Page 7 of Spar
“Have you heard from Luke?” Claire asked as they filled the large heart.
“Funny, I haven’t thought about him all day,” she admitted. “No. I don’t imagine I will either. He knew as well as I did that it wasn’t working anymore,” she said, shrugging. “It’s been a sinking ship since Ryan made me a partner at Fit Club. I want to be here, and Luke wants to be in Carroll.”
“Well, there will be plenty of guys to choose from tomorrow at the party. I heard Chris’ brother, Charlie, is coming, too.”
“Really? I wonder why he’s in town.”
Claire held up the filled piñata and admired it with a grin. “Rumor has it he’s thinking of moving back from Chicago.”
“Look out, ladies!”
Exchanging knowing looks, they both grinned, and then their laughter filled the room as Tori’s troubles eased.
“Thanks for lettingme stay here. I really appreciate it.” Jake turned awkwardly, the large box in his arms threatening to spill over. “Are you sure it’s no imposition? Ryan offered to let me stay with him.”
“Hmpf.” Chris smiled. “Wouldn’t that be fun, shacking up with the two lovebirds?”
“Better than being homeless.”
“It’s no problem. It’s high time for me to move into the house out over the lake.” Chris nodded his head to the left. “Bedroom is that way.”
Following behind with another large box, Chris glanced around the place, taking in the gleam of the hardwood floors and the custom built-ins with a swell of pride. He’d touched every beam in this house after taking it down to the studs. The time he’d spent on renovating the home had been almost therapeutic. Taking something as big as a house down to the bare bones and rebuilding it into something spectacular had given him hope. He couldn’t change the past, but perhaps he could be stripped down and made whole again.
“The place looks great.” Jake surveyed the room after flipping the light switch on with an elbow. “I can’t wait to get started on my house out there. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for the divorce to be finalized so I could move on with my life.”
“Sorry, man. Getting any closer to a settlement?”
“I dunno. It’s a lot of back and forth.”
“Well, you let me know the minute you want to break ground. My guys will get started as soon as you say the word.”
The three of them, Jake, Chris, and Ryan had bought land overlooking Sweetbriar Lake with the dream that they’d all live close and raise future families near each other. Ryan was the only one there now. Jake’s house was set to break ground as soon as his divorce was finalized, and Chris had been renting his home out during the summer months and staying in whatever house he happened to be fixing up at the time. Soon all three of them would be lakeside just like they’d planned.
“Is Tori staying at Ryan’s house?” Chris asked hesitantly. He’d wanted to ask her today, but she hadn’t seemed to be in any mood to chat with him.
“No, she said she was staying with Claire.”
Chris had been by the apartment complex with his guys earlier in the day to survey the damage and make plans for the repairs. When he had seen how bad the place looked, he had wanted to pack up all of Tori’s things and move her into his house but knew she would never dream of letting him help her. Besides, she had Luke, and he didn’t want to step on his toes, even if he did think the guy was useless.
Chris looked around the house, making sure everything was good to go. “Charlie is headed into town tomorrow, so I’m going to check my rental downtown and get it ready for him. I’ll be at the lake house if you need me.”
Jake extended a hand to Chris. “You’ve done more than enough already. See you tomorrow.” He extended a hand and slapped Chris on the back.
Chris ran by the downtown house, turned up the heat in the old home, and grabbed the few items he’d left in the closet for when he stayed there. He didn’t think he’d be coming back. Or that was the plan if he could convince Charlie to stay in Sweetbriar.
He jumped back in his truck and started up the winding, hilly road that led to his house, tapping on the steering wheel with excited energy. He was going home. It wasn’t under the circumstances he’d hoped — no wife and kids, or plans for either — but it was time to move forward and start living the life he’d always imagined for himself. Or as close to that as possible without the woman he’d hoped he’d be sharing it with.
CHAPTER FOUR
The snow hadstarted to fall from the sky early in the morning, leaving the ground covered in a light blanket of white. Claire was in panic-mode, pacing back and forth in Tori’s office, texting away on her phone while barking orders.
“We need to get up there now before the roads get any worse.”
“Tell me again why we can’t just reschedule?” Tori asked, knowing good and well there was no world in which Claire would consider such a thing.
“Because it’s Valentine’s Day. And because everything was supposed to be perfect! Damn snow in February!” Claire said, fisting both hands in the air. “I have Gretchen coming to photograph everything for the blog,” she whined.
Tori glanced through the window in her office out to the empty gym. No one had shown up for her yoga class earlier today, and it looked like her barre class wasn’t going to have any takers either.
