Chapter One #2
That was a small exaggeration. As a social worker, she would start off working Monday through Friday, shadowing different coworkers in the county social services department to learn the routine. After that, she would likely end up also working on weekends and evenings as needed.
Realizing that line of discussion was going nowhere, her mother shifted gears. “Your father says there’s no reason for you to pay rent when you can live here for free. Think about how much money you’d save.”
“My finances are my business, Mom, and I’ll be making a good living. There’s no need for you and Dad to worry about me on that count.”
Her mother finally smiled a little. “But it’s our job to worry. That’s what parents do. At least think about staying with us for a while. You can always find another place to live later on.”
It was hard not to roll her eyes. “Like I said, Mom, I’ve already signed the lease.”
Her mother’s shoulders slumped, signaling she’d given up the fight, at least for now.
Cassie had no doubt that it was only a matter of time before her parents came up with another list of reasons why she needed to move back into her childhood home.
That was so not happening, and it was a relief her mom let the matter drop for the time being.
Right now, all Cassie wanted to do was take a nap.
The week and a half of traveling across the country to get back to Dunbar had taken its toll.
It had been a long drive, but it had felt so good to finally cross Stevens Pass to reach the small town on the western slopes of the Cascades where she’d grown up.
She’d missed the mountains, her friends from high school, and yes, even her family, while earning her degree in social work at a university in Missouri.
Her parents didn’t know it, but a few months back she’d been seriously considering accepting a job offer in the St. Louis area.
That idea had gone by the wayside the day her mother called to say that Cassie’s father had required emergency surgery to fix a serious problem with his heart.
Thankfully, he was doing fine now, but Cassie had realized that she wanted to live closer to her parents in case they needed help.
That didn’t mean she wanted to live under the same roof.
There was one more person she’d missed while she was away, but she’d done her best not to think about Logan Calland and how they used to be a whole lot more than just friends. Well, until all of a sudden they weren’t. They’d both left town shortly after their breakup.
But now they were both back, making it pretty much inevitable they would eventually cross paths. She just hoped that it didn’t happen for a while—she needed some time to adjust after packing up her life and moving back home. At least, that’s what she told herself.
“Mom, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll stretch out for a bit and rest. I was on the road a little after four this morning, and all those long hours behind the wheel have caught up with me.”
Her mother smiled and patted her on the shoulder. “You do that. Dad should be home around five. I’ll wake you then. He’ll want to see you right away.”
“Sounds good, Mom.”
It would be nice to see him, but for now, she needed some sleep.
* * *
The next morning, Cassie carefully backed her SUV and the trailer down the narrow driveway that led to her new home.
She’d grown up in the area and must have driven past the A-frame cabin a zillion times over the years.
When it had popped up on the list of available rentals around Dunbar, she’d carefully studied the pictures of both the interior and exterior and knew the place was perfect.
It was the right size for one person and even came furnished.
She’d immediately reached out to the listing agent.
In less than twenty-four hours, she’d signed the lease and put down the required deposit.
This was the first time she would see her new home in person.
It sat tucked back in a small clearing surrounded by tall cedars and Douglas firs.
Anyone driving by could only catch a glimpse of the cabin from the road, so the place offered a great deal of privacy.
Her new landlord and his wife only lived a short distance farther down the same private road, so she had neighbors close by.
Cassie had pointed out that fact to her parents, hoping to assuage their concerns about her living out in the woods.
It hadn’t made much of an impression on them since they didn’t actually know Ryder and his wife, Juni, who were both relative newcomers to Dunbar.
She parked the SUV and got out just as Ryder appeared at the edge of the woods carrying a large basket with huge red bow tied on the handle.
They’d exchanged e-mails to decide when to meet, and he was right on time.
Cassie had met him and Juni briefly a while back when she’d tended bar at Shay Barnaby’s tavern when he had hosted a Christmas party for his friends.
She’d been in town for the holidays and had reached out to Shay to see if he needed any extra help.
He’d hired her to cover shifts for his servers and bartenders who wanted extra time off.
“Cassie, nice to see you again.” Ryder held out the basket. “This is a welcome-to-the-neighborhood gift from me and Juni. I hope you enjoy it.”
The basket was heavier than it looked. From what she could see, it contained a wide variety of thoughtful gifts—coffee, hot chocolate, tea and a host of other things. “Thank you so much for this. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. I do this for all of my tenants. You’ll see there’s a gift certificate for a free pizza delivery in there. Just in case you don’t feel like cooking on moving day.”
“I’ll definitely put that to good use,” she said.
He glanced at her SUV and the trailer. “How was your trip across country?”
“Tiring but blessedly uneventful.”
“Glad to hear it.” He dangled a key ring in the air.
“Here are your keys. Juni said to tell you that she’ll stop by a bit later.
She’s a graphic artist and had an appointment with a writer she works with.
She should be back around lunchtime. I can’t remember if I told you that she lived in this same cabin when she first moved to town.
She can answer any questions you might have about living here.
I had my handyman go through it last week to make sure everything is in good working order.
His number is on a magnet on the side of the fridge if anything unexpected comes up. Or you can always call me.”
He led the way to the front porch and unlocked the door. “By the way, the new mattress and box spring were delivered yesterday, and we got them set up for you. We would’ve made the bed, too, but I think you said you had your own linens.”
“That’s perfect.”
Ryder stepped aside to let her go in first. She paused a few steps into the living room to look around.
Cozy was the first word that came to mind.
The furniture looked sturdy and comfortable.
The huge windows along the front of the cabin let in lots of light.
She also liked how the ceiling vaulted up to the peak of the cabin, giving the main living space a roomy, open look.
She turned to smile at Ryder. “I’m going to love living here.”
That clearly pleased her new landlord. “Well, then let’s get you moved in. If you’ll unlock the trailer and the SUV, I’ll start carrying in the boxes for you.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
Although that would certainly give her a head start on settling in. She’d asked her parents to wait until midafternoon to come over, hoping the delay would give her a little time to figure out where she wanted to put stuff before they arrived.
“I don’t mind helping out,” Ryder insisted. “I’m not due to cover a shift at the fire station until four o’clock, so I’m free until then. Might as well make myself useful.”
Cassie set her backpack and purse down on the desk in the corner. “Okay, that would be amazing. It shouldn’t take long.”
* * *
An hour later, Ryder carried a box of books inside and set it with the others. “Good news, Cassie—this was the last one. Also, Juni just texted. She just got home and is on her way over with an early lunch for the three of us.”
“You two are going to spoil me.”
After they finished the sandwiches and salads Juni had brought, the couple set off down the path through the woods back toward their place.
They’d just disappeared from sight when her phone pinged with a message from her mother.
Cassie read it and fought the urge to groan.
Her folks were already on their way with lunch for her.
She should have known they wouldn’t be able to resist showing up earlier than expected.
Oh, well. With luck, whatever her mother brought could be reheated for dinner.
At least that way she could put off driving to the grocery store up the interstate until tomorrow.
For now, Cassie finished making her bed and unpacking her clothes.
By the end of the day, she should be well settled into her new home.
She had another week before she was due to begin her new job.
Until then, she would use some of her free time to reach out to a few of her old friends and start her new life.
Copyright ? 2026 by Patricia L. Pritchard