Chapter 11
Chapter
Eleven
“Life has to go on,” Winnie said as she unlocked the door to the house.
She was showing Cat a home for sale. “I know Tyler wouldn’t want us sitting around and crying.
He’d tell us to get up and live. That’s what I’m going to do.
And this seller doesn’t care that we’re in shock and sad.
They just want to sell their house quickly.
They’re motivated, so we needed to see it immediately. ”
The last thing Cat wanted to do was tour a home, but Winnie had called this morning to let her know about a new listing, and she wouldn’t be deterred. She’d pushed and pushed until Cat finally relented, deciding it would be easier to see the home than to argue.
“Are they in a hurry?” Cat asked, stepping into the foyer.
“The husband has a job offer in Virginia. The wife and kids are staying behind to sell the house and pack, but she, of course, wants to join her husband as soon as possible. And I think this house is a perfect match for you. It has everything on your list and then some. When I saw the listing, my first thought was of you. I think you’re going to love it. ”
The foyer had a soaring, two-story ceiling along with a staircase to the left and a home office on the right with floor-to- ceiling oak bookshelves on one wall and bright windows looking out onto the street on the other.
The next area was the large living room and kitchen with sliding glass doors to the back deck and yard.
“It’s fenced in,” Winnie said, sliding open one set of doors. “You said you were thinking about getting a dog.”
Cat had traveled too much to have a pet when she’d lived in the city. Now back at home, she’d been toying with the idea of adopting a dog. She’d always wanted one as a kid, but her mother had always said no.
“I am thinking about it,” Cat said, letting her gaze roam the space. She didn’t blame Winnie for wanting her to see the home. It was by far the best one they’d toured so far. “Is Rachel okay? I haven’t heard from her.”
“Rachel is taking the loss hard,” Winnie replied with a loud sigh. “Josh is, too. We all are, but they were quite close with Tyler. Tate was as well. How is that going? Seeing him again?”
The last thing Cat wanted to do was talk about Tate. She was still smarting about the kiss last night. But what had she thought would happen? That Tate would sweep her off her feet and drag her to a tacky wedding chapel in Las Vegas so they could get married?
She wasn’t even sure how she felt about Tate. She only knew that since she’d seen him at the party, she couldn’t get him out of her head.
As she’d tossed and turned last night, she’d had to admit to herself that she’d compared Tate to every other man she’d dated. And none of them had come out on top. In the last ten years, she hadn’t even been close to being serious with anyone.
She’d always said that it was her job that kept her mostly single and dating casually. In reality, it was because she’d never forgotten the boy that she’d left behind. Except that he was a man now, and they’d both grown up.
“It’s fine,” she finally replied, pretending to inspect the windows to the backyard. “We’re both adults.”
Winnie’s gaze was speculative, sweeping Cat up and down before replying.
“Tate is one of the most eligible bachelors, not just in Winslow Heights, but probably the entire state. He’s sexy, funny, intelligent, and rich.
Not just trust fund rich, either. He’s a successful businessman on his own.
It wouldn’t be crazy if you still carried a torch for him.
Lord knows, the women around here throw themselves at him like he’s a movie star - not that he invites that sort of behavior. ”
“I’m not carrying a torch for anyone.”
Cat tried to keep her tone light and teasing, but she was already wondering about all of these women. How many had there been since she’d left?
That’s none of my business.
“I’m just saying it would make sense,” Winnie said. “It would make quite the story, too. The local gossip would eat it up. Rich local heartthrob reunites with supermodel first love. Your kids would certainly win the gene pool lottery.”
How many times had Cat pictured what their children would look like? Too many to count. “We’re friends.”
Cat didn’t know what else to say. What she and Tate were wasn’t any of Winnie’s business.
Luckily, the other woman didn’t take any offense at Cat’s terse response, simply launching into a monologue about how bright and airy the home was and how it was perfect for entertaining.
After they toured the upstairs, Winnie locked up the house and tapped out a message on her phone.
“I have to tell you that this house might go quickly. There’s a lot of interest in it, and it’s only been on the market for one day.
If you want it, you should put in an offer as soon as possible.
I’d hate to see someone else snatch this out from under you.
