Prologue

Everything was different now. Hadley was home. Though after years of staying away, she hardly considered this her home anymore. She never planned to come back, but after a curious phone call, here she was. Driving down a perfectly paved road, surrounded by equally spaced cookie cutter homes with manicured lawns and identical mailboxes. Growing up, this was a rough dirt road that split an expanse of beautiful, rolling fields. Long gone were the green acres Hadley once loved.

She had no intention of prolonging this visit. She planned to sign whatever paperwork she was handed and head right back out of town. The woman who called yesterday divulged no details, she simply informed Hadley there was outstanding paperwork that must be signed in person. She could only imagine what kind of mess her father left behind.

Desperate to get the day over with, her foot pressed against the pedal while her fingertips tapped on the steering wheel. After rounding a corner, she noticed a small open field bordered by a wooden fence on her left. It looked out of place, but it was something finally familiar to Hadley, so she decided to pull over and get out. She spent a few minutes slowly walking along the fence, inhaling the perfume of a nearby magnolia tree and listening to the old leaves and broken branches crunch beneath her feet. She shoved her reddened hands into her coat pockets, which did little to warm her against the icy wind that stung her cheeks and knotted her hair.

After a few minutes, Hadley felt an unexpected warmth spread across her chest when she saw a chestnut-colored gelding appear from around the bend. Her cold muscles softened at the sight; it was the first time she'd seen a horse since growing up. After the initial moment of joy, Hadley looked around the small field that was set in the corner of a massive in-progress housing development and cocked her head to the side. Her eyebrows furrowed and her steps slowed as she approached the out-of-place horse. Hadley noticed his eyes wouldn't cross hers, so she was careful to not spook him. Captivated by the handsome creature with a white blaze pattern on his face that matched his white stockings, Hadley suddenly remembered an old trick. She dug around in her faded leather handbag until her fingers felt a red and white swirled peppermint candy. She always kept a few handy for whenever a headache was forming. The mint did wonders for her. She grabbed one, slowly unwrapped the plastic and placed the candy on her flat open palm. She extended a shaky hand over the fence, smiled, and stood patiently. The horse looked at Hadley, as if he was deciding if she could be trusted, before he leaned his long face over the fence to grab the treat. Once he took the peppermint, he let out a relaxed snort and slowly turned back toward the houses.

Hadley took a deep breath in, eyeing her surroundings, and exhaled against the cold air. She leaned against the old wooden fence and watched the horse walk away. Suddenly memories of her childhood flooded her senses. She tasted both buttery cookies and stale dinners. Smelled the horses and the sting of bourbon. She felt the wind in her hair. All at once overwhelmed by freedom and fear. She remembered the love and the loss. She was definitely back, she thought. Back in the place she once called home.