The Summer of Us (Mission Cove 1)

Another odd thing happened. As more people discovered who I was, there was no censure, no looks of dislike or distancing. I was surprised at the number of hugs I received, the welcome from people still living here that I used to know. Even odder, not a single person offered condolences on my father’s passing. Many of them spoke of my mother, and I was grateful to hear so many wonderful stories. It felt good to know her memory would live on here while my father’s terrible legacy died off, a mere whisper of the past. When they discovered the house was being taken down, there was a lot of excitement and curiosity about what would replace it. I kept my mouth shut, waiting for the final drawings to take to the town council on both matters. I wasn’t shocked when the mayor dropped in and told me he expected there to be no problem with my proposals. I had sat with him and his wife and laid out my plans, then left, allowing them to talk in private.

They were both smart enough to know what my ideas meant for their little town. The economic implications were staggering. I expected zero pushback. It was a good feeling though, to be able to go forward without using anything but my ideas and plans. I didn’t have to drop any veiled threats or use the past. My future was in my hands, and I was in control—nobody else. It felt right.

I sat in the sun out back of the bakery. Sunny had shown me the wide cement wall that ran along the edge of the property. She had a ladder propped against it and often sat with her back against the even higher wall beside it while she did work on her computer and enjoyed the sun, she explained. I had taken advantage of it a few times, using the privacy to make calls and arrangements I didn’t want her to know about. It also provided me with an unobstructed view of the house on the hill. I watched as people went in and out. Trucks pulled up, filled, and left. The final purge of my father’s things. Luckily, thanks to Sunny, I now had everything of my mother’s. It was she who pointed out the heavy copper pots in the back of the cupboards in the kitchen. The delicate china gathering dust in the bottom of the dining room hutch. The crystal I never remembered being used.

“Your mother would have chosen these things, Linc. Not your father. You should have them. They were part of her.”

They were all now safe, along with some other items Sunny unearthed. I was grateful she had a better eye than mine to spot them.

Knowing how my father would have raged seeing people traipse through his house, taking his things—for free—as if they were worthless, gave me a great deal of satisfaction. I didn’t try to deny that it pleased me. And the bottom line was many of the items would benefit the community. The dining room table would have a family sit around it and make memories. Children would jump on the beds and run on the carpets. Each family or individual was given a number and a limit, and it appeared to be going well. I bit back my grin. With Abby and Ned in charge, I had no doubt it would remain so.

“Hey.” Sunny’s head appeared beside me.

“Hi.”

She looked worried. “You okay?” She indicated the hill. “Is that upsetting you?”

I patted my legs. “Get up here.”

I helped her settle, then wrapped my arms around her. “No, it’s very cleansing. I know all those things will be used. Maybe loved. It actually gives me some peace.”

She leaned into me, her shoulders relaxing. “Good.” She played with my fingers. “What about next week?”

“Sunny, that is going to be a banner day for me.”

She peeked up at me. “Are you sure you really want to…blow it up?”

I chuckled. “I wish I could blow it up. Watch it explode and scatter for miles. But sadly, that is illegal and dangerous. When they hit the switch, it will implode—almost sink into itself. I watched a lot of the videos—it’s fascinating. A building is there one moment, and when the dust clears, it’s a flattened pile of debris they’ll truck away.” I pressed a kiss to her head. “And I get to push the button.”

Her voice was low. “And then what?”

“Hey.”

I waited until she turned her head and met my eyes. “Then it’s done, Sunny. My past will be exactly where it needs to be—in the past. My father will no longer have any part of my thoughts.” I slid a hand under her chin, angling her face up to mine. “I have a whole new life to live—with you. I plan on living the hell out of it. You with me?”