Page 73 of Down & Dirty

“The mechanic’s truck. It’s got a crane on it and everything he needs to service the machines out in the field.”

“Wow. This sounds like quite the operation.”

“It could be bigger,” I sighed, “but neither of them is very good at business.”

“Not like you,” she said, winking at me.

“Not like me. I keep telling them to let me have a look at the books, but they’re too proud or something.”

“Ah, an Ellis family trait.”

“Hey, I’m not too proud.”

She laughed too hard at that for my comfort. But I kept driving past all the construction stuff and we came to the log cabin that had been my childhood home. A wide covered porch ran the width of it, and there was smoke coming out of the lofty stone chimney. It was going to be a cold week, so Jacob probably had a stack of wood in the basement as tall as I was.

“Mack’s house is further down the road,” I said, pointing to the bend up ahead. “He built himself a nice little cottage back there years ago.”

“He likes the woods, I guess, huh?” She scanned the pines and maples that rose up in thick patches in every direction. There wasn’t another house in sight. A gift of having this much acreage. But I could see in Sky’s expression an apprehension that I understood well.

“It’s not for me, either, being this far out of town.” I used our clasped hands to shift the car into park, turning toward her. “I love being up here. It’s beautiful and quiet. But I don’t think I could stand the isolation. I need at least a little more stimulation. And,” I huffed out a laugh. “Thai food.”

“I really think you should learn to make that yourself,” she said, cocking her head to the side to smile at me. “You’re clearly addicted and there has to be some trick you can learn with the noodles.”

“I’ll try again if you help.”

Her eyebrows shot up and her icy blue eyes crinkled despite the shake of her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Maybe,” I let out, leaning over the console toward her. “But then I could make it for you whenever you want...” I almost called her ‘wife,’ but held back at the last minute. The slick grin on her face was messing with my insides, and I didn’t want to startle her by using that word. Not yet.

“In that case, I might be willing to assist.”

“Good,” I said before dropping a kiss on her nose. “Now, let’s get inside before Jacob comes out here looking for me.”

“You mean us, right? He knows I’m here.”

I chuckled as I turned to hop out of the car. “Why would I ruin that surprise?”

“Cory,” she grumbled, her nerves showing for the first time.

“Come on, gorgeous.”

I came back to Maine several times a year, but for some reason I always expected things to look different when I walked through the door. They weren’t, though. The rugs, the lamps, the pictures on the wall. Everything was always the same. And it hit me as I walked in with Sky behind me, that some of my unease about coming back, about staying too long, might have to do with that.

This house held a lot of memories. Not all good. And if nothing ever changed, there was no way for those memories to fade. But when I turned around to catch Sky’s reaction, she was the difference. Her being there transformed the whole place, and it felt like things moved forward for the first time since I’d left for the tour over fifteen years ago.

“Jake?” I called, leaning to see if I could spot him in the kitchen.

“Be right down,” he yelled back, drawing our attention up the stairs.

“We’ll come up,” I replied, just as loud, leading Skylar up the steps with our bags. “Might as well put these away.”

But when we got to the top of the landing, I slammed to a stop. My father was walking out of the spare room in a pair of tight-as-hell bike shorts and a tank top. He was covered in sweat, red faced and out of breath.

“Holy shit,” I muttered at the sight of him.

He froze, his eyes locking on mine before they drifted over to Skylar, who I could see in my periphery was peeking around me to get a view.

“Woah,” he said, his mouth falling open.

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