Page 18 of Absolution

I come to a stop in front of a sprawling, ocean side mansion with black hurricane shutters and wrought-iron railing. The two-story home backs up to the beach, with sounds of the surf crashing to shore as I step from my car.

Palm trees scatter the well-lit grounds, and immediately I'm filled with warmth. Radiating through the center of my chest, calming me and helping me to acclimate to my new surroundings. Or are they old familiar signs I'm home?

"Creed?" The sound pulls my attention from the house, over to the corner gate, and what appears to be the inlet. There's an entrance to the beach on the other side. The second my eyes lock with his, I think I'm staring into a mirror. He gasps, stepping back before he rushes forward. "Creed, I'm happy to see you."

"Hey, Crawford." I wave as the man whom I've come to know as my father approaches me. He comes to a stop at the end of the car, smiling as I help Doc from the back.

He meets her halfway, bending to kiss her head, followed by lots of petting. I can see she's going to be spoiled. "Hello there, Doc. How's my favorite girl?"

"She's great." I chuckle thinking about how we both say the same thing to her. "She loved the trip down, never even dozed off once."

"Creed?" A beautiful woman says my name with such reverence, a pang in the pit of my stomach takes my breath away. She rushes down the steps, throwing herself at me. I wrap my arms around her out of instinct, but I'll never tell her because no mother needs to hear something like that. "You came home."

I swallow hard, forcing a smile. "Yeah, it was past time. Don'tcha think?"

"Time means nothing where love is concerned." Kathryn steps back with a heavy sigh. I know she's hoping for more excitement from me, and I'm trying, but I'm not there yet.

Crawford takes her hand, easing her to his side. "I'll help with your bags, and Kathryn can show you to a room."

"That'd be great, thanks." Doc walks with us to the back of the SUV, waiting for me to set our bags out. Crawford holds his hand out for mine with a smile, never crowding me, before turning to the steps of his house.

Kathryn joins me as Crawford walks ahead. She's close, but just outside of my comfort zone. Leaving no doubt, they both listened and understood my boundaries.

I follow them through the front entrance into a grand foyer. Soft coastal colors paint the house with a glow as the sun sets in the distance. I have to catch my breath when there’s a pull deep inside of me, a yearning of which is no more familiar than the home itself.

"Kathryn will show you the rooms upstairs, and I'll get the grill started. Surf-n-turf okay with you?" Crawford asks as he hands off my bag.

"It sounds amazing, thank you."

He waves me off, rubbing Doc on the head. "No worries girl, I'll toss an extra steak on for you too."

"Oh, her things are in here." I hold up her bag of bowls and food to show them. "I'm assuming she can eat in the kitchen, like at my place."

"Absolutely." Kathryn chimes in the sing-song way of hers. "Come on, I'll help you two get settled."

She continues up the stairs, turning to the left at the top without hesitation. We pass several rooms, stopping at the last one on the left. She turns the handle, swinging the door wide as the evening sun streams through the windows.

"Wow." I'm drawn to the opposite side of the room, and the sound of the ocean. Kathryn steps around me, walking over to the double doors and unlatches them. The breeze coming off the water hits me in the face, pulling me over. "This is stunning."

"One of our favorite views." Kathryn's voice trembles as she turns to the room. "The bathroom is well stocked if you've forgotten anything, make yourself... welcome."

I faced her, winking when I catch her eyes. "I appreciate the thought, it dawned on me on the way here I didn't pack my toothbrush. Thank you."

"I'm sorry," she hangs her head. "I wasn't thinking."

I ease over to the bed, dropping my bag on the floor. Doc lies beside it as I walk past Kathryn and toward the bathroom, and I touch her arm as I do. "You're fine."

"I'll go see if Craw needs any help, while you two freshen up." She darts out before I can say another word.

"Well, that was interesting." I scratch my head as Doc's ears perk up. "Did she call him Craw?"

I toss my suitcase on the closet floor, and head into the bathroom to splash some water on my face. I don't want to linger, but I'm in no rush. Everything's still so new and unexpected, I'm thrown off a little.

After a few minutes, an incredible smell wafts through the open doors into my room. My stomach growls, yelling at me for food. With all the excitement, I forgot to eat today.

"C'mon Doc, I think it's time for food." She hurries to my side as we wander down the hall, retracing our steps to the foyer.

Just as I start around a corner, Kathryn strides by us. We peek into the room, seeing the kitchen that leads out onto the back patio. She's busy setting out dishes and counting silverware as we enter from the side.