Page 46 of Crossroads of Love

What secrets could my father have been hiding? And why had he never told me about them?

I would have known if my brother was into something bad, wouldn’t I? Aaron was always a little asshole, but that’s how little brothers are supposed to be. He was wild and got into minimal trouble like stealing our high school rival’s mascot and filling the school pool with red dye. He wasn’t capable of more than harmless pranks. It’s not how we were raised.

I lean back in the chair, still clutching the letter in my hand, and stare at the ceiling, trying to process what I just read.

A part of me doesn’t want to dig. I don’t want to unravel whatever mess my father left behind. But another part of me can’t let it go. My father had never been the type to speak in riddles or leave things unfinished, and this letter felt like a challenge, like he was daring me to uncover whatever secrets he had buried.

But where will I even start?

I glance around the office, my eyes landing on the old filing cabinet in the corner. It is filled with documents, financial records, and papers my father had meticulously organized over the years. Maybe the answers are in there. Or perhaps this is just another dead end, another way for him to mess with my head, even from beyond the grave.

Still, I can’t shake the feeling that there is something more to this. Something I need to find.

With a sigh, I stand and walk over to the cabinet, pulling open the top drawer. If my father wants me to dig, then I’ll dig.

Is this just your way of keeping me in Hicks Creek, Pops?

Chapter Ten

Lena

“Ithink it should be mandatory that city hall is closed for a week after a natural disaster.” Tatum laughs as she taps away at her keyboard.

“I would agree with that.” I giggle. “I’m headed over to Mike’s office. I won’t be gone long.”

“I’ll hold down the fort.”

It has been two years since Aaron died, but there are still days when it feels like I’m walking through a fog. I could be elbow-deep in paperwork for the city, struggling with the endless maze of legal terms and deadlines, and still hear his voice in the back of my mind. Laughing at how this is why he had to take care of all our financial stuff, except that he never took care of the things he said he did. Now Aaron was gone, leaving me to handle the mess he left behind.

It's a tangled mess of emotions because part of me loved him, but the other part, the part that’s so angry and hurt, takes over most of the time.

I abandoned doing anything with the estate because I’d get so angry as I uncovered more lies. Henry was a saint for taking things over. This meeting resulted from me not asking more questions and assuming Henry would have told me if there was a problem.

I fight the urge to break down and cry. I don’t have time for the emotions I need to feel right now, so I choose to curb the anger and push it all down for right now.

It's a short walk over, peppered with greetings from town residents. I plaster on my smile and keep moving. Talking to people when I’m ready to fall apart is the worst torture of all.

“Lena!” Hank calls out, stepping in front of me as he leaves the feed store. “I was just about to go over to the diner. Have you had breakfast yet?”

“I have.” I sigh, forcing a smile.

“We could get some coffee. It’s always a good time for a milkshake. My treat.”

“Hank, I have an appointment to get to,” I answer quickly as I start toward Mike’s office.

“Sure, sure. I’ll catch you later, Mayor,” Hank says with an easy wave. I can feel him watching me even as I cross the street and go into the law office. I look over my shoulder to see that he’s gone and shake my head.

I wish he’d find someone else to have a crush on.

“Hey, Mayor,” Mike greets me as I walk into his office.

He’s standing near the receptionist’s desk, drinking coffee and looking through a folder. The waiting room is empty. His receptionist, Susan, turns to answer the phone but not before she smiles and waves at me.

“Hey.” I smile.

“Are you ready for this?” Mike asks.

“No. What kind of question is that?”

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