Page 11 of Finding Michael

“Which is why the library is in the old school house,” Tristan said. “Nice.”

“Exactly. Why ruin a perfectly good old building just because it’s not big enough? So it was moved and the new school was built. When students are ready for junior and high school, they go over to Black River. Sullavan, Western Reserve, Shiloh and Camden all feed into Black River. The actual school is in Camden.”

Tristan nodded. “Smart.”

“So, we’ve got the businesses right on the main drag and the churches on the other. The southern quadrant of the town square is for the park and playground. We have fireworks there every tenth of July.” Michael gestured to the sidewalk. “There are more trees over there. We can take a break.”

Tristan followed him across the street, then sat beside him on the other bench. “Now wait. Why on the tenth?”

“Financial reasons. It’s cheaper to have the festivities on an off day versus the main one.” Michael shrugged. “We still have a festival for the Fourth of July, but it’s more like a weeklong carnival that culminates in the fireworks show on the tenth.”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“All the villages around here do it. No one can afford the rates for the guys who set off the fireworks to do it on the fourth.” He rested his arm on the back of the bench, then turned to Tristan. “The park was originally Edgar’s back yard…kind of. He made sure there was a place for the children in the area to play. Turned out he was a big kid and liked kids, but never had any of his own.” He paused. Most of the townsfolk assumed Edgar hadn’t found the right woman to marry. Through his research, Michael had figured out the real reason he hadn’t paired up—Edgar was gay and preferred to play the stately gentleman role rather than out himself. The people wouldn’t have liked him back then if they’d known the truth, which saddened Michael.

“Edgar is an interesting fellow.” Tristan pulled his notebook out and scrawled on the pages. “Just a moment. I’m taking notes and working out something.”

“Take your time.” He gazed around the park and drank in the beauty of the space. He’d forgotten how nice the area was. Wonderful landscaping, lush flowers and plenty of room for recreation. He could see a wedding being held there.

“I’m impressed.” Tristan bumped shoulders with him. “The guy loved his plans, didn’t he?”

“Order.” Michael nodded. “He wanted things a certain way. When he planned Sullavan, he wasn’t naming it after him and it was much smaller. He kept the ownership of the outlying areas, but yeah, the town was dinky.”

“It’s not that big now.” Tristan chuckled. He draped his arm across the back of the bench. “But it’s quaint.”

“I agree.”

“When did the name change? What was it originally?”

“Moreland. I don’t know why. Maybe he liked it a lot. But it was Moreland for twenty years, then in 1825 he passed away and the people in charge decided to rename it for him.” He grinned. “It’s a boring little place, but it’s home.”

“What’s there to do other than walk around and learn about the place?” Tristan asked.

“Not much. We had a bowling alley, but it closed. Had a bistro, but that went under when someone burned it to the ground. There’s the diner and two bars, but I don’t go to those often.”

“No? Where do you go?”

“There’s a bookstore and it has a coffee shop. I go there. I spend a lot of time with Molly because she’s alone at the B&B. Her last boyfriend was a real peach and when he left, he screwed her over. Stole her money, wrecked her car…so she’s kind of touchy.” He stretched his legs. “Otherwise I do my own thing. I spend a lot of time at the library and working with the ladies group who helps the library.”

“No boyfriend?”

Isn’t he full of questions again?“No.”

“Me either.” Tristan blew out a long breath. “Why don’t we go down to the diner? I’m starving and…why not?”

“Sure.” He eyeballed Tristan. The guy wasn’t asking him to come home with him. Just a meal together. Why did this feel like more? Because he wanted more? Christ, he hadn’t gone out with anyone since Barry and even then, the connection wasn’t strong. He stood and stretched, then settled next to Tristan. He could be crazy, but he’d like to find out more about Tristan.

Tristan remained beside Michael as they walked to the diner. He could get used to being with Michael. He’d only been in town for twenty-four hours and he couldn’t fathom not having Michael in his life. As friends? Absolutely. As lovers? If he had his way, then yes. He admired the different buildings along the route.

Many of the storefronts bore art deco influence. He stopped in front of an abandoned former appliance store. “What happened here?”

“It went under. People wanted cheaper prices.” Michael shrugged. “I think it would make a great store for something else.” He cupped his hands against the glass and peered through the window. “It’s got a second floor and a lot of the neon still works.”

“Yeah?” He shielded his eyes and peeked through the glass. Sure enough, he noticed the second floor and the raised areas of the first floor. “Has anyone tried to resurrect it?”

“No.” Michael strode away from the building.

Sadness settled deep in Tristan’s bones. Where he lived in New York, shops sprang up and collapsed yearly. A few went the distance, but most didn’t. He missed the fun of record shopping for vinyl and second-hand books at another store. He saw so much potential in Sullavan, but he also understood the reality of keeping a business alive. He paused.

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