Chapter 4
four
. . .
Demi
I’d just locked up for the day, and the business phone rang.
“Magnolia Beans, this is Demi.”
“Hi, sweetheart. It’s Valentina Knight again,” she said with a chuckle.
It had been a few days since her jackass son had asked for the recipe for my pumpkin chai latte. She called the very next day, and I walked her through how to make it.
“Hey, Valentina. How did it go?”
“Well, it’s fine, but it doesn’t taste quite as good as yours. I did the cinnamon trick with the magical goodness you dropped off, but I think the latte part is where we failed. Mimi said it’s not as frothy as yours.”
I hopped up to sit on the counter and chuckled. “Well, I do have the fancy machine here, so that helps.”
“Yours is definitely better, but making it here will hold us over between visits. I just wanted to call and thank you so much for dropping those things off for us. It’s still delicious.
My mom and I are going to bundle up tomorrow and stop by and see you,” she said.
Romeo’s mother was much sweeter than her son.
I knew they lived just two blocks away because I’d taken her a few pumpkin chai tea bags, and I’d poured a little of my specialty cinnamon in a jar for her.
She’d been kind on the phone, and I hadn’t minded at all.
It was called being neighborly.
Unless your neighbor is a pompous bastard.
“Sounds good. I look forward to seeing you soon.”
“Take care, sweetheart. And thanks again.”
“Of course. Bye.” I hopped down and turned out the lights before heading upstairs.
It had been a long day and a long week, if I was being honest. I changed my clothes quickly, as I was going to my parents’ house for dinner tonight.
Slade had agreed for me to talk to them on his behalf, and I’d broach the conversation carefully.
They didn’t trust him, that much was clear, and mending this distance between them would not be easy.
Somewhere along the way, they’d lost hope in their son.
But he needed all of us on his team if he was going to beat this disease.
I pulled my gray sweater over my head and put on my favorite jeans and my tan boots. I slipped my coat on, as I’d definitely be going out to spend some time in the barn with Teacup. I’d taken her for a long ride last weekend, and I was happy to be home, where I could ride often again.
I slipped out the back door, since I didn’t use the business entrance when the shop was closed.
I cut down the alley and glanced over at Knockout Gym, and I wondered if Romeo was still working because I could see the light coming from the windows.
I shook it off and climbed into my car to make the short drive to my family’s ranch.
We had several acres of land that backed up to the water, and it had always been my favorite place.
It was where I found peace and comfort, even in the darkness. My mom had never gone back on the boat since Slade’s accident. She never went near the water, almost like she blamed the lake for everything that had gone wrong after.
But we’d grown up on the water. My brother taught me every water sport there was. He’d always been so proud that I was a bit of a badass on water skis and a jet ski.
The memories always flooded when I was home, and with Slade showing up for a visit the other night, it felt like maybe things really were getting back on track.
Our family had always been close. My grandparents had a home on the same street.
The two properties ran into one another, which meant I could ride for miles between the land shared by the two homes.
My grandparents spent more time here now that Gramps had retired from politics.
They’d be here tonight, and I was looking forward to seeing everyone.
My grandparents were both on the same page as me when it came to Slade.
They still had hope. Still wanted to believe he could come back to us.
So I was grateful to have them here and hoped they’d back me up when my parents went on the defensive.
I stopped by the barn to check on Teacup and brushed her for a bit before heading out of the barn.
I walked toward the house and breathed in the fresh smell of pine and balsam.
The sky was starting to darken, and the glimmer of the water in the distance soothed my nerves.
When I reached the house, I pulled the front door open.
“Hey, I’m home,” I called out, hearing laughter come from the dining room as I kicked off my boots and hung my coat in the mudroom.
Our house was large, too large for only two people to be living in, if you asked me.
It was grand for a ranch house, as my mother loved interior design, and decorating was her passion.
The dark wood floors ran throughout the home, with large beams on the ceiling and white shiplap accents and woodwork that stood out against the dark features.
