Coming Home (Being Home Book 1) Read online

  Coming Home

  Lissanne Jones

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Also By Lissanne Jones

  Where to find me

  About the Author

  Coming Home

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  Copyright © 2020 by Lissanne Jones

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  www.lissannejones.com

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  The right of Lissanne Jones to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000

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  E-book ISBN-13: 978-1-922333-09-4

  Print ISBN: 978-1-922333-10-0

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  All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed, or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google or similar organizations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical, or mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise) without prior written permission from the author.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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  Cover designed by Sly Fox Cover Designs

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  Edited by Karen Hrdlicka at Barren Acres Editing

  For Kari Wolff. Thank you for pushing me to be a better writer with every single book.

  Chapter 1

  The old, white farmhouse that stood before Evelyn Young mirrored the mood of her soul. Rising from a fresh layer of snow, it looked as sad, cold, and as lonely as she felt. Several shingles were missing from the roof, and the paint was peeled back here and there to reveal the timber underneath.

  Coming home sucked.

  The Uber she’d taken from the airport had disappeared down the unpaved road behind her, but she didn’t spare it a second glance. She was too entranced by the home that had been so familiar to her for most of her life, the one that belonged to her grandfather, Charlie Steele.

  Well, had belonged to him until his death two days previously. Now it belonged to her, his only family member still alive.

  Tears welled in her eyes at the idea of stepping foot inside it and Grandpa not being there, but standing in front of his place bawling her eyes out wasn’t going to change anything. He was gone, and there was nothing she could do or say to change that.

  He’d lived a long, happy life, and passing in his sleep was the best possible way it could have happened. Evie felt no small measure of guilt that she hadn’t been there for him, but the outcome would have been the same whether she had been or not.

  His next-door neighbor, Mrs. Garcia, had found him cold in bed. She’d phoned Sheriff Collins immediately, who’d then made the call several hours later to Evie that had broken her heart.

  Again.

  Now she was back in her hometown of Aurora Springs, Colorado, the place she’d left behind her all those years ago. The town she’d never set foot in again. It hadn’t been a conscious decision, but as the months and years had passed, it had just become easier for her to stay away.

  Evie had tried on more than one occasion to persuade her grandfather into moving away from Colorado and joining her in Houston, but he’d refused every single time, declaring city life bad for him. He’d been born and raised in Aurora Springs and was a country boy at heart.

  She’d found the pace and crowds of people tough for the first year or so, but eventually she’d learned to enjoy living in a major city and had embraced everything Houston had to offer her, such as the fascinating culture. A city she’d enjoyed exploring thoroughly, whether on foot or by car.

  A city she found herself missing with a fierce ache she hadn’t known possible. At least in Houston she had friends. People who were always happy to see her. Here, in Aurora Springs, she didn’t have anybody anymore. None of the townsfolk were going to be happy to know she was back after she’d abandoned it.

  Abandoned them.

  Abandoned Luke.

  She breathed out slowly, grabbed the handle of her suitcase, and wheeled it up the path to the front porch. After digging her keys out of her purse, she slid the key to her grandfather’s house into the lock with a slightly shaking hand and heard the tumblers move into place.

  The door swung open and the moment Evie stepped inside, she was overcome with good memories. Tears welled, and a few slid down her cheeks as she closed the door and stepped away from the suitcase she placed along the wall. After shedding her coat and gloves, she wandered into the large, open kitchen.

  Grandma had been an excellent cook. Evie and her parents had consumed many a delicious meal in the dining room of this house. In the middle sat a heavy island with an inlaid marble counter that matched the surrounding ones.

  She drifted over to the fridge and opened it. Unsurprisingly, it still had items stored inside. A quart of milk and a half-empty bottle of orange juice sat in the door. A dish of butter, some cheese, and an apple were on the shelves. The pantry yielded a few cans of soup and baked beans, and a couple of boxes of macaroni and cheese.

  She smiled as she picked up one of the dark blue boxes. Her grandmother used to make her mac and cheese when she’d visited them as a child, and she always loved it. The tears rolled faster down her face, splashing on to the box in her hand, and she wished more than anything that she could share one last meal of macaroni and cheese with her beloved grandparents.

  She put it down and swiped at her eyes, searching for a tissue. She found a box in the living room and wiped her face properly. Everything remained as it had been the last time she’d been there.

  A decades old floral sofa, chosen by her grandmother, surrounded the pine coffee table her father had made for them. Two matching recliner chairs were evenly spaced on either side, with tall, brass floor lamps in the middle.

