Page 26 of False Promises

With Jack in a baby carrier mounted on my back, Dahlia and I were walking around my newest acquisition where I intended to spend as much time as I could. Living in Nashville had its perks, but if she had decided to raise her son here, then this was where I’d be too. Co-parenting with us living a three-hour drive apart and with me gone on tours and playing events like festivals and fundraisers all through the year wasn’t the easiest way to do this.

Moving to Green Mountain sounded like the most logical decision I would ever make. And I loved it here. The mountain air, the green landscape, the silence. They all helped to soothe my mind.

I pointed to the parcel of land in front of me. “The cabin will be here. Three-stories. All wood. With large windows that would let the sunlight in and make you believe you’re outdoors when you’re not.”

“I love it. It’s charming.” Charming was Dahlia’s way of saying beautiful. “I can see it in my mind. This will be amazing, Cart.” She spun on herself. “What about the rest of the property? It’s huge. Any plans for it?”

“Like I said, if you wanna move here, you get whatever size you want. For the rest, I was thinking of building smaller cabins. Rentals. Until the day I have guests coming over and they can stay in them. What do you think?”

Dahlia reflected on it for a second. “It makes sense.”

“My dad always used to say real estate is the best investment. I don’t know. It could be fun to start a business on the side. I could get more cabins in the area and have my own little real estate development. It’s still just a thought, though.”

“Let’s talk about it when you have a clear vision. Or if you wanna brainstorm ideas with me.” She became quiet, staring into the distance.

“Dah? What’s wrong?” I could tell something was weighing heavy on her mind.

“I’m not sure Jack and I moving here is a good thing.”

“But—”

She lifted a finger. “Hear me out.”

“Okay.” My shoulders sagged at the idea she wasn’t excited by my plan.

“I’m doing good on my own. Raising Jack has turned out to be a challenge, but I’m glad about what I’ve achieved so far. It’s not easy, and I would love to have you around more often. But I also think it’s best if we each have our own place. Close enough but not next door to each other. If we have friends over, or lovers, or whatever…it would be weird if we see each other’s decks. And I love my house. It’s not perfect, but it’s home. It’s where Jack was born. Where he and I had learned to be on our own. I love my independence. It means a lot to me. All my life, you’ve been taking care of me, making sure I am okay. Always putting my needs before yours. And then Jeff did too. This is the first time I get to do things my way.” She squeezed my forearm, observing my reaction. “For now, it’s what’s good for me. In a year or two, it may change, but right now, I don’t wanna move.”

I averted my eyes.

“Are we okay? Talk to me.”

I swallowed my uneasiness. “Yeah. It’s fine. I was just excited and thought you would share my enthusiasm with me.”

“Cart, I am. And you know that even if we live a few minutes’ drive from each other, I’ll be staying with you every time you’re in town, right?”

“You would?”

Dahlia nodded. “Yes. You can’t get rid of me that easily. Let’s say we were neighbors and then you would leave for months. I would be sad, watching your empty house every day. It will be easier my way.”

“You’ll have your own room. And Jack will have his too. Don’t say no, please.”

She shook her head, the contagious sound of her laughter warming my heart. “That’s more like it.” She moved to her tiptoes, and we hugged for the longest time.

“I have another surprise,” I said once we broke apart. I released Jack from the carrier, and Dahlia picked him up.

“What is it?”

“Picnic. I made all your favorites. Gimme a sec. I’ll get everything we need from my truck. I found a big rock where the view is exceptional. You’ll love it.”

Dahlia stopped my retreat with a hand over mine.

“What?” I looked into her eyes.

“Cart, promise me you’ll get the place fenced. Security code and all that stuff.” She pleaded with her eyes. “Do it for me if you won’t do it for yourself.”

“Dah, you can’t freak out forever because of the guy who harassed me once. It was a one-time thing. Taylor is practically in my pants twenty-four-seven for that reason.”

“Where is he now?”