“What was her name?”
“I dunno. Didn’t talk much, but Mae thought the sun set around that girl. She went in a slump for a good few months after that girl took off.”
Dani stiffened again.
“Yeah, I remember that. Whole town was in an uproar because Erica and that guy started hooking up. No one seemed to like that couple,” Jonah murmured, his voice slightly distracted.
And that was enough. It was time to go. Dani slid off her barstool. No one noticed as she made her way to the door, and just as her hand reached to open it, she heard Jeffries say, “It’s a damn shame, too. Mae was hoping that girl would come back for the youngest’s funeral. When she didn’t show, Mae fell apart for a few months. That girl broke Mae’s heart.”
She stood frozen, her hand still on the doorknob and she looked back. Jeffries was staring right at her.
She hadn’t realized…
Ten minutes later, Dani pulled up outside Mae’s cabin.
Small and nestled among the trees, it looked like a fresh coat of white paint had recently been applied. Dani didn’t go inside right away. First things first. The lake beckoned to her and after pocketing the hidden key from behind the grill, she went straight for it. Conflicting emotions were inside her, but she nudged them aside again. No matter her damned history, she still yearned to be around water. The dock looked like a rag tag line of wood, all thrown together, but she was surprised to find out how sturdy it was.
Mae had been taking care of this place.
Dani was still sitting there when she heard a car approaching. Standing, she walked back around the cabin, and had another shock in store. She thought maybe Mae came behind her with food, or even Julia heard about her and tracked her down. She was wrong on both accounts.
A police cruiser was parked beside the Mustang. There were two men sitting in the front, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the driver. Sitting there, in a crisp uniform was the other reason why she left town.
Jake Cairns.
Her best friend from childhood. Her middle school crush. Her boyfriend in high school. He was her other half, until he chose her younger sister over her. Now he was a cop, and he was with her other sister, too—the one who was still alive, anyway.
“Hey, Jake.”
She supposed it was now or never. She had hoped to put off seeing him, just like everyone else, but maybe it was better to deal with him now. Deal with her sister later.
“Dani,” he rasped out, stopping a few feet from her. The blood had drained from his face and he looked like he just saw a ghost.
“How’s it going, Jake?”
Dani felt stupid saying those words, but what else could she ask? He was her ex. He chose her sister over her. He ripped her heart out, but he was also the only thing keeping her in Craigstown. In a way, she should thank him. He let her go free, and what a journey she had been on. Then again, remembering the reason why she was home, maybe she should curse him out too. This new heartache, this numbness she was experiencing—she wouldn’t have any of that.
She suddenly felt herself wanting to ask how life would’ve been if he hadn’t chosen Erica? Would she have stayed? Would they have married? Maybe they even would’ve had kids by now. She sucked in her breath, feeling an invisible knife plunge into her chest.
Maybe she shouldn’t be thinking about any of those things, and needing to change her thoughts, her eyes trailed past his shoulders, landing right onto Jake’s companion’s laughing eyes. Jonah Bannon.
Fuck.
As if he could read her mind, his mouth twisted up in a smirk. He remained back with the car, but she saw the challenge in his dark eyes. He wasn’t going anywhere.
She sighed. She could already tell he was going to be a problem.
Jake shifted on his feet, pulling her attention back to him. “I didn’t believe it. Jonah told me he thought you were back, but damn.” He could only stare at her. “Dani.”
That one word, one name from him. Her heart twisted. It was the same soft tone he used when they were kids, right as he kissed her lips and moved to her neck. She clenched her jaw. Maybe she shouldn’t have come back after all?
He kept going, his hand at his jaw. He just held it there, like he didn’t know what else to do with it. “Julia knows you’re back.” His hand fell back to his side. “I didn’t mean to tell her, not till I saw you myself, but she was on the other line when Jonah found me. She overheard.” He paused, his lips pressed together. “You can’t stay at the house, if that’s what you were thinking. Then again,” he turned to take in the cabin, “I can see you liking this place better. You always did, didn’t you?”
“Jake.” She didn’t want to talk about Julia, or that he remembered she loved this cabin more than her home. “Why’d you come here? Did Mae tell you I was here?”
“Nah. It was a guess.” He seemed to remember Jonah, and looked back, but focused on her once again. His eyebrows pinched together, like he was distracted. “You never called, when Erica died. Did you know? I thought maybe you’d come for the funeral.”
She didn’t want to talk about it, but she heard herself say faintly, “I knew.”
“So you just didn’t care?”
It wasn’t that. It was… she didn’t want to think about it.
“Jake…”
She didn’t want to remember when she found out.
“No.” He held up a hand. “I didn’t mean to attack you. That’s not why I came out here, but uh,” his hand grabbed the back of his neck and remained there, “I should let you know that Julia’s got a lot on her plate. Kathryn’s in the nursing home now. Did you know that?” He didn’t let her respond, speaking to himself, “No, I suppose you wouldn’t, but Julia’s got too much going on. I don’t think she can handle seeing you right now. Her Aunt Kathryn either.”