It was my happy place, and just walking through the doors was enough to wash away everything from earlier that morning.
I lucked out on the location. The building was in the heart of Hope Valley, a few blocks from the town square, with all its shops and boutiques, and less than a block from the town’s most popular coffee shop, Muffin Top. It was prime real estate. Theproximity to Muffin Top alone was worth what I paid for it. In the early days, being so close to the coffee shop guaranteed foot traffic. People passed by and came in simply out of curiosity, coffee and pastries in hand. That had given One More Chapter the chance it needed to stand on its own.
I had picked out absolutely every aspect of my shop from the feminine, swirling script on the sign, the tranquil color on the walls, the plush reading chairs scattered throughout so customers could enjoy their books, to the window boxes I kept filled with brightly colored flowers spring through fall. Every inch of it was me, through and through.
Once the customer left, I moved to the door, flipping the sign over that read:Closed for Book Club.
I found my sister near the back, in the space I used for gatherings or events, setting up for the monthly book club she’d started with her friends about a year back. These were the women who had been a huge part of my upbringing. My sister’s circle was so much more than friends. They were family. They’d been there for me and my siblings for as long as I could remember, and this family that we had built—that Gypsy had created for us—was more special than the families a lot of people were born into, myself included.
There was Eden and Nona, Temperence, but we called her Tempie. She’d been the one to wipe my tears and cast my arm when I’d broken it at six years old. Then there was my best friend Lennix’s mother, Rory, along with Sage and Danika. Dani was the one to open Muffin Top years ago, and it was now being run by her step-daughter and another close friend of mine, Macie. Tessa was the director of Hope House, the group home Rory and her husband had started more than two decades ago. And finally, rounding out the menagerie of crazies were Hayden, Charlotte, Stella, and her sister Serenity.
All of the women were married, and a lot had kids of their own, making our chosen family that much bigger.
“So, are you going to tell me how it went, or do you want me to pretend it didn’t happen?”
I let out a sigh as I placed a sleeve of plastic cups beside the bottles of wine and charcutrie that Gypsy had already laid out. She was the only one I’d told about my visit to the cemetery before I made it. The only one I talked to about the strange obligation I felt. I wasn’t sure my other siblings would have understood. Everyone had their own reaction to Danny Bradbury’s death.
“It went. There’s really not much else to say.”
Gypsy’s hand came down on mine, staying my movement and drawing my attention to her face. Her expression was one of understanding and sympathy. “Did you at least find what you needed?”
I nodded, offering her a small, sincere smile. “I think so. There’s a sense of closure.” At least when it came to my father, that was. I didn’t tell her about the phone calls and texts, however. I wouldn’t tell any of them. It was my way of protecting them after so many years of them protecting me. Carrying the burden ofherwas the least I could do. It kept them clear of her.
“And that’s enough for you? If there’s anything I can do?—”
I twisted my hand so it was palm to palm with hers, closing my fingers and giving her a reassuring squeeze. “I’m good now. I promise,” I assured her, wanting to take that weight off her shoulders. No matter how old we got, she never stopped trying to take care of us. “You’ve done enough, Gypsy. More than.” I could tell there was more she wanted to say, to ask, but I managed to divert her attention. “Now let’s finish this up before the rest of the crew gets here.” A grin pulled at my lips. “You know how crazy they get if there aren’t enough snacks and booze.”
She rolled her eyes on a snort, knowing I was right. Those women could be downright feral when they were in the mood. And they tended to be in the mood a lot. It was just one of the many reasons I loved them all so damn much.
Chapter Three
Tanner
Hope Valley had seemed like the most logical place to take the time I needed to heal and to get my head together. I’d come for vacation a couple summers back and had fallen in love with the place almost instantly.
It wasn’t hard to see what was so great about this small town, especially compared to the city. The air seemed fresher here. Each breath pulled into my lungs was clean, free of pollution. The mountains provided beautiful views all around, free of the concrete and high-rises that were all I could see through the windows of my condo back in D.C.
The only thing that had taken a bit of getting used to was the quiet. The nights in Hope Valley were so... quiet. Tranquil. At least once I’d adjusted to it.
Sure, it would have been great to have countless restaurants on hand to deliver, but so far that was the only thing I was missing from my real life.
Instead of staying at Second Hope Lodge like I had last time, I decided to rent a place in the foothills since I wasn’t sure howlong I’d be staying. The cabin was like something I could have only imagined, with massive picture windows that provided views of the surrounding forest no matter what room you were in.
The living room had a stone fireplace and buttery leather furniture in rich caramel that felt like a dream when you sunk into it. With the dark furniture and the natural wood on the walls, it was the perfect space to curl up and read, which I’d done a lot the past couple weeks since getting here. In fact, I was quickly running through the stash of books I’d brought with me from home.
My injury was healing nicely, and I was staying on top of my PT, but it helped to get out every once in a while. I’d done a fair bit of hiking, some light jogging since being cleared, and the house I was renting had a gym in the basement I was taking full advantage of—only light weights for the time being, of course.
Today was my first day venturing into town since I arrived two weeks ago. It was more boredom than anything else that drove me out into the cold weather. As incredible as the rental cabin was, I could only hole up between those four walls for so long before I needed interaction with other people.
I climbed into my Range Rover and made the twenty-minute drive into the heart of Hope Valley. I didn’t have a destination in mind, so I parked in the center of town, near an open green space that held a gazebo and clock tower.
I climbed out and walked for a bit, taking everything in. Close to the town square there were shops and boutiques, a salon called Pure Elegance next to what looked like an accounting firm. As I walked farther I passed a historic-looking red brick building that housed a business called Alpha Omega. According to the sign, it was some kind of private investigation firm.
A couple blocks down was a bar and brewery I’d visited a time or two the last time I vacationed here called the Tap Roomthat had exceptional beer. There was the Evergreen diner and a coffee shop called Muffin Top. The need for caffeine called to me, and I headed in that direction.
My phone started ringing from inside the pocket of my coat as I crossed the street. I waited until I was safely on the sidewalk before pulling it out. The hope that it was Caleb, Luke, or Mateo disappeared when I saw the name on the screen.
My stomach dropped as Sandra’s picture flashed across the screen. I’d had a short-lived situationship with her that I’d ended before I’d gotten hurt. We met at the bar my team and I frequented after home games back in D.C. She caught my eye one night, and the two of us got to talking. She’d just ended an engagement and I was solely focused on my career, so we both agreed that neither wanted anything serious. We’d been on the same page... at least at first. It hadn’t taken long for things to change, though.
