Page 13 of Talk About… History

She sat down and let out a hum in answer, rocking and staring off at the mountains in the distance.

A sense of peace washed over me as we sat there in silence. I hadn’t realized just how much a girl could miss her mom.

“Have you given any thought to what you’re going to do about everything? Do you have loose ends back home?”

Her eyes were worried and I shook my head. “They conveniently left me off of the lease and anything ‘we’ owned. I never put them on my account so that’s safe. I have my own phone contract because I was stubborn, but everything else is on them to handle now. I had my lawyer contact them and say any communication is to go through him.”

“Smart,” she said, the pride ringing in her voice. “That’s my girl.”

“Fuck them, they won’t ever get to see me again.”

“No, they won’t,” she agreed. “If they step onto my property then your brothers will be the least of their worries.”

For a small omega she sounded downright deadly. I bit back a smile at her protective ‘mama bear’ streak and let out my own hum of agreement to match her earlier one.

“I have to head into town. Partly to see what’s changed, the other to get a feel for home again. Then, I’m meeting the boys at the bar for lunch to see where I can step in,” I explained.

“Good, I had hoped they’d find a way to work with you,” she said with a distant smile. “They’ve kept that place going and I know it’s only going to get better from here.”

She didn’t say anything else as she patted my knee, stood up, and went back to her garden.

I took my time milling around the house before finally heading in. My brothers hadn’t shown up yet today so I knew I had time.

With my wallet tucked away, I snagged my mom’s keys, and headed into town. I guess I was going to have to get a new car soon. Maybe now I could buy the truck I wanted without the commentary from my former mates.

According to them, “omegas couldn’t drive pickups.” It wasn’t “dainty” enough, I guess.

As every day passed, I realized more and more how much I disliked them now that the fog had lifted.

I parked at the beginning of Main Street and decided to go off on foot. It had been a long time since I simply enjoyed shopping small businesses and taking my time. Thank god I never touched my savings, though it would be a lot bigger if I’d kept on working and hadn’t started depositing the last few checks into the joint account.

At least I had a backup. I’d transferred over enough to get me started, but it was seeming very apparent that I needed to start saving for building a house, maybe even a smaller starter one, and get a car.

The corner bookstore was gone, just like Sidney told me, but there was a new shop in its place. In fact, there was a cafe, a coffee shop, and a tattoo parlor I didn’t recognize.

Some of the storefronts stood empty, but a few of the older ones managed to hang on. The bakery was the same as it always was, so was the diner, the hardware store, and the tiny grocery store.

There was usually a weekend farmers’ market but I wasn’t even sure if that still happened. A lot had changed in the last seven years. Honestly, they were changing before then.

The truth was, that Rockwood Valley just wasn’t the same. The heart and tradition was missing and there wasn’t as much activity on the streets this early.

Wanting to find a bit of the heart of Rockwood Valley, I veered into the new corner shop.

The owners had done well, clearly cleaning up the stone exterior and keeping fresh hanging plants under the awning.

‘Cohen’s Creations’ was painted in fancy script on the window with a few cute jars and herbs drawn around it. It looked like whoever Cohen was, he’d painted it himself.

I pushed open the door and was hit with the most amazing scent. Dried flowers and herbs hung from thick twine behind the desk and around the shelves.

Glittering faux marble tile filled the floor and a sleek black counter rested in the center. It was an open concept except for the desk, the shelving lining every wall stacked with filled jars all labeled with the same cute design as the front window.

There were huge barrels along the bottom of each shelf that were filled with various bulk mixes.

I breathed in the earthy, herb laced scent, picking out the notes of sweet sugared citrus and fresh sage that was the most prominent.

“Hello,” a quiet voice said, not exactly the exuberant volume you expected when walking into a shop, but I would take it over a fake greeting any day.

A handsome man with a sweet smile walked out of the back. He had dark hair that was cut short and layered, gel coaxing it to keep the brushed back look with a few strands laying artfully over his forehead. His pouty lips were tipped just the slightest and his lithe body held a little tension. Clearly, he wasn’t a people person but not everyone was.

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