Chapter 13

Haisley helped Peach tape up the boxes and take them to the shipping store. After getting the boxes sent off to his place in California, they drove past the bars and then did a little more touring downtown before heading to the house to meet with the real estate agent. Soon, they would be on the plane out of Georgia, and she thought it couldn't happen soon enough.

“Had you ever gone to those bars?” Peach asked.

Haisley shook her head. "Not really. Maybe once with Will, like when we first got together. He might have been going to them. I didn't really keep up with his location. He worked a lot. But now, looking back, I'm not really sure where he was. He could have been at those bars. I don't really know. Then, I left him and was on my own for a while. I really thought he had stopped being so angry that I left him. But the car, and then there were other things. Now, I think it was all him."

They pulled up at the house, and the realtor was already there, walking around the lot. Peach met her gaze before they got out of the car .

“I don’t know that there’s anything we can do to punish them. I need more time to look into what they’ve done.”

She shook her head. “Punishment isn’t needed. I just want to live my life.”

Peach nodded once before stepping out of the car and going around the front to help her out. The realtor came over and shook their hands.

“You can call me Allen. I’ve been in the business for six years. I’m excited to get this piece of property. How do you feel about opening it up to developers?”

She watched as Peach’s lips thinned. “It’s inevitable, isn’t it?”

Allen shrugged. “Not necessarily. However, there are multiple developers who would buy this today if it went up on the market. It’s already zoned for housing because it was incorporated into the city two years ago.”

“How does that work?” Haisley asked.

“The city government annexed this parcel into the city a few years ago and changed it from farm to housing. I guess they knew people were going to move out. The area is growing, so they were planning. It makes it easier for you to sell.”

Peach shrugged. “I’ll never come back here. I want it gone. Do you have someone you go through for estate sales? I need to get rid of everything inside.”

Allen flashed a huge smile. “Yes. My wife and daughter do that. They don’t charge a lot if you’re a client of mine. So instead of the normal thirty-five percent, they charge twelve if you’re my client.”

Hailey thought that was high, but Peach nodded. “I’d like to sign with you. I’m leaving in the morning, flying back to California. I’m grateful that you do both.”

“Oh, do you live in California?” Allen asked .

“Yes, sir. I’m in the Navy.”

“Oh, we also give a discount for military families.”

Peach shook his head. “No. This was my parents’ place. They weren’t in the military. I’m just getting rid of everything and closing their accounts.”

Allen’s smile faded. “Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss. I didn’t know…”

“It’s okay. I haven’t made any announcements. I was going to do a memorial service, but things happened.”

Haisley felt guilty. She was the thing that happened. After being attacked, Peach had stuck by her, probably not getting as much done as he’d hoped. They had eaten most of their meals at the house, but they were sleeping at the hotel. He said he just didn’t trust the people in this town. They’d already broken in once, and he didn’t doubt that they would try something again if they were sleeping there.

Peach and Allen worked out a deal, and Peach signed papers. Allen said he would call if something happened, and Peach seemed satisfied. Haisley thought Peach would want to stick around for a while, but Peach was ready to go after walking through the house one more time.

Clothes, furniture, and all the kitchen stuff were still in their places, but the house seemed totally empty. She wondered what made a house feel lived in. The last week, while Ellen and John had been gone, before she knew they had passed away, the house had felt alive with their happiness. Now even that was gone.

It was weird leaving the house that wasn't really her home, but it kind of was home. Sadness for Ellen and John filled her. Something had gone wrong in Colombia. She had nothing to do with them going there, but a part of her felt the twist of guilt. Maybe if she'd done something to stop them, they would still be alive. Hopefully, Peach could figure out what really happened and make things right.