Chapter 12
“Let’s walk back together,” he offered. Kara’s mind raced for an excuse, but she nodded instead.
“So, Miller’s Bistro is yours?” Kara asked, “We saw it on the drive in”.
“Yeah. It took a few years and a hell of a lot of renovations to get here, but I bought it outright five years ago.”
Keeping her gaze ahead. “So you found your passion?”
“Yeah, I think so. My dad and pretty much everyone else thought I was crazy turning down that deputy job and buying that broken-down building. But bringing the place back? That’s what the town needed.
And it feels real… honest, you know?” He shrugged.
“My marriage didn’t survive the process, though. ”
Kara glanced sideways but said nothing. Zoe had given her the rundown as it was happening.
It was messy, and he'd been chivalrous, at least on the surface. Sienna had once been Kara’s best friend, the kind who knew all her secrets, borrowed her clothes, and swore they would always be family.
She had been charming and impossible not to like at first. But Sienna had always wanted more than what she had, and she had a habit of coveting things that belonged to other people.
When Colin came into Kara’s life, Sienna took an interest in him almost immediately.
At first it was subtle. Lingering looks, private jokes, then finding reasons to be around whenever he was.
Over time, she wiggled her way deeper into his life, playing the supportive friend while quietly driving wedges where she could.
By the time Kara realized what was happening, it was too late. Sienna eventually married Colin after she left town, but their relationship had never been built on love so much as possession and winning. She liked having him because Kara had loved him first. In the end, the marriage fell apart.
“She was good… until she wasn’t. Rehab and relapses brought trust issues. I stayed longer than I should’ve. Familiarity’s a hell of a motivator.”
“Yeah,” Kara said, voice soft. “I know something about that.”
He looked at her then, brows lifted, but she didn’t elaborate. She wasn’t ready to unpack it, or even acknowledge it, especially in the open air where the past could eavesdrop. “What about you?” he asked gently. “New York must’ve been a fresh start.”
She gave a tight-lipped smile. “Busy. I worked a lot. Legal consulting…I pulled really long hours too. I left feeling so lost, but I figured it out along the way.”
“That’s a hell of a story.”
“It’s nothing really.”
“You always did that,” Colin said.
Kara glanced over. “Did what?”
“Make it simple.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Like figuring your life out was just another thing on a checklist.”
“Trust me, there was nothing simple about it.”
“I never thought you’d stay gone this long.”
The words landed heavier than they should have. “I didn’t plan to,” she admitted.
“Then why did you?”
She could feel him looking at her now, waiting.
“Because if I came back too soon…” She swallowed. “I was afraid I’d fall into the same things. Same people. Same mistakes.”
Colin was quiet for a moment.
“Was I one of the mistakes?”
“You were never a mistake,” she said softly. “Just bad timing.”
That seemed to hit him harder than she expected. He looked away, jaw working for a second.
“I used to think about leaving to find you,” he admitted. “A lot, actually.”
“Seeing you in your old house brought back a lot for me, Kara.”
She slowed slightly beside him, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag.
“What do you mean?”
Colin stared ahead for a second, like he was trying to choose the version of the truth that would do the least damage. I mean… seeing you standing there. He let out a quiet breath. “It felt too familiar.”
Kara felt her throat constrict.
“I missed you,” he said. She looked over at him then, caught off guard by the softness in his voice.
“Colin—”
“I’m not saying that to make things awkward.” He shook his head. “I just think I spent a long time pretending I moved on better than I did.”
Their footsteps fell into an easy rhythm, occasionally matching without either of them noticing. For a while, Kara found herself breathing in time with him, the cool air filling her lungs as they moved beneath the trees.
The grounds stretched around them, leaves rustled in the breeze, and the occasional bird broke through the stillness.
Kara caught her foot on an uneven patch of ground and stumbled slightly. She steadied herself, a quiet laugh escaping before she could stop it. Colin glanced her way, but she kept her eyes ahead, pretending it hadn't happened.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this comfortable beside someone.
“I got married,” he said quietly. “Built a business. I tried to do all the things that were supposed to mean I was over it.” He glanced at her. “But seeing you again made me realize some part of me never really was.”
Kara looked away first, tears threatening to fall. She blinked quickly, swallowing around the lump in her throat as the parking lot lights blurred in front of her.
“You can’t say things like that,” she said quietly.
“Why not?”
She shook her head, hugging her arms tighter around herself. “You don’t know what it was like, leaving here with everyone hating me. You don’t know what it was like hearing you married her.”
“I didn’t marry Sienna because I stopped loving you.”
The words hit her like a blow.
She shut her eyes for a second, fighting to keep herself together.
“Then why did you?”
“Because you were gone,” he said, voice rough. “And I was angry. Hurt. Everyone kept telling me you weren’t coming back, that you’d moved on, and Sienna…” He dragged a hand through his hair. “She knew exactly what to say when I was at my lowest.”
Kara’s lips parted, but no words came.
“I loved you,” he said, quieter now. “I think part of me still does.”
A tear slipped free. She brushed it away quickly.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he said gently. “I know we were kids. I know it’s been years.” His mouth curved into a sad sort of smile. “I just didn’t want to lie to you.”
They walked side by side in silence until they reached the parking lot, the crunch of their footsteps filling the silence between easy stories.
The sky above had dulled to a hazy blue, the last remnants of morning light softening the harsh edges of the mountain skyline.
It felt like two old friends catching up after too long, instead of the tangled history that buzzed beneath every word.
