Page 5 of No Going Back
The scenery out the windshield looked a hell of a lot different than it had the last time he was in town. All the snow was gone, replaced by lush fields filled with horses and cattle, making the drive to Cross Creek peaceful and serene. It would give him time to pull his thoughts from Dianna and put them where they belonged. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.
He’d been single for almost two years after a breakup that resulted in most of his clothing being set on fire and his ego taking a hit that wasn’t easy to recover from. Hearing you’re the problem while your shit, and your life, goes up in flames fucks you up and makes you question your taste in women.
Which was what he was doing when he found out about Troy.
Finding out he had a son gave him something else to focus on. A new purpose in life. A sense of direction he’d never had. A direction that pointed him straight to Montana.
And straight to Dianna, offering up a test he wasn’t willing to fail.
Being a good man hadn’t ever been something he thought he was capable of, but Troy deserved a good father, so he was going to do whatever it took to make that happen.
The lights were all on in the small farmhouse when Griffin pulled in, catching sight of Troy and Amelie through the kitchen window as they laughed together in a moment of domestic bliss unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Knowing his son had that made him happier than he’d been in a long time.
He was barely out of the car before the back porch light flipped on and the door opened.
“Well look what the cat dragged in.”
Griffin straightened to look across the top of the rented sedan at where Amelie’s grandmother Muriel stood on the small deck at the back of the house. He shot her a grin. “Did you come over just to give me a hard time?”
Muriel laughed, head tipping back. “You know I did.” She held the door wide as he rolled his suitcase up the steps and across the composite planks. “Couldn’t miss out on a chance to see my favorite grandson-in-law’s daddy.”
He leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek as he passed. “How have you been?”
“Fair to middlin’.” She followed him into the house. “I miss being able to order pizza, but that’s about it.”
Griffin paused. It hadn’t really occurred to him that take-out and delivery might be a thing of his past.
He’d been toying with the idea of moving onto the mountain just past Cross Creek. Trying to buy a lot and build the house of his dreams. So far it had been what he considered his best option. But he’d lived in the city his whole life and maybe giving up all the conveniences it offered was a step farther than he wanted to take. “I might narrow my house search to places in town.”
Muriel cackled again, patting him on the back as they moved into the kitchen. “Good luck with that. Not much comes up for sale down there.”
“I’ve noticed.” He’d been watching since his first trip to Moss Creek, keeping his eyes open in case an opportunity presented itself. Because, even before he figured out how to work out the logistics of it, he knew he needed to get closer to his son. It didn’t matter what it cost or what he had to sacrifice, he was going to be in Troy’s life. “I was hoping something might come up when the weather got nicer.”
It was how most housing markets worked. People liked to sell their homes and move while it was sunny and be settled before school started in the fall.
But Moss Creek was proving to be the exception to the rule.
“Hey there.” Amelie, Troy’s wife, came straight for him, offering a tight hug. “You hungry?”
“Sure.” He held out the cookies he’d happily overpaid for. “I brought dessert.”
“Ohhhhhh.” Amelie stole the box away. “How’d you manage this?”
“Apparently chocolate and cherries isn’t a great seller.” He smiled as Amelie opened the box and took a deep breath, her lips curving into a smile.
“Their loss.” She reached in and broke off a chunk before popping it into her mouth, eyes closing as she chewed. “Holy cow these are good.” She held the open box out to Muriel. “Try these.”
Muriel didn’t have to be asked twice. She grabbed the remainder of Amelie’s cookie and took a bite. “Maybe we can ask her to bring these to our next lunch date.”
“If we can get her to come to lunch again.” Amelie went back to the stove where Troy was dutifully stirring the contents of a pot. “She keeps canceling on us.”
He’d planned to leave his thoughts of Dianna in town, but like always, they seemed determined to follow him. “She’s probably busy as hell.” Griffin abandoned his suitcase and went to where Troy stood, patting him on the shoulder as he peeked into the pot. “The cases were all but empty when I was there.”
“They’re always empty.” Troy stepped to one side as Amelie took over stirring. “She still sells out every damn day.” He shook his head. “I can’t imagine how late she stays there every night to get it all made.”
Griffin lifted his brows, a little surprised. “She does it all herself?” He hadn’t seen any employees at The Baking Rack, but he’d assumed they worked in the back. He’d been there first thing in the morning and seen just how packed the cases were. “There’s no way she could be doing that all herself.”
Running a business was hard work even when you weren’t also the one making the product. If Dianna was the sole employee, she had to be working herself to death. Hell, he had a whole team of employees and managers who ran each location he owned, and running his auto repair shops still ate up the majority of his time.
