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“Bet your dad is happy for you,” Tansy said.
Tansy and I weren’t super close, mostly just knew each other through Piper’s shop, but it was common knowledge that my dad had wanted me to go back to school for ages. I knew he was only trying to help, and he wasn’t too bad about the pressure. I just hadn’t been ready until finding myself suddenly single. Waiting tables wasn’t right for my lifelong plan, and I guess I’d been completely invested in the belief that Mitchell and I would marry someday and have a family.
“Where are you heading on this gloomy day?” Tansy asked.
“Work, which reminds me I should probably get going.” I planted a noisy kiss on Aster’s chubby cheek, eliciting a giggle. “But I’m so happy I got to see you.”
“Me too,” Aster said as I set her on the sidewalk.
After telling Reggie and Tansy goodbye, I headed off to work, tripping a bit up the curb but keeping a genuine smile on my face. It might be crummy, chilly weather, I might not adore my job, but my future was looking up. Finally.
CHAPTER3
KNOX
Iwas all screwed up on Wednesday.
I hadn’t slept for shit last night after my spontaneous “big reveal.” I’d thought once I spilled the beans, my stress might ease some. At least I wouldn’t be keeping a secret from people I had become friends with.
The scene had been less than reassuring though, and I’d been fixated on it for hours on end. Had there been a better way to tell them? Should I have told Simon first, in private, then fessed up to my half-siblings separately?
I’d decided I’d done what I had to do, when I had to do it, for the sake of my conscience and my mental health, but in the end, that hadn’t calmed my mind at all.
When I’d come to Dragonfly Lake for a two-week stay back in June, my goal had been to meet the Henrys and explain our connection. I’d never thought it would be easy. In fact, multiple times, I’d argued with myself that I should let it go. Forget about meeting my family. Forget about trying to connect with my only living relatives.
Turned out I hadn’t been able to. Once I’d been aware of their existence, I was compelled to meet them. The world could seem like a lonely place when you didn’t have any family to speak of.
So I’d come here for that short vacation, run into my half-brothers at Henry’s as I’d hoped, fallen in love with the town and the lake, and decided to make this my home.
Now, months later, I’d just relocated from Texas and bought and moved into a lakefront property—for better or worse.
After my restless night, I’d attempted to work on the chapter I owed Ava for our work in progress, but between being sleep-deprived and preoccupied with real life, I hadn’t made much headway.
Then Simon had called.
He’d apologized for how he’d handled last night—apologized, for God’s sake—and invited me to dinner at his and Faye’s home in Nashville next week. I’d snapped up that invitation immediately, and we had a date for a week from Sunday.
Hearing from my father, being reassured that he hadn’t done a one eighty and decided I could fuck right off, had settled me down some. I’d finally gotten some words down on the story, but I’d lost track of time in the process.
Now I was late for my two-o’clock plotting meeting with Ava.
I was uneasy about meeting at Henry’s because chances were decent I’d run into Seth or Cash, but I refused to hide. And maybe one or both had calmed down overnight, Seth from his suspicions and Cash from his anger.
I rushed out to my car, deciding to drive even though my house was only a block and a half away. Then I’d be less late.
My garage was full of moving boxes, so my SUV was parked in the driveway. I clicked the fob to unlock it, started to get in, then realized I’d forgotten my writing bag with my notebooks and laptop. Swearing to myself, I left the driver’s door open and jogged back inside to get it. I grabbed the bag, then noticed my computer was still plugged in and sitting, open but asleep, on the kitchen island where I’d been reading over my work.
“Son of a bitch,” I muttered, shaking my head and wondering if Ava and I would get anywhere with my head so far up my ass I could see my throat. I might be better off staying home and taking a nap. Too bad I’d never been a napper.
I unplugged the cord, then took the time to wind it neatly and stuffed it and the laptop in my bag. With a glance at the clock on the stove, I noted I was now fifteen minutes late. I pulled out my phone and clicked on Ava’s name to text her.
On my way. Sorry I’m late.
Without waiting for a response, I stuffed my phone in my pocket, picked up my bag, hurried to the door, and went outside.
A car took off from in front of my house as I exited. I only half noticed it and only noticed it that much because it was a no-parking zone, so there weren’t normally cars parked along Lake Road. As I walked to my gaping driver’s-side door, I wondered if Cash, who was the executive chef at Henry’s, was working today—
I stopped short because there was something sitting on the driver’s seat. Something of considerable size wedged in between the steering wheel and the seat back.
