Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Joe hated lying to Ally and Charlotte. In truth, he hadn’t needed to return to Portland.
Last night, something had changed in him.
For the first time in his life, he’d gotten spooked, maybe more by how much he suddenly cared than by the situation itself.
He needed some space to think, to clear his head before he did something reckless.
He needed to talk to someone from his past and tell them these feelings, and he couldn’t do that without the trip.
The drive back to Portland felt longer than it should have.
It had everything to do with the gray fog that hung so low that it blocked most of his view of the road.
Not to mention that the highway was slick with slush and salt spray, which had him going ten miles under the speed limit.
His apartment was just as he’d left it—quiet, cold, impersonal, and lonely.
The way he’d believed he’d wanted it the past few years.
There were a few empty take-out boxes on the counter, and his unopened mail had piled up at the door.
He grabbed a duffel bag and tossed in a few more things—extra jeans, his good winter coat, a couple more of his flannel shirts, and gloves.
When he was done with that, he just stood there for a while, staring at the walls.
Everything about the place screamed temporary.
Like a stop between lives. Even the furniture was secondhand and, well, crappy.
Growing frustrated, he grabbed his keys and drove to the cemetery. This was the real reason he’d come back.
Lisa’s grave sat near the edge of the grounds, beneath a big maple tree that was currently stripped bare by winter.
The headstone was simple, just her name and the years that still didn’t feel real.
He brushed off the snow on top with a gloved hand and crouched down, his eyes running over the letters and numbers as his breath fogged in the air.
“Hey, baby,” he said quietly. His voice came out rough. “It’s been a while.”
He ran a thumb along the edge of the stone, staring at the carved letters until they blurred.
“I, uh… I’ve been out of town to this really small town down the coast called Pride.
You’d have liked it. We should have gone there sometime.
It’s full of real people. Honest. Sometimes the coffee shop can be a little nosy, but for the most part, it’s quaint.
Quiet. The people there, they all mean well. ”
He talked about Pride for a moment. About the town’s center square and how they had a massive Christmas tree in the center. How each of the street lights had decorations on them and all of the stores had their windows decorated for the holidays.
“It’s something out of one of those Hallmark movies you used to love to watch.
” He sighed then he smiled faintly. “There’s this woman, Ally.
She has a daughter, Charlotte’s her name.
She’s a real sweet kid and she’s super smart, too.
You’d get a kick out of her. Out of them both.
” His smile slipped as he closed his eyes.
The wind stirred through the trees, carrying the sound of distant traffic. He exhaled slowly. How many times had he listened for Lisa’s response in the wind? Hoping, praying for a sign that he was doing the right thing.
“I don’t know what I’m doing, baby. I told myself that I was hanging around after quitting working for her sleaze of a husband, that I was just helping out, but it’s more than that.
They’re good people. And I…” His throat tightened.
“I haven’t felt this way toward a woman since you.
” His eyes watered slightly as they stung.
“I feel like I belong there. For the first time in a long time it just feels… right.”
He sat there until his knees went numb and the ache in his chest dulled to something quieter. Finally, he stood and brushed his hand against the stone once more.
“I’ll come back and visit,” he promised softly. “But not for a while. I think I’m done running from the future. If I can make things work out, I’ll bring them back to introduce you to them.”
That night, he sat on the edge of his bed in the small apartment, surrounded by the hum of the city that had once been his comfort.
The sirens outside the window, the glow of the city lights bleeding through the blinds, it all felt hollow now.
The life he’d built here wasn’t really what he pictured as living anymore.
He opened his laptop and found himself scrolling through house listings in Pride.
In such a small town, there were only a handful in his price range.
One instantly caught his attention, a two-story coastal-style home not far from town.
It was tucked back from the main road heading out of town, with a slight view of the ocean through some trees.
It had three bedrooms, two and a half baths, and a barn that had a workshop in it. It was… perfect.
He figured it might need some work, but nothing he hadn’t done before.
He emailed the agent and then took her call ten minutes later.
Since he would be a cash buyer, he sent her all his documents so that she could process his paperwork easily if he liked the place once he stopped by and saw it in person.
Hell, the way he figured it, if he had to tear the house down and rebuild, he’d make it happen. Somehow.