  A couple of bookcases sat along one wall, which was covered in faded yellow and gold wallpaper, and they were filled to the brim with yellowed, dog-eared books. Paperbacks of varying sizes were crammed in together, while hardbacks dotted the edges of each shelf.

  They didn’t seem to have been shelved with any sort of filing system, just shoved onto the shelf once they’d been read. Evie made a mental note to donate them somehow. She knew there was a nursing home a few towns over that served the entire county, so she would see if the residents there might like them.

  Along the other wall sat two large cabinets. One had glass doors and displayed crystal and the decorative plates her grandmother had so adored collecting, and the other held the expensive china set her grandparents had pieced together over the course of their marriage.

  Grandpa had never bothered to add to the collection after Grandma died, but he’d brought it out every Christmas for them to use.

  Evie noted there was very little in the way of dust in the house. Everything was neat, tidy, and in its place. Grandpa might have been elderly, but he’d always kept a clean place, j
ust like Grandma had.

  Now they were both gone. They were all gone: her grandparents, her parents. She was truly alone in the world now, and that thought made her knees buckle where she stood. She slid to the ground, her vision blurry, and cried her heart out, mourning the loss of her entire family.

  Once the cries had subsided into silence, she found the strength to pick herself up. Grief was a strange beast, she’d learned over the years. One moment she’d be just fine, the next she’d be unable to see through all the tears. But she’d gotten through it every time, and it now felt like her life had come full circle.

  She was back in her hometown, grieving the loss of another close family member, watching her life fall apart and wondering if she’d ever be able to put the pieces back together again.

  Evie went back to the front door and wheeled her suitcase into the guest bedroom downstairs. It was going to be quite the task to clear out the house. She had no idea what she was going to do with all of the possessions that had belonged to her grandparents.

  The house itself was in good condition. She’d noted there was no damage to the stone walls and shingled roof on her way in, and her jaunt around the first floor hadn’t made any obvious repairs known, either.

  She’d tackle everything in the coming days, but for today, she just wanted to be alone with her memories. Let herself grieve and take everything in. She’d been so busy since she’d gotten word of her grandfather’s death. Arranging to take emergency leave from her job, organizing for a friend to check in on her apartment while she was gone, and booking her ticket to Colorado.

  She’d already spoken with the town’s somewhat morbidly named undertaker regarding the funeral but was scheduled to see Mr. Butcher the following day to pick out a casket and flower arrangements.

  The knock on the door broke through the deafening silence and made Evie jump a little. She went over and looked through the peephole, then glanced down at her watch. It had taken Mrs. Garcia exactly twenty-seven minutes to come over, which must have been a record for the town’s local gossip.

  She swung the door open to find the older lady on the porch, the screen door propped open and a pie in hand. “Evie!” The still warm pie was thrust into her hands as Mrs. Garcia barged past her, the screen door slamming shut.

  Evie kicked the front door closed with her foot and took a deep breath before following the neighbor into the kitchen. Placing the pie, which smelled like apple and cinnamon, down on the counter, she pasted as big of a smile as she could muster on her face.

  “Mrs. Garcia, it’s good to see you again.”

  The woman spun around, the apron she still wore covered in flour. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry about your grandpa.” She pulled Evie close, embracing her in a tight hug. “We’re all going to miss him so much!” Mrs. Garcia let out a loud wail and began to cry loudly, sniffing repeatedly.

  Evie returned her hug and patted her back reassuringly. “I know, it’s hard to accept he’s gone. I can’t thank you enough for looking out for him all these years, Mrs. Garcia.” She stepped back, and the woman took a tissue out of her apron pocket and blew loudly into it.

  “That’s what neighbors do.” She shoved the tissue back into her pocket and patted her hair. “Now tell me, how long are you going to be in town? I’m sure everyone would love to see you. Have you made any arrangements for Charlie yet?”

  “I’m due to see Mr. Butcher tomorrow to make all the arrangements.”

  Mrs. Garcia patted her hand. “At least you don’t have to worry about the wake.”

  Evie frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “The Whittakers have already arranged everything. They’re holding it in the barn on the ranch.”

  She froze in place, her heart thumping furiously in her chest. “I never agreed to that.”

  “It’s one less thing for you to do and they’ll be able to accommodate the whole town.” Mrs. Garcia bustled about the kitchen, oblivious. “Is anyone going with you to the funeral home tomorrow?”

  Evie breathed out slowly. “No. I’m fine to go on my own.”

