Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Mia
T he biting cold air burns my lungs, but I relish the life it brings to my body. Anything is better than the numbness I’ve had to enlist today to push away my feelings. The crowd inside the house is overwhelming, and now is not the time to let myself break down.
Leaning on the railing of my parents’ deck, I look over their acre of land and Goose Hollow Lake. Lifting my face to the sky, I let the near-freezing air cool my heated face. Sure, it means I’ll need to apply a healthy dose of moisturizer tonight, but it’s worth it to escape the facade going on inside.
“I wish you were here, big brother. Not only would Sawyer be your favorite person, but man, do I need you right now,” I say to the gray winter clouds above missing my brother, Chris, more today than I have in a while.
My baby boy is two years old today. It should be a joyous occasion, but everything about this party feels like a farce.
My parents made sure of that.
I don’t even know who they are anymore. I get that they’re entering the next season of their lives, and they deserve to live it to the fullest, however, and wherever that may be. But Florida? And by the end of the month?
Looking out over the lake, childhood memories filled with laughter fill my head. “Chris, they’re selling our home. A few weeks from now, it will all be gone. Can you even imagine life without this place?”
They’ve turned Sawyer’s birthday party into a going away party, only nobody knows that’s what this really is. They sent separate invitations once they decided they were moving without even telling me. I didn’t find out until a customer at the restaurant said they couldn’t wait for the party. The party I hadn’t invited them to. Half the people here have never even met Sawyer.
One of those people being Rhen Mitchell. How that man wiggles his way into everyone's life, I’ll never know. He doesn’t deserve to share the same air as my son. Every time I see Angus or Callen talking to him, it makes me nauseous. Why are Daisy and I the only people who see the real him?
The whoosh of the back sliding glass door opening and closing means my momentary peace and quiet is coming to an end, but when Daisy and Angus place themselves on either side of me, mimicking the way I’m leaning on the railing, relief finds me.
Next to Sawyer, these are my two favorite people.
“Aren’t you cold, Goof?” Angus asks, calling me by my childhood nickname.
What can I say? I did a mean Goofy impression when I was five, and it stuck. But to be honest, only the McKinnon brothers, mostly Angus, still call me by that name. We’re all in our thirties. You would think he would have let it go by now, but no such luck. So, I’ve learned to accept it. There are worse things in life than a childhood nickname sticking for a lifetime.
“Nah, it feels good out here. There are too many people inside. I needed to cool off.”
“Okay, I’m glad it’s not just me,” Daisy says on a puff of white air. “I mean, who are all those people and why are they at Sawyer’s birthday party?”
“Today is a mess, isn’t it?”
Angus leans his shoulder against mine, giving me a nudge. “It’s not a mess, but something is clearly up. Everything okay with you?”
I look over my shoulder to make sure it’s just the three of us before turning my attention back to Angus to answer his question, but he’s so close I forget what he asked for a heartbeat. His light brown eyes are piercing me with genuine concern, and his pillowy lower lip is near enough to kiss. But this is Angus McKinnon, and to him, I will always be Goof.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
I pushed my unrequited love for him aside years ago, but every now and then, when he’s this close, well, my heart forgets I don’t feel those things for him anymore.
Hoping to find my bearings, I look straight ahead over the acre of snow-covered grass that leads to the rocky shoreline of the lake I’ve been fortunate enough to live on for most of my life. How the ducks and geese float along the surface in this weather still amazes me even after three decades of feeding them from our dock.
But this won’t be my view for long.
“My parents sold the property and they’re moving to Florida. They have to be out by the end of the month.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Daisy asks shocked, her mouth agape.
“Yep, they said they didn’t want to overshadow Sawyer’s birthday, so they aren’t telling anyone yet, but you’d think this was their going away party with all the people they invited.”
“When did they decide they were moving to Florida? This is news to me.” Daisy straightens, settling her hands on her hips. “Does our mom know?”
Their mom, Sharon, and my mom have been best friends since they were kids and raised us all as one big, happy family.
