Page 1 of New Hope

Chapter One

FORD

“Ellie, come on. You’re not going to have time to eat if you don’t hurry,” I called out over my shoulder as I grabbed a carton of milk from the fridge. Setting it down on the counter, I froze as I pulled a glass out of the cabinet. I sniffed the air, my eyes growing wide at the recognizable smell of something burning. I spun around, my heartrate kicking up when I saw flames shooting out of the pan on the stove. Dammit! Racing across the kitchen, I grabbed the handle, realizing too late I should’ve used an oven mitt as pain radiated across the palm of my hand. With a shout, I threw the entire thing into the sink and flipped the faucet on, letting the cold water soothe my aching hand. The pan sizzled and smoke billowed up from the sink as I let the water run, filling the kitchen with the smell of burnt eggs.

A loud screeching filled the room as the smoke detector began to do its job. Grabbing a nearby broom, I jabbed at the red button on the alarm with the handle until the ear-piercing noise finally stopped. With my ears still ringing, I opened the window over the sink to let the smoke out. Just then, like the punchline of some bad joke, the bread popped up from the toaster. I hung my head in defeat as I stared down at the soggy mess. “Shit!”

The sound of a tiny gasp had me whipping back around and my shoulders slumped when I saw Ellie peeking around the doorway. Her face was a mixture of shock and fear. “Daddy, you said a bad word. Are you okay?”

Guilt flooded my chest as I dropped to one knee and held my arms open. She immediately came to me, slipping her little arms around my neck. I wrapped mine around her and kissed the side of her head. “I’m sorry, Boo. I’m fine. I was upset because I burnt your eggs, but you’re right, I shouldn’t have said that word.”

“It’s okay, Daddy,” she assured me, but I could hear the slight hitch in her voice. I squeezed my eyes shut, cursing myself for being so careless. Seeing me upset always made her more anxious.

I shifted so I could see her face. She was a beauty. With her shiny, auburn tresses that hung down to her waist and her bright green eyes, she was the spitting image of her mother. Her face still held the round softness of childhood, displaying two prominent dimples on either side of her mouth when she smiled and a light dusting of freckles along the bridge of her nose. My girl was going to be a stunning young woman one day. I would have my hands full, trying to keep the boys away.

I cupped her cheeks in my hands and smiled softly. “It isn’t okay. I shouldn’t let myself get so upset over silly things. Do you forgive me?”

Ellie’s eyes showed honest affection. “Of course, I do. I love you.”

My heart melted at the sincerity of her words. “I love you too, Boo.” I kissed her forehead, glanced down at my watch, and groaned. We would definitely be late if we didn’t leave right away. “Okay, we need to get going. Why don’t you grab your bookbag and I’ll make you some peanut butter toast? You can eat it on the way.”

“But you never let me eat in the truck.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess there’s a first time for everything. Now scoot. And don’t forget to brush your teeth.” She turned without argument and left the room.

I thought about what I’d just said as I stood and finished getting her breakfast ready. There was a first time for everything, and no one understood that better than Ellie and me. Throughout the last year, the two of us had been faced with many firsts. The first night with only the two of us in the house, first birthday and Christmas without her mother, and most recently, moving to a new house in a new town, far from everything we’d ever know. It was a fresh start. It was exactly what we’d both needed. In a place where there weren’t memories lurking around every corner, reminding us of what our life used to be.

However, as I stood there, spreading peanut butter over a piece of toast, I had to wonder if I wasn’t making a big mistake. Were all the changes too much for Ellie to handle? Had I taken a bad situation and made it worse by moving her out of the only home she’d ever known and into a new environment? She had become rather fragile with everything that had happened. Was she strong enough to deal with going to a brand-new school? Would she be able to make friends?

Guilt and worry slammed into me, causing my hands to shake. I squeezed my eyes shut, breathing deeply as I reminded myself what Miss Jenkins and Dr. Leonard had said. I had talked to her former teacher and her psychologist before we left New York and they’d both agreed that Ellie had been stuck in a holding pattern of sorts which was preventing her from moving forward. They felt that as long as she still had me as her constant, having a fresh start might be what she needed to begin to heal. I trusted their professional opinions and my head agreed that this move would be a good thing for both of us. My heart, however, was in full protective father mode and was going to need a little more convincing.

The sound of Ellie making her way down the hall broke me from my thoughts and I quickly tossed the knife into the sink and put the lid on the peanut butter. I poured milk into a travel mug, frowning as I looked around at the mess I’d made of the kitchen. I hated to leave it like that, but cleaning would have to wait. Right then, we needed to get going.

