Page 20 of No Going Back
Topics like Griffin Fraley.
She slammed the refrigerator closed and stood straight, clenching her teeth as she willed his face out of her brain. His face and other parts of his body. Parts that she was too familiar with for her own good.
Or her own sanity.
Dianna grabbed her purse and keys and headed for the door to the garage, keeping her focus on the task at hand. She snagged her reusable shopping bags from their hook and went out into the tiny, attached garage, shimmying her way to the driver’s door before squeezing in. Tossing all the bags into the seat beside her, she punched the opener, letting the morning sun bleed into the dark, windowless space.
It was one of the few things she didn’t love about her little house. Sure, windows leading into the garage were probably a liability, but it would be so nice to have just a little sunlight coming in. Maybe she could hire someone to replace the entry door leading out into the backyard. Put one in with one of those small windows at the very top. Something so it didn’t feel so closed in and claustrophobic.
Dianna was so distracted by the thought of the tiny upgrade, she almost didn’t notice her neighbor’s grandson standing at the end of her driveway. He was a little too close for comfort when she glimpsed him in the rearview mirror. Panic slammed her foot onto the brake, jerking her body forward and tipping her purse to the floorboard.
Cooper grinned at her in the mirror, waving as he moved from behind her car and jogged up the side. She rolled down the window as he leaned in, the smile still on his face revealing the hint of a dimple in one cheek. “Just the woman I’ve been looking for.” He leaned one arm against the roof above her head, relaxing like he intended to have a lengthy conversation. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I just wasn’t expecting to see a police officer standing in my driveway so early in the morning.” Dianna glanced at Cooper’s uniform, taking in all the gear strapped to his shoulders and chest. “I thought you worked the night shift?”
“I do.” Cooper reached one hand back to scrub along his neck. “I got off work and went to go see my grandma at the nursing home.” His focus lingered on her face. “Then I came straight here hoping I might catch you before you got busy on your day off.”
Dianna lifted her brows, surprised and a little concerned that Cooper sought her out. “Oh? Is everything okay?”
He shook his head, expression somber. “Not really. We were really hoping my grandma might be able to come back home, but it’s not looking like that’s going to happen.”
Dianna’s heart sank. Vera was feisty and opinionated and, even though she hadn’t lived next door to her long, she’d grown pretty attached to her wild-haired neighbor. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I was really hoping we would be neighbors again soon.”
Cooper nodded, his eyes dropping. “Me too, but it’s just not in the cards.” His focus returned to Dianna’s face. “That’s why I wanted to come see you. I wanted you to be the first to know we’re going to be selling her house.”
It was an unfortunate situation, but she understood completely. The house was in disrepair, beyond the point of being able to be maintained. The place needed a full overhaul, and letting it sit would only make that worse. “I’m sure she’ll be sad to see it go.”
Vera was fiercely protective of her house. To the point she wouldn’t allow anyone inside, which was why it was in the sad state it was in.
“I’m not sure she even realizes what’s happening.” Cooper’s lips pressed into a frown. “Her mind’s most of the way gone at this point. That’s probably why she’s been so combative these past couple of years.”
It was something Cooper and his mother had both mentioned to Dianna in passing but was never a characteristic she saw in Vera herself. Thankfully.
The only memories she had were sweet moments talking over the fence in the backyard while they fed the birds. Or when she was testing out new recipes and delivered the overflow next door. “I hate to hear that.” Dianna glanced at the dilapidated house towering over her small cottage. “Hopefully it will go to someone who loves it just as much as she did.”
“Unfortunately, it will have to go to someone with deep pockets and the willingness to deal with a complete renovation.” Cooper shook his head. “That place is a wreck.”
Dianna sat up a little taller as a thought occurred to her. This was an opportunity to do for someone else what so many had done for her. “You should call Brooks Pace.” Dianna smiled, feeling a little better for the first time in almost a week. “He and Nora take houses just like your grandma’s and make them absolutely beautiful.” She leaned closer to the open window and to Cooper, perking up at the possibility that maybe she was finally starting to feel like she belonged. Like she was one of them. “I bet they would absolutely jump at the opportunity.”
Vera’s house was gigantic, with two main floors, plus a walk-up attic and an unfinished basement. It had been built by one of the original arrivals to Moss Creek, so it was one of the oldest houses around, and the architecture reflected that. It was the kind of house she could only dream of owning, partly because she didn’t have the skill set to fix something like that up, and partly because there was no sense in buying a house so huge for just one person.
But if Nora and Brooks bought it, she would get to witness its rebirth and also reap the rewards of an increase in her own property value.
Cooper clicked his tongue. “I’ll pass your suggestion on to my cousin. He’s a broker at a big real estate company in Billings and he’s the one who will be handling the sale.”
The word sale sounded so final and she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that Vera was losing the home she was so attached to. “Hopefully she gets a decent amount for it.” It wouldn’t get Vera back in her old home, but at least it would help keep her comfortable in her new one.
Cooper straightened away from the door. “It doesn’t really matter what it sells for. The government will get pretty much all of it.”
Dianna frowned. “That’s unfortunate.”
Cooper shrugged. “It is what it is.” He hooked his thumbs into the bulletproof vest wrapped across his chest. “And we all knew there wouldn’t be much to be had, so it’s not like anybody expected anything.” He smiled softly. “We just wanted her to live her life and enjoy every bit of what she had.”
Dianna returned his smile. “It sounds like she did that.”
“I’d like to think so.” Cooper was quiet for a minute, rocking back on his heels. “You have any exciting plans for the day?”
Dianna sighed, the weight of her to-do list quickly swooping in. “I’ve always got too much to do and not enough time to accomplish it.”
