Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

SPENCER

M y tires bit into the loose gravel of the Graylans' driveway. Up ahead, their familiar family home, flanked by trees with crimson and gold leaves, hit me with nostalgia. The front porch boasted a bench drowning in fluffed-up pillows and cozy blankets. Fallen leaves had been swept from the steps, which looked precariously slippery from last night's downpour. In autumn, it rained constantly in Stone Ridge, my old hometown. And this year, the season seemed to have come early.

Oh shit. That's something old people say. Am I old? Thirty-six doesn't feel old, but then again, I was eyeing those fuzzy slippers online the other day. But wanting to be comfortable at home doesn't mean I'm over the hill.

I shook off the thoughts and focused on the beauty of the place where I'd grown up. The small town had changed very little in the last thirty years. The stone-faced, cottage-style house stood just as I remembered, with smoke puffing out of the chimney and a lazy old golden retriever lounging on the bench.

At first, I hadn't even seen him. He'd blended in with the pillows and blankets. Shoop the dog lifted his head as I got out of my luxury car. I took a deep breath, inhaling the clean, crisp air. It smelled like home.

Balls. Another old man thing to say. I'm on a roll. Might as well order those slippers.

I went to the trunk to grab my suitcase and walked over the uneven walkway that had seen better days. The grass was still a lush green with the roses under the window neatly trimmed. It was like I was fifteen and coming over for a sleepover—minus the raging hormones and feet that were so big they were dangerous tripping hazards.

I climbed the creaky porch steps and greeted Shoop. "Hey, buddy," I said, leaning down and rubbing his head. "Damn, dude, what have you been rolling in?"

He smelled significantly less fresh than the air. I looked at my hands, now oily from the dog's fur. "Gross, man. You've got to warn a guy. If this is dead deer or cow shit, I'm not going to be happy."

The dog looked up at me with his mouth open, almost like he was smiling at me. I rubbed my hand over my pants, already forgiving him. Only a monster could stay mad at a face like that.

The front door swung open. A woman with silver hair and a radiant smile rushed out to hug me. It was Jodie Graylan, the woman I wished I could have called my mother. She hugged me fiercely, just as she used to when I was a lanky teenager, then stood back and smacked my cheek fairly hard.

"Ow!" I complained, pressing a hand to my stinging cheek. "What was that for?"

"What is this scruff on your face?" She playfully scowled. "I'm surprised Shoop didn't attack the vagabond coming onto my porch."

"Shoop wouldn't attack a butterfly, let alone a man," I said.

She beamed as she stepped back to look me up and down. "Last time I saw you, you barely filled out fancy suits like this. Now look at you. All grown up. You look good. Healthy." Her eyes twinkled, and I wondered what she was thinking but not saying.

"Thanks, Jodie," I replied, genuinely happy to see her. "You haven't aged a day. Still the hot mom."

She giggled playfully and swatted at my arm. "You have always been a flirt."

She ushered me inside and showed me to the family sitting room. There, I found the reason I came. My oldest friend Rhett was laid up on the sofa with one leg propped on a pillow on the coffee table in a boot cast.

He had brown and yellow bruises under his eyes and a brace on his nose, so I couldn't tell if the weird stretch of his lips was an attempt at a smile or a grimace.

"You look like shit," I said, dropping onto the armchair beside him.

Jodie hit me again, this time in the stomach. "Wash your mouth out. There's no cursing in this house."

"Sorry, sorry," I muttered, rubbing my stomach.

Jodie was all about tough love and she took zero shit from anyone, not even the neighbor kid. She had no qualms parenting me. Never had.

And I loved it.

Jodie headed to the kitchen to prepare us some coffee while I sat with Rhett.

I leaned forward. "You do look like shit," I whispered. "How are you holding up?"

"It could have been worse," he said.

The car accident could have been really, really bad. I didn't like to think about the night I'd gotten the call from his father, Klaus, that he'd been rushed by helicopter from the crash scene to the hospital. There, he'd undergone back-to-back emergency surgeries to stop internal bleeding and save his life.

For a few hours there, things had been scary, and I'd spent the drive from New York City to my best friend's side thinking up worst case scenarios, like arriving in his room to find his bed empty and his parents inconsolable. Thank God that didn't happen.

Rhett was lucky. Well, sort of. Lucky aside from the broken nose, leg, and bruised ribs.

"Thanks for coming all this way to see me," Rhett said, his voice rough. "You didn't have to do this."

"I know, but you were there for me when I tore my ACL ten years ago. You helped me out. I'm here to repay the favor. How do you feel for real?"

