“A lot has changed,” I commented. In the will, Mom had been given the B&B and the land around it. Raquel and I had received separate parcels of land that weren’t connected to the B&B.
Behind me, Mom let out a deep, disappointed sigh. She probably wanted me to tell her how wonderful all the renovations were. The lie died on my tongue. I couldn’t. It felt like the memory of Dad was purposefully being erased. I pressed again, trying to get answers. “What happened to the B&B sign?”
“I stopped doing that. Your sister wanted me to relax and not work so hard. Chazz agreed. With his stature in town, they thought it would be best if I stopped.”
Not her, too, with the Chazz stuff. I kept my thoughts to myself, though it was getting harder to stay quiet about Chazz.
“But you loved it. It was something you and Dad enjoyed.”
She shrugged. “Raquel understands the sacrifices I’ve made. I deserve to have a chance to take it easy.”
Move on. Nothing will come of saying anything else.
I touched one of the new chairs in the entryway. It was covered in fancy silk. It seemed out of place—or maybe I was the one out of place now. I felt like a stranger in my childhood home. The thought turned my stomach a little queasy. With her face set, Mom watched me. To keep the peace, I said, “I’m happy for you, Mom. Where did all the furniture Dad built go?”
“It was sold at auction. How about some pie? Tell me about Hollis.”
The words stung, and my heart seized in my chest. She auctioned off his stuff and didn’t ask me if I wanted it? Dad’s furniture is gone? The thought alone was a heavy weight on my chest. All those hours spent building the furniture together—all the precious memories. It was a pastime he’d learned from Drake’s dad, Ike.
Mom turned her back to me and began to cut the pie. Suddenly, the acid churned in my stomach. The earlier inviting aroma now had the opposite effect. The walls began to close in on me, and there was no way I could stay there. I’d rather sleep in my truck.
“Alexa? Tell me about Hollis.”
I blinked a few times, trying to not cry. Mom hated tears. “He arrived today. But, Mom, we’re just friends.”
After I broke up with Drake and met Hollis… Mom had been convinced he was the one for me. The room grew a little smaller, and I had to fight to stay calm as I searched for something concrete to remind me of home.
“I can’t wait to meet him. He sounds like such a nice man. Maybe he’ll be able to convince you to move back to New York.”
I felt like I was talking to myself. Always had been that way. It was why Mom and I had a “harder” relationship. Man, I missed Dad. He would’ve wanted to know everything about my plans. Dad would have insisted on helping me get the Doogle place ready. I kept glancing around the room. All the family photos… gone. Anything familiar… gone. Bile rose in my stomach. I needed to leave.
Before she cut another piece, I took a step toward the door. “I just remembered I need to do something. Rain check?”
“Sure. I had planned to meet Raquel for dinner, anyway.”
Mom looked almost relieved she no longer had to entertain me. Of course. Nothing had changed since I left.
There were only so many times my heart could break.
Chapter Four
Drake
Lex was single.
Had been single.
I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel as I drove out to my favorite thinking spot. It was still early evening, but I wasn’t ready to see her yet. I needed to get my head on straight and calm down before I jumped the gun with Lex. This new information changed everything. I just needed a few minutes. Then I’d text her.
She’d seemed ready to talk. I hoped we could get to the bottom of what happened.
Moochie had been understanding when I texted him to let him know Lex was back in town. He’d said I had a seat and could come later if I wanted to. If things went south, I’d probably take him up on it.
I thought back to everything that had been said over the last two years. Irene had insinuated that Lex had a big-city boyfriend. But, as I thought back, she never actually confirmed it. Her mother always alluded. Why? I’d made an assumption when I saw her running into his arms. I slammed
my fist against the steering wheel. Why the fuck didn’t I talk to her that day? Why?
I parked my truck and caught sight of her small frame on the end of the dock my parents owned. It was a small parcel of land not too far from their house. What are the chances? I shook my head and threaded my hands behind my head. This had been our place when we were together—to talk, to sit, to just be alone. Her head lifted from her knees and she glanced my way, a sad smile on her face.