Five

FIVE

Aria

"How is Sasha doing?"

With my phone up to my ear, I smiled as my eyes landed on my cuddly girl. She was curled up in a ball across the room, napping. It was to be expected, considering we'd had nearly a full morning of playing after we both had breakfast.

Admittedly, I'd been spending a bit more time with her doing things we always used to do before I made the decision to pick up and leave my hometown.

It was the beginning of September now, and it had been roughly two months since I was on Britney's doorstep to drop off my cat. My best friend had looked after Sasha for roughly seven and a half weeks before I got myself settled. I'd gone back to pick up Sasha a week ago, and it was safe to say we'd been doing our best to make up for lost time.

As difficult as it had been to leave her, I knew it was the best thing for both of us. Because it gave me the ability to take my time to figure out where the best place would be to start rebuilding our lives.

While Britney kept Sasha with her, I'd visited three separate towns, taking just shy of two weeks in each one to scope them out. Ultimately, I settled on one and spent the remainder of my time nailing down housing.

Now, Sasha and I were here in our new hometown, Steel Ridge, a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. My old hometown was about two and a half hours southwest of where I was currently living.

We were both settling in nicely, and I felt inclined to share that news with the woman on the other end of the phone line.

"She's doing great, Brit. As you know, she was a little standoffish when I first picked her up from your place, but she's been slowly warming up to me again. Of course, I've been doing everything I can to spoil her, so she knows just how sorry I am for leaving her for so long."

Britney let out a laugh. "Oh, I'm sure she's gobbling it up, though."

"Yeah, she is. I still don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been willing or able to keep her for me while I did this."

"Don't even mention it. She was delightful. I enjoyed having her here with me. In fact, I miss her so much, I'm considering getting a little companion of my own," Britney revealed.

"Next to you, she's the best thing I have in my life, so I can promise you won't regret it if you decide to go down the path of pet ownership. Sasha and I are partial to British shorthairs, in case you're looking for input. "

"I'll keep that in mind. I still can't believe you're so far away. What am I going to do without you being here?" she asked.

Britney was one of the only reasons I'd struggled with my decision to put some distance between myself and my family. Where I could easily justify my choice to go when it came to walking away from family, it was difficult to do with my best friend. I missed her terribly.

"You're going to come and visit Sasha and me here in Steel Ridge," I declared. "I mean, when was the last time you treated yourself to a vacation anyway?"

She groaned. "You're right. I work way too much. I thought I was going to convince you to make a trip back here, but now that you mention my lack of downtime, I'm thinking you might be onto something. I'll look at the work schedule and see when I can make a visit happen."

Instantly, I felt better. Of course, I understood this wasn't something that would happen regularly, but it was nice to know Britney was willing to help both of us with this transition by making the drive out sometime in the coming weeks.

"Let me know as soon as you know when you're going to make that happen, because I might need to schedule some time off from work," I told her.

"Work? I didn't know you found a job yet."

"I didn't. But I'm rectifying that starting today," I shared. "My hope is that I'll be able to find something within the next week or two."

Even though I'd hated to learn about where my money had been coming from over the last several years, I had to admit, it gave me the opportunity to save more than I would have been able to if our situation at home had never changed the way it did. Even at the peak performance of my family's store, we never had the kind of income that was being brought in while I was painting.

I shuddered at the thought of my painting. I still hadn't come to terms with the betrayal, the lies. None of it had been real. Because even if the money coming in said differently, my perceived success was just that… perceived. I was no artist, and I hadn't dared to pick up a paintbrush since I made the decision to end things several months ago. From where I was standing now, I was convinced I'd never sit in front of another blank canvas again.

"Any ideas on where you plan to apply?" Britney asked, bringing me back to the conversation.

"Not yet. There are a lot of little local businesses in town, though, so I think I'll start looking at a couple of those. At least I can say I've got experience in a family business, right?"

"That's true, but even if you didn't, I still think you'd be a great addition to any business."

I smiled, feeling such gratitude for this woman. I truly was blessed to have her in my life. "If I'm going to stand any chance at making it happen, though, I should probably get started on it now," I reasoned.

"Okay. Keep me posted on how it goes. And give Sasha a couple of cuddles from me."

"I can do that. I'll talk to you later."