He gestured with his good arm. "Like I got hit by a truck."

"I bet the ribs are the worst, right?"

He grimaced, slowly nodding. "You have no idea."

"I do. Remember the last game of our senior year? That linebacker tried to kill me. He bruised my ribs pretty good. I was unable to do anything… and I mean anything ."

We both knew what I was referring to. A seventeen-year-old boy dating a hot cheerleader tended to have one thing on his mind, and that one thing was pretty much impossible with bruised ribs that felt like pieces of barbed wire rubbing up against your lungs.

Rhett rolled his eyes. "Seventeen-year-olds bounce back faster than thirty-year-olds." He tried to shift on the sofa, muttering a string of curses under his breath so his mother couldn't hear him. "And if I recall correctly, Suzie Quinley made sure you were well taken care of."

"What can I say? The girls love a guy in pain. Speaking of girls. Check out your mom," I added with a smirk. "She's aging like fine wine."

Rhett turned redder than the color of his big toe sticking out of the end of his boot. "If you're going to be like that, you can fuck right off back to New York."

I laughed and leaned back in the chair. "Relax, man. Just giving you a hard time. You look like you could use a laugh or two."

"Laughing hurts, asshole. Good thing you're not funny."

Jodie returned with coffees, her slippers shuffling across the floor. "I've got the guest room all made up for you," she said as she pressed the piping hot ceramic mug into my hands. It was a hideous piece of pottery that Jodie had made when her kids were young. It had a giant heart on the front with a messy arrow struck through it and had been a Valentine's Day gift for her husband. Poor guy. "I'm sure it's not even close to the luxury you're used to, but you'll be comfortable."

"I don't need luxury," I assured her. "Comfortable is good."

"How is the business?" Jodie asked.

"Good." I nodded. "Busy. Really busy."

"That's why he's so damn rich," Rhett muttered.

"Rhett, you're already injured, so I won't smack you, but watch your mouth," Jodie scolded.

I grinned, resisting the urge to point my finger and laugh at him. It was nice being here with them, despite the circumstances. I missed the normalcy of hanging out with regular people without servants buzzing around, incessantly reminding me I was a spoiled-ass billionaire. In my defense, I had worked hard for every penny in my bank account, but sometimes I missed the simplicity of the old days.

I sank deeper into my seat and sipped my coffee. "How have you guys been, aside from the obvious?"

"Busy," Jodie said. "Getting ready for winter. It seems like we're always getting ready for something."

"What can I do to help while I'm here?" I tipped my head toward Rhett. "This guy must be pretty useless these days."

"Would you mind taking Shoop for a walk?" she asked. "Klaus usually does it, but he's busy repairing the roof on the shop before the rain comes."

"Really? I'm stuck walking the stinky dog?"

Why did I have to ask?

"You'll survive," Jodie said with a wink. "Besides, Shoop loves you."

Rhett gave me a half-smirk and I shot him a dirty look. "Fine," I said and got to my feet. "Do I have to pick up his shi—poop?"

"The bags are by the door," Jodie said.

"Awesome, I guess it's better than wiping his a—butt," I said looking at Rhett, who looked cheerful for the first time since I'd arrived.

He pumped his eyebrows. "Go on. Shoop is waiting."

At the front door, I grabbed the leash from the hook and went outside to get Shoop, who excitedly hopped down from the bench.

"Let's go," I said as I clipped his leash to his collar. I held his snout in one hand as I looked into his nobody's-home brown eyes. "I swear, if you have the runs, I will unhook this leash and tell them you ran away. If you're going to take a shit, it better be easy to pick up, got it?"

He wagged his tail, clearly not giving a damn about my grumbling. He knew I didn't mean a word of it. We set off, walking down the familiar street with Shoop stopping every few seconds to sniff this or that.

As we walked, the crisp autumn air filled my lungs, clearing my head. Shoop led me down the sidewalk that had more cracks than a shattered mirror. I found myself relaxing. The tension of work and city life melted away with each passing minute. It was so quiet here. Quiet and clean.

The neighborhood was a scene straight out of a postcard, a picturesque image of small-town life that I had almost forgotten existed. Shoop suddenly jerked to the side, his ears perking up as he stared into a dense thicket.

"No, Shoop," I warned and gently tugged on the leash. "You're not chasing any squirrels with me on the other end of the leash."

But Shoop was determined, pulling harder toward the bushes. I cautiously let him step closer to the thicket. Suddenly, a rustling noise broke the serene silence of the neighborhood, and my heart began to race with anticipation. A bird flew out, startling me. Shoop barked and gave chase, nearly yanking me off my feet.

