19. Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Nineteen
Leo
I ’ve been stuck at the estate for far too long now. I need some air.
While Dad takes a nap, I get in my rental car and drive to town, going off memory. Even after all these years later, I still remember all the back roads and the local gems.
Scrubbing this place from my brain just doesn’t seem possible.
I sit up more as I continue on the quiet, snowy road leading into town.
. One of the utility poles collapsed and crashed into a tree, its icy power lines hanging over the road.
Cars on either side of the road are completely snowed in, and I pass by two car accidents from the slick conditions of the road as I continue deeper into town .
Between the ice and the high winds, there’s some sort of damage everywhere, whether power lines are down or buildings are damaged from fallen branches and the weight of the heavy ice and snow buildup. I knew it was a bad storm, but I didn’t expect this much of a mess.
Only a handful of people are out and about, but they’re not browsing shops or taking a stroll. They’re business owners or employees dealing with the aftermath or good people helping them out.
I pull over and park in an empty spot on the side of the street, a frown settling on my face as I take all of it in. I’ve never seen the downtown area this damaged before, and I’ve gone through a decent bit of storms when I was living here.
Snow and ice crunch under my boots as I walk down the sidewalk, the cold wind stinging my face.
A short, elderly woman stands outside of a shop up ahead with a snow shovel in her hands. She sighs, her shoulders deflating. “I can’t believe this.”
“Is everything okay, ma’am?” I ask her as I approach .
When I reach her, I quickly realize why she looks so defeated. The front display window of the old shop is broken, glass mixing in with all the snow piled in front of the door.
“I knew I should’ve boarded up,” she tells me with a disappointed shake of her head. “My back was hurting so much that day. I just couldn’t do it.”
It’s her shop. I glance up at the hanging sign above me, surprised that it didn’t fly away from the wind.
Pretty Patterns: Fabric and Sewing Shop
“I’ll clear the snow for you,” I tell her as I hold my hand out for the snow shovel.
Her eyes widen a little. “Really?”
I nod. “Yeah, of course. I can get it cleared in a few minutes.”
A warm smile breaks through the sadness clouding her face. She hands over the shovel and steps to the side.
I dig the shovel into the snow in front of the shop, moving it out of the way. Glass shimmers like ice, making it nearly impossible to see. I clear everything that I can until the door is accessible .
“There’s a really good handyman in town named Jason who does just about everything. He could replace the window for you. Just make sure you get the impact resistant kind,” I say as I rest the snow shovel against the wall next to the broken window.
“Oh, Jason? He retired last year,” she tells me before tilting her head curiously. “I’m sorry. Who are you? You seem familiar.”
“Leo Galloway,” I reply, feeling a stir of anxiety just from mentioning my name around here. Our reputation evidently isn’t super great.
Her eyebrows pop up. “Oh, my. Didn’t you leave years ago?”
I nod awkwardly. “I did. I just came back to…take care of some things.”
Her face softens. “Your father. I was sorry to hear about that.”
I keep getting reminded that Dad’s diagnosis is real. He’s actually dying, and I know that because people keep talking about it. Somehow, that makes it feel more real than seeing him with my own eyes .
“Oh, no. What happened here?”
I turn around as Devon walks over to us, my brow furrowing. “You’re back in town already?”
Devon grins and shakes my hand. “Hey, man. It’s good to see you again. When I heard about the storm, I just knew I had to come back and see if I could help in any way.”
“Oh, that’s…nice of you,” I reply, still surprised to see him here. I’m sure he has plenty to do in Denver.
Devon takes the old woman’s hand in both of his. “Is this your store, ma’am?”
“It is. Something broke the window. There’s so much damage to my fabrics inside,” she tells him with a distraught look on her face. “I’ll have to hire someone to clean up the inside. I can’t do it on my own.”
“You shouldn’t have to do anything on your own,” he replies as he gently squeezes her hand. “In fact, you’re not going to have to. I’ll cover the entire cost of fixing the damage done to your store.”
My eyebrows raise as the old woman gasps. I didn’t expect that. I thought he was just going to write a check to a local organization and bounce .
“Are you serious?” she asks him, her eyes glistening with happy tears.