There’s nothing worse than falling in love with a house and then not getting it. ”
“I do like it. It’s the best we’ve seen.”
“It won’t get much better than this, and it’s priced to move.
Have your mom see it. Or Tate. They can give you their opinion.
But don’t take too much time. The clock is ticking.
Give me a call later. Sorry, I must fly.
I’m showing a condo in ten minutes. No rest for the weary.
Or is it wicked? I’m never sure which it is. Either way, call me.”
As Cat drove back to her mom’s house, she almost turned toward the downtown area. She could casually stop into Tate’s Tavern and have some lunch.
But she turned right instead.
She wasn’t sure what she wanted. How could she ask him to be?
Tate rolled up the storage warehouse door, revealing all the contents within - mostly stacks of moving boxes and a few pieces of furniture.
He deliberately did not allow himself to think about last night with Cat. It was all too confusing, and he needed to keep his concentration where it needed to be. Later, he would think about that kiss.
That amazing, wonderful kiss, and whether it should have even happened.
“I don’t know what I expected,” his oldest brother Zack said. “But this wasn’t it.”
“Were you expecting a single box labeled ‘ All secrets contained within’ ?” Cooper joked. “Mom would never be that obvious.”
“I think the better question is, why did she even have this storage unit?” Tate said. “There is plenty of storage in the house and on the grounds. She didn’t need to do this.”
“Or she definitely needed to do this,” Cooper replied. “Because it was something she didn’t want Dad to see or know about.”
“Far be it for me to defend our father, but we don’t know what he knows or doesn’t know,” Tate reminded them. “It’s a long shot, but he could be completely innocent.”
“You don’t really believe that,” Zack scoffed. “Our old man hasn’t been innocent since he got out of diapers. He’s been a scheming shit since kindergarten.”
In Joel Winslow’s senior yearbook, his class had voted him Most Likely to Take Over the World.
“Just trying to be fair,” Tate laughed. “I don’t want us to be so blinded that we’re not open to other theories.”
“Dad may be innocent of Mom’s disappearance, but he knows more than he’s letting on,” Cooper said. “I’d bet cash money on it.”
“There’s only one way to know if any of this is helpful. We have to go through it all with a fine-tooth comb,” Tate said. “Do we have the okay to remove the contents?”
“We do,” Cooper confirmed. “The owner of this place is a pretty nice guy, and he’s been reasonable about all of this. It helps that he knows that eventually the money would have run out, and he’d have to reach out anyway to get paid or vacate.”
“And Dad doesn’t know?” Tate pressed. “Because if he gets wind of this?—”
“We’re good,” Zack assured him. “If he does happen to find out, by then we will have gone through all of this stuff. If he wants what’s left, I won’t fight him.”
Tate ran a finger through the line of dust on an old rocking chair. He recognized it only when he moved a few boxes sitting on it.
It was like getting kicked in the heart.
“Mom used to rock all of us in the chair,” he choked out. He had distinct memories of sitting on his mother’s lap when he was sick. She’d rock and sing to him until he fell asleep. “How did this get here?”
Images of his childhood filled his head, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. Most days, he was fine. Life went on, after all. The world didn’t stop because he was hurting, and he didn’t expect it to.
But moments like this swiftly brought back all the grief and uncertainty as if it all happened only yesterday.
He could still hear his mother’s voice the last time he’d talked to her.
She’d told him she loved him. He was happy that he’d said it back.
He only wished he’d said more, but then he hadn’t known he’d never speak to her again.
You were the best mom. I love you so much. Thank you for everything. I miss you.
“I know,” Cooper said quietly, placing his hand on Tate’s shoulder. “I know.”
“How did any of this get here?” Zack asked, opening up a dusty box. “That’s the real question. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“It makes sense if Mom wanted to keep these things, but Dad didn’t,” Cooper argued. “You know how he is. He would have had one of his employees get rid of it behind Mom’s back. I’m sure she knew that, too.”
“Let’s load all of this into the truck,” Zack said. “We can store it all in my spare room. I’ve already cleared it with Lucy. She thinks it’s a good idea to keep it all away from Dad. Even Dad wouldn’t have someone break into my house to get the items.”
“Assuming that any of this has any meaning to him,” Tate replied. “He may not care.”