Page 47 of All of You

My gut burns. I can’t take much more of seeing Wren around town and not being able tobewith her. It’s driving me nuts. If yesterday was any indication, I’m close to the edge. I went to the bake sale to help raise funds for Bright Horizons. I’m Wren’s biggest supporter and yet I can’t shout it from the rooftops.

When I saw her whispering, smiling, and hugging Jett Kincaide, the green-eyed monster hijacked my soul. I don’t get jealous. That isn’t me.

I trust Wren with all that I am. I have nothing to worry about, and yet, a strange, feral possessiveness infiltrated my body. I wanted to kick Jett all the way back to Prospect. Even when she told me he was offering support to Bright Horizons, I had to squash the urge to tell him to back off.

Add in the news about my father and Dot’s threat to expose him and I’m off balance and overwhelmed with utter helplessness.

I haven’t told Wren any of this, not yet. There isn’t any point when it’ll only add to her stress, and it doesn’t change anything. Besides, I have to talk to Eddie first, find out what he knows. He has been at his cabin fishing and is finally back in town.

Pop’s deep voice as he approaches my table cuts through my troubles. “Oliver, what’ll it be?”

“Hey. I’m waiting on Maddox so I’m good for now.” My fingers drum a hurried beat on the table, nerves humming through me.

Since helping him with the treehouse, I’ve been to the Grill nearly every day. Pop and I are now on solid ground. He doesn’t like the sneaking around with his daughter, but like he said from the beginning, this isn’t his business.

“You mean Hartley? He’s in town?”

“Yeah. He’s back for Katie Rae’s wedding. We’re heading over to Eddie’s garage to loan him a car while he’s here.”

Nodding, he turns and stops. “I know I said I’d stay out of this. My daughter’s a grown woman and makes her own choices, but don’t you think this has gone on too long?”

I shift uncomfortably in my seat. “It has and I hate every minute of it. I’m trying to move things as fast as I can.”

“How are you going to fix this?”

What “this” is he talking about? There are so many things coming at us right now—the baby, trying to get back my business, and now the nasty truth about my father. Dot’s right—forget the mayor wanting a town name change; everyone will want one if the truth comes out about Merrick Winslow.

“I’m trying, Pop.”

His head tilts to one side in contemplation, expression more sympathetic than anything else when Maddox Hartley claps the old man on the shoulder.

“Pop.” Mad pulls him in for a bear hug.

The two chuckle and slap each other on the backs as I get up to greet him. I can’t believe my best friend has finally come home after all these years. As I move in for a one-armed hug, Pop makes his excuses and leaves us.

“Mad, you’re looking good.” I slide into the booth and he does the same across the table.

“You too, bro.” The sleeves of his leather jacket lean against the table and he grins at me.

“I can hardly believe you’re here. I seriously thought you were going to bail.” He’s done it before. There were at least three or four times where he would text that he was coming home and wouldn’t show for whatever reason. They always felt like excuses.

“Shut up. Katie’s getting married. She’s my little sister, bro. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“I know and I don’t care why you’re here; it’s just good to see you. Did Erica come with you?”

His eyes dart around the room. “Nah. It’s good to see you too.”

Okay, he doesn’t want to talk about Erica. I tap the menu and look at him. “Do you want anything before we head over to the garage?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

I drop a few dollars on the table to cover my coffee and tip and we leave.

As we walk, shoulder to shoulder along the sidewalk, I watch Maddox take in the town and ask, “Has the town changed to you?”

“Not really.” Maddox shrugs and pulls his leather jacket tighter to ward off the wind. “Some things have but it’s still the same great place.”

I blow out a breath, still wrestling with the idea that all this could no longer be known as Winslow Grove. My home. My legacy. And why? Because of my hypocritical father. It’s one thing to battle Dot, a living, breathing she-witch, but it’s something completely different and futile to battle a dead man.

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