“Totally serious. Here’s my business card. Tell the crew you find to fix this place to give me a call, and I’ll handle everything else,” he tells her as he passes her his business card.
“Thank you! Thank you so much,” she says before wrapping her arms around him, sniffling as she tries to keep her tears at bay.
“I’m happy to help,” he replies as he gently pats her back.
When she releases him, he turns back to me and gestures for me to follow him down the sidewalk. “Ah, doing that feels good. I’m going to find some more people to help out while I’m here.”
“Why?”
The word bursts from me before I can stop it.
Devon doesn’t seem fazed. “It’s the right thing to do, Leo. I’ve got the money to do it. Might as well.”
I guess that’s not a terrible mentality to have. Plenty of rich people hoard their money and don’t donate or use it to help others. I met plenty of those people in the city .
Hell, I feel like one of those people.
Dad donated to some national organizations in the past for various causes. I don’t know if he actually cared or if he just saw it as a tax write off, but I don’t think he ever donated anything to Evergreen Heights.
I’ve donated to some organizations in the city, especially since I’m invited to so many charity galas and other events, but I haven’t sent a dollar to my own hometown.
I may have bad memories here due to family issues, but that just doesn’t feel right now that I think about it. The people in this town are kind and caring. They help each other when things go wrong, and they don’t expect anything from it.
It’s just what people do here.
And I’ve never supported them.
“Have you thought any more about what I said?” Devon asks me.
“I have been,” I assure him. “I was preoccupied by the storm for a few days, but I’ll keep thinking on it and give you an answer soon. ”
Devon hums under his breath as he nods. “It’s a good deal, Leo. I’m sure you’re itching to get back to civilization.”
“I do miss some things in New York,” I reply. “I just have a lot to consider. This is a complicated decision.”
Devon pats me on the back. “Hey, I totally understand. If I can throw in any sweeteners to help you make a decision, just let me know. I’m more than willing to negotiate.”
He must really want the company.
Then again, we’re the biggest lumber company that’s closest to Denver. Buying one of our competitors that’s farther away is possible if I say no, but it’ll cost him more in the long run than if he bought us.
He seems like a smart businessman, so he’ll play the long game.
“I’ll think on it,” I promise him. “How long are you staying in town for?”
“Maybe a day or two. I want to make sure people are getting back on their feet here before I head back to the city,” he says as he glances around. “There’s a lot of work to be done. ”
If he keeps this up, the people around here are going to love him. The Evergreen Heights community always remembers who helps them out. They take that seriously.
“I should head back to the estate and check on my father,” I tell him, unsure of what else to do here. I’m not used to doing much work on the ground. Writing a check is easier.
“Give him my best,” Devon replies with a big grin. “Or don’t. If it makes him upset. Does he know you’re talking to me?”
“He found out. Just not through me,” I admit.
Devon lifts an eyebrow. “The pretty nurse?”
I shouldn’t be jealous and possessive over someone who doesn’t want much to do with me, but the thought of her being in his mind makes me grind my teeth.
“He just overheard her and me talking,” I reply. “It’s not a big deal. The decision is down to me at the end of the day.”
“You’ll make the right one. I know it,” he says before stopping and holding his hand out to me. “I hope to hear from you soon, Leo. You can be back on a plane to New York before you know it.”
I nod and shake his hand. “Yeah, looking forward to it. ”
He pats my upper arm with his other hand before walking across the street toward a group of people shoveling snow off the sidewalk. Like it’s no big deal, he grabs an extra shovel and joins in, launching into conversation with the others like they’re old pals.
I feel like I’m that charming and savvy in the city, but when I’m here, I can barely have a conversation with anyone without feeling…I don’t know how I feel. Guilty for leaving? Out of place? Embarrassed that we are disconnected from our community?
Maybe all of those things.
I’ve seen people stare and whisper about me from afar while walking through town, and I doubt they’re saying anything good about me. I’m the son who abandoned what was left of his family and his hometown to become a billionaire in the city.
I’m shallow. Selfish. Money hungry.
Back in New York City, I’m treated like I’m worth the billions of dollars that I make. I don’t feel like I’ve done anything wrong there .
But they also don’t know the things that I’ve done. They don’t know my past. The mistakes that I’ve made. The people that I’ve hurt.
That would probably change their minds about me real quick.