"Sounds good."

Britney and I said goodbye and disconnected our call.

I sat there for the next several minutes, contemplating how much things had changed for me over the last two months. It had been like a breath of fresh air. It made me realize that I wasn't thriving while I was at home, even before I knew the truth about what was happening with my paintings. Ever since I'd moved, even when I was simply searching for a place to put down roots, I felt invigorated and energized in a way I hadn't anticipated. But now that I'd found a place and had rented a home, it was safe to say I hadn't expected to feel this good.

That alone was strange for me to admit and accept.

Because I was at a place where I was starting my life over without my family around, without the people who had meant everything to me.

My mom and sister still didn't know the real reason I left. They assumed I was being selfish, and they didn't hesitate to tell me as much.

It hurt.

God, it hurt.

I wanted them to know the truth, to understand why I had to stop painting and leave, but I couldn't bring myself to tell them. I would have rather let them believe the worst about me than to have my mom feel guilty about her cancer diagnosis leading my dad—her husband—to making such a horrible choice.

From the moment I learned the truth and didn't do something about it, I hated myself. And every time I took a brush to a canvas, knowing exactly where my painting was going to wind up, that feeling of disgust with myself only grew stronger.

Where had my dignity gone?

Unable to continue living like I had been, I needed to leave.

And maybe my mom and sister thought the worst of me. That was fine. I wasn't going to try to change it. In the end, I had to be able to live with myself. That meant I couldn't continue what I was doing, but I also couldn't turn against my family.

After all that the four of us had been through together, after all that we'd fought against, I couldn't bring myself to go against them completely by contacting the authorities. I didn't know where that would put my dad. And if he wound up in prison for what he did, it would have certainly left my mom and Jasmine even worse off.

So, I took the blame, kept my mouth shut, and walked away.

It was the best thing I'd ever done for myself.

And after years of putting everyone else before me, I was proud of taking this step to start my life over. I could leave the past behind me and find a better future.

At the thought of brighter days ahead, I got up from the couch, moved to say goodbye to Sasha, and walked out the door.

I was in my driveway and had nearly made it to my car when it happened. A barking dog pulled my attention in the direction of my neighbor's house, and a movement had my eyes shifting toward the ground.

The dog was charging at me.

Maybe in another scenario, I might have been terrified to have this happening, but it was difficult to feel intimidated when a Pomeranian was the dog making its way toward me.

The pup made it to within a few feet of me, barking nonstop, and wound up reconsidering his plan. While he continued to bark, clearly feeling the need to put me in my place, he took several steps back from me.

My eyes were pinned on him, and I was caught off guard when I heard a masculine voice exclaim, "Brutus, get over here!"

I glanced up and saw my neighbor jogging in my direction. My unbelievably handsome neighbor.

The corners of my mouth tipped up as my eyes landed on him.

I might not have lived in my new house for very long, but in the short time I'd been here, it was safe to say I'd spent more time than was reasonable, looking out the window whenever he arrived home in the evenings.

His name was Paxton.

Paxton Fields.

He had short dark hair. No, not dark. Black. He had jet black hair that was slightly longer at the very front and top of his head. He wore that part spiky, but the rest of it had been buzzed short everywhere else. He had an angular jawline, dark brown eyes, and he was fit.

God, he was fit.

He was wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt now, but he looked incredible. Not only was it obvious he worked out regularly and was strong, but my eyes were also drawn to his arms, because his entire left arm was covered in colorful tattoos that I wanted to inspect up close.

And while he was taller than me, I was sure he was just shy of six feet.

I met Paxton two days after I'd moved into the new house. I'd just gotten back from running an errand, and he was leaving. We exchanged a few nice words, and he welcomed me to the neighborhood.

That was it.

That was all it had been.

But I'd seen him leaving in the morning or coming home at the end of the day on several occasions. He was nice to look at.

"Brutus, that's enough," Paxton said as he came to a stop and bent down to pick up his dog before lifting his gaze to mine. "I'm sorry about that. You aren't afraid of dogs, are you?"

I shook my head. "No. Not at all."

"Okay. Good. I promise, this guy is all bark and no bite. He just likes believing he's in charge of everything," Paxton shared.

I smiled. "Is that where he got his name?"

