Page 25 of Simply Yours

Jason ran a hand over the wallpaper, fingers tracing the pattern absently.

It reminded him of home.

Not just the place, but the feeling—the deep, aching sense of belonging that he hadn’t realized he’d been missing until now.

His jaw tightened.

Maybe, just maybe, he could find that again.

But first, he had to stop thinking about Caitlin – and get his own act together. Oh, and show Matthew what a PR manager actually did for a living.

“Sheesh,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck and trying not to let that overwhelming stress bring him down again.

* * *

Two weeks later, Jason was finally getting settled into his new—yet old—home. He hadn’t moved his office from the main house yet, mainly because walking across the property to work made him feel like he was actuallygoingto work. The thought amused him. Like a commute really made that much of a difference when his boots barely had time to scuff the dirt between one house and the other.

Toni and Derek had been baffled when he gave up his place at the main house, but it was Matthew’s reaction that had surprised him the most. His brother had followed suit, moving into a little frame house in town near the church. Jason didn’t ask why, but he had a feeling they were both searching for something more than just space.

As for him?

Helovedthis house.

It had been sitting empty for as long as he could remember, nothing more than a shadow on the edge of the property. But now, with the windows open and the scent of fresh paint in the air, it felt alive again. At night, when he sat in his recliner—his one and only piece of living room furniture currently—he could almost hear the echoes of the past. He remembered running across these very floors as a boy, the sound of his footsteps swallowed by the creak of old wood. His parents had shut up the house when he was young, and now, sitting in the quiet, he wondered why.

He loved the sound of the crickets, the fireflies in the bushes on the edge of the property, and the sense of comfort that came with it. The night air carried the distant growl of a bobcat, and a sharp pulse of memory struck him. His palm itched, and before he even realized it, he was flexing his hand, tracing the old scar. It was instinct—a habit ingrained by time.

Caitlin.

The thought of her lingered, unwelcome yet persistent. A part of him wondered if he should’ve reached out differently and handled things another way. Then again, what good would it have done? Matthew had drawn the line—no Caitlin. Not that Jason had any claim to her, but out of respect for his brother, he wasn’t about to test that boundary.

Still, he couldn’t help but wonder.

Matthew and Caitlin had been inseparable as kids, thick as thieves. Had it been the same when she was in the Navy? Or had the distance forced a wedge between them? Maybe that was why Matthew had gotten into trouble back then—maybe he’d been acting out, missing her in ways he never said out loud.

Jason exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. Thinking about Caitlin wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Instead, he turned his focus to the house—the one thing he couldcontrol.

His bedroom was nothing special, just a bed and a dresser. He didn’t need much. He wasn’t the kind of guy who cared about fluffy pillows or cozy touches. The kitchen, though? That was where he put in the effort.

The weathered cabinets had gotten a fresh coat of paint instead of being ripped out. The butcher block countertops? They stayed, scars and all. Every knife mark, every scorch, every stain was history, proof that this house had beenlived in. He liked that. Instead of tossing it all away for something brand new, he chose to honor it.

The old sink had been swapped for a deeper farmhouse one, complete with a garbage disposal that made him feel like a giant in his own kitchen. The counters were too low for his height, so he added a row of cabinets, creating a waist-high prep station. A compromise.

The gas water heater was new, the fridge too, but what he liked most was the hidden cabinet he’d found. Inside, a row of hooks held an old rag, stiff from time, and in the corner sat his great-grandmother’s straw broom.

Jason ran his fingers over the rough handle before carefully placing it back in its spot.I see you.It felt right to keep it, a nod to the past that had shaped him.

He leaned against the counter, staring out the window, imagining the changes he’d make. A garden along the side of the house. A row of pumpkins lining the porch in the fall. Corn husks on the door at Thanksgiving.

He huffed out a breath, shaking his head.Yeah, real homey, Baird.

And yet, as much as he liked this place, something was missing. The idea of coming home to an empty house night after night left a dull ache in his chest.

Maybe it was time to do something about that.

Maybe if Caitlin was off-limits, it was time to put himself out there again.

Jason clenched his jaw and pushed away from the counter.

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