Before he had a chance to respond, she skidded out the door. Relief settled in when he heard her car pull away. He wanted to talk with her. She deserved an explanation as well as an apology. But not here—not now.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
The guilt the woman wore on her face caused his heart to squeeze. “Please, don’t worry about it. I know people in this town will have a lot of questions about my family’s sudden departure and why I’ve returned,” Nick said.
Mrs. Buser rested her warm wrinkled hand on Nick’s arm. He turned to her. “Joy is the only person in this town who deserves an explanation. As for the rest of us, it’s really none of our business.”
Nick swallowed the lump in his throat. “My father loved this town. The hardest thing he ever had to do, apart from burying my mother, was to uproot me and my sister and leave a lot of unanswered questions. He’s gone now and it’s time for my family to start a new life.”
A silence lingered before Mrs. Buser cleared her throat. “So, where do you and the boys plan on living? And your wife?”
“My wife passed away. It’s just me and my sons now.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I appreciate that. We’re doing okay. I found a quaint little house with a wonderful wraparound porch located in Whisper Hill.” Before leaving Chicago, Nick had searched available rentals online for several weeks.
He took note of the half smile that parted her lips. “What are you grinning about, Mrs. Buser?”
“Nothing, really—it’s just kind of a coincidence.”
He scratched his temple. “What is?”
She placed her hand on his forearm. “Why, that’s where Joy lives, dear.”
Nick couldn’t believe his ears. When he’d made the decision to move back to Whispering Slopes, he knew he’d see Joy. She loved this town and the chances of her ever moving away were slim, but never in his wildest of dreams would he have imagined he’d be living so close to his first love. He wanted a new life. It was just him and his boys now, and that was the way it had to remain. He’d had his chance to share his life with someone, but he’d blown it—big-time. He didn’t deserve another partner. But didn’t his boys deserve the opportunity to grow up with a mother? Should they suffer because of his past mistakes?
Joy drummed her fingers against the granite countertop, willing her teakettle to hurry up and whistle already. It was Saturday morning and she’d been awake since four o’clock and had already completed her early run. Even a long, hot shower couldn’t clear the thoughts of Nick and his boys that had whirled through her head all night. It was bad enough that in two days she’d be working across the hall from Nick, but the news of her first and only love interviewing for the principal position drove her out of her down feather bed. Could Nick take away the only dream she had left, to sit behind the desk in the same office where her father once worked? But more important, a chance to fill the void of being told she’d never have biological children of her own. She’d gone into teaching to be near children—have an impact on their lives, but as principal, she’d have the opportunity to work with and protect all of the children in the school, not only those in her classroom.
The sound of the kettle’s whistle pulled her from her thoughts. She needed to keep her focus. Today she had planned to study for the online exam coming up later in the week. She also wanted to do some preparation for her interview. She’d worked hard to earn her master’s degree and she was getting closer to fulfilling that goal.
A diesel engine rumbled out front, rattling her porcelain salt and pepper shakers. Joy pushed herself up from the kitchen table and headed toward the bay window in the front of her house. She flipped open the plantation shutters to take a peek. Through the planks she spotted a large truck across the street. The logo that ran along the side of the vehicle read Cross Country Movers.
Moments later a Lexus SUV pulled into the driveway. That must be the new tenant. The Clarks’ rental property had been empty for the past six months. She kept her gaze on the vehicle.
Her stomach turned upside down when she spied two identical boys and a caramel-colored puppy bounding from the SUV.
Heat blanketed her face. She raced to her bedroom and yanked on a pair of faded jeans. Stripping off her pink terry cloth robe, she grabbed a wool sweater balled up in her favorite comfy chair. The cold wood floor reminded her she’d need to put on some shoes. Reaching for her running shoes, she jammed her feet inside. Once dressed, she ran a comb through her tangled locks and headed out the front door.
Outside, her feet crunched on the early morning frost as she inhaled the cold air deep into her lungs. She crossed the street and ran up the sidewalk toward the front porch, her heart pounding against her ribs as she took the steps two at a time. She found the front door slightly cracked open, but even in her frantic state, she thought best to knock. “Hello... Anyone in there?”
Giggles sounded through the doorway. “Miss Kelliher!”
Dressed in matching blue-and-white-striped polo sweaters and jeans, the twins skidded to a stop. “How did you know we live here?” Tyler asked as a smile blossomed.
She couldn’t have missed the huge truck that rumbled into the neighborhood. “I saw you pull up. My house is right over there.” She pointed over her shoulder.
Immediately the boys began to jump up and down, celebrating the fact that they were neighbors.
“This is so awesome! Our favorite teacher ever is right across the street. We can visit you every day!”
Her anger eased as Tyler’s words crept inside her wounded heart. But how could she ever live so close to Nick and his boys? A constant reminder of what could have been and what would never be because she was broken...unable to do what should come naturally to a woman—bring new life into the world.
“What’s all the commotion?” Nick came up behind his sons, dressed in black jeans and a Northwestern University sweatshirt. As always, he looked startlingly handsome.
Who looks that good when they’re moving? Joy’s heart fluttered for a split second, until she remembered the reason for her visit. She folded her arms across her chest. “What are you doing here?”
Nick placed his hands on his sons’ shoulders. “This is our new home. We’re renting now, but the owners are thinking about selling.”
This was getting more unbelievable by the second.
“Mrs. Buser mentioned yesterday that we’d be neighbors. I guess it’s true what they say about it being a small world.” He scratched the side of his head and crinkled his brow.
Neighbors? What was that old saying she’d heard? Good fences made good neighbors—or something like that. That was it... She’d build a fence as high as her homeowners association would allow. She was president—she should know the restrictions. She’d have to check the covenants. Even still, building a wall around her property wouldn’t keep Nick out of her heart. “But this is my neighborhood. I moved here after college.”
“She lives right over there, Daddy,” Tyler announced, pointing in the direction of Joy’s one-story ranch home. “Isn’t that cool? Maybe she’ll invite us over for dinner sometime.”
This definitely wasn’t cool. Dinner? Absolutely not. How would she avoid Nick when he’d be just outside her door? At that moment she’d give anything to have the old neighbors and their barking Jack Russell back in the house.
“I