3
He was waiting to hear back from contractors about the plumbing and wiring, but that didn’t mean Logan had to sit back and do nothing in the meantime. Now that he’d done the initial work of going through the house and determining what needed to be fixed, it was time to roll up his sleeves and actually do the things he could.
Logan borrowed Aunt Betty’s car, and within minutes, he was strolling the aisles of the local hardware shop, looking for projects he could do that Erin hadn’t already taken care of. He filled his cart with house numbers, a new doorbell, and was comparing the prices of water heaters when he heard a male voice calling his name.
It had been a decade since he’d heard that voice, but he’d recognized it immediately. With it came a flood of memories from high school. Vandalizing therival high school, shoplifting from the corner store, reckless driving. Logan held back a groan as he turned toward the person flagging him down. The guy standing in front of him had been the guy who had pushed teenage Logan to do things Aunt Betty and Erin disapproved of—and he looked different.
“I thought that was you,” Ellis said, a warm smile on his face. He pointed to his chest. “It’s Ellis, Ellis Wilson.”
Stunned, Logan just nodded.
The man standing before him was clean cut, his blond hair trimmed close to his head. He wore a polo and khakis, and a gold band adorned his ring finger. Ellis noticed the way Logan stared at his left hand and chuckled. “I know, right? Who would have thought this is where I’d be?”
Not Logan, that was for sure.
“What can I say,” Ellis continued. “I found Jesus, got married, started a family, and now I spend my free time working on the honey-do list.” He held up a slip of paper with delicate scribbling on it. “The wife wants planters beneath her windows.”
“That’s ... ” Logan was dumbstruck by the turn Ellis’s life had taken. “That’s great.”
“It is.” Ellis leaned in. “I know guys all joke about getting shackled by their wives, but there’s nobody I’d rather spend my life with than Anne Marie. She’s one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
Logan looked at the smile on Ellis’s face, and it wasclear that he really believed that. He wanted to be happy for him, but he felt the sting of jealousy instead. The hollowness in his chest ached, a dull pain that had haunted him ever since he left Frostford. It wasn’t just the pain of leaving Erin and his best friend behind. He’d also been running from God for the past decade. Every time he heard someone mention going to church or reading the Bible, he tried to turn the conversation away as quickly as possible, afraid that God would somehow find him if his thoughts lingered for too long. He’d convinced himself that he could hide if he kept enough distance between himself and anything relating to the Lord.
“Anyway, I heard you were back in town,” Ellis said, shaking his head. “But I didn’t believe it.”
Even though Ellis had obviously matured while Logan was away, it looked like gossip and news still spread through small towns faster than the speed of light.
Logan shrugged, still struggling to reconcile the Ellis standing in front of him with the one from his memory. “Aunt Betty asked me to help her fix up the old house.”
Ellis looked down at the contents of Logan’s cart. “It’s not that bad, is it? I’ve always thought Aunt Betty did a good job of keeping it looking nice. Plus, I’ve heard Erin is doing her part to clean it up.”
Even though it was obvious that Ellis didn’t meanany harm by that comment, the fact that he knew more about Erin than Logan did rankled.
Ellis leaned back on his heels. “So, what’s the plan? Fix it up and then head back to Chicago?”
“Uh, not exactly. Aunt Betty is ready to sell and I’ve got a job lined up in Florida.” Logan wasn’t sure why he volunteered the info, but there was no taking it back now.
Ellis’s eyes widened. “Florida? That’s a big change from Colorado. At least you’ll get away from all the snow.”
Logan shrugged. “I actually don’t mind the snow. I have a feeling I’ll miss seasons once I’m down there.”
Ellis let out a hearty laugh. “I bet you won’t miss shoveling the driveway and scraping ice off windshields.”
Ellis made a good point. Logan didn’t like those aspects of winter weather, but that was only a small part of the season. Winter came with its own wonders. He loved waking up to a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. He loved watching snowflakes dance in the air. He loved the colder weather and starting fires. Even though it was summer now,he knew these were all things he would miss when he moved and wouldn’t get to experience it again.
But he knew he needed a fresh start, and this job would give him that. He also knew how much Aunt Betty loved warmer weather and he hoped that herhappiness would stop him from longing for Colorado—for longing for Erin.
The two men chatted for a few minutes and Logan felt off-balance hearing all of the ways Ellis’s life had changed. The Lord had really transformed his life. The once rebellious teen seemed to be the ideal husband and father. Logan was thrilled for him, he really was, but it was also overwhelming. When there was a break in conversation, Logan quickly said, “I think I need to get going.”
“Me too,” Ellis said, looking down at his watch. “I’m sure Anne Marie is wondering why I’m taking so long.”
“It was really great to see you though.”
“You too.” Ellis’s face lit up. “You know what? Why don’t you come over for dinner sometime?”
Logan hesitated. He wouldn’t be in town for long. As happy as he was to see that Ellis was doing well, he didn’t have time to develop old friendships.
“Anne Marie is a great cook. She makes the best fried chicken.”