Family photos and endless floral arrangements were placed throughout the house.
It took several people to keep this place up and running.
When I got to the kitchen, the smell of garlic and warm bread flooded my system, and I wrapped my arms around Mariana as she stood at the stove.
She’s worked for my family since I was a little girl, and she felt more like family to me than someone who actually worked here.
I kissed her cheek, and she turned around and hugged me tight.
“Have I told you how happy I am that you’re back home and here to stay?”
“Only a couple dozen times,” I said, my voice teasing as I reached over to the counter and popped a cherry tomato into my mouth.
“They’re all waiting for you in the dining room. Head on in there. I’ll bring dinner in shortly.”
“Okay. But I’ll eat dessert in here so you can fill me in on what Steven and Aubrey are up to.” Her kids were a little older than me, and we’ve always been close.
“Perfect.”
I made my way to the dining room, making my rounds and giving everyone a hug.
I settled in the chair beside my grandmother, and they all proceeded to fire off endless questions about the coffee shop.
I answered each one and was relieved when Mariana brought dinner in, and the interrogation came to an end.
“I like that you invested in a business for yourself, as well as added an apartment upstairs. That was a smart move from an investment perspective,” Gramps said before twirling the spaghetti around his fork and popping it into his mouth.
“Thanks. I think it’s going well, so I can’t complain.”
“I just don’t love that you are living above the business. And it’s such a small space,” Mom said.
“She’s young. She doesn’t need a lot of space.” Grammie winked at me. “And it’s so charming. She really put her own touch on it.”
“Got that right, Grammie. It’s perfect for me. And I love it there.” I took a sip of water and then sucked in a breath. “I actually had a visitor the other day.”
“It wasn’t Ronny, was it?” my father asked, his tone a bit harsh.
Everyone turned to look at him with surprise.
I’d confided in my father about what had happened with Ronny Waterstone a few months ago, and he’d asked me to keep it quiet because he’d handled the situation.
Our families were very intertwined, as Ronny’s father was my dad’s business partner, and our grandparents had been friends since they were young.
But Ronny knew better than to come near me after what had happened, or the police would definitely be called.
If he wanted to keep things quiet, he’d stay away.
“Is something going on with Ronny? You all went to college together. Aren’t you two friends? I always thought he was sweet on you,” Gramps said.
Nothing about what he did was sweet.
“He’s not my type, and we aren’t friends.” I shrugged. I met my father’s gaze and cleared my throat. “Anyway, it wasn’t Ronny who came to see me. It was actually Slade. He came to town, and he wanted to see the coffee shop and my apartment.”
The table grew silent, and I glanced at Gramps, waiting for him to jump in, but my father reacted first.
“What the hell is he doing here in town? He just got out of rehab, and we paid for an apartment in Boston for him for the next six months. That was the deal. Finish the program and successfully live a clean life for six months, and then we’d talk about bringing him home.
But, of course, he broke the agreement.” My father reached for the napkin in his lap and wiped his mouth.
His jaw ticked, and I noted the way his shoulders tensed at just the mention of Slade.
“He’s living across the country, and he misses his family.
He just came for the weekend. He has a job back in Boston, and he starts work this week.
I told him about my opening, and he wanted to surprise me.
It was sweet, and he seemed like the old Slade.
He wants to come visit again soon, and I said that I’d speak to you about it.
I don’t think the six-month rule makes any sense.
He completed the program. He misses his family.
He misses you guys,” I said, my eyes bouncing between my mom and my dad.
They hadn’t visited him once in rehab this last time.
They’d shut him out completely, and only my grandfather and I had gone to see Slade during this last stint in Boston.
“Were you alone with him?” Dad’s voice was harder than I’d heard it in a very long time.
“Was I alone with my brother in my apartment? Are you serious? Of course, I was. I’m not afraid of Slade, but apparently, you two are.” I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms over my chest. I hated that our family was so divided now.