Love Fast

I sit on the porch, fixated on the empty swing next door.

I miss her. Maybe I needed a trip back to New York sooner than I thought I did. The opening of the Club is in less than two weeks. Maybe I could squeeze in a weekend back to Manhattan, catch up with the guys, shoot some bourbon. Have fun.

A meowing from underneath the cabin catches my attention. “Cat?” I ask. It couldn’t be, could it? Just as Rosey leaves the cabins, Athena comes back? The creature probably feels sorry for my pathetic ass.

“Athena,” I call.

Out of nowhere, a white ball of fur flies onto the porch railing, nearly giving me a heart attack.

“Jesus Christ, Cat, you know how to give me a scare.”

Athena just meows, giving me a look that says, You’ve mistaken me for someone who gives a shit about you and your heart. My first thought is to text Rosey to tell her Athena is back. But I can’t. I need time and space to move on. I’m sure she does too. Starting a conversation will pull us both back in, when what we need is to relearn what it feels like to stand on our own.

A car pulls into the driveway, stealing my attention. Nancy French emerges from the driver’s seat.

“Hey,” I call, hoping my voice hides my surprise.

“I brought you a pie,” she says, lifting the edge of foil on a covered dish.

“Wow, that’s great,” I say, standing to greet her. I swear she’s worn the same dark jeans and bright red bow in her hair since I was born. She probably dressed the exact same way since high school. “Thank you.” I’m not sure what I did to deserve a pie, but I’m not going to complain. Hers is the best in the state of Colorado, regardless of what Mike says.

“Well, I do make a good pie, if I do say so myself. And I heard the girl next door moved out.”

I chuckle. So the Star Falls grapevine is at it again. The pie is probably to soothe my broken heart.

“Can I get you a cup of tea? Or hot chocolate?”noveldrama

“I’m not stopping,” she says, sliding the pie onto the bench. “I just came to drop this off.” She shrugs. “And check on you,” she says. “It’s been a while.”

I nod. “Yeah, I’ve been in New York.”

“Made something of yourself if you’re building things like that.” She nods up the mountain in the direction of the Colorado Club.

“I’ve been lucky.”

“You’ve been more than lucky. You always were a hard worker. Never looking for a fast buck. Not like your dad.”

The comparison presses against my chest. “I’d like to think I’m not much like my father at all.”

She nods. “He wasn’t all bad. Loved your mother and you. Loved this town. He just… had his demons. We all do. They take over some of us. And some of us conquer them.” She says it in such a matter-of-fact way—like my father didn’t ruin our family when his “demons” meant we lost the family farm.

“So we just chalk it up to demons and that’s it?” I ask. It comes out sharper than I wanted it to.

“What’s the alternative, Byron? Stay angry with him your entire life? Let that anger rule you? He’s dead. Let him stay dead.”

“I’m not angry,” I mumble. Even to me it doesn’t sound convincing.

“Is that what this Club is about? Proving to your father you’re better than him?” Her question hits me like a physical blow.

“No,” I reply, with the tone of a surly teenager.

“You could have built that billionaires’ playground anywhere in the world, but you chose the town where you were born.”

She sounds like Worth. Don’t they all know that I’m rich enough to pay for therapy? I don’t need it for free. “I don’t need to prove anything to my father. Like you said, he’s dead. Has been for a long time now.”

“Let him rest,” she says. She turns and heads down the steps back to her car. “It’s good to have you back, Byron.” She winks at me. “You might have run away from this place. But there’s no escaping a town that loves you. Don’t be a stranger, now.” She slides into her car, toots her horn, and then she’s off. I didn’t even get a chance to thank her for her pie. Or the words of advice.

I stand on the porch, watching the driveway long after Nancy has left. Athena is twisting and turning through my legs like she doesn’t actually hate me. Maybe she knows just how good Nancy’s pie is and she’s hoping for a slice. I sigh and pick up the pie before I lose it to the cat. I glance up in the direction of the Club, whose lights twinkle in the distance. It’s as if it’s saying hello to Star Falls, and the lights of Star Falls reply. They peacefully and harmoniously coexist.

I’d always kept track of what happened to the farm after I left for New York. I tracked it after it was put up for sale after my dad’s creditors took ownership. It was run as a farm for a couple of years and then bought by a developer who didn’t seem to get any of the necessary permissions to do anything with it. When I had the money, I approached the developer and bought it. I didn’t even think about it. Maybe it was nostalgia. Maybe it was some kind of reach for a legacy. I just knew I wanted it—had to have it, actually. But maybe subconsciously I’d been wanting a home. Perhaps that’s what the Colorado Club is for me—a home. Or maybe an excuse to come back to the one I’ve always had.

I grab my phone from beside the pie and dial Gary. I know he likes to catch up on everything once I’ve left for the day. It’s one of the reasons I make sure I leave early—because he won’t go home for two hours after I do.

“I have an idea,” I say as he answers. “I want to throw a party.”

There’s silence from the other end of the phone. “You know we have a launch party in less than two weeks? You’ve been in on those meetings.” He clearly thinks I have some kind of memory issue.

“This is a different party. And it’s going to have to come together fast because I want to do it before the launch.”

“Before?” His voice comes out strangled, like he might be mid-panic attack.

“Yeah. Like next weekend.”

“And who or… what… is this party for?”

“For the people of Star Falls. No need to worry about invitations—I’ll tell a couple of people in town, and everyone will know in no time.” I chuckle to myself. I might not have been here in a long time, but some things in Star Falls never change.