Page 50 of Her Property

Maybe he could find some place that had some distinctly happy memories.

Jake rubbed at his brow with the heel of his palm as he took a corner. Who was he kidding? He had no place for happy memories. Everyone he’d known was gone. He was the only one left in his family if you didn’t count his dad, who might be around somewhere but was more than likely long gone like the rest of them. He truly had no lost feelings for his father—he’d barely known him as a boy. His mom acted like he was always around, but he wasn’t. He’d show up on holidays sometimes with gifts for him and James that were so off the mark they would have laughed if they weren’t heartbroken kids. Ironic that their mother would do the same thing only a few years, right down to the bad Christmas presents.

The lights for the Lakeview Motel were the first he saw as he neared Barkley Falls. But as he pulled off the highway onto Main Street fifteen minutes later, he knew that would be the last open business he’d see. There were some windows lit up in the few apartments over the shops, but overall, the town was fast asleep.

As a teenager, he and his friends had lamented loudly about there being nothing to do in Barkley Falls. They used to drive out to the mall in Millerville, where there was a movie theatre and fast food. In Barkley Falls, the only restaurants were places where the proprietors knew all their parents’ names. Still, half of them had scattered the minute high school was over. The few who’d stuck around were the kinds of guys who could thrive in a place like the Jewel Lakes. Outdoorsy types, or guys who had a trade or family business to carry on with. Some had gone and come back, Like Casey over at the hobby farm, who was a couple years younger than Jake and had dated his friend Hank back then.

Like Jake. Except Jake wasn’t staying.

He couldn’t believe how much had changed in a week. A month if you counted from the time Alfred had levied the lawsuit on him. Because opening that package, Jake had known the writing was on the wall. He’d just been in denial. He’d been fixing up the cabins, trying to pretend nothing was happening. It had taken Cat showing up and trying to fix a hopeless situation to get him to see the truth: that it didn’t matter that he couldn’t start the camp. That it wouldn’t solve anything if he did.

But in this particular moment, none of that even mattered. What mattered was he’d been shown a glimpse of something beautiful and perfect, and he wasn’t even able to hold onto that.

To her.

Jake couldn’t believe it had only been what, four or five days since Cat had caught him jumping into the frigid depths of Ruby Lake in his birthday suit? How could he have lived a lifetime in such a short few days? How could he explain the depths of his feelings for a woman he hadn’t known the previous week? A woman he felt like he might have handed his heart to the day she stepped into that lake with her bare feet, saying she needed an adventure even though she had immediately appeared to be the most logical, rational person in the world?

How could he have lost her already when they’d never gotten a chance to be together?

He only noticed that the light he’d been stopped at had changed when it turned amber again. Jake rolled along the main drag slowly enough that when he heard someone hollering, he was able to slam on the brakes and come to a full stop in nearly the same instant.

“What the hell?” He looked around, but there were no cars ahead or behind him.

Then he saw someone waving their arms at him from back behind him. He squinted in his rearview. It was Aubrey.

Jake threw the truck into park and hopped out. Aubrey ran over to him the moment he stepped onto the curb.

“Oh good, it is you!” she’d cried, throwing her arms around him. “Jake, my knight in shining armor!”

“What are you doing out here at this time of night?” he exclaimed, even as Aubrey threatened to cut off his air supply with the force of her squeezing. Finally, she released him.

“I was worried about that old oak outside the front window—it’s had a loose limb all summer I was sure was going to fall down and conk out a poor tourist. That storm last night must have loosened it up even worse.”

Jake realized the shadow he’d seen up ahead on the sidewalk was more than just the darkness cast by the tree itself. It was a heavy branch—a limb that had crashed to the ground and taken half the awning with it. It was still leaning precariously against the mangled frame and torn fabric.

“I’m just glad it didn’t hit the window. That woulda dinged my insurance good. Luckily awning repair is a lot cheaper than plate glass. I think.”

“Where’s Bill?” Jake asked. Aubrey’s husband wouldn’t likely be too pleased about his wife wandering around the street alone at night, never mind this was probably one of the safest places in the western hemisphere.

“Oh he fell asleep in front of the TV. He’s got a bad back, anyway. I wouldn’t want him throwing it out hauling that limb aside with me. That’s why I’m so glad I saw your truck going by.”

“You want to move it now?” Jake asked.

Aubrey stuck her hands on her hips. “You got other plans? What were you doing driving around downtown at night, anyway?”

Jake shook his head. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

* * *

Fifteen minuteslater the giant limb was lying safely on the ground and even rolled out of the way to the curb, perfectly positioned for the town crew to pick up whenever they got here. Jake had managed to find the best way to pull the thing over in a way that wouldn’t put him or Aubrey in danger (he put her out of danger by telling her to wait twenty yards up the street, despite her protests that she wanted to help).

It felt good to be of service. But when he went to wave goodbye to Aubrey, she shook her head.

“Oh, no young man. Good deeds like that don’t go unrewarded. Come in and let me fix you a midnight milkshake.”

“It’s alright Aubrey—” he began, but Aubrey shook her head. “I won’t take no for an answer. Besides, you haven’t told me what you’re doing out here moping around about. I’m gonna guess it has something to do with that sweet curvy little thing you came in with last week. Am I near the mark?”

“Dead on it, actually,” Jake sighed. He thought again how Aubrey was kind of the closest thing Jake had to a mother these days. He thought of Gran in her home, her confusion when she saw him. A grandmother, too.

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