Page 2 of Standing Still

The fishermen are a different matter. There are tons of those. It is a big family thing in Mystic. A lot of the kids from my high school went into the business.

Including Bennett Daniels. But I will not think about him.

I talk a little while longer with Kevin until I see the signs for Guildford. I get off the highway and head into town, telling him to enjoy his time off. He says he has some things to wrap up, but he will not work too long. He wishes me luck and says goodbye.

I’ve made good time to this point. It’s just after ten. I should be in Mystic before lunch. I find a small diner and head into the parking lot. Once inside, with a large coffee and an order of pancakes with eggs on the side, I sit and look through the window as I eat. People watching is one of my favorite pastimes.

I’ve always been fine on my own. Solitude doesn’t bother me. As a writer, it can be a lonely job, but I have many friends and usually see Kevin at least three times a week, sometimes five if we’re getting close to a deadline.

My mind drifts to Adrian, and oddly enough, a smile graces my lips. My ex-husband and I never had a big falling out, we just drifted apart. Neither one of us was an asshole to the other. We didn’t cheat, we didn’t hurt each other. We realized how we felt and once we sat down and discussed it, decided we’ll be better friends. His family was more hurt than the two of us.

He is now in a happy, long-term relationship with a widower who has three kids. Another reason we didn’t fit, Adrian never wanted children. I did. Yet for Saskia, his new girlfriend, he’d taken to her kids like a natural. I wouldn’t lie and say that didn’t sting a little, but I was happy for him.

I’ve had my share of dating disasters and a couple of decent relationships, but nothing has ever gone the distance since my marriage. I’m a romance author, but I try not to hold every guy I meet to the standards of some of my male lead characters.

Adrian called last night to congratulate me on hitting the New York Times list. I didn’t tell him about my father. He knows we are estranged. He’s never met him, nor been to my hometown and no one from Mystic came to our wedding, so I didn’t see the point in raising it.

I finish my meal and glance at my watch. I’ve sat daydreaming for longer than I realized. It is already a quarter after eleven. Still, I take my time over another coffee, mentally gearing myself for what I am about to drive into.

A swirling sensation fills my stomach. Or I’ve drunk too much coffee. I’m only fooling myself. It’s dread, plain and simple. I hold a lot of hurtful, broken memories of Mystic, and I don’t want to go back. I will meet the lawyers tomorrow, find out what needs to be done to settle the estate and hopefully be back on the road the day after by the latest.

There is nothing for me in Mystic anymore. I can’t wait to see the town in my rearview mirror for the last time.

Chapter Two

I come to on a gasp and for a second have no fucking clue where I am. Something wet touches my hand and an urgent whine has me raising my head, one eye peeking open. I’ve fallen asleep on the sofa again. Jedi, my chocolate Labrador, nudges me. Dragging a hand down my face, recoiling at the lingering smell of the fish we caught this morning, I roll over and get up.

“Okay,” I pat Jedi’s head and walk to the back door.

He scampers along beside me, his nails clicking against the hardwood floor. The door isn’t locked, which is pretty standard around here. I only lock up if I’m out or at night. Jedi tears down the steps and into the backyard. He runs around in circles, sniffing about before finding a spot to cock his leg. I slip inside, leaving the door open for him.

It’s a nice enough day, the sun is not too hot. Looking at my watch, I curse that I’ve somehow slept for three hours. I hate wasting the day away when I have a shit ton of stuff to get organized for tomorrow.

I’m not concerned about what will happen. I’d talked it through enough times with Acer and things are already finalized. I’d beenrunning the business for the last three years. Tomorrow it will officially be mine.

The tension eases out of my shoulders as I think about how I will change things. I want to expand, take on more staff, because as much as I enjoy what I do, the early mornings and tough manual labor are taking a toll on me. Although I can hardly be classed as old at thirty-four. Still, it will keep my mother from hounding me about working too hard and not having the time to find a wife if I get a little spare time.

Not that I’m looking for a wife, nothing could be further from my mind. I live in a small town and without sounding like a complete ass, the pickings are slim. Women my age are mostly already married with kids, the ones that aren’t, I’ve spent my time with and know there is nothing more there than a mutual good time.

Taking on the business is my focus. If I need sex, my buddies and I go out of town for a night. No big deal if we don’t meet anyone, we still have a blast.

I snatch up my cell phone and see a missed call from mom. I’ll ring her later. Two texts from Sarah, my office manager. A quick glance tells me they’re nothing I need to worry about. There is a voicemail from Larry at the lawyer’s office.

I dial and wait for his message to play as I turn around and watch Jedi come bounding back up the steps. He heads towards me, bumping my spare hand until I stroke his head, tousling his soft ears. He needs his bowl filling and some water. I’m surprised he isn’t barking his head off.

“Okay pal, just let me listen to this,” I say, and he cocks his head at the sound of my voice. He needs a walk too. Shit, falling asleep in the middle of the day is never a good idea.

“Hey, Ben. It’s Larry. We just got a call from the other party. She’s asked to move the meeting forward because of commitments back in New York. It’s okay with everyone here, but just wanted to check in with you. Although,” he chuckles, and I frown. “Stephen already agreed to the time change. So we’re gonna needyou at the office at ten in the morning. I hope that isn’t a problem for you. Anyway, I’ll try to call you later to make sure you got this. See you tomorrow.”

“Fuck.”

Jedi cocks his head the other way, his brown eyes fixed on me. Larry doesn’t give two shits that this is a problem for me. They set the meeting for three tomorrow for a reason. I’ll still be out on the water at ten. This is just fucking typical. She doesn’t care about anyone but herself. I lean my ass back against the counter and close my eyes. Okay, how can I work this?

I grab Jedi’s leash and he goes crazy, bouncing around and barking. “Hold still, asshole,” I tell him, clipping the leash to his collar. I swipe up my keys and phone, close and lock the back door, then head out the front. We trot down the steps to the pavement and I head across the street towards the park. I could almost imagine Jedi is smiling the way he is looking about. At least someone is happy.

Taking out my phone, I dial and hope and pray something is about to go right.

“Yo!”

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