Paxton chuckled. "Is it that obvious?"

"I think it's great. He certainly doesn't look like a Brutus, but he's got the heart of one."

"Thanks. He's the rowdiest of the bunch."

My brows shot up in surprise. "The bunch? Are you telling me there are more?"

He nodded. "Yep. When it comes to the dogs, there's Brutus, Patty, and Tiny."

There were several questions that ran through my mind, so I started with the first. "Are they all the same breed?"

"Nope. Patty is a bulldog, and Tiny is a mastiff."

"I had a feeling you were going to say something along those lines. And would I be wrong to assume there are more than just dogs?" I pressed.

Wearing a proud smile on his face, he confirmed, "You would not. I also have two cats and a parrot."

I stared at him in disbelief. Although I had a feeling he was going to confirm my suspicions, I hadn't expected so many other animals.

"Do you… Are you a veterinarian or something? "

Paxton laughed again. "No. No, I'm just a big softie when it comes to animals. All of them are rescues."

It shouldn't have surprised me to hear Paxton admit to being a softie, especially considering the names he'd given his dogs. But if I was honest, I'd judged him based on his looks. And Paxton seemed like the kind of guy who could be rather menacing.

"That's incredible. And it's very noble of you."

He shrugged, brushing it off. "Ah, they make life fun, so it works out for me as much as it does them. What about you? Do you have any animals?"

"A cat. She's a British shorthair named Sasha. And I guess what you said is the truth. She's my first pet, and I've only had her for two years, but I don't know how I lived without her. She's the only one I've got, though."

"Hey, you've got plenty of time to add to your brood," Paxton teased. He hesitated a beat before he asked, "So, how are you settling in? Are you enjoying the new place?"

For a fleeting moment, I wondered if he remembered my name. We'd only spoken once, but I wasn't anything like him. It was likely he'd been friendly enough that day, but he probably didn't think about our conversation once it was over. And I highly doubted he was like I was when it came to looking out the window at his new neighbor.

Ignoring those thoughts, I glanced back at the house briefly before I offered a nod in return and answered, "I am. It's been nice so far, but I told myself this morning that my break is over and it's time to start working again. So, I'm heading out today to look for a job."

"Oh. Do you have something in particular you're looking to do?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not exactly. I was hoping to find something at a small local business. I'd prefer that over a big corporation. But beyond that, I'm not picky. If you've got any suggestions of good places to check out, I'm all ears."

Paxton took a moment to consider the options and said, "I can't say whether any of these spots are currently hiring, but there're quite a few small businesses in town. You could check out Betty's. It's a relatively new diner here that opened only a few months ago. There's also The Steel Pub that might be looking for some help. One of my coworkers, who's a great friend of mine, is married to a woman who owns Grant's Deli. She's pregnant right now, and I believe her due date is sometime in November, so she might also be looking for some help for when the baby arrives."

This was great news. Even if none of these panned out, at least I had a great starting place.

"Thank you. I really appreciate that."

He smiled at me, his eyes shining as he scratched Brutus's head. "No problem. I'll ask a couple of my friends at work today and see if anyone has any other suggestions. A few of the guys are dating, engaged, or married to women who've got their own businesses, so maybe I can get you an in with one of them."

I beamed at him. "That would be wonderful. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all. But if I'm going to make that happen, I should probably get this guy inside and get going," he said. "I'll let you know if I come up with anything."

"That sounds great. I guess I'll talk to you later."

He held my stare a beat before he confirmed, "You will. "

There was so much promise in that confident look and those two words. I didn't want to make assumptions and think there was something more behind what he'd said and the way he said it, but I didn't know how I could pretend he hadn't just sent a shiver down my spine.

I swallowed hard, ignoring the way I felt, and jerked my chin down in acknowledgement. "See you later, Paxton. And it was nice meeting you, Brutus."

Paxton lifted Brutus's paw and waved at me. "Good luck today, Aria."

Well, there it was.

Proof that Paxton did know my name.

I smiled, letting out a laugh as I felt my belly flip, and opened my car door. And after sending him a wave, I backed out of my driveway and took off.

Even if I didn't land a job today, I couldn't say it was a total loss. My interaction with Paxton this morning had given me just one more thing to love about this new life I was attempting to build.