Chapter 55

Ipulled up in front of the Manor in a rental SUV. Sighing as I got out, I shielded my eyes against the sun and saw Dallas in the yard. He was holding a golf club, wearing nothing but a robe, boxers, and sunglasses as he whacked balls into the lake and drank beer.

Glancing at the house, I noticed that the front door was wide open, so I headed in that direction instead, strolling inside as if I had a right to be there. Which I did, considering that the time I’d paid for hadn’t run out yet.

After I left here, I’d sort out a refund, but at the moment, the only thing I wanted was our stuff. I would pack Jewel’s things too and drop them off at Scott’s on our way out of town. It felt like the least I could do.

As I walked into the house, Dallas finally realized I was there, hollering as soon as he saw me. “Stop! Do not go in there, Payne. It’s my house and I’m denying you access.”

I didn’t listen. Crossing over the threshold, I made for the stairs first. Dallas followed me in, snarling threats as I reached the first step. “If you don’t stop right now, I’ll call the cops.”

I rolled my eyes and gripped the banister, ascending fast but staying calm. Dallas scoffed before I heard his bare feet smacking against the hardwood floors behind me. “I mean it, Landon. Leave or I’m calling the cops. You’re trespassing.”

I spun around and took the few steps between us two at a time, getting right in his face. His eyes were red and watery. The stench of stale beer wafted from him. With his thinning hair sticking up in all directions and a sickly pallor, he wasn’t as intimidating today as he obviously thought he was.

“Stop threatening me.” I issued the command quietly, but even I heard the low, dangerous warning in my tone. “I’ve fucking had it with you, Styles. I’m here to collect my things, and once I have it all, I’m leaving. The Manor and June Lake. For good. You’ll be hearing from me about the money I’ve already paid, but unless you’re willing to refund me right the fuck now, I’m going to get my shit without you in my ears and then I’m out of here.”

He averted his gaze and threw his hands up. “Fine, but make it quick.”

“I’ll be done when I’m done.” I turned again and stalked up the remaining stairs, heading to Colten’s room first.

Once I’d packed up his stuff and made sure that I had everything, I went to my bedroom, leaving Jewel’s for last. That one’s going to hurt.

Just being here fucking hurt. It was like the very air in here was infused with her presence, reminders of her everywhere I looked.

Like how she’d made sure the curtains in the windows were draped just right every morning and how she’d moved the potted plant in the corner at least once a day to sweep behind it because, apparently, that was where the dust would gather. Her earrings were on my nightstand and the bottle of bubble bath I’d used that night still stood in the wrong place next to the tub.

Memories of her bled into my brain and there was nothing I could do to stop it as I shoved my stuff into my bags. When I’d discovered that Kaitlin had left us back in the day, it had stung. There I’d been, sacrificing my way of life for her and our baby while apparently she’d been unable to make any sacrifices of her own.

It had bruised me to know that I’d been willing to get married and spend the rest of my life with her when she clearly hadn’t wanted me. My heart had broken for Colten, but not so much for myself. For what lay ahead, sure. For a million other little things that being a single dad would entail, but not because I would miss her.

Our relationship just hadn’t been like that. It had been one of necessity and we’d both known it. For a while there, we’d tried and I’d even liked her, but it had never developed into more than that.

This, however, right now? This fucking sucked. I was leaving a girl I loved for no reason other than logically, we couldn’t be together. What kind of bullshit is that?

It was practical and realistic, but my heart didn’t care about either of those things. It wanted what it wanted—practicality be damned.

Unfortunately, my heart wasn’t calling the shots here. My brain was. Colten and I had a life to get back to. As I strode out of my bedroom and into Jewel’s, I tried to remember that.

Every breath I took in there felt like a dagger being buried in my chest, but I got through it despite the pain and her scent lingering in the air. I got through it because I had to. I had a kid to think about. An old man. Clients. A career I’d spent my entire adult life building.

A career I still wasn’t sure was worth it anymore.

Even if I decided to get out of criminal defense, I could still be an attorney. There were dozens of things I could do with my knowledge and experience, but every last one of them was in LA.

Once I had everything, I slammed Jewel’s door behind me like it would give me some kind of closure and then I grabbed all our stuff, shouldering past Dallas on the way out. He’d been guarding the front door like some kind of tipsy sentinel, as if he’d been afraid more unwanted guests would be arriving.

Without another word to the worst host I’d ever had, I left the Manor and didn’t look back. June Lake had been a little slice of heaven until it hadn’t been. The way I felt right then, I couldn’t get away from there fast enough.

As I climbed into my car, Dallas called after me. “It’s about time you get the hell out of Dodge and stay out, Payne. We don’t need the likes of you around here.”

I snorted. These poor people sure as hell don’t need the likes of you either.

I wasn’t about to argue with him, though. Dallas Styles wasn’t my problem anymore. If Scott ever told me he needed help dealing with the guy, then sure, I’d step up and do whatever I could, but he hadn’t brought it up again at all.

Gunning it back to his place after I left the Manor, I found Colten sitting with Scott in the backyard. They were spread out on the grass with a couple sandwiches, a football lying next to Scott and a sheen of sweat on both their foreheads.

