“No idea.”
“Here,” Stone said, shoving the envelope in Nico’s hand. “I should go.”
As he made his way to the door, he could still hear bits and pieces of their conversation.
I thinkyoushould have dinner with him.
If you’re not goin’, I’m not goin’.
Stone paused with his hand on the doorknob. He glanced down the hall to see Nico staring back at him.
“About dinner tomorrow…” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m gonna have to get a raincheck. A lot of stuff goin’ on.”
Nico nodded, but he didn’t argue, didn’t suggest a better day.
Not that Stone had expected him to.
Feeling like an idiot, he walked out the same way he’d come, not bothering to look back. Even as he got in his truck, he swore he could feel Nico’s eyes on him.
Fifteen
Thursday, February 1, 2024
After overhearing the conversation between Stevie andNico, Stone spent a solid week sulking.
And then he spent another week hating himself for it.
As punishment, he forced himself out of the house. He spent time in town, interacting with people he hadn’t seen in years. He went to the diner for meals, got full on good food and interesting rumors. He went to Moonshiners for drinks, got a pleasant reminder of the energy that this town had. He went to the General Store when he was bored, spending time with his sister because, as had always been the case, he found being around Reilly the easiest thing in the world to do.
In between, he dealt with the occasional encounter with Stevie and Nico. Although they were rare, Stone found himself looking forward to even the slightest glimpse. It was slow going, but they were exchanging pleasantries, and Stevie was no longer glaring at him. He considered that progress, but he knew he would have to take action if he wanted them to move forward.
Which he did. More than anything.
Only there was one problem. He’d been back for three weeks, and he’d made absolutely zero progress in getting his life on track. His career path was still up in the air, and though he was rekindling friendships, that wasn’t exactly where he’d envisioned himself at this point.
It didn’t help that he still had boxes that needed to be unpacked. Seeing them sitting there made him wonder whether that was his subconscious’s way of telling him this might not be where he belonged.
Now, as he stared at those boxes, he sipped his coffee and reminded himself that this was where he was supposed to be. From the moment he got back to town, he’d felt the sense of belonging he’d left behind years ago. It had come flooding back. And then seeing Stevie and Nico…
“Thisiswhere you belong,” he said aloud, setting his coffee cup on the counter before wandering over to grab one of the boxes.
The least he could do was finish unpacking.
So that was what he did. Unpacking more of his boxes, using the empty ones to pack up a few of Reilly’s things that she’d left behind. There wasn’t much. Not enough to fill one small box, but he set it aside so he could drop it off at the store later. At the very least, it would give him something to do.
Unfortunately, they’d had some sleet overnight, and more was expected in the afternoon, so it didn’t make sense for him to drive around. Wasting gas and risking running his truck into a ditch was not high on his list of things to do.
At noon, he made himself a sandwich, but before he could take a single bite, his cell phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, concern filling him. “Hey, Uncle Curtis. How’re you doin’? Everything okay?”
“Just soakin’ up some peace and quiet before the weekend.”
Stone didn’t know why, but the gruff sound of his uncle’s voice had always had a calming effect. Growing up, he’d been close to his aunts, uncles, and most of his cousins. Enough that he found himself awash with nostalgia each time he heard Curtis’s familiar voice.
“All those grandkids keep you on your toes, huh?” Stone teased.
“On my toesandmy ass,” he huffed. “You think maybe you could make time to stop by today or tomorrow?”