The drive to the elementary school only took ten minutes and we spent most of that time lost in our own thoughts, though I checked on Ellie several times through the rearview mirror. She nibbled on her toast quietly as she stared out the window at the passing trees, the leaves just beginning to change colors.

Through my tireless search for places to move, only the tiny town of New Hope, Rhode Island, had truly called to me. Something about the quaint little coastal town with its historic lighthouse stationed along a pristine beach, charming shops and restaurants in the middle of town, each with a colorful awning placed over their entryway, and the numerous farms and vineyards surrounding the area gave me a welcoming feel unlike any other place I’d seen.

The name certainly hadn’t hurt either. New Hope. It had felt like some sort of sign and sounded like the perfect place to raise my daughter and to give us both the fresh start we so desperately needed. The fact that there was an opening for a new officer on their police force had only enforced my belief that I was on the right track. I’d immediately applied and after several emails back and forth and an online interview with the chief of police, I was offered the position.

With a job in place, I’d held my breath as I’d dialed Kylee Lewis, a local realtor the Chief had recommended, hoping she’d be able to find something decent. Fortunately, she happened to know of a beautiful cottage that had just been listed by the granddaughter of one of the town’s oldest citizens. Kylee had been both friendly and chatty as she’d told me about Agnes Roseland who had lived in the house for over seventy years, raising three children with her husband, Carl. Carl had long since passed, but Agnes had continued living there until she could no longer care for herself. According to Kylee, Agnes’s family had recently made the difficult decision to move her into a nursing facility and were hoping to sell the house to help pay for it.

I’d felt badly for Agnes and her family, but the photos Kylee had sent of the house, pulled me in, its intricate woodwork, built-in bookshelves and deep-set porch, complete with swing, added to the overall charm of the place. I’d been nervous about purchasing a house without having a chance to walk through it, but Kylee told me that the price it was listed at practically made it a steal and the inspectors I’d hired assured me the home had no major issues. Most of all, I could easily picture Ellie and me living there. Taking a chance, I’d signed the papers.

We’d packed our things quickly, put our old house on the market and moved to New Hope only two weeks later. I spent every night during those two weeks convincing myself I’d made a terrible mistake, one that would end in disaster, leaving me out of a job and the two of us with nowhere else to go. It was just me and Ellie now—we had no one to turn to. My parents had both passed away years ago and I was an only child. I had no other living relatives that I was aware of. I’d never met Connie’s parents since she’d become estranged from them before we even met. She hadn’t liked talking about them but had told me once they weren’t good people. Needless to say, they’d never been involved in our lives.

Fortunately, all my worries drifted away the moment I stepped inside the cottage. For the first time in over a year, I felt like I could breathe. The place had a peaceful quality, a feeling of warmth and belonging, as if all the love from Agnes’s family had imbedded itself inside the walls throughout the years, becoming as much a part of that house as the hardwood floors and beveled glass windows. I suddenly knew, without a doubt, that it was the perfect place for Ellie and me to begin the next phase of our lives.

It had been a flurry of activity since we’d arrived with unpacking boxes, putting a fresh coat of paint on every wall, including the lavender Ellie had chosen for her bedroom, and seemingly endless deliveries. I’d made the conscious decision to leave most of our old furniture behind, not wanting to clutter our new space with painful memories. I had, of course, kept a few boxes of things for Ellie. Items that had belonged to her mother and were now safely on a shelf in the garage. I knew that one day, when she was older, she might want them.

Fortunately, our old house had sold the first week it was on the market, allowing me the extra money needed to purchase all new furniture and appliances. I’d let out a huge sigh of relief the day my new bed had arrived, and it was in that moment I’d felt like I was truly moving on. Shedding the ghosts of my past had brought me a much-needed sense of peace.

Ellie was still looking out the window as I pulled into the school lot and parked the truck. She was quiet as she stared up at the red brick building that would be her new school. I’d debated whether I should have her start on a Friday or simply wait until the following Monday, but had ultimately decided it would be best to start her out easy, just going one day, then the weekend home with me in case she had a rough start. School had only been in session a couple of weeks, so she hadn’t missed much, and it was much smaller than her elementary school in New York City, which had me feeling hopeful that she might be able to make a friend or two.

I turned around in my seat to face her and my heart clenched at the fear I saw in her eyes. She suddenly looked so small, sitting in her booster seat, and my protective instincts screamed at me to turn my truck around and take her back home with me, but I reminded myself that wasn’t what was best for her. “Hey, Boo. I know you’re nervous, and that’s okay. I’m a little nervous about starting my new job today too.”

Ellie gave me an incredulous look. “You’re scared? But you’re a policeman and a daddy.”

I nodded. “Everyone gets scared sometimes, even policemen and daddies. But you know what I’m going to do?”

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