Colin paused, toeing at a loose stone on the pavement. “I’m glad I saw you again, Kara.”
“Yeah, me too,” she said, heading to the short trail back to the hotel. “You’re a good man, Colin. I’m sorry about everything.”
He met her gaze. “You don’t owe me an apology.”
But they both knew she did—maybe not for leaving, but for the silence she left behind.
Kara’s phone buzzed back to life. Cell service kicked in with a vengeance—notification banners lighting up her screen like fireworks.
Eight missed calls. All from Isaac.
A familiar sinking feeling settled over her.
She tapped to call him back, walking briskly toward the way back to the resort.
“Isaac—” she started the moment he answered. “I’m so sorry. I had no service. I didn’t know you called.”
His voice came through cold and clipped. “I have to go. I’m going back.”
“Back?” she asked, halting mid-step.
“Anderson called an emergency partner meeting for nine o'clock in the morning. You know I need to be there.”
Kara pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to blink away the exhaustion. “Do I? Are you sure it can’t wait?”
“K, this is everything I’ve worked for. I have to be in that room.” He didn’t wait for her response. “There’s a flight at two. I’ll take an Uber to the airport. I’m sorry. I love you, and I'll call you as soon as I land.”
The line went dead.
Colin, who had been waiting quietly a few paces away, watched her face.
“What happened?” he asked, voice steady.
Kara looked up, swallowing the sharp ache in her throat.
“Isaac is leaving.”
“At a time like this?” his voice was low but unmistakably disapproving.
“He’s trying to make Partner at the firm. I understand it.” She tried to soften it, even if it felt like an excuse.
Colin stepped closer, hands stuffed into his pockets. “You need to understand that you are more important than any job, Kara.”
“Please,” she began, but he held up his hands in surrender.
“Not trying to cause a fight. Just saying what I know.”
Isaac was leaving for New York. She should have felt relieved. It was a work emergency, a clean and uncomplicated reason for her to have the space she needed to investigate. But the relief never came.
Her steps slowed.
This was what she wanted, wasn’t it?
Space.
So why did it feel like a loss?
Maybe this was a good thing. She would try to convince herself of that, at least.
“I need a drink,” she muttered, not realizing she said it aloud.
Colin leaned in. “Great. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
She blinked. “Seven?”
“Dinner, since you’ve just been freed up,” he said, smiling brightly. “You’ve got to try the new menu at Miller’s Bistro before you vanish for another hundred years.”
“That’s low.”
“For you?” Colin’s voice dropped, smooth and velvet. “I can go lower.”
The heat that rushed up her neck had nothing to do with the lingering sun from the hike.
This wasn’t the same sweet boy who used to slip her extra fries or stay with her until closing.
He became a man. And for a heartbeat—Kara forgot the ring on her finger, the wedding she was supposed to plan, and the man who had just chosen a boardroom over her woes.
She said goodbye quickly. Feeling flushed because, against her better judgment, she had agreed to dinner.
The room was empty when she got back.
She called Isaac. It rang too long, then slipped to voicemail. Maybe he’d caught an earlier flight and left before things could get complicated. She checked her watch.
Barely ten.
Kara went downstairs, extended her stay for a few more days, and sent a text to Jenna with forewarning of her continued absence.
With Isaac gone, there was no longer an obstacle to stop her from using the time to dig deeper. She could allow herself to slow down. There was no immediate rush to return to New York.
She caught herself looking forward to dinner with Colin.
After an introspective shower, she reached for her phone and called her sister.
“So,” Zoe began, an eyebrow arched. “Colin Miller, huh?”
Kara was momentarily stunned. News really did travel fast. They had only just walked back from the trail together and gone their separate ways less than two hours ago.
“Farrah,” Zoe said.
“Doesn’t ring a bell, Zo.”
“A distant cousin. I’m sure I introduced you before,” Zoe said.
“Oh,” Kara said. She had no idea who Zoe was talking about. She'd been on autopilot through most of the gathering, barely registering names or faces.
Small-town spies were everywhere. Farrah was one of the hikers that she’d passed on the trail.
How she saw them together was another mystery that Kara didn't want to think about. There were no secrets in this town. She would have to remember that. That thought made her wonder about the truth about the past.
“So, let’s talk about that”.
“Don’t start.”
“Start? Babe, I’ve been waiting for this for years. That man has always looked at you like you hung the dang moon.”
Kara groaned, then took a long sip of coffee. It warmed her. “I’m engaged, Zo.”
“Mhm,” Zoe replied. “You just told me that your fiancé just bailed mid-funeral week for a business meeting, and Colin is out here being gorgeous, offering his services and free delicious food.”
“He’s just being nice. We’re old friends.”
“Kara, come on. He was never just nice.”
“It’s kind of confusing, okay? Seeing him again, it’s stirring up things.” Kara sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.
“Do you still love him?”
She didn’t answer right away. She stared into the cup like it might hold the answer. “I think I always will."
Zoe didn’t interrupt. She waited, letting the silence settle until Kara was ready to fill it again.
“When I was with Colin today, I felt like me.”
“So maybe…,” Zoe said slowly, “Maybe he’s your ‘what if’ knocking at the door again. And this time, you get to answer. Look, no one’s telling you to run off into the sunset. Just be honest with yourself. You don’t need to have all the answers right now."
“We’re just having dinner as old friends. What could go wrong?”
Kara hung up the phone and stared into the empty room.