JD?”
“Would you like to come in for some coffee?”
They both spoke at the same time and Sloan smiled in an attempt to ease the awkwardness.
“No, thank you,” she answered.
It was just as well. JD didn’t have any more to say to her indoors than he did out on the driveway. The only thing that had linked them together was gone now.
Mel sniffed at her sensible loafers and went to wait by the car. Sloan wasn’t a dog person and had never liked him very much anyway.
She looked around at the property in awe. “When your brother said you were in the boondocks, he wasn’t exaggerating.”
JD’s shoulders sagged. So, Kyle was behind this. It figured. Nothing positive ever came as a result of his meddlesome little brother.
JD shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’s peaceful out here,” he replied. Birds chirped and a flock of something noisy flew overhead. “Except for the birds.” If it weren’t for the noise of the damn birds, he’d probably go insane because then it would be too quiet.
S loan looked back at him and then her gaze fall to her hands. “I tried calling you, but you don’t answer your phone.”
He didn’t apologize. The fact that he wasn’t Mr. Sociable these days wasn’t a secret to anyone. He just nodded and looked down at his shoes. “What are you doing here, Sloan?”
“Collin took a job in New York. We’re flying out tomorrow and I …I just wanted to say goodbye.”
JD ignored the twinge in his stomach and nodded. Sloan was leaving to start a new life in a new city. There wasn’t anything keeping her here anyway. She could continue her charitable work anywhere.
“Is it true you aren’t playing hockey anymore?” she asked, breaking the awkward silence.
“Yeah.”
“Oh.” She twiddled with the hem of her blouse and didn’t meet his eyes. “I thought you would go back after…” She trailed off and shifted her feet. This wasn’t easy for either of them. “That’s too bad. I know how much you enjoyed it.” She exhaled a shaky breath. “Well, I just wanted to stop by and say goodbye before we left. I wish you all the best, JD.”
“Thanks. Good luck in New York.”
It looked like she debated whether or not to hug him again and then did so anyway. This time, she squeezed a little bit tighter and patted him on the back.
“It was good to see you.”
“You too, JD. Take care.”
JD watched as Sloan’s car disappeared down the long driveway. He stood there, by the front door, long after she turned onto the main road and the dust settled.
The groceries were forgotten a nd JD went back inside.
Chapter Ten
Healing
The last time Lauren had been laid up was in elementary school when she’d fallen out of a tree and broken her wrist after climbing up to get a closer look at a house wren. Or was it in fifth grade when she had the chicken pox? Regardless, she wasn’t used to being limited in her movements and activities.
Walking the trail was fun, but luckily there was no shortage of birds right outside her window. The great thing about the cottage was that with all the trees around it, the birds basically came to you.
Lauren quickly discovered she missed the yellow dog’s company. She looked over at her only companion and suppressed a laugh. Marsh was temperamental and much too good to associate with people . He probably thought it was beneath him to eat the food she put out for him—on the floor, no less! He had a scrunched up face like he was constantly catching a whiff of something unsavory. Somehow, Lauren had gradually coaxed him out from under the furniture and they become cordial. Only when he was watching birds did he look somewhat content with his stake in life.
Most mornings, Marsh watched the hummingbirds from his perch on the back of the sofa. They hummed and darted, chasing each other away from the feeders. Marsh’s tail twitched and his eyes followed their quick movements and his pupils dilated. Eventually, as if he was too exhausted to
“Would you like to come in for some coffee?”
They both spoke at the same time and Sloan smiled in an attempt to ease the awkwardness.
“No, thank you,” she answered.
It was just as well. JD didn’t have any more to say to her indoors than he did out on the driveway. The only thing that had linked them together was gone now.
Mel sniffed at her sensible loafers and went to wait by the car. Sloan wasn’t a dog person and had never liked him very much anyway.
She looked around at the property in awe. “When your brother said you were in the boondocks, he wasn’t exaggerating.”
JD’s shoulders sagged. So, Kyle was behind this. It figured. Nothing positive ever came as a result of his meddlesome little brother.
JD shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’s peaceful out here,” he replied. Birds chirped and a flock of something noisy flew overhead. “Except for the birds.” If it weren’t for the noise of the damn birds, he’d probably go insane because then it would be too quiet.
S loan looked back at him and then her gaze fall to her hands. “I tried calling you, but you don’t answer your phone.”
He didn’t apologize. The fact that he wasn’t Mr. Sociable these days wasn’t a secret to anyone. He just nodded and looked down at his shoes. “What are you doing here, Sloan?”
“Collin took a job in New York. We’re flying out tomorrow and I …I just wanted to say goodbye.”
JD ignored the twinge in his stomach and nodded. Sloan was leaving to start a new life in a new city. There wasn’t anything keeping her here anyway. She could continue her charitable work anywhere.
“Is it true you aren’t playing hockey anymore?” she asked, breaking the awkward silence.
“Yeah.”
“Oh.” She twiddled with the hem of her blouse and didn’t meet his eyes. “I thought you would go back after…” She trailed off and shifted her feet. This wasn’t easy for either of them. “That’s too bad. I know how much you enjoyed it.” She exhaled a shaky breath. “Well, I just wanted to stop by and say goodbye before we left. I wish you all the best, JD.”
“Thanks. Good luck in New York.”
It looked like she debated whether or not to hug him again and then did so anyway. This time, she squeezed a little bit tighter and patted him on the back.
“It was good to see you.”
“You too, JD. Take care.”
JD watched as Sloan’s car disappeared down the long driveway. He stood there, by the front door, long after she turned onto the main road and the dust settled.
The groceries were forgotten a nd JD went back inside.
Chapter Ten
Healing
The last time Lauren had been laid up was in elementary school when she’d fallen out of a tree and broken her wrist after climbing up to get a closer look at a house wren. Or was it in fifth grade when she had the chicken pox? Regardless, she wasn’t used to being limited in her movements and activities.
Walking the trail was fun, but luckily there was no shortage of birds right outside her window. The great thing about the cottage was that with all the trees around it, the birds basically came to you.
Lauren quickly discovered she missed the yellow dog’s company. She looked over at her only companion and suppressed a laugh. Marsh was temperamental and much too good to associate with people . He probably thought it was beneath him to eat the food she put out for him—on the floor, no less! He had a scrunched up face like he was constantly catching a whiff of something unsavory. Somehow, Lauren had gradually coaxed him out from under the furniture and they become cordial. Only when he was watching birds did he look somewhat content with his stake in life.
Most mornings, Marsh watched the hummingbirds from his perch on the back of the sofa. They hummed and darted, chasing each other away from the feeders. Marsh’s tail twitched and his eyes followed their quick movements and his pupils dilated. Eventually, as if he was too exhausted to
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