Chapter 3
three
Carolina
Thankfully, the repair shop in town was still open when I arrived and had my tire size in stock.
I had too much to do this weekend to be worried about the donut on my SUV.
I didn’t bother with asking about a repair to the tire that was flat.
I needed the peace of mind a new tire gave me as a single mother traveling with her child.
“Thank you so much, Gus,” I said as I paid for the new tire.
“Anytime, Miss Carolina. It’s good to see you back in these parts,” he said with a smile.
“It’s good to be back,” I said before I left the office and headed back to my SUV. The smell of the rubber and oil from the tire shop brought back many memories of my childhood of me and my dad working on the tractor and his old pickup in the garage behind our house.
I got into the SUV and headed back to my parents’ house to offload the groceries.
Checking the time on the clock radio, I didn’t have much time before I had to go meet with the owner of a house that was for rent.
I loved my parents and missed them dearly, but I couldn’t stay with them after being on my own for so long.
Luke and I were used to a routine, and I needed to get him back on it as soon as possible for both of our sanities.
As I pulled out of the repair shop and drove down Main Street, I let myself take in the familiar, yet different, sites around me.
There were new stores that weren’t here eight years ago, but the small town feel of Haven Valley remained the same.
I couldn’t wait to stop in Café Latte and try every single coffee they offered.
Or go into the boutique, Sew Lovely, and check out the styles they offered.
While I was unsure of my return at first, and I still had reservations, a piece of me, albeit small, was excited for this new journey.
Taking a deep breath, I turned off Main Street down the back road to my parents’ house.
They still lived in the same small three-bedroom rancher that I grew up in.
While they wanted me to return home the moment they found out about Luke, I stayed on course and found every way possible I could make it work to stay in South Carolina.
I wanted to travel. I longed to see the world.
But those two pink lines a month after I’d left had changed everything for me.
For the better. Now I couldn’t imagine my life without Luke.
It was a rough road to get to where we were today, but that little boy had saved me in ways he’d never understand.
He grounded me in ways I never thought possible.
And the moment our safety was threatened, I knew the one place I needed to return to ensure our safety.
I pulled into the drive and parked my SUV, quickly grabbed the groceries, and went inside to drop them off so I could meet the landlord in time.
“Hey, Mama. Did you grab the brownies I wanted?” Luke barreled into the room, running behind me as I set the groceries on the island.
He was always so full of energy, but I loved how excited he was to see me after a long, tiring day.
He reached on the island to try and snoop in the plastic bags.
I ruffled his hair as his search came up empty.
“I sure did, but you need to wait until after supper to eat one,” I reminded him.
He looked up at me with a pout, making sure to poke his lip out extra far, as if that would make me give in.
“After supper,” I reminded as I quickly pulled the remnants of fruit and snacks from the bags, making sure to put his favorite cookies, chocolate chip, on top of the fridge out of his reach.
He let out a huff, hung his head, and moped off.
I shook my head and laughed as I put the fruit in the fridge to rinse off later when I had the time.
“I’m off to meet the landlord,” I yelled to my parents, who I assumed were in the den with their shows on in the background while my mom knitted her blanket and my dad read the latest book he was reading. They were nothing if not predictable.
“See ya in a bit,” my dad, Wade, shouted in response.
I looked around the kitchen one last time to make sure I didn’t forget to put anything away before I took the few short steps down the hallway to the front door.
Once outside, I closed the door behind me and stood on the front porch for a beat. Taking a deep breath in, I clutched the necklace that I never took off and sighed.
“Please let this place go through so we can get back some normalcy,” I whispered the prayer and looked up at the sky before I walked down the stairs to my vehicle.
The drive was short, no more than ten minutes down the road, which would come in handy for when I went to work.
I’d applied at the local doctor’s office the day I’d arrived and had an interview that same day.
Thankfully, I got the job. It would be a change of pace from what I was used to, but the hours were better and I’d get to be home with Luke in the evenings and weekends, which was a blessing.
I pulled into the gravel driveway and stopped in front of the chain link fence for the backyard.
The road was quaint with houses on about two acres a piece, still close to the neighbors, but not close enough to feel like you were on top of each other.