“I don’t think so. They met with a realtor just to get an idea of what the property was worth for when the time came, but a few weeks later their agent called and said she had a buyer who was offering well over what they would likely put the property up for. She said it was the offer of a lifetime. The only catch... they have to be out by the end of the year.” I look at the nonexistent watch on my wrist. “And since it’s nearly the middle of December, the end of the year is just two and a half weeks away. Still, they couldn’t pass it up.” My voice is shaking now, the cold finally settling in.
Angus shrugs off his dark gray Carhart jacket and drapes it over my shoulders without a word. The clean smell of soap and whatever it is that is uniquely Angus, along with the warmth of his body still inside the jacket, wraps around me like a warm blanket.
“Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry,” Daisy says, putting an arm around me.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do. I seriously doubt the new owners are going to let us stay in the barndominium. And my shifts at the restaurant sure won’t cover rent anywhere around town.”
This isn’t who I am. Being a thirty-three-year-old living in a barndominium on her parents' property is not what I dreamed of. I’ve taken care of myself and lived on my own since the day I left for college. Right out of school, I took a job as a medical assistant for several years. While working full time as an MA, I applied to nursing school, got in, and did well. After graduation, I was lucky enough to score a paid internship with a clinic in San Francisco. It was my dream job, and I felt like I had taken life by the balls. I’d been on top of the world.
A week later, a positive pregnancy test changed everything. I became a single mom who needed the support of my family. Instead of staying in California, I moved home. My parents have been wonderful but finding employment in my field in a small town isn’t easy, so I’ve been working shifts as a server at a local cafe to make ends meet.
“We’ll figure it out,” Daisy says as if my problem is her problem. I’m not sure what I would do without her. “You can crash at my place if you need to. It’s small, but we can make it work for a bit.”
“Well, there is an opportunity, but it’s too good to be true,” I say, the new shake to my voice because of the excitement I’m trying to tamp down.
“Do tell,” my best friend, says blowing in her hands before rubbing them together to warm up.
“A couple of doctors from San Francisco are opening a new clinic in Bend and they need medical assistants and nurses. They provide paid insurance and free day care on-site.”
“Mia, that sounds perfect!” Daisy says, excited.
“Right? But that’s not even all of it. They reached out to me . Apparently, one of my professors put them in touch with the doctor I did my internship with who gave me rave reviews. They asked me to apply for one of the nursing positions and I did.”
“Goof, this is great news! So, why do you sound so down?” Angus asks, still so close, his breath tickles my cheek. I don’t dare turn to look at him.
“Well, it’s too good to be true, isn’t it? A job in my field of study, health insurance, and day care. There’s just no way it will work out. Have you met me? Does this sound like something that would happen to me? Besides, the interview is a week from Monday. And of course, my car took a shit yesterday and needs a new driveshaft and who knows what else. The parts won’t be here until later next week. My parents will be in Portland for Dad’s doctor's appointment, and I can’t borrow either of their cars because they are monsters who only drive stick shifts. And as we all know I don’t. So, I’ll take that as a sign from the universe that this job’s not meant to be.”
Daisy pulls her phone out of her pocket, searching the calendar on her phone. “Shoot, I’ll be in Pendleton with meetings starting at 8am, otherwise you know I would take you or let you borrow my car.”
My high from their excitement at this opportunity crashes and burns. “Don’t worry—” I start, but Angus interrupts me.
“I’ll take you.”
“What?”
“I’ll take you. Just tell me what time to pick you up.”
“Seriously?” I ask, thinking I must have heard him incorrectly.
“Seriously,” he confirms.
I squeal and pull him into a hug, too excited to take the time to think about how good he feels pressed against my body.
“Thank you so much! I’ll figure out a sitter for Sawyer and then I guess I’ll be interviewing for my dream job!”
Angus’s big coat bounces around me, the snow crunching under my boots as I jump up and down in excitement.
“Don’t worry about a sitter. I’ll hang out with him while you do your thing.”
Wait. What?
“You’re going to babysit Sawyer?” Daisy asks, sounding skeptical her brother is up to the task, while I stare at him with my mouth hanging open.
“Nah, we’re gonna hang out. There’s a difference.”
“Are you sure?” I whisper on a cloud of winter air.
“Yep.”
My voice is still small when I accept his offer. “Thank you.”
He puts his arm around my shoulders. “I got you, Goof.”