place to grow up.
A lot of the real estate his parents owned had been rented out to farmers and ranchers when Asher had lived there. His mother had had a special penchant for the ranches. They had been important to her father and she had been willing to lease them out, but never sell them. Most of the folks who had lived in town were employees of the ranches and the few restaurants and shops in the small town, or they taught at the schools or they were retired and settled in Haddenfield because it was a quaint, quiet little place. There had been a small hospital and medical clinic there too when he had left and a dentist and a few beauty and barber shops. Beyond that, they would go to the city which was almost an hour away for anything else they needed.
He wondered if Dean would be at the funeral. He had forgotten to ask Mr. Kenworth. Last time he had talked to him Dean was working in Sioux Falls North Dakota near the Minnesota border on some property development project there. He wasn’t married then and still didn’t have any kids. That didn’t surprise Asher. Dean was always kind of a Peter Pan. He refused to grow up. He was a hard worker, but once he was finished working for the day, it had always been about the party.
Asher’s mind then went to all the time he and Travis spent with Dean when they were kids. Dean was older and the two younger boys had thought they were so cool hanging out with him. Dean was a party guy but he had also been like a big brother to Asher and Travis. He took them fishing before they could drive and he taught them what he knew about girls. He pretended to know a lot more than he actually did, Asher knew now, but he treasured those memories. Travis and Asher had never been big drinkers like some teenagers, but if they had a few beers, it was usually with Dean. Even when he was drunk he never let them drink if they were going to drive. Asher knew that if Dean had been there the night he and Travis had been drunk; the accident would have never happened. Dean never would have let them leave. Asher wondered if things would have been different for him then. His father would have still known his secret and he would have still hated him but not Mia.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her now and wondering how she was doing. His beautiful Mia, who he never stopped loving. In the seventeen years since he had left Haddenfield, he had sex with countless women, but he had only been in what he would call a ‘relationship’ with two of them. He hadn’t been in love with either one. He had tried so hard to recapture the feeling that Mia had given him, but it was not just elusive, it was impossible. He had finally decided that she had been his one chance at love and since he messed that up, he was destined to be alone. She was undoubtedly still angry with him. She had loved her brother fiercely. Travis had been her hero and one of her best friends. Asher didn’t have any plans on trying to recapture anything with her. Even if she wasn’t married or with someone which was doubtful, he knew that she would be better off without him, she would have to be. He was already fucked up and there was no way he would put that on anyone else, especially Mia.
As he drove towards his past with the top down and the radio on he knew one thing was certain. This was a get in and get out mission. He would go to the funeral, see what he needed to do to wrap up the estate and head back to South Dakota and his safe haven. A week at best…
FOURTEEN
Mia stood out in front of the Fury house and stared up at it. She could remember when it had been a happy place. Even when Lily was sick for a while, they had been happy. But Greg had slipped into his alcoholism and then Lily died and Travis died and Asher left. Asher had walked out of her life without so much as a word. He had left a hole in her heart that had never healed. He had left her with trust issues to say the least. Now Asher’s father was dead and that
A lot of the real estate his parents owned had been rented out to farmers and ranchers when Asher had lived there. His mother had had a special penchant for the ranches. They had been important to her father and she had been willing to lease them out, but never sell them. Most of the folks who had lived in town were employees of the ranches and the few restaurants and shops in the small town, or they taught at the schools or they were retired and settled in Haddenfield because it was a quaint, quiet little place. There had been a small hospital and medical clinic there too when he had left and a dentist and a few beauty and barber shops. Beyond that, they would go to the city which was almost an hour away for anything else they needed.
He wondered if Dean would be at the funeral. He had forgotten to ask Mr. Kenworth. Last time he had talked to him Dean was working in Sioux Falls North Dakota near the Minnesota border on some property development project there. He wasn’t married then and still didn’t have any kids. That didn’t surprise Asher. Dean was always kind of a Peter Pan. He refused to grow up. He was a hard worker, but once he was finished working for the day, it had always been about the party.
Asher’s mind then went to all the time he and Travis spent with Dean when they were kids. Dean was older and the two younger boys had thought they were so cool hanging out with him. Dean was a party guy but he had also been like a big brother to Asher and Travis. He took them fishing before they could drive and he taught them what he knew about girls. He pretended to know a lot more than he actually did, Asher knew now, but he treasured those memories. Travis and Asher had never been big drinkers like some teenagers, but if they had a few beers, it was usually with Dean. Even when he was drunk he never let them drink if they were going to drive. Asher knew that if Dean had been there the night he and Travis had been drunk; the accident would have never happened. Dean never would have let them leave. Asher wondered if things would have been different for him then. His father would have still known his secret and he would have still hated him but not Mia.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her now and wondering how she was doing. His beautiful Mia, who he never stopped loving. In the seventeen years since he had left Haddenfield, he had sex with countless women, but he had only been in what he would call a ‘relationship’ with two of them. He hadn’t been in love with either one. He had tried so hard to recapture the feeling that Mia had given him, but it was not just elusive, it was impossible. He had finally decided that she had been his one chance at love and since he messed that up, he was destined to be alone. She was undoubtedly still angry with him. She had loved her brother fiercely. Travis had been her hero and one of her best friends. Asher didn’t have any plans on trying to recapture anything with her. Even if she wasn’t married or with someone which was doubtful, he knew that she would be better off without him, she would have to be. He was already fucked up and there was no way he would put that on anyone else, especially Mia.
As he drove towards his past with the top down and the radio on he knew one thing was certain. This was a get in and get out mission. He would go to the funeral, see what he needed to do to wrap up the estate and head back to South Dakota and his safe haven. A week at best…
FOURTEEN
Mia stood out in front of the Fury house and stared up at it. She could remember when it had been a happy place. Even when Lily was sick for a while, they had been happy. But Greg had slipped into his alcoholism and then Lily died and Travis died and Asher left. Asher had walked out of her life without so much as a word. He had left a hole in her heart that had never healed. He had left her with trust issues to say the least. Now Asher’s father was dead and that
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