“Of course, honey.” He returns my embrace and presses a kiss to my forehead before pulling back. “Make sure you let the producers know you have a place and you’ll be ready.”
I’ll be ready.
In the last half hour, I’ve shifted from buzzing with excitement to feeling like the rug was pulled out from under me, then to anticipation for the future and what’s to come.
It’s a fixer-upper for the show, but it’s so much more than that.
It’s my house—a potential future home for me if I want it.
I have no idea what kind of work it needs, but my mind is already racing with possibilities. Even if the house is rough, it’s mine to shape and dream into something tangible.
My dad rests a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “I’ll call Nan and figure out the logistics.”
I tilt my head to the side, narrowing my eyes. “Who the hell is Nan?”
CHAPTER 2
I JUST ABOUT STARTED STREAKING DOWN MAIN STREET WITH EXCITEMENT.
Scottie
Apparently, “one hour” is road trip math for “forever.”
It’s funny how it can feel like forever when I’m the one behind the wheel on a trip that could change my life. The road feels endless and like a dark tunnel of trees, even though I know the sun is shining on the other side. About twenty minutes ago, I was convinced that the road was just some cruel loop designed to trap me.
As soon as I’m ready to pull over and call my dad to ask if I’m even headed in the right direction, the road opens up and the trees part almost like a curtain. I pull myself closer to the steering wheel, taking it all in. Bright blue paints the sky while mountains sit in the distance. I almost laugh, because after a ride that felt like eternity, this feels worth the wait.
A lake off to the left comes into view, and it’s so perfect that it doesn’t look real.
That’s when I see the sign I’ve been waiting for.
Welcome to Bluestone Lakes.
I inhale and exhale, tightening my grip as I steer the car straight down the single-lane highway. “This is it,” I whisper. “This is where I decide what I’m doing going forward.”
A smile forms involuntarily.
My dad showed me as many pictures as he could find of my grandmother’s house to prepare me before I left. They were outdated, but I could still see the bones of something beautiful. I emailed the producers immediately after and told them the location of the property and included some pictures that he showed me. They approved everything within hours.
My dad pulled out all the old photos he could find, telling me stories about my grandmother and a few of the memories I had forgotten along the way. I asked him why we stopped going there. He didn’t say much, but that there was a falling out years ago. Mostly between my mom and my grandmother. Something that never fully healed before Millie passed away. He didn’t offer more than that, and I didn’t push. But the way his voice softened when he changed conversation told me everything I needed to know.
He quickly went into telling me all the ways Mimi Millie wanted the house to shine again. How it felt dull when my grandpa died. The light went out inside the home and never came back on.
And I knew right then and there that I want to make it shine again.
For her.
And for me?
I can’t say for sure because I don’t know what the future holds for me. I can’t seem to remember a single thing about this town or if I can see myself staying here when the project is over. I’d love a place to call my own—a place where I can just…be.
Another sign that readsWelcome to the Heart of Bluestone Lakescomes into view, and I scan the area for a large tree and a bench my dad told me to look for. When I find it, I see the mystery woman named Nan sitting with one leg crossed over the other. She honestly looks the same as I had imagined from how my dad explained her to me: short white hair, tiny frame, and retro-style glasses. Just looking at her through the frontwindow of my car, I already know she’s a total vibe wearing a pair of hot pink, straight-leg jeans with a loose white T-shirt tucked in.
Pulling my car off to the side, I exit and round the hood of my car and make my way to where she sits. “Hey. Do you happen to be Nan?”
She smiles. “Normally, this is where I give some smart-ass response to someone lookin’ for me, but not today.” She smiles widely, looking me up and down. “You’ve grown up so much.”
Tipping my head to the side, I study her, trying to see if I can remember her.