Just like that, he’d made his choice to move, regardless of what happened with Ally.
The next morning, he loaded his car again, this time for good. He had a donation company coming to get anything the moving company couldn’t fit into the van and his new storage unit in Edgeview. His old life could stay behind. He didn’t need it any longer.
The weather for his drive back to Pride was a little brighter. The snow stopped just outside of Portland, and the streets were clearing off in the warm sunlight.
Halfway back to Pride, he spotted something that made his stomach drop.
A silver truck had pulled to the side of the road.
A man was standing by the open door, yelling.
Joe slowed down. Then, before Joe could process what he was seeing, the guy tossed a small yellow bundle onto the snowy shoulder and slammed the door shut.
Joe hit the brakes hard.
By the time he pulled off onto the shoulder, the truck was peeling out and speeding away.
Joe hit his hazards and jumped from the car, racing to the snow bank.
The puppy was already shivering, a little ball of matted fur and panic, trying to scramble up the icy embankment as he approached. Joe crouched down, murmuring softly.
“Hey there, easy now. I’ve got you,” he said, hoping the dog didn’t dart out onto the road. Not that there was a lot of traffic, but he didn’t want to have to chase the thing down.
To his surprise, the pup hesitated long enough that he could get closer, then it stumbled forward, collapsing against his boots. He scooped it up quickly, feeling the trembling weight press into his chest. It had matted fur, but looked healthy enough.
He carried the dog to the car, wrapped it in an old flannel shirt he had in the back seat, and sat there for a long moment with the heat blasting until the pup’s head tucked under his chin.
“Guess you’re coming with me, huh?” he murmured, scratching gently behind its ears.
It gave a soft, exhausted whine and settled closer.
Joe smiled faintly. “Yeah,” he said quietly, “me too, buddy. Me too.”
He punched Aiden’s number in his phone and relayed the truck’s license plate and details.
Aiden seemed as pissed as he was, which was another positive sign he’d done the right thing.
“Are you heading back to town?” Aiden asked him.
“Yeah,” he answered. “I’m still parked on the side of the highway but heading back now.”
The line was quiet. “We thought we’d spooked you off.”
Joe chuckled. “Naw, I just had to close out my life in the city.”
“So, you are planning on making the move permanent?” Aiden asked.
“Yeah, I’m looking at a place on Eagle Circle.”
“The old Timon’s place?” Aiden asked.
“Not sure, it has yellow trim.”
Aiden laughed. “I know the owners. It’s a nice place.
You might need a new water heater, but other than that, she’s got good bones.
I can give you the name of a guy or two.
” He chuckled. “The Clark brothers, Clark Construction, have pretty much cornered the market on home repairs in town, if you can’t handle something yourself. ”
“Thanks, I’m going to check it out before I put an offer in on her.”
“You are serious,” he said after a minute.
“Yeah.”
“Do you plan on opening your PI firm here?” Aiden asked, and Joe could hear the curiosity in his tone.
“Nope, I might take some time off or…” He smiled. “I might take you up on that offer of a job.”
Aiden laughed. “You know, after our first meeting, I did my own digging on you.”
“Oh?” he asked as the small dog fell fast asleep against his chest.
“Yeah. I knew there was a reason I liked you. When you feel up to it, maybe after the holidays, come on in. I’ll run you through the wringer and see if we’re a good fit for you.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.” He waited while Aiden spoke to someone else on a radio.
“Well, it looks like Tom’s got the silver truck pulled over about two miles from your location. As you pass by, honk if it’s the right guy.”
“Will do,” he said, putting the car into drive.
“Hey, Joe?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll text you the number to the town’s vet. If you want—”
“I’m keeping the dog,” he said, surprising both of them, “but I’ll take the number. I want to make sure he’s healthy.”
“Will do.” Aiden chuckled. “Welcome to Pride.”
“Thanks.” He smiled and honked when he spotted the truck and Tom, who was questioning the man who’d tossed the puppy out.
Tom nodded, and Joe watched in his rearview mirror as he pulled the man out of the truck and cuffed him.
After hanging up with Aiden, he called the vet and agreed to stop by when he got into town.