Chapter 1

1

STERLING

T he view from my office was the kind of shit dreams were made of. The Brooklyn Bridge jutted from the sparkling water in the distance. The modern, iconic skyscrapers of Wall Street and the smaller, much more historic buildings stood proudly in between. And all of it was my playground.

It was a far cry from the miles of green farmland and open spaces where I'd grown up.

Leaning back in my chair, I let out a deep breath and scrubbed my palms over my jaw, groaning at the prospect of being away from here for the next six weeks. Beyond my windows, the sun had begun to set. Lights were slowly blinking to life in the buildings around me and on the vibrant streets below.

For the first time in years, I wouldn't be back here on Monday morning and I was not excited about it. I sighed again, hit the button on my computer to shut it down, and got up to grab my jacket once the screen went black. As I slid my arms into the sleeves that had been tailored to my exact specifications, I took one last look around the office.

Half a wall of TV screens showed me real-time updates of every important financial market on the planet. Thick carpet stretched out beneath my feet. A sleek, glass-topped desk faced the view, a conference table sat next to one of the solid walls, and in the corner, there was a little coffee nook with a couch my assistant had insisted upon so I had somewhere to take a break every once in a while.

I practically lived here.

Ever since I'd been hired as an investment banker at Josh Meadows Inc, the most badass brokerage firm in the city, I'd gone balls to the wall, hardly even sleeping for the first few years while I'd been cementing my position here.

These days, I still spent most of my time working, but at least I grabbed a few hours' of shut-eye every night. Well, most nights anyway.

For the next six weeks, however, I wouldn't be working at all.

It was a mind-shift of note.

It felt like the computer sitting on my desk was calling to me as I strode across the expanse of my office to my door. Like it was judging me for leaving it behind.

I gritted my teeth, opened my door, and ran smack into Henry, a particularly obnoxious coworker of mine. He was one of those dude-bros who always wore his collar popped up and was completely unaware of his own overgrown sense of entitlement.

"Sterling!" He said the last syllable of my name in a much deeper tone and grinned when he saw me, his strawberry-blonde hair slicked back and his top buttons already undone. Reaching out, he clasped my shoulder and pumped his eyebrows at me. "We're meeting at Nova to celebrate another awesome week. You in?"

I grimaced and shook my head. "I can't, man. I'm catching an early morning flight in a few hours."

"That gives you a few hours to party with us," he said, undeterred by my declining his invitation. "Come on, bro. It's just a few beers. We'll let you go when you have to."

As he said it, Bryant and Jenna came around the corner, both fixing me with expectant looks of their own. Henry, Bryant, Jenna, and I were all on the same level here at the moment, but I was up for a promotion.

My boss wasn't too happy about my extended leave of absence to go back to my hometown, but I wasn't happy about it either. I hadn't been back there since my mom died, and even then, it'd only been for a few days to tie up her loose ends because my dad had been incapable of doing it himself.

I hadn't taken time off work since and I believed that was one of the reasons I was first in line for the promotion. The people inviting me out for drinks now would be here while I was gone, and that was why I finally returned Henry's grin and lifted my chin in a nod.

"Sure, yeah. One won't hurt. Let's do it."

I would be damned if one of them went after my promotion while I was gone, and the only way to prevent it would be to make sure they knew I would be back—and that when I got here, I didn't want to hear about anyone trying to steal it out from underneath me.

They were all a little bit afraid of me and I planned on using that to my advantage. They also all owed me for various favors I'd done for them or messes I'd cleaned up on their behalf over the years.

I just had to give them a reminder of all that.

Henry smirked like he'd known all along that I would cave, and the others fell into step behind us. As we made our way to the elevator and walked to the preppy, after-work watering hole they favored, they bantered about the deals they'd lost or closed this week, but I didn't join in.

I wasn't in the mood for banter. I was too annoyed by having to go home. Of all the fucking times to have to leave.

"What's up with you?" Bryant asked as we sipped our drinks at our usual table. "I heard you're going away. That's not like you."

"No, it's not." I'd been tight-lipped about my life back home, and I didn't really care to share too much. Keeping it vague, I swallowed a sip of my beer and shrugged. "My ten-year high school reunion is coming up and I've got some family shit to work out, but I'll be back."

Henry scoffed. "You're leaving now because of some reunion? I wouldn't turn my back for a second if I was you right now. You must really have loved high school."

I had, but that wasn't why I was obliged to go. The obligation stemmed from the fact that I had been the graduating class president, but I might've overlooked even that if I hadn't wanted to go talk to my dad about the family business.

It was about time we met with a lawyer or an estate planner so I wouldn't be stuck with another mess once he eventually kicked the bucket. But Henry didn't need to know that either.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Some of us take our responsibilities seriously. We don't get lost in the clubs in the Hamptons when we're supposed to be at work, for example."

He paled a little in response to the barely veiled threat and Bryant burst out laughing. "Burn!"

Jenna smirked at me. "Well played. I'd almost forgotten about his mishap in the Hamptons."

I shrugged. "Just saying. I'm not worried about turning my back and it's not because I loved high school. My dad is getting older and there's some stuff he and I need to go over. The reunion just gave me an added incentive to get the trip over with, is all."

Henry cocked his head, still a little pale, but at least he seemed to be over the urge to give me meaningless empty warnings about the timing of my absence. "Where is home, anyway? I just realized I don't even know where you're from."

"Allisburg," I said curtly.

"Where is that?" Bryant frowned. "Maine?"

"Vermont," I said.