"Nope," I growled. "Just pee or poop. Do whatever you have to do. Please."

My pleas fell on deaf ears. Shoop was working at his own pace. So I continued around the block, letting him enjoy his freedom. Watching him have a good time brought a smile to my face. After a few laps around the block, we made it back to the house with no pooping.

I unhooked his leash and gave his head a good rub. "Good boy, Shoop."

When I stepped onto the porch, I noticed a magazine had been dropped along with a few envelopes. I picked it up, and my eyes locked on the cover, which featured a stunning woman with long dark hair, seductive hazel eyes, full pouty lips, and a voluptuous figure that was just my type. I brought it inside.

"Check out the hottie," I said, tossing the magazine at Rhett in the living room. "What I would do to that?—"

Rhett threw up a hand. "Stop!"

"What?" I asked, surprised by his reaction. "Since when did you become a monk?"

"It's Marlow," Rhett said, holding up the magazine. "My baby sister, you jackass."

I blinked, processing the information. "Your sister? Marlow? The little brat who used to follow us around?"

"Yeah, she's not so little anymore," Rhett replied, his tone protective.

"Apparently not," I muttered, taking another glance at the magazine. Just to really rattle his cage, I let out a low whistle, making sure I was just out of arm's reach so he couldn't retaliate. There were perks to his ass being glued to the sofa. I dropped my voice to a whisper. "Damn, she's even hotter than your mom."

"Ease up, dude," Rhett warned.

"Alright, alright," I said, holding up my hands in surrender. "No disrespect. It's just a surprise seeing your sister on a magazine."

Jodie returned with more coffee. She apparently caught the tail end of our conversation. "What's this about Marlow?"

"Spencer didn't recognize her on the magazine cover," Rhett said, shooting me a warning look.

Jodie chuckled. "She's done well for herself."

"Good for her," I said, genuinely impressed. "I never would have guessed."

"How did Shoop do?" Jodie asked.

"Good. Only tried to kill me once."

"Bird?" Jodie grinned.

"Yep."

"Thank you, Spencer," Jodie said. "I appreciate it. So does Shoop."

"No problem," I replied. "So, what's the plan for the rest of the day?"

"We're taking it easy," Rhett said. "Doctor's orders. I'm not supposed to laugh or do anything that might cause me to cough and hurt my ribs."

"Sounds like a plan," I said, settling in. "I could use some downtime."

"Have you been working hard?" Jodie asked with concern.

"Things have been a little easier this past year, but it's still a lot of work." I shrugged. "I don't mind though. It's the life I chose."

"Well, just make sure you live a little in between all that work," Jodie said.

I nodded. "I try to."

We spent the rest of the afternoon reminiscing and catching up. It felt good to be here, away from the stress of my usual life. Even though Rhett was banged up, he was in a good mood. I realized just how much I had missed this place and these people. Stone Ridge felt like a world away from New York City. And for the first time in a long time, I felt at home.

"I'm going to get dinner going," Jodie said. "Rhett, how are you feeling? Do you need pain pills?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

"Be a man," I teased him.

"Fu—"

"Rhett, if that word crosses your lips, you're going to need a wheelchair because I will break your other leg."

I grinned at him. "Yeah, listen to your mother, Rhett."

"Don't tease him," she chided me. "He's injured and hopped up on pain meds."

It was Rhett's turn to grin at me. "Yeah, listen to my mother, Spencer."

"Behave, boys," Jodie warned before walking out.

"So, I bet you're loving this, aren't you?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, this is super fun."

"You know you like your mommy pampering you."

"I will heal and I will kick your ass," he warned.

I winked. "Sure, you will."

Later that evening, after a hearty dinner, we sat in the living room, talking and laughing. The conversation eventually turned back to Marlow and how proud they were of her. Rhett couldn't resist teasing me.

"So, you really didn't recognize her?" he asked, smirking.

"No, I didn't," I admitted. "She's changed a lot."

"Yeah, she has," Rhett agreed. "But she's still the same Marlow underneath it all."

"I'd like to catch up with her sometime," I said, surprising myself. "See what she's been up to."

"I'm sure she'd like that," Jodie said, smiling. "She always had a soft spot for you, Spencer."

I chuckled. "Really? I always thought she found me annoying."

"She did," Rhett said with a laugh. "I'm sure she'll hate you as much now as she did back then."

The image of the beautiful woman on the cover of that magazine made me want to see if that was true.