Prologue
Dominic sank intothe rocking chair and let out a contented sigh. Twilight painted the sky above Tolstone in brilliant colors. A few stars twinkled against the coming darkness. Every tense muscle slowly released as he began to rock back and forth, savoring these few quiet moments to himself. Crescent Lane may have looked calm and peaceful at this hour, but Dominic knew better. His eyes drifted shut, and senses reached out to take stock of the neighborhood.
Out of sight, he could hear families chatting at their dinner tables. In some distant backyard, he could smell grilled burgers and hot dogs and the faint, bitter aroma of beer. The wind carried scents and sounds from other nearby streets, all of it a cacophony of input that would have overwhelmed him several years ago. Now, he could pick out voices and distinct odors from half a mile away.
With controlled precision, Dominic gradually tuned it all out. He could never forget that he was irrevocably connected to Tolstone and its people, but for just a little while, he wanted to pretend. He wanted to pretend that he was so much less than he really was; so much more human, with no attachments or commitments. For a few blissful minutes, he wanted to think he could be free that way he was a year ago.
As a stiff wind barreled down the street, he heard theFor Salesign bang against its post. He stole a glance at the old Donaldson home beside his own and noticed the new sticker plastered to the sign.Under Contract.
“About time,” he muttered to himself. The two-story, white and blue Victorian home had been vacant for nearly a year since the last matriarch of that family passed away. Dominic had watched the overgrown lawn bit by bit creep up the partial wraparound porch and the brilliant exterior lose some of its former luster. A number of times, he had thought of offering help to the real estate company to keep it looking nice for potential buyers. But as soon as he picked up the phone to call, an incoming emergency robbed him of the chance.
He would have to make a point of introducing himself to his new neighbor, though he wondered if it was worth the trouble. It wasn’t as if they would see him at all. Between his unavoidable obligations to Tolstone and running his antique store downtown, he had no time for social calls or popping over just to chat.
His eyes, for what felt like the millionth time, drifted toward the top step of his porch. A familiar emotion tugged at his heart, unwanted and inconvenient. Dominic couldn’t count how many times he had sat on that step in his youth, waiting for his dad to come home after receiving his own phone call about some problem in Tolstone.
This time, Dominic allowed the feeling to settle in him and relived those mornings, afternoons, and evenings. He remembered how his eyes burned with the intensity of his stare as he watched for his dad’s truck to round the corner onto Crescent Lane. Most of all, he remembered the day when it finally clicked in his head that it didn’t matter how long or how patiently he waited. Tolstone meant more to his dad than Dominic ever could, and that would never change.
With that thought, he pushed away the old hurt, leaned his head back against the chair and tried to return to his few moments of solace. As the minutes ticked by, his handreflexively reached for the phone in his pocket, expecting it to vibrate.
When it finally did, his throat emitted a low growl, and he pulled it out to check the caller ID, then answered.
“Hey, Gwen,” he greeted. “Everything okay?”
In the background, he could hear some hurried movement.
“It’s happening. Can you make it over?” By the restrained excitement in the woman’s voice, Dominic had a good guess at what she was talking about.
“Mom! I told you I didn’t want everyone over.” Gwen’s daughter, Madison, mirrored absolutely none of her mother’s sentiment. In fact, she sounded downright agitated.
Gwen’s voice became muffled as if she had put her hand over the receiver. “Honey, this is a big deal, and we want to share it with everyone. Just think of it like a birthday party.”
Dominic smirked, remembering that Madison’s last birthday party was five years ago, and she did not have a fun time.
“It’s embarrassing!” Madison cried. “I don’t want them watching me.”
“No one will be watching you. They’ll be waiting inside until it’s all over.”
“That’s even worse!” Madison’s last protest ended in a long, agonizing groan, as if she were stricken by some great pain.
“Gwen, is Jaime there?” Dominic spoke softly and firmly, knowing that the mother’s excitement likely equaled her anxiety over this big milestone.
“Yes, yes. He’s here. Hang on.”
Dominic waited through a bit of shuffling and more muffled voices before Gwen handed Madison’s father the phone and greeted him in his slow, Southern drawl. “Hey, Dominic.”
“Hi. When did it start?”
Jaime let out a tired sigh. “Maybe an hour ago.”
“Her eyes?”
“Completely gold now. They filled out maybe ten minutes ago. If she wasn’t struggling through it, I probably wouldn’t have bothered you, but you know Gwen.”
“Yeah, I know. Just keep her calm.”
“Which one?”
“Both,” he replied, cracking a smile. “I know Madison can be pretty sensitive, so everyone who comes into the house needs to keep a level head.”