I loved the porch that had a swing on one side and rocking chairs on the other.
I envisioned myself drinking coffee in the mornings or a glass of wine at night as I opened the door and got out of my SUV.
I walked a few steps to the porch and barely had my foot placed on the bottom step when I heard the gravel crunch behind me.
Turning, I shielded my eyes from the sun as I watched the man approach. The brightness of the sun prevented me from seeing who the man was until he was almost in front of me.
None other than Gus from the repair shop stood in front of me. I thought a woman would be meeting me based on who I spoke to on the phone. I schooled my features so I wouldn’t come off as rude and greeted Gus.
“Nice to see you again, Gus,” I said as I held out my hand.
“None of that, Carolina. We hug around here,” he said with a laugh before putting his arm around my shoulder and giving it a squeeze. I laughed as I returned the nice gesture.
“I am kind of confused, though,” I said as I pulled back.
“I bet you were lookin’ for my wife to come by,” he said as he held out his hand to motion for me to continue climbing the stairs.
I nodded as I walked up the creaky wooden stairs and stopped just in front of the front door.
“She didn’t trust me enough to make sure the cookies she was makin’ didn’t burn,” he said with a laugh as he pulled a large set of keys from his pocket.
He tried a few before he found the one for this door. The hinges creaked, an easy fix with some oil, as he pushed the door open. A ray of light shone on the dark mahogany wood floors as I stepped inside.
There was an open floor plan, I noticed as I stepped inside just enough for Gus to follow. I didn’t want to appear like I owned the place by walking inside and making myself at home.
“Take a look around, and I’ll wait here while you see if it’s somethin’ you’re interested in,” Gus said as he closed the door behind him. He leaned back against the wooden frame as he waited for me to inspect the house.
The living room, kitchen, and breakfast nook were all opened and I could envision just where I’d put the meager belongings that I was able to bring back with me.
The kitchen had ivory cabinets which brightened the space, and I loved how homey it felt.
I turned to the right and went down the hallway which led to a full bathroom and three bedrooms. I didn’t necessarily need the third bedroom, but it’d be nice to have a playroom for Luke or an office for me.
The master bedroom had a full bathroom with a deep soaker tub that I couldn’t wait to relax in.
I smiled to myself as I walked back through the house to meet with Gus. Luke and I would be incredibly happy here.
“I’ll take it,” I told him as soon as I rounded the corner.
He gave me a knowing grin as he said, “I’ll get the lease drawn up on Monday and you can come by the shop in the afternoon to sign.”
That was it? I thought there’d be more to it than that.
A credit check. Proof of employment. References.
But he asked for none of those. I wanted to question him to make sure he wasn’t missing something but remained silent as he discussed the monthly rent cost and the security deposit required.
Thankfully, I’d been smart with my money when I got my first registered nurse position making a decent amount of money.
I had enough money in savings to cover the cost without depleting it dry, and I'd never felt more grateful than I did right now that I'd lived a frugal life.
“I’ll see you Monday, Gus. Thank you so much for meeting with me,” I told him as tears threatened to fill my eyes. I wasn’t sure what made me emotional, but I choked back the tears as he pulled me in for another hug.
“No thanks needed. I’m happy I was able to help. Carolina, if I may, you know the Lord sometimes has a way of bringing us back to places we thought we left behind,” he replied as he waved before heading off in the direction of his truck.
I nodded at his comment and muddled it around in my mind for a beat. He wasn’t wrong. I just wish that the circumstances surrounding my return were of my own accord.
I took that moment to look around and admire the neighbors’ houses across the street. I looked to the right then to the left and that was when I noticed it.
None other than Leo Courtright’s truck was parked in the drive next door.
I took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, my eyes closed as I tried to calm my racing heart.
A door creaking off in the distance broke my thoughts as I jerked my head toward the sound.
Lo and behold the person I needed to talk to stepped outside and sat down on the stoop, oblivious to me standing next door.
I should go over and talk to him. But I didn’t need to interrupt his evening, especially since I didn’t know whose house he was visiting.
I’d find a way to talk to him before word got out. After all, I couldn't keep Luke cooped up in my parents’ house for the whole summer. And Leo didn’t need to find out my secret from anyone other than me.