Page 145 of Whispers of You
Pulling to a stop, I switched off my engine and climbed out near another SUV parked in the drive. I assumed it belonged to Jordan Cohen. He ran a vacation company that was a one-stop shop for tourists: excursions, tours, and cabin rentals. The other places for rent were nicer, designed for those expecting a bit of luxury, but when I’d called begging for something more long-term, he’d said he had one he was waiting to fix up. I’d taken it sight unseen.
“Maddie?”
My head snapped up at the feminine voice.
A second later, a petite blond blur of motion approached, and she pulled me into a hug. I sucked in a sharp breath but bit back the flare of pain.
“Oh, my God! Are you Jordan’s new renter? Of course, he didn’t say a word to me. Just grunted as he told me to meet the new tenant to give her the keys. But he’s the boss.”
Grae chattered on as she released her hold on me. “Are you back for good?”
I gripped my keys tighter as I forced a smile. “Well, I signed a year lease, so I’m here for that long, at least.”
Grae’s mouth pulled down into a frown. “Are you sure you want to stayhere? Jordan really shouldn’t be renting it out. It needs a ton of work and—”
“I’ll be fine. He warned me it was a little rough. But this late in the season, there wasn’t anything long-term on the market.”
Grae bit her lip and nodded. “Nash didn’t tell me you were coming back. I’m gonna junk-punch him for that.”
I winced. Of course, Grae would expect her brother to tell her that I was headed back to Cedar Ridge. We were two years apart in age, but I’d been close with her and her best friend, Wren Williams, because we’d all spent so much time at the Hartley home.
“I haven’t had a chance to tell him yet. I was going to text him when I got settled.” The truth was that my conversations with Nash had grown few and far between. Every ounce of that distance with the person who’d known me better than anyone had killed more and more of my soul.
Grae’s jaw dropped open. “You didn’t tell him you were moving back?”
Guilt dug its claws in deep. “Things have been kind of crazy. Coming home was a last-minute decision.”
“Oh.” Her brow furrowed, but then her face melted into a smile. “He’s going to lose his shiz-nit when he finds out. He’ll be so happy.”
My lips twitched. Grae had been on a mission to clean up her foul language since the birth of Lawson’s first son. The result was the creation of some creative non-curse words. “It’s good to see you.”
She let out a squeal and did a ridiculous happy dance. “I’m so happy you’re back. Wren’s going to be, too. We have to get together for a girls’ night ASAP.”
“I’d love that. Just give me a few days to get settled.”
Grae crossed to me and extended the keys. “Here you go. Do you want me to stick around and help you clean?” Her nose scrunched. “It’s going to need it.”
I chuckled. “That’s okay. I can handle it.”
“What about cleaning supplies and groceries?”
“I stopped at a Target on my drive and got all the essentials to tide me over for at least a few days. But thank you.”
“Well, my number’s the same. Text me if you need anything at all. And you have to come to family dinner on Sunday.”
My heart cracked. How many family dinners had I gone to at the Hartleys’? Too many to count. “If I’m settled by then, I’d love to.”
Grae studied me, her gaze boring into mine as if she were trying to see all the secrets I’d buried deep. She started to speak and then shook her head. “It’s good to have you back, Maddie. We missed you.”
My heart squeezed. “I missed you, too.”
“I’ll let you get settled. But, remember, text me.”
“I will.”
Grae climbed into her SUV and headed down the driveway.
I took my first full breath since hearing her voice. On my exhale, I tried to let the tension bleed out of my body. But it was as if my muscles had grown so used to it that they didn’t want to let go. Everything in me was still braced for attack.
