Chapter 1 #2
She offers me an incredulous look. “And then you’d be what? ‘Drink Guy’? All we would have is IPAs and Bourbon.”
I shrug. “Sounds good to me.”
Speaking of bourbon, once inside, I head straight for the bar and pour myself two fingers of the amber liquid, neat, into a crystal tumbler that catches the light just right. With the glass in hand, I enter the kitchen.
As soon as I step inside, Eden darts over and envelops me in a tight hug. Her golden hair reminds me of fresh wildflowers, and there’s an undeniable warmth to her presence. I swear my little sister has golden retriever and sunshine in her DNA. It’s irritatingly endearing.
Eden pulls back from the hug and rubs her cheek where it brushed against my stubble. “You need to shave your scruff!”
Sav, lounging by the counter with a knowing grin, chimes in. “I like it. He’s got a bit of that season-nine-of-Supernatural-Jensen-Ackles vibe going on.”
“He’s so handsome,” Mom adds.
Chase sidles up to me with a playful grin and flutters his eyelashes exaggeratedly. “So handsome.”
I smack him on the back of the head, just as Dalton strides in from the backyard with a platter of ribs balanced expertly in his hands.
“Speaking of your ruggedly handsome good looks,” Chase adds, “Stacy asked about you again today.”
I ignore him, just like I do every time he mentions how his administrative assistant asks about me. Stacy was a stage-five clinger in high school and remains one to this day. She’s actually become more unhinged over the years. I wouldn’t date her if I were being held at gunpoint.
Changing the subject, I turn to Dalton and extend a hand. “Hey, D. How are things?”
Dalton is wearing his typical uniform of worn cowboy boots and dirt-streaked jeans. Nothing embodies the ruggedness of Wildhaven more than a hard-working cowboy, and in our family, that cowboy is Dalton.
“I’m doing well.”
“The food smells amazing. Need a hand with anything?”
Dalton moves with purpose, slicing into a loaf of garlic bread with well-practiced precision. “No, I’m good.”
The room hums with a laid-back energy until my father strides in, his voice echoing as he talks on his cellphone. The sight of him in a crisp, tailored suit makes a rope of tension crawl up my spine.
Even as a prominent businessman and local city council member, his suit is out of place in Wildhaven. Here, that attire is reserved for funerals, not everyday affairs, unless you’re Nathaniel Wild.
“Get it done,” he snaps, his voice sharp and impatient, before sliding the phone into his pocket.
“Luke, how are you?” His arms remain by his sides, making no move to hug me or even extend a hand for a shake. His affection is a rare commodity, reserved strictly for the women in the family, and even then, it is not often shared.
“I’m fine, Dad. You?”
“I’m working on acquiring a hotel in Cedar Hollow.” He delivers the news with an air of businesslike detachment, as if discussing the weather.
My eyebrows shoot up. “Business outside Wildhaven? Why?”
He scoffs. “Because there’s money to be made. You’d understand that if you had any interest in the family businesses.”
It took him all of two minutes to dive into criticizing my career choices, as if he’d been rehearsing the speech. My father is vocal about his desire for me to join him in steering the family enterprise, but my passion has never aligned with that path.
Chase intervenes, flashing a confident grin. “Well, you’ve got me, Dad. I’m all about the business.”
My father raises an eyebrow, skepticism etched into his features. “You’re all about hunting anything in a skirt, Chase, which is precisely why no one takes you seriously.”
“Alright, that’s enough,” Mom says, clapping her hands together with a determined smile. “No more business talk. Let’s have a nice family meal.”
The meal proceeds peacefully, with side conversations and laughter throughout dinner. It holds until dessert arrives when Eden brings out a tray with a sugary, doughy-looking concoction, and my father’s eyes narrow, focusing on me.
“So, Gretchen Tanner died today,” he says, his voice cutting through the room like a knife. It’s not a question. The gossip mill must be working overtime.
Sav gasps, her hand flying to her chest.
I stare at the waffle pattern of the tablecloth. ‘’It’s very sad.’’
Eden places her small hand on mine. “You dated Isla for years. This must be tough on you.’’
“Gretchen hasn’t been a part of my life in a decade.”
‘’Still,” she persists. ‘’You must have feelings about her mother dying.’’
“I feel that I don’t want to talk about it.”
My father leans back in his chair, his arms crossed. “Well, it’s no big loss. I mean, that woman was a mess her entire life.”
My mother’s eyes widen as she lets out a sharp shriek. “Nathaniel! That is not a kind thing to say.”
He hesitates, his expression softening, but he makes it a point not to apologize. He never does. “I mean that she always struggled with something. Too much alcohol. Gambling. I’d imagine drugs as well.”
“She was actually turning her life around, Daddy,” Eden shares. “She would come into the bakery every so often, and she seemed like she was doing much better.”
I push back my chair with a slight scrape against the floor and stand, gathering my plate. “It’s none of our business. Please drop it.’’
A hush falls over the room. My father’s callousness, having ruined yet another family gathering, prompts us to part ways after pitching in to clean the kitchen.
I drive down the dusty road to the lake, my sanctuary when my mind needs clarity. Habit. Or punishment. Same thing, most days.
The familiar scent of pine and fresh water fills the cab, and the tension eases from my shoulders.
I trace the condensation on the window, willing myself to take a step. A step into the past—into something I keep locked down for my own survival.
Forcing myself out of the truck, I amble toward the water’s edge, gathering a handful of smooth, flat stones along the way.
The moonlight dances across the lake’s surface, creating a shimmering path as the breeze teases small waves. I sidearm a rock, and it leaps across the water, each skip a brief flight before it eventually disappears.
Tonight, the quiet feels heavier than the badge. It presses against my ribs until I swear I can hear the echo of her laugh in the silence she left behind.
How will Isla react to this news? I don’t know her current address or whether she has even remained in contact with her mom. I never asked, rarely allowing her name to leave my lips after she disappeared.
The pines lean close, their needles whispering secrets I used to believe belonged to us. Wild Haven hasn’t changed. Maybe that’s what hurts the most—that it kept breathing when we stopped.
Even after spending an hour at the lake, my brain refuses to power down. I lie in bed as images from the day play on loop. By the time the clock ticks to 5:30 AM, I concede defeat and stalk to the kitchen where my morning coffee awaits. Thank God for coffee machines with timers.
I sip the steaming liquid energy and absently scroll through my phone until it buzzes in my hand, the screen lighting up with a familiar number. It’s Alan Gordon, a local attorney who has occasionally worked with my father.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Luke. I’m sorry to call so early.”
“No problem, Alan. What can I do for you?”
There’s a momentary pause, as a brief silence echoes through the line. “I want to give you a heads up. I’m handling Gretchen Tanner’s will.”
My head rears back slightly. “I’m surprised Gretchen thought of retaining your services. I guess that’s a good thing, though.”
There’s another brief pause on the line and the sound of papers shuffling before he speaks again. “I want to let you know that I’ve informed the next of kin, so your department doesn’t have to handle it.”
I squeeze the back of my neck as the tension contracts my muscles into tight knots. “Thanks for doing that, Alan.”
“Of course, and, uh, Luke?”
“Huh?”
“I just spoke with her. She’s coming home.”
He didn’t even have to say her name. I already knew: Isla Rae. The woman I wish had never left, and the woman I’d wished would never come back.