Page 96 of Awakening the Sheriff

Horses? Oh my, that would be something else. “I’d love to have chickens. Fresh eggs and all that.”

Auden bumped my shoulder, a huge grin on his face. “You’re getting into the country way of living there?”

“I grew up country, baby. My parents had a hobby farm. Chickens, two goats, ponies, we had it all.”

“How did you ever feel at home in Atlanta?”

After moving to Forestville, I’d asked myself the same question. Even amid all the trouble with Byron, I’d always wanted to stay. “Don’t ask me. Temporary insanity.”

We walked in through the mud room, which I loved already. Gosh, to be able to put all the muddy shoes somewhere and not have to drag wet jackets into a hallway was a huge bonus.

The kitchen had a rustic charm with its hardwood floors, exposed beams, and bright windows that let in natural light. The walls were painted a light, sandy yellow, with white trim and white cabinets. Gleaming copper pots and pans hung from a rack above the stove, and a large open pantry displayed jars of spices, neatly labeled pots with flour, sugar, and rice, and all kinds of oils and bottles of vinegar.

“It’s so cozy,” I said.

“You don’t think it needs updating?”

“Not the stove, but the fridge, maybe?”

“Yeah. That one has been here forever. The stove is relatively new, maybe five years or so. And it’s a good one because Ennio picked it.”

As we walked through the house, we commented on things we’d need to fix, redecorate, or replace. A bigger washer and dryer. Paint the living room and dining room. All the bedrooms would need some updating to fit the kids’ tastes. But the bathrooms were in good shape. A little outdated, maybe, but still looking good. With a thorough cleaning and maybe some rerouting, we could wait to redo those.

One room we’d have to renovate was the main bedroom and the adjoining bathroom. The bedroom had flowery wallpaper, which was too frilly for our taste, and the bathroom was stuck in the nineties. “We can ask Cas,” Auden suggested.

I nodded. “He did great work on my garage and a few other projects.”

“You should see how their house looked before Cas renovated it. It’s the biggest transformation I’ve ever seen. I thought Tiago was nuts when he bought it, but now it’s the most gorgeous house I’ve ever seen.”

“I’m sure Cas can give us some good ideas for this place.”

It was so quiet here, aside from the birds chirping and the wind rustling through the trees closest to the house. Some of the floorboards creaked as we stepped on them, and a few of the door hinges needed some WD-40.

We walked into the next bedroom, which held Cora’s sewing and crafting materials. “This used to be mine,” Auden said. “My bed was there.” He pointed to one wall. “And I had a pull-out sofa here until my parents bought another full-size bed for Marnin ‘cause he stayed over so much.”

“He didn’t want his own space? I mean, I’m sure you had a guest room.”

Auden shook his head. “He slept in my bed for a long time, often afraid of the dark. Even when he had his own bed, he’d crawl in with me in the middle of the night. Lasted until we were twelve.”

“He was lucky to have you.”

“It went both ways. He’s always been my best friend. He might be a grumpy bastard at times, but he’s loyal and always there for me.”

When we headed back down the stairs, I said, “It’s a pretty big house considering you were an only child for so long.”

“My parents wanted a lot of kids, so they bought it with that idea in mind. But my mom became sick when she was pregnant with my sibling, and she lost that baby. She died when I was ten, but she’d been ill for a long time by then.”

“That must’ve been devastating for your father as well.”

We were back in the kitchen, and he leaned against the counter. “I was happy when he met Cora. People often tell horror stories about stepmoms and vice versa, about kids treating them horribly, but Cora and I got along from day one. You’ve met her. How can you not love that woman?”

“Is she a lot like your mom?”

Auden smiled. “Not in appearance, but in character, yes. My mom had a smile that could light up the room, my dad always says. And she had a big heart, always wanting to take care of everyone.” His voice broke a little. “Before she died, she told me how sorry she was that she wouldn’t be there for me as I grew older, that she wouldn’t see me grow up, get married, have kids.”

I reached for his hand and laced our fingers together as he took a shuddering breath. “She would’ve been the best grandma, you know? She loved kids. God, she would’ve spoiled the hell out of Violet and Dani. They have Cora now, and she loves them just as much, but I wish… I wish they could’ve met my mom. And when Tricia and I got married, I had so hoped that maybe my kids would look like my mom, so that a little of her would live on…”

The insight hit me so suddenly that I froze for a moment. “Was that why you struggled so much over being infertile? Because it meant you wouldn’t be able to pass on her genes?”

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