Page 60 of Call it Reckless

“People would come to town council meetings and complain the town was boring. He was worried that boredom would lead to vandalism. I guess that’s true. It also helped increase tourism, which has been good for our economy. More people are moving into the area, and vacation homes are going up like crazy. We’re still a small town, but we’re growing in good ways.”

Richard Bowen and I might have our issues going back a ways, but it sounded like, in the end, he’d been good for Sterling Mill.

Simply Ruth’s diner was full, and we had to wait several minutes for a table. As we waited, several people paused to share condolences with me and to welcome Paige to town. Most said they looked forward to dropping in for our grand opening.

I was certain the town hadn’t changedthatmuch. How had I not seen how warm and friendly these people were when I last lived here?

Because you were too focused on what theyweren’t, rather than what they were.

I checked my phone. Still no contact from Reid. Guess he wasn’t in such a hurry to call.

A fuss sounded at one of the tables, and I looked up to see a man in a suit with a beautiful woman at his side.

“Who’s that?” I whispered to Teagan.

She followed the direction of my look. “If I’m not mistaken, that’s Anna Washington. She and her husband don’t come back here very often, and definitely not to the diner.”

Stunned, I watched the woman I didn’t recognize as the same girl I’d known in high school. She was one of the few I called “friend.” She never made fun of my tomboyish ways, maybe because she knew all too well what it was like to be mocked.

We’d kind of gone our separate ways our senior year. She’d started dating Mason Washington, a college senior who was from a wealthy family that lived in a beautiful home on the ridge with a magnificent view of the mountains and the valley below.

Last I heard, she’d married him right after graduation and moved away from Sterling Mill. Now her hair was pulled back into a beautiful twist, and she was dressed in a smart-looking pantsuit.

Mason was talking to a few men at a table, smiling and shaking their hands. He’d aged well, looking handsome in a suit that I knew cost more than Anna’s family had ever made in a month. Anna stood by his side, smiling but never speaking.

Mason and Anna started to leave, passing by our table. On instinct, I reached out and touched Anna’s silk sleeve.

“Anna?”

Her arms startled beneath my fingers, but as she looked at me, I saw a ray of warmth light up her green eyes. It faded as Mason wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist.

“Bristol. How lovely to see you.”

Since when did Anna talk like that?

Mason wrinkled his nose at me. “Come, Anna. We have places to be.”

I stood up, blocking his path. “Mason. A few minutes couldn’t possibly hurt between old friends.”

Anna grimaced. “We do have somewhere to be, but I hope I can see you again sometime. You look wonderful, Bristol. I’m so sorry about your father. He was a wonderful man. I wish you the best with your new endeavor.”

Again, what was with the speech?Father? Endeavor?I guess marrying into the Washington family meant she upscaled in all ways.

“Yes, we heard about yourgarage.” Her husband said it like it was a dirty thing. But then, I doubt Mason Washington had ever done an ounce of physical work in his life.

I supposed I was happy for Anna. It meant she was no longer struggling, no longer hungry.

Anna shot me an apologetic look but said nothing as she allowed Mason to pull her from the diner.

“I wonder if Chase knows she’s back,” I mused to myself.

For everyone’s sake, I hoped not.

Our meal arrived, and we settled back into talking about Paige’s housing options. She’d immediately ruled out three, and she and Teagan got into a conversation debating the merits of the remaining ones.

I thought any of them were great, so I didn’t have a lot to add. I wasn’t as into open concept or the flow of the kitchen as much as they both were. I left those designing elements to Cam or another designer and was content to live with whatever was produced. After they’d gone on for a while, I chimed in.

“Anything you don’t like, you can hire Cam to change it. She’ll give you the friends and family discount.”

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