Chapter 2 #3
The real estate agent’s voice crackled through the phone’s speaker, distorted by the poor reception that sometimes plagued Blueberry Hill during snowstorms. Evan paced the length of the cottage’s guest bedroom, pausing occasionally to glance out at the snow.
“They’re offering twenty-five percent over asking price,” Lisa was saying, her excitement cutting through the static. “And they want to buy it fully furnished. They’re relocating from California and need to move in by the end of January.”
Emily sat on the edge of the bed, one hand resting on her rounded belly, her eyes wide as the news sank in. Their Seattle home, the house with floor-to-ceiling windows, would soon belong to someone else.
“That’s... a generous offer,” Evan managed, the words sticking in his throat. “We’ll need to discuss it, but it sounds promising.”
“Of course,” Lisa replied cheerfully. “They’re eager though, so I’d recommend not taking too long.”
After a few more minutes of discussion, Evan ended the call and set the phone down on the dresser. The room fell silent except for the soft tick of the antique clock on the nightstand and the sound of voices from the kitchen. The scent of bacon frying made his stomach rumble.
“We could sell it,” Emily said softly. “Just like that.”
Evan nodded, unable to match her matter-of-fact tone. The reality of what selling meant, cutting his last tangible tie to Seattle, to his former life, sat heavy on his shoulders.
“You don’t seem happy,” Emily observed, her brow furrowing. “I thought this would be good news.”
“It is,” he said quickly, moving to sit beside her on the bed. “Financially, it’s the smart move. It’s just...”
“Final,” Emily finished for him. “The last piece of our old life.”
Her hand found his, her fingers warm against his palm. The wedding ring he’d placed there caught the light, a reminder of promises made in a different world, before gunshots in a grocery store parking lot, and his being downsized out of his job, changed everything.
“We’ve been here almost a month now,” she said gently. “Living out of suitcases in your mom’s guest room. At some point, we need to commit.”
He knew she wanted a small-town life, with his mom and sisters nearby.
But, Blueberry Hill was really small. Like everyone knew your business, and the closest thing to a corporate headquarters was over an hour away in Asheville, small.
The look on her face made him sigh. He’d almost lost his marriage over moving and his working too much.
He’d figure something out, and surely in time he’d get used to the lack of amenities, one grocery store, and having to drive over an hour for real civilization?
“I’ve been thinking about that house across the lake,” Emily continued when he didn’t immediately respond. “The one with the stone fireplace and the deck overlooking the water. Will mentioned it’s still available.”
Evan blew out a breath, running a hand through his hair. “You really want to live here permanently? In a town where the biggest event of the year is a festival celebrating fruit?”
A hint of hurt flashed in her eyes before she masked it.
“I want our daughter to grow up somewhere safe. Somewhere she can play outside without us constantly looking over our shoulders.” Her hand moved protectively over her belly.
“After what happened at that grocery store... I can’t go back to Seattle, Evan. I just can’t.”
“I know,” he acknowledged, squeezing her hand. “And I want you both to feel safe. I just... I don’t know what I’m going to do here. Who am I if not a director at a big company? What’s my purpose in a place like this?” He’d been counting on a promotion to vice president before he’d lost his job.
The loss of his position still stung, a wound to both his pride and his sense of identity.
For ten years, he’d defined himself by his career, climbing the corporate ladder with single-minded determination.
Now, at thirty-two, he found himself adrift in a town where the biggest employer was the regional medical center and a blueberry farm.
“You could teach,” Emily suggested, not for the first time. “The community college is always looking for business instructors. With your MBA and experience—”
“Teaching,” Evan repeated, trying to keep the skepticism from his voice. “For a third of what I was making before.”
“We don’t need as much here,” Emily reminded him gently. “The cost of living is lower. We have a good nest egg. And with what we’ll make from the house sale, we could buy the lake house outright with money left over.”
Logically, he knew she was right. The sale of their Seattle home would leave them with a substantial cushion. But logic did little to ease the knot of anxiety in his stomach.
“I just never pictured myself here,” he admitted, gesturing toward the window where the snow-covered mountains were barely visible through the falling snow across the lake.
“In a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business, where the highlight of the social calendar is the annual Blueberry Festival. All the hokey little holiday parades.”
He stood up and walked to the window, watching the snow blanket the property.
“I worked so hard to make something of myself. My whole life was about building something bigger, something important. And now I feel like I’m starting all over again, but this time in a small town where nothing ever happens. ”
Emily’s reflection appeared beside his in the window, her eyes meeting his in the glass. “Is that really how you see it? As going backward?”
The question hit him with unexpected force. Was that really how he saw it? As a failure?
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Maybe. In Seattle, I was someone. Here, I’m just Tara Bedford’s son, the guy who used to live in a big city on the west coast.”
Her hand found his shoulder, turning him to face her.
“You’re more than your job title. You always have been.
That’s what I fell in love with—not a director at a company, but the man who spent three hours helping an elderly neighbor set up her new phone.
The man who always holds doors for people at the store. ”
Evan smiled, thinking of Mrs. Garcia across the street with her twenty-five birdhouses in the backyard.
“And in less than three months, you’re going to be a father,” she continued, guiding his hand to her belly where their daughter shifted restlessly. “That’s the most important job you’ll ever have.”
The mention of fatherhood sent a jolt of both terror and joy through him.
Their daughter, after the heartbreak of a miscarriage last year, the miracle of this pregnancy still left him breathless at times.
And after watching his own father’s catastrophic failures as a parent, the responsibility felt even more daunting.
“You’re right,” he conceded, placing his hand over hers on her belly. “And I want to be good at it. Better than my father was.”
The mention of Harry hung in the air between them.
Evan’s relationship with his father had been complicated even before the revelation of his affair with Mandy, before the financial fraud that had left Tara starting over at fifty-five.
Now, with Ryan’s presence a constant reminder of Harry’s betrayal, Evan found himself questioning everything he thought he knew about family and responsibility.
“You will be,” Emily said with quiet conviction. “You already are, the way you’re putting our needs first. Coming here with me, considering the lake house, means everything.”
A small movement beneath their hands interrupted the moment, their daughter making her presence known with a forceful kick. Emily laughed, the sound bright in the quiet room.
“See? She agrees with me.”
Despite his worries, Evan found himself smiling. “Strong opinions already. Wonder where she gets that from.”
Emily leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, you know. Different from what we planned, but okay. Maybe even better.”
He wanted to believe her. Wanted to embrace this new life with the same enthusiasm she showed. But as the snow fell outside, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was losing his grip on everything he’d worked for.
The sound of laughter drifted down the hallway. Maybe Emily was right. Maybe different could be better. But as he stared out at the waterfall across the lake, Evan couldn’t help wondering if he would ever truly fit into this new life they were building, or if he’d always feel like an outsider.
Bacon and the smell of tomatoes on the stove, probably his mother’s tomato soup, wafted into the room, accompanied by the sound of Christmas music.
The holiday season was in full swing with decorations appearing in windows and plans for the town’s Christmas festival underway.
Another reminder of how different life here was from the corporate holiday parties and rushed gift exchanges of his previous life.
“Come on,” Emily said, tugging gently at his hand. “Your mom’s making her tomato soup that I’ve been craving.”
Evan nodded, allowing himself to be led from the room. But as they walked down the hallway to the kitchen, his phone buzzed with an email notification. Pausing, he glanced at the screen and felt his heart skip a beat.
Seattle Technical Consulting—VP Position—Interview Request.
Evan quickly tucked the phone into his pocket before Emily could see it. The Seattle house suddenly felt much less dispensable, and the path forward much less clear than it had been just moments before.