“Hey, man. You get everything?” Scott asked as I walked out. “We were just tossing the ball around, but then Colten told me you guys haven’t been on a hike yet. That’s a sin, I swear. We’ve got some of the best hikes in the state. We’re thinking of taking a short one this afternoon.”

I glanced at Colten, who nodded his agreement enthusiastically. Knowing I was about to break my son’s heart, I looked back at Scott. “Actually, I think it’s time for us to head home. Thank you for your hospitality and for letting us stay, but we don’t want to impose any longer than we already have.”

Scott’s features tightened, his gaze darting from one of my eyes to the other in a questioning look. Then his own eyes widened and he pushed into a standing position. “Sure. Yeah. Of course. I’ll just give you two some privacy.”

Sliding his phone out of his back pocket, he strode into the house and I knew he was going to call Jewel. I hadn’t told him yet that I’d ended things with her. Once he found out, I doubted he was going to want us around anymore.

Colten didn’t know yet either, and his jaw had all but hit the ground as he glared at me. “Home home? Like, LA home? That’s where you want to go?”

“Yeah, bud.” I walked a little closer to him and sat down on the bench in Scott’s garden, my feet planted apart and my elbows resting on my knees. “I know you don’t want to, but that’s one of the reasons why it’s better for us to go now. Before we become even more involved with this place and its community.”

His eyebrows shot up and he shook his head hard. “No. I’m not leaving. I’m happy here and we have at least three more weeks. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m afraid it’s not open to negotiation, Colt. We’re leaving. Today. All of our stuff is already in the car and I called the pilot on my way back from the Manor. He’s fueling up as we speak.”

Tears welled in his eyes and he drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them as his head kept shaking. “No. I won’t go. I don’t want to go back to LA and you can’t make me.”

“Yes, I can. I’m just hoping it won’t come down to that.”

“What about Jewel?” He narrowed his eyes to slits. “Are you even going to say goodbye to her?”

“I already have.”

“Well, I haven’t,” he spat. “I’m not going back there. I hate it there. I hate everyone who lives there. They’re mean and they’re always too busy. You’re always too busy when you’re there. I hate you!”

Ouch. While I knew he was just lashing out, my heart cracked in half at hearing those words from my son. I’d been told to expect them at some point, but nothing could’ve prepared me for it now that it was happening.

“You’re allowed to hate me today, buddy,” I said, not wanting the argument to get any more heated than it already had. “I understand, but that doesn’t change that we’re leaving.”

I had never had to lay down the law with him like this before, and to be honest, it probably hurt me at least as much as it hurt him—if not more—but ultimately, this was better for both of us. Colten had already started talking about not wanting to go back to LA weeks ago. I suspected that he had thought I would never make him leave after he told me how happy he was here.

It killed me to do it, but we had to go. Standing up, I looked right into his eyes and tipped my head toward the house. “I’ll be waiting for you at the car. Say goodbye to Scott. We’re going straight to the airport from here.”

Twenty-four horrible hours later, my son had still barely said a word to me. He’d met me at the car outside of Scott’s house, but he’d given me the silent treatment all the way to the airport and for the whole flight home.

I’d tried to talk to him, tried to explain, but he’d folded his arms and given me his back. As soon as we’d gotten to the estate, he’d stomped up to his bedroom and I hadn’t seen him again until this morning.

When I’d told him we were going to come visit Walt today, he’d nodded and gone upstairs to get dressed, but he’d hardly even looked at me. We’d never had a fight like this, and as I sipped my juice sitting across from Walt at Green Acres, it seemed the old man had picked up on it.

“What’s wrong with my boy?” he asked, watching Colten where he sat with Chester, looking just as miserable and glum as his opponent in the game of chess they were playing. “I’ve never seen him so sad.”

“He’s pretty pissed at me,” I admitted, proceeding to tell him all about how things had gone and why we’d left early.

Walter listened intently, and by the time I was done, disapproval was like a living thing in his eyes as he shook his head at me. “I’m disappointed in you, Landon. That’s not something I’ve felt very often in my life, but I’ve got to say, I sure feel it now. I raised you better than that.”

“What? Why?” I frowned at him, searching his dark, frustrated gaze but not finding any answers. “We live here, Walter. In LA. Colten’s school is here and my work. You.”

He sniffed and looked away from me. “Don’t try to blame me for this, kid. It’s not my fault you didn’t learn anything this summer and that you didn’t listen to your heart.”

Feeling like I’d let everyone down, I exhaled heavily and dropped my face into my hands. I’d thought Walter, of all people, would understand why I’d come home. He’d suggested a summer at the lake, not a lifetime.

He knew more about responsibilities than anyone else, what with having taken in a kid that wasn’t even his and raising him as his own simply because he’d made a promise so many years ago. The man had taught me everything I knew, and one of the main lessons he’d hammered into me had been about reliability and responsibility.

Without applying those to every aspect of life, he’d said, you’d never get very far. I’d lived by those words and now I was starting to wonder if I’d missed something somewhere. The old man stood up and ambled over to Chester and Colten, pulling up a chair to join them. He started murmuring to my son, concern in his eyes as he leaned forward to speak to him.

I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut and wishing I’d never taken his advice to begin with. This summer had been both the best and worst of my life, but it seemed like the worst part of it had followed me home.