Someone jiggled his doorknob. They were using a key to enter, since he hadn’t answered their knocks. Evan stared at the half-eaten container of ice cream melting on his counter, not even caring about the mess it would make. Stella pawed at the back door, wanting to be let out one more time before bed.
Brice and Kendall exchanged sad looks as they entered his house.
“We heard about the meeting. People were talking about it at church today. You okay?” Kendall didn’t bother taking off her coat or boots. She joined him in the kitchen and wrapped him in a hug. “I’m sorry. I think this is my fault.”
Evan patted her back. “You told the truth. You have nothing to feel sorry for. I’m the only one in this situation who did something wrong.”
Kendall didn’t let go. “She’ll come around.”
Evan eased out of her hold. “Does it matter? I went and saw Sesser in the hospital. I tried to make peace and he said I could only have that over his dead body. It’s better this way. She’s better off without me.”
A muscle in Brice’s jaw popped. “Other way around—you’re better off without her.”
Protectiveness over Claire roared to life in Evan’s chest. Brice might be his brother and his best friend, but Evan wouldn’t let him speak badly about the woman he loved. “I know you don’t like Sesser, but what have you got against Claire?”
Brice’s eyebrows shot up. “She’s toyed with you for half your life.”
“Toyed with me? How about flip that around.” He drew a circle in the air with his finger. “I’m the one who left her at the courthouse, and she wasn’t wrong to share what she did at the meeting. Those were our plans and I deliberately didn’t tell her about them.”
“She made it sound like we were trying to hurt the town. As if we were Sesser Atwood, ruled by greed. We want that dock to help the community. Our intention wasn’t to line our pockets, but that’s how she painted it.”
“Intentions don’t always matter.” His talk with Claire about flirting came to mind. “You can have the best intentions and still end up hurting someone.”
“But the dock was important. It was—”
“I don’t care about the dock!” Evan tossed his hands in the air and stalked to the other side of the kitchen. “Can’t you see that? My life is falling apart and all you can talk about is that stupid dock.”
“You used to care about it, too.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. I never cared about it. I never wanted to be mayor. I did it because that’s what you wanted, and for so many years I’ve made my choices based on what’s best for you. How I can make you proud. I can’t do that anymore.” Evan shoved his hands against his counter, savoring the coolness, and hung his head. “I can’t—I’ve lost everything.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She told me to tell you. Said you deserved to know.” Evan launched into the details of Sesser’s blackmailing. Every part of it. Brice stumbled into a seat. He listened with his head in his hands and then stayed that way a long time after Evan’s story was done. Kendall squeezed Evan’s shoulder before taking the seat next to Brice and picking up his hand.
Brice’s head lifted and the green eyes that mirrored Evan’s own sought him out. A breath rattled through his older brother. “He paid my tuition? He’s the reason I have a degree? I can’t comment on that... I’ll need time to process. But I need you to understand that you don’t owe me anything. You never did.”
Their dad had beat Brice senseless more times than Evan wanted to remember. Evan had crouched out of sight until Dad’s anger burned off. He’d never pulled him off of Brice. Brice was selfless; he deserved a happy life with Kendall. Evan? Most days he still felt less than a man for allowing it all to happen.
Evan’s vision blurred. “When I goaded Dad, when I thought I was too funny for my own good...every time he lunged at me, every single time he came at me with his fists up, you were there. You stepped in front. Blocked me. I let you take those hits. Hits meant for me. Again and again, and I never once—”
“And it was my choice to step in front of his fists and take the blows with your name on them.” Brice met his gaze. “My choice, Evan. No one made me do it and I didn’t do it to get something from you.”
“But I could have tried to stop him. Half the time it was my fault that he was mad.” Evan pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to block out the memories of their father’s wrath. “I keep trying to do something to make it up to you, but it never feels like enough for everything you suffered. So yes, now that we’re older, if you want something, I’ll do anything to get it for you. That’s why I ran for mayor.”
Brice let go of Kendall’s hand, rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his palms together. “You are no longer a victim, so stop putting yourself in that box. None of us are victims any longer.”
Where had that come from? “I don’t pretend to be a victim.”
“You tried to pay back what you viewed as a sacrifice by sacrificing your relationship with Claire twice now.” Brice spoke slowly, carefully, as if he was explaining a difficult concept to a child. “I’m going to say this once, so listen up. Don’t cheapen my sacrifice by feeling guilty when it was my choice. You are not allowed to carry that burden on your shoulders any longer. You were worth it. Each kick and hit and verbal assault. You were worth it every single time.”
“But why?” Evan’s voice broke and he didn’t try to hide it. “I don’t understand. I’ve never been able to understand.”
“I love you. It’s as simple and complicated as that.”
Kendall set her hand on Brice’s knee. “God loves you like that, too, Evan. You realize that, don’t you?”
“I’m a Christian.”
“That’s not what I asked. A person can be a Christian and still struggle with feeling less-than, worthless and undeserving. God doesn’t want you to feel that way. The cross was the moment when God whispered, ‘I love you and you are worth this much to Me.’ We risk cheapening God’s sacrifice when we deem ourselves undeserving. I know I’ve been guilty of doing that sometimes.”
“I think I’ve been doing that my whole life. What am I going to do, guys? I’m a complete mess.”
Brice rose and made his way to his brother. “Welcome to the club.”
* * *
Residents filled the meeting room to bursting on Monday night. Voting had occurred during the town hall’s business hours and had been tabulated before the special board meeting. Some of the local shop owners had closed early in order to secure seats in the front. Claire kept her gaze trained on the floor while they visited around her. Excitement pulsed in the air, as if they were at a prizefight instead of a perfunctory assembly.
Mrs. Clarkson squeezed down the crowded aisle to claim the empty seat beside Claire.
Claire clasped Alex’s hand. After Mr. Banks announced that she was their new mayor, she’d keep her speech short. She’d apologize for her outburst on Saturday, thank them for their votes and promise to lead them with a more level head than she’d recently displayed.
Mr. Banks tapped the microphone. “No one is happier than I am that this election is over. Our new mayor will take office next Monday, which means I’ll be stepping down at the end of this week. I’d love to be able to say that I’ve enjoyed my time serving in the interim position, but I haven’t, and you are all aware of that already, so let’s move on.”
He began to open an envelope. His hand trembled with age. The page inside crinkled as he drew it out. He read the sheet, once, twice, a third time before clearing his throat. “It seems the person who won did so by the wildly unorthodox method of being a write-in candidate.”
Whispers carried around the room, but Claire couldn’t hear them. A write-in candidate? She’d lost. They didn’t want her, even when she was the only choice.
Mr. Banks lofted the