Page 23 of Reclaimed Roots

Evenings like this made me wonder how I ever convinced myself that the corporate grind was what I wanted.

As I wandered the few blocks toward Rosie's, I found myself smiling at the familiar sights—the cheerful window boxes overflowing with petunias, the hand-painted signs advertising fresh produce and homemade pies, the clusters of people lingering on the sidewalks to chat and catch up.

It was so different from Chicago, where everyone was always rushing from one place to the next, heads down and shoulders hunched. Here there was a sense of community, of connection. Of people taking the time to actually be present instead of just passing through.

I'd missed this more than I'd realized. The easy comforting rhythms of the place that had been a cornerstone of my life since the day I was born.

A few doors down from Rosie's, the neon sign for Callaghan's Bar flickered to life in the deepening twilight. Even from the sidewalk, I could make out the telltale thrum of hoots and hollers and the clinking of glasses—the unmistakable soundtrack of a rowdy night at the local watering hole.

My lips quirked as a memory surfaced. Jasper and I, seventeen and trying to sneak inside for our first taste of the forbidden. We'd barely made it through the door before Billy, the cantankerous old bartender, was shooing us out with a broom and a string of colorful curses.

I shook my head, equal parts amused and wistful. So much had changed since those carefree days.

The thought filled me with a strange sense of melancholy and longing. Was it just nostalgia for the simplicity of youth? The girl I was before life got so damn complicated? Or something else.

You meansomeoneelse

I was jolted from my thoughts by a burst of raucous laughter spilling out onto the sidewalk as the bar door swung open. Three familiar figures tumbled out, jostling and shoving like a pack of unruly kids.

My breath caught as I recognized them—the Everton brothers in all their roughhoused glory. Chase and Elliot, the twins who always seemed to be operating at opposite extremes, and Jasper bracketed in the middle like he was a mediator trying to keep the peace.

They hadn't noticed me yet, too caught up in their usual antics. Chase was laughing. Elliot was scowling, all stern disapproval as he tried to shush his brother. And Jasper...

Jasper was watching them both with a look of long-suffering exasperation, like he was the only adult in a room full of unruly children. My stomach twisted at the familiar expression, at the way his brow furrowed and the corner of his mouth ticked up in that crooked half-smile.

He'd always been the quiet one, the steadying force amidst the Everton family chaos. I used to tease him about being an old soul.

I was poised to call out to them, to announce mypresence and... what? Catch up like old friends? Not an option anymore.

I was paralyzed, rooted to the spot as I drank in the sight of them—so familiar yet so different. Chase's shoulders seemed broader, his grin a little rougher around the edges. Elliot had thickened out, his tall frame stockier and more solidly built.

And Jasper... God, Jasper. Every time I saw him, I was struck by the fact he looked exactly the same yet utterly different. The lanky boy had matured into a man, his shoulders broader and arms thicker.

He turned suddenly, as if he could feel me staring. I remembered the tingling sensation when I felt his eyes on me at Dad's funeral. Was that what he just felt when I was looking at him? Our eyes locked, and time came to a stop. His expression shuttered, lips parting on an indrawn breath as he registered my presence. I felt it like a physical jolt, that magnetic pull, still zinging between us despite everything.

We stared at each other. For a few heated moments, it was just the two of us, alone in our private bubble where words had never been necessary.

Then Chase caught sight of me and let out a loud whoop, shattering the spell. "Natty Light!"

He threw an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a clumsy, beer-scented hug. I laughed. Despite the tension with Jasper, Chase's boisterous affection put me at ease.

"It's good to see you too, Chase," I said, my voice muffled against the soft cotton of his t-shirt. "Even if you reek like a frat house after a kegger."

He barked out a laugh. "You love it. Don't even try to deny it."

I was still smiling as I turned to greet Elliot with a warm hug. He was more reserved than his twin, but there was a gentleness in his blue eyes that I'd always found soothing.

"It's good to have you home, Natalie," he murmured, giving my shoulder an affectionate squeeze before stepping back.

Home.The word rattled around my skull, kicking up a mess of conflicting emotions. This place, these people, they were my roots.

But my home was in Chicago.Right?

Now that I was back, and I'd had a glimpse of what I was missing, I wasn't so sure I ever really wanted to get away. Not completely. This town, this community, it was part of my DNA, woven into the fabric of who I was. I could try to run from it, but I had a feeling I'd always find a way back eventually.

I chanced a peek at Jasper over Chase's shoulder, but his expression was unreadable. He held my gaze for a beat then looked away, shoulders tightening like he was bracing for impact.

The awkward silence stretched between us, thick and charged. I fumbled for something to say, anything that would break the tension.

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