Page 132 of Tattered (Lark Cove 1)

“I’m good,” I lied. “Glad we’re going to be getting into the fall routine.”

She laughed. “Try again.”

“I knew you wouldn’t buy that,” I muttered. “I guess I just wish things could be different.”

“But they aren’t.”

My gaze went back to the lake. “No. They aren’t.”

On the plane, I’d wondered if I’d feel the same sense of home—of peace—when I got back to Lark Cove. There’d been a niggling feeling that I’d built up Lark Cove as a sanctuary when it really wasn’t and that without Logan in our lives, it would feel different. By the time the captain had announced we were landing, I’d all but convinced myself that Montana wasn’t everything it had been before.

But the moment I’d stepped off the plane, breathing in the clean mountain air, the worries of the last week had vanished. A deep contentment had settled the anxieties from the city.

It just felt like . . . home.

Charlie’s smile the moment we’d pulled up to the cottage had been impossible to ignore. She’d been so happy to be back in her safe place that I knew we’d made the right decision.

So now I was holding out hope that with time, the ache in my heart would lessen.

“I know I’ve told you this already, but it’s worth repeating,” Hazel said. “I’m proud of you for going. It couldn’t have been easy to go back, but I think it’s good you faced the past.”

“Thanks.” It hadn’t been easy, but it had been a chance for me to confront those old demons. The wounds from my childhood cut deep, but they’d healed more in the past two weeks than they had in years.

“Why don’t you go to your workshop and paint or something? It’s better than you sitting out here, dwelling on the things that cannot be.”

I shrugged. “I’m just not feeling it. But you’re right. I shouldn’t just sit here. Maybe I’ll go for a quick walk.”

Hazel frowned. “It’s almost dark.”

“I’ve still got thirty minutes or so. I’ll be back soon but call if you need me.”

I stood from my seat and turned my phone off mute. Logan had called again, but I cleared the notification, willing myself to stay strong and not call him back until tomorrow. Then I tucked my phone into my jeans pocket.

“Okay.” She didn’t press too hard for me to stay, likely knowing that some movement would clear my head. “See you in a bit.”

I hurried down the stairs and around the side of the house, setting a fast pace on the sidewalk. I didn’t follow my normal route past the bar and through town. Instead, I turned down a small dirt road that wound along the lake.

It took a while for my mind to quiet, but by the time I reached a small bend in the road, I’d found the calm I’d been seeking all evening. From there, I let my flip-flops lead the way as I watched the sun lower on the horizon. Its lingering rays cast an amber glow over the lake’s surface.

As the light began to disappear behind a mountain range, I turned around to go home but stopped as I recognized my surroundings.

I’d walked right to the house that Logan had bought in Lark Cove.

The gleaming windows reflected pastel pink and sherbet orange from the sunset. The lawn was a deeper green under the fading sky. And the cedar shakes were so warm and inviting, I found myself crossing the grass to take a closer look.

I was jealous that Charlie had gotten a full tour. When he’d been here, Logan had driven us by it again, showing us the lot. But since the purchase hadn’t gone through yet, he hadn’t had a key to take me inside. As I peeked inside the windows, I wished I’d taken him up on his offer to call the realtor.

There wasn’t much I could see from outside, so I gave up my snooping and walked over to the driveway, testing the side entrance of the garage, just in case. I smiled when the door opened.

I didn’t hesitate to go inside and flick on the lights. The two empty garage bays were the cleanest I’d ever seen. The concrete floors weren’t marred with a drop of oil. Fresh paint hit my nostrils and I pulled in a deep breath. Since this property had been built about six years ago, Logan must have arranged for a crew to come in and paint. One of them had probably forgotten to lock the door.

I crossed the room, walking toward a row of cabinets at the back. The sound of my footsteps echoed in the bright space, bouncing off one white wall to the other, while the fluorescent lights hummed over my head.

I knew I was invading Logan’s space, but I couldn’t resist opening up a couple drawers and cabinets. As I opened the last drawer, a man’s voice echoed in the garage.

“Hello, Thea.”

I screamed, spinning around so fast that I slammed my hip into the corner of the counter. My heart was in my throat as I tried to regain my breath. “Oh my god,” I heaved. “Ronny? You scared me to death.”