Page 10 of This Feeling

As I took one more look at the past, I smiled and started walking toward my truck. “Here’s to the future.”

Present Day

When I decided to drive down to Washington, D.C., to visit a friend of mine after going through the police academy, I thought it was a good idea at the time. Now, sitting in traffic on Interstate 87, I was wishing I had just gone straight to Moose Village after the police academy.

My phone buzzed, and I looked down to see it was my father. He was the only one who knew I was coming, and I’d sworn him to secrecy. I wanted to surprise my mother. And she would be, considering it had been nearly five years since I’d last been home.

“Hey, Dad.”

“How’s the drive?”

“Brutal,” I said with a sigh.

He laughed. “Where are you?”

“Almost to Albany. Getting through the city was rough. I forgot how much I hate New York City.”

“You’re only two hours away, son. And I can’t wait. I’m excited to see you. I’ve missed you. I know your mother feels the same way, but it’s felt like a piece of me has been missing with you gone all these years.”

Smiling, I felt my chest tighten. My father was one of those guys who wasn’t afraid to tell you how he felt. He’d always told us growing up that real men shared their feelings and didn’t hold them in just to be tough. It was a lesson I needed while in the Marines. I didn’t think I would have sought out counseling if it hadn’t been for my father telling me over and over that it was okay to not have your shit together. Lord knows with the job I had, I’d needed that therapy.

“I’ve missed you, too, Dad. I’ve missed everyone.”

“You’ll be happy to know I talked your mother into lasagna tonight.”

My stomach took that moment to growl. “Damn, that sounds good.”

“Declan…how are youreallydoing? I would imagine leaving the only thing you’ve ever known was a pretty hard decision.”

“Yeah. But I’m okay, Dad. At least, Iwillbe okay. It’ll be nice not having bullets flying over my head half the time.”

“That’ll be nice for me and your mother, as well. Maybe now we’ll get a good night’s sleep.”

I felt guilty for not telling them about my decision to become a cop. I’d let them have a few days of peace before I dropped that bomb on them.

“I’m going to let you go so you can concentrate on driving. You’ll be home right in time for dinner. Be careful, son.”

“I will. See you soon, Dad.”

The line went dead, and I gripped the steering wheel harder. I had no idea what I would be walking into when I returned to Moose Village. At eighteen, I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there; now, I couldn’t wait to get back. It helped knowing that one of my best friends from high school had also recently moved back.

Kian Carter had been a hot-shot lawyer working at his parents’ law firm in New York City, until he got tired of it all, recently moving back to Moose Village. According to my father, he was writing a book and dating a woman, Cadie, who’d moved to town earlier in the year. She was currently the new owner of the bakery, taking over after Opal had decided to retire. The biggest scuttlebutt around town for months had been about the mysterious woman. I’d be glad to talk to Kian and get the truth behind his new girlfriend.

That was one thing I didn’t miss about my hometown. The gossip.

I decided to pull over for a quick drink and something to eat, just enough to keep me going for the next two hours. The traffic didn’t look like it was going to let up at all. After grabbing a burger and some fries from McDonald’s—something I never ate—I was back on the road. I’d missed this part of the country, with the gorgeous Adirondack Mountains, the green rolling hills, and the lakes that were peppered throughout the scenery. The more I took it in, the closer I got to home, the more relaxed I became.

Before I knew it, I was pulling into my parents’ driveway.

Turning off the truck, I let out a long breath as I looked up at my childhood home. As happy as I was to be here, I wasn’t looking forward to residing under the same roof as my parents. “First thing on the agenda—find a place to live.”

I loved my mother and father, but I was not about to live with them at thirty-five. No matterhowlong I’d been gone.

Still…staring at the house, I smiled. It was a beautiful sight, and I was thankful that I was able to make it back here at all. Some of my friends in the service didn’t.

With a shake of my head, I quickly cleared where my thoughts were headed. I opened the truck door, grabbed my two bags of belongings, and started for the front door.

Should I knock? Walk in? I wasn’t sure what to do.

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