“I want to know what happened,” I say.
“I know.”
I watch him shift in the canvas chair. His beard has grown in, and he’s wearing my favorite flannel over a dark tee. I love mornings with Adam most. Waking up in the van safe in his warm arms, with our hair scented with woodsmoke from the night before. If we’re not at a campground and off the beaten path in a remote area, he’ll set up a wash station with a bottle of water and a washcloth for me to brush my teeth and wash my face. He makes the best coffee in a chipped enameled pot hungover the embers. I’ve grown fond of campfire coffee and don’t think I can ever go back to a machine.
“I did not sell my property.”
I’m taken aback. “But isn’t that why you drove all the way to California?”
He leans forward in his chair and rests his forearms on his thighs, palming his hands together around his coffee mug. “Yes.”
“What happened?”
He stares into the fire, shaking his head. “The buyer turned out to be Justin Dirk.”
“Wait… what? Why would Justin want to buy your property?”
He gives me the side-eye. “That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?”
I’m confused and toss the remnants of my coffee into the brush. “Adam, this makes no sense.”
“I know.”
“Have you talked to Justin or Roxy?”
“Nope. Just two voicemails. One, to call me back immediately. And the second one, after I had time to process. I was angry and left a few choice words, telling her under no circumstances to contact me—that I’m not interested in selling to them and that I’ll reach out to her when they get back.”
“Wow. This makes no sense.”
“I know. But here’s a clue: the Dirk family has money, and maybe Justin saw a real estate opportunity I didn’t know about. That’s all I can figure. Why else would he offer over the asking price?”
“He wouldn’t do that, would he?”
“I don’t know. I’m shocked Roxy would even let him.”
I get out of my chair and lower my body to the ground, wrapping my arms around his leg. I lean my head against his denim-covered thigh and stare into the flames of the fire. “No wonder you were so upset. I can’t imagine what they were thinking.”
Adam sets his cup aside and strokes my hair. I lift my head and look up at him and see pain flicker across his face before he speaks. “I feel betrayed. I looked through the paperwork and found a sticky note saying the buyer wished to remain anonymous.”
“Anonymous?”
“Yes.”
“Then how do you know it was Justin?”
Adam traces my face with his index finger, his expression conveying sadness and distrust. How much more can this sweet man endure?
“I thought maybe it was a fluke too. The buyer on the paperwork was listed as ‘Dirk Enterprises, LLC.’ I looked them up. Come to find out, it’s definitely Justin’s family and not some other random Dirk.”
My heart aches for him. “Maybe it’s all a terrible misunderstanding. For the life of me, I can’t imagine sweet Roxy trying to pull something over on you.”
“I know.”
“So, what happens to your property now? Are you going to leave it on the market and hope for another buyer?”
“No. I’ve made a decision.” His chest lifts in a deep sigh. “I’m going to hold on to it. Let nature take it over and return the land to its natural state. Maybe visit every few years.” He’s quiet for several seconds. “I never told you this, but… I didn’t have a funeral for my girls.”
My voice is a solemn whisper. “You didn’t?”
