Page 23 of Now to Forever

“Depends.” He smirks. It suits him. I notice. “You looking for a fight?”

Not touching that one.

I glance from the feeders to the few birds flittering around a nearby tree. “They don’t look hungry.”

He looks at me, his eyes as bright and blue as the sparkly water around us. “I did it for Archie.”

Ford is the one who’s been looking after the place.Of course.

“Archie have some kind of army looking after this place?”

He laughs through a puff of breath. “What do you mean?”

“You’re here with birdseed, and some gothic princess likes the dog.” Said dog lets out a loud bark from inside that makes me roll my eyes. “I didn’t know I inherited house guests.”

He nods, slowly, then looks out at the lake. “Who’s the girl?”

“A mystery. A teenager. I don’t know. Horrible makeup and bad clothes on a bike. You know her?”

“I’ve seen her.”

I study the water and the rock ledge; a boat sputters by and a fish jumps.

“All done, Scotty,” Vince calls as he emerges onto the porch, acknowledging Ford as he approaches us and shoves his phone and sweat rag into his pocket. “I think everything I sent you in the email checks out.”

“Good.”

“It’s as ugly as you said,” he says, chuckling, loosening the already loose knot of his tie. “But the bones are good. Should get what I thought. You thinking December?”

I nod.

“December?” Ford asks.

“Scotty’s selling the place,” Vince says with a proud grin. “We’re business partners.”

No, we are not.

Ford says nothing, eyes glued on me.

“Well,” Vince drawls, clapping his hands and rubbing them quickly once again. “Let me know when it’s ready, and we’ll get her listed. Bet this place will go fast. Look at that view.” Another whistle.

Despite how annoying this faucet of a man is, I grin at the good news.

He says goodbye, whistling as he gets into his black Lincoln Town Car and cruises away.

“You really selling?” Ford asks.

I shift the box on my hip. “I’m really selling.”

“Why?”

“Get out of Ledger.”

I can’t read his expression, not the way I used to be able to at least.

“Why?”

“Why not?” I say, bristling. “You left. People don’t always live in the same place forever.”

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