  She could hear the edge to her voice and tried to tamp it down. Mrs. Garcia only meant well, and she knew that, but this was exactly why she’d felt the need to leave Aurora Springs in the first place.

  Everyone had seemed to know what was best for her and nobody—not even Luke—had let Evie do what she’d so desperately needed more than anything else… grieve for the death of her parents.

  Mrs. Garcia blinked rapidly. “Of course, dear. Well, I’d better get going. This roast isn’t going to cook itself. Can I bring you over a plate for dinner?”

  “It’s so kind of you to offer, Mrs. Garcia, but I’m not really hungry. I’ll just have something here.” She leaned over and kissed the short, stout woman’s cheek. “Thanks for checking up on me.”

  The older woman beamed at her. “Just come on over if you need anything.”

  “I will.” Evie saw her out, then slid down the door and slumped to the floor for the second time since her arrival. She was facing days of this, interacting with people she hadn’t seen in seven years. She was scared and unsure of how they’d react to her being in town after so long, especially since she and Luke had ended their long-distance relationship and she’d never returned.

  Would they all be as kind as her grandfather’s next-door neighbor had been, or would some of them still resent her for not only moving away, but also for staying away as long as she had?

  Would Luke? Would he be even a little bit happy to see her, or had he grown to hate her for suggesting they end their long-distance relationship, even though they’d both agreed it was no longer working?

  The notion he may have grown to loathe her made her feel sick to her stomach. They really had tried to maintain their relationship after she moved to Austin, Texas to attend her final year of university in person, but it had become too hard for both of them.

  Although the decision to end it had been mutual, it was she who’d suggested it in the first place.

  She sucked in a few shaky breaths and covered her face with her hands, stemming the tears. Seeing the man she’d loved since she was fifteen was going to be one of the biggest challenges of all.

  She didn’t even know what he really looked like now. She had plenty of photographs of the two of them from when they’d been dating, but they’d both been much younger then. Luke had only been twenty-two when their relationship had ended, which would make him twenty-eight now.

  Was his hair still short and dark? Did he have any facial hair? Any new scars? Evie knew from Grandpa’s updates Luke wasn’t married, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dating anyone. How would she feel seeing another woman on his arm?

  She stood up and brushed the back of her jeans, taking a deep breath. There wasn’t any point sitting on the floor worrying about it. She’d find out soon enough.

  Glancing at her watch, she noted it was just after two in the afternoon. She could get in a few hours of cleaning and sorting down before dinner if she got her butt in gear now, but first she needed to shower, change, and have something to eat.

  Once she’d stood under the hot water, letting it ease the ache out of her muscles, and changed into fleecy sweatpants, a tank and the one item of Luke’s she’d fled town with—his favorite sweatshirt—she sat down for a late lunch of mac and cheese, then helped herself to a small slice of the freshly baked apple pie Mrs. Garcia had brought over for her.

  When she could procrastinate no more, Evie found some trash bags in the bottom kitchen drawer and started to clean out the house. Grandpa, bless him, had never been very good at letting things go, so she found cupboards crammed with detritus and piles of newspapers, magazines, and paperwork, some of which was as old as her.

  She ended up wheeling the recycling bin to the bottom of the front porch steps and tossing all of the newspapers and magazines she could find into it, meaning it didn’t take long to fill it up. All paperwork was neatly placed in one pile, as she’d have to go th
rough it all and make sure that not only all bills were paid and up-to-date, but also that nothing needed to be kept for legal reasons.

  After a couple of hours, Evie sat and had a short break, downing a large glass of water and checking her email from her phone. Seeing there was nothing urgent work-wise, she got back to it and did some more cleaning and sorting.

  By six o’clock, she was done. It had been a very long couple of days since learning of her grandfather’s passing. She’d spent the whole of the previous day getting her work arranged so she could take two weeks vacation, and then managed to talk her employer into letting her work from Aurora Springs for another two weeks.

  She was spending a month back in her hometown, which she figured would give her enough time to finalize everything—clear out the house, sell it, ship the possessions of Grandpa’s she wanted to keep, and shore up all legalities—before she headed back to her life in Houston, where she had a job she enjoyed and a few friends whose company she adored.

  Collapsing onto the old sofa her grandmother had chosen when her grandparents had been newly married, Evie turned on the television and watched the local news for a little while. She left it on in the background while she booted up her laptop and checked her work emails for the second time that day.

  After replying to a few of her clients, she surfed the internet but found nothing of interest, so she turned her computer off and placed it back on the sofa.