Page 4 of What We Keep
I cleared my throat again. “I grew up here. But it’s been a minute since I was here.”
His brows arched, and I saw the questions swirling in his eyes. “So I’m sure you’ve been to Wildlands?”
“Actually, I haven’t. Well, I did technically grow up in Willow Brook, but it was a ways out of town. I moved away when I was a sophomore in high school.”
“Ah, I see.” With a smile, he seated me at the only table left by the windows, which had a beautiful view of the lake.
With autumn nipping at the heels of summer, the days were getting shorter, but they were still long by most standards. The colors of the sunset shimmered on the water, the sky stained with tangerine, gold, and pink.
“A server will be with you in just a few minutes.”
After I ordered, keeping it simple with a glass of water and a salmon burger, I glanced around curiously. I kept wondering if I would see anyone I knew. Although I didn’t have a lot of friends, I knew people because I had gone to school here.
The little girl in me, a quiet voice always, wanted to have friends in a way I hadn’t when I lived here. I forced myself to stop looking around and just enjoy the view. A flock of trumpeter swans drifted across the lake, beautiful in the glow of the setting sun.
Maybe I missed Alaska because the landscape had always been a source of peace for me. I pondered Haven’s offer to stay at Heartfire Falls.
After my question, Haven had gone on to explain that, yes, they were rebuilding, and it was due to open soon. I wondered how much he knew about how my dad passed.
His mom had been the one to call the ambulance. My mom had always told me to call Maggie for help if I needed it, so that’s what I’d done that day. She’d already called for the ambulance before she got to our house. That help had come too late for my foolish father. I’d always wanted to thank her.
“Elsa?” My eyes lifted to see a familiar woman standing there. My brain rifled through my memories.
“Um, Holly?” I prompted.
Her face broke into a smile. “Yes! What are you doing here?”
“Well,” I said slowly, “I’m moving back.”
“That’s awesome!”
Holly was memorable. We hadn’t been too close, but she had always been nice to me. Before I knew it, she was pulling me into a hug. Holly had sat with me that night at the hospital while we waited for news on my father. Even though he had no pulse, they emergency team had still brought him here while they tried to resuscitate him. Holly’s hugs were wonderful. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said when she stepped back, squeezing my shoulders.
Her eyes were bright, and her blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail. She was dressed practically, in nurse scrubs.
“Did you become a nurse?” I asked, recalling that she had been at the hospital that night because she was a volunteer then.
She nodded quickly. “Sure did.”
Her gaze sobered. “How are you?”
“I’m pretty good,” I said. Because I was.
It was hard to explain to anyone, even myself, that even though I’d lost my dad and my childhood had been a little strange because of him, I really was doing okay these days.
“We need to exchange numbers,” she said quickly.
Just then, another person I recognized, although I didn’t know if he recognized me, approached. Nate Fox.
Holly had been a few years ahead of me in high school, and so had Nate. Living in the small world of Alaska was weird. I’d always felt a little outside of everything, but I knew all the details about everybody. In those days, Nate had been Holly’s twin brother’s best friend.
When he stopped beside Holly and curled his arm around her shoulders, I quickly realized maybe they were together.
She glanced toward me, her brows waggling. “I hated Nate in high school, but we ended up getting married. Who knew?”
Nate flashed a sly grin. “I knew.”
“You did not.” She nudged him with her elbow. “You remember Elsa, right?”
