls’ founding family.
“She found out already?” Eleanor sighed, shaking her head.
“Della must’ve been spreading it around—her two little sidekicks were hovering when I was talking to Nina.
But honestly, who cares if Mabel heard?” Her voice rose, frustration clear now.
“I didn’t say anything wrong! That woman walks around Orange Falls like she owns it, as if nothing gets done without her stamp of approval.
” She crossed her arms, shifting into full lecture mode.
“Steve, you're the one building the clubhouse. You've fought tooth and nail for approval. If anyone deserves recognition around here, it’s you.”
Kelly came over and handed me a bowl of ice cream.
“Are they about to start fighting?” I whispered after taking a spoonful.
“Don’t worry.” She shrugged. “This is just their daily drama.”
“And the Ashbournes own that land.” Steve’s voice drifted over, dragging my attention back to their argument.
“Now she’s refusing to sign off—all because you couldn't resist riling her up. I don’t care how you fix it.
” Steve's tone was one part exhausted, two parts warning.
“Talk to her, bake her a pie—I hear she has a weakness for apples.
Just make sure it's sorted by tomorrow.”
“Absolutely not,” Eleanor shot back, bristling. “And I’m definitely not baking anything for that woman.”
“You will, unless you want to see her publicly backing William Lever in the next election.” Steve’s phone buzzed, and he held it up with a resigned sigh. “Look who's calling— Orange Falls Herald.” He turned, already answering as he headed up the stairs.
“What’s the story with Eleanor and Mabel?” I asked Kelly.
“Think oil and water,” Kelly leaned in closer. “Two minutes together and they'll invent a fresh reason to start World War Three.”
Her voice dropped instantly the moment Eleanor glanced our way.
“Astrid,” Eleanor called, her face turning serious, “if there’s anyone in this town worth being cautious of, it’s Mabel Ashbourne. Trust me, watch your back.”
“Please, Mom.” Kelly grinned. “If Mabel gets to Astrid first, she’ll probably warn her that you're the real town troublemaker.”
“Wonderful! Now my own daughter’s siding with that Marble.” She gave Kelly a betrayed stare before calling over her shoulder on the way to the kitchen, “Dinner’s ready whenever you two finish making fun of me.”
Kelly and I exchanged a look and burst into laughter.
After dinner, I’d planned to head over to the place I'd rented, but Eleanor and Kelly talked to me into staying the night. I didn’t argue. It was late already and dealing with a dusty house that had been sitting empty for months felt overwhelming after the exhausting day I’d had.
Maybe my body was tired, or maybe it was simply being surrounded by people and laughter again, the exact kind of warmth I'd missed every night since Dad died.
Whatever it was, the memories that usually haunted my nights stayed mercifully quiet, and the instant my head touched the pillow, sleep pulled me under.