The spectacular and breathtaking view of the lake from that wide porch had called my name when I had scrolled through the pictures on the real estate listing. Beyond the lake were more trees and the mountain continued rising as a backdrop.
That picture perfect view had been what sold me on the property and blinded me enough to ignore the rest of the issues.
I imagined myself in a rocking chair, enjoying my morning coffee. Or setting up a little place on the porch to write.
The tension I’d been holding suddenly disappeared and my shoulders dropped a couple of inches. My spine softened and my thoughts immediately became clearer.
This. This was what I needed.
At least once the major work was done.
Like the rest of the cabin, the porch needed a fresh coat of stain and a protective coating, something I could handle on my own.
I glanced over to my right to find a three-sided open shelter half-full of firewood along with a stump clearly used for splitting that wood. After descending the three steps, I made my way around to the front of the cabin—no, the back—to where I was parked.
On my route back to the Bronco, I paused at the large propane tank along the exterior cabin wall on the same side as the kitchen to check the gauge. Thankfully, it was completely full as promised.
I kept going until I stood next to the Bronco and gave the outside of the cabin another once over.
My home.
It would do. It had to.
I undoubtedly needed a change and this would definitely be a major one.
If moving here didn’t help, then I’d need to face the fact I was helpless.
But for now, I needed to head back to town, find a place to stay for the night and buy a bunch of cleaning supplies so I could tackle the filth.
Before I could do that, I needed to empty my packed Bronco and only take an overnight bag and my laptop along. When I come back tomorrow, I’d begin cleaning as best as I could, then attempt to tow the U-Haul up the lane from where I left it at the bottom without it breaking an axle.
Also while in town, I’d ask around at both the diner and motel to find someone to replace the windows. In the meantime, I’d buy some plastic sheeting to cover the broken one to keep the bats and critters out.
I also needed to rent a post office box.
Damn. The list was endless.
By the time I had the cabin in a somewhat livable condition, the words better be ready to flow.
If not, I needed to find a new career.
CHAPTER 1
Chase
I paused the fork halfway to my mouth. So far, I had only made a small dent in the diner’s belly-busting breakfast special. It was criminal how much food the server had delivered for five bucks.
Five freaking bucks. On Long Island, it would have cost me at least fifteen.
For only two more dollars, the coffee came with unlimited refills. If I could mainline that welcomed caffeine right now, I would.
My whole body ached and I was exhausted, not only from sleeping like shit in the motel but from tackling the seemingly endless job of cleaning the cabin from top to bottom. I didn’t want the furniture I purchased down at a mom-and-pop store in Picture Rocks to be delivered until the place was completely spotless and all my unwanted roommates had been effectively evicted.
While I liked bats and knew they were beneficial, I just didn’t want to share the same space with them. If they returned to sleep in the rafters today, then I needed to find how they were getting in since I had secured the broken window with plastic-sheeting.
But all of that wasn’t what made me pause my eating, it was the man across the diner who wouldn’t stop staring.
Like me, he also sat alone, but unlike me, he seemed to know everyone in the diner. A local just like the rest of the patrons and employees there.
The first morning, all eyes had turned in my direction as soon as I walked through The Eagle’s Nest’s door, but now the waitresses were used to seeing me since today was my third day eating in the diner, for both breakfast and a late dinner.
The food was good, the prices fantastic and attentive, friendly service even better.
Even one of the thirty-something-year-old waitresses had tried flirting with me. She had no idea she was barking up the wrong tree. Even if I was on the dating market, she was playing on the wrong team. While I had the utmost respect for women, I simply didn’t want to sleep with them.
However, the man who kept staring at me was most likely not on my team, either.
Was he staring because I was simply a stranger in a close-knit community where everyone apparently knew everyone?