Jenna's head jerked a little. "You're from a small town in Vermont ?"

"Yep." I arched an eyebrow at her. "Surprised?"

"Very." She studied my face like she was searching for any sign of country on it, but she wouldn't find anything.

I'd long since left that life behind. I folded my arms as I relaxed in my chair at our cocktail table, smirking when her gaze finally came back to mine. "There's a lot you don't know about me, honey. Not so much that I don't know about you."

Acknowledgment flashed in her eyes and she nodded, quickly averting her gaze. Another message delivered.

Bryant shrank in on himself a little and I grinned. Mission accomplished.

I picked up my beer, but Henry spoke again before I could take a sip. "You're a country bumpkin? What the hell, man? How did we not know that?"

I shrugged, playing it off when the truth was that they hadn't known because I'd made a point of not telling them. I wasn't ashamed of my roots, but these people weren't my friends.

We drank together. We worked together. Occasionally, we even played wingman for each other. But we were not friends.

We were rivals.

It was a dog-eat-dog world we lived in and I'd never been bit. I didn't plan on starting now.

"Does it matter where I come from?" I asked, turning the tables instead. "You're from Florida and I've never given you shit about that."

"You should, though," Bryant joked, but then his features suddenly transformed when a group of women passed by. He sat up a little straighter, his gaze glued to their asses as they walked to the bar. When they reached it, he glanced at me. "Want to turn on that charm of yours for me before you leave?"

I drained my beer and double-tapped the bottle when it was empty. "Let's do it."

Finding an in with one of the women who gave me a smile as we walked up, I chatted to her for a bit before introducing Bryant, and then I left, surprisingly relieved to have an excuse tonight. These little after-work soirees of ours had grown old to me.

Boring.

I hadn't come to Manhattan for boring .

After paying for my drink, I waved at the others and headed to my penthouse apartment, strangely melancholic as the sound of my keys hitting the table echoed through the empty space. I'd moved in here as soon as I'd been able to afford it and I'd been mighty proud of it at the time.

The place was sleek. Modern and spotless, but stale. Cold and lifeless.

I was a bachelor and it showed. My life consisted of work, happy hour, the gym, and a bi-monthly one-night stand. It was not exactly the glitz and glamor I'd been sold on back in business school.

Shaking my head at myself, I strode to my bedroom and didn't bother switching on any lights. The ambient light from the city filtering in through my large windows was more than enough to see by and my bags were already packed for my trip. After I called for an Uber to take me to the airport, I just stood there, looking out at the life of the city below.

As I stared down at the snaking red line of brake lights and the twinkling neon signs above the storefronts, I debated not going home for the thousandth time, but in the end, I'd meant what I'd told my coworkers earlier.

I had an obligation to go back for the reunion and my dad and I seriously needed to get his affairs in order. I had enough on my plate. The last thing I needed was to keep worrying about what in the hell was really going on with the farm and the businesses back home.

I had stood there for some time lost in my thoughts when my phone buzzed in my hand. Forcing my gaze away from the city I'd grown to love, I glanced at my screen and saw that someone named Brandon had arrived to pick me up. Nodding to myself, I grabbed my bags and strode out of my empty apartment without so much as one last look back.

"Hey," Brandon said as I opened my door. "You Sterling?"

"Yep." I tossed the bags in ahead of me and climbed into the backseat, immediately turning to the window so he wouldn't think I wanted to make conversation.

Thankfully, he caught the hint and turned up the volume on the radio a little, leaving me to my thoughts as he eased us into the traffic. Eventually, the city lights faded and I fell into my memories of the last time I'd gone home.

It had been five years ago. For my mom's funeral. I hadn't stayed long before jetting back here for work.

It was still surreal to me that I was going back to an Allisburg where she wouldn't be waiting for me. Sleeping at our house on the farm without waking up to her cooking. My stomach churned at the thought of staying there with only my dad.

The funeral had happened. Mom was gone. I'd been there when they'd lowered her coffin into the ground. I'd been the one who'd patted down the dirt when it was over.

The memory of that day spun to the moment when I'd looked out across the small crowd who had gathered at my mom's grave. I'd had the shovel in my hand and I'd been smoothing the dirt so it would look neat.

Mom would've appreciated it. She liked things tidy.

Most people had gone to meet us at the house for some refreshments, but Daphne LaSalle had lingered.

My best friend's younger sister.

She'd stayed and lent me her silent support as I'd done that final thing for my mom.

It had been the first time I'd seen her in five years. The last time had been at a party just after my high school graduation. A party that might've changed my life if I hadn't been leaving Allisburg the very next week.

I closed my eyes, picturing her that night as I'd walked her home after the party. Daphne's chestnut brown hair had been pulled up into a long ponytail that had hung to the center of her back, her full curves encased in a simple yellow dress and her blue eyes bright but guarded.

My phone buzzed again and my eyes flew open, but I had to blink hard a few times to dispel the haze of the memories. When I finally managed to focus on the device, I found a text waiting for me from Eric.

Speak of the damn devil.

As if Daphne's big brother had sensed me thinking about his sister from all the way across the state, he'd messaged me at exactly the right time to distract me from the memories of that night. He was supposed to pick me up from the airport, and I groaned when I realized that wouldn't be happening.

Eric: Hey man. Just letting you know that there's been a slight change of plan. Nothing to worry about. Have a safe flight!

I wasn't even home yet and already Allisburg was fucking with me. I hit the dial button to find out what this mysterious change of plan was, but unsurprisingly, Eric didn't pick up. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what that town has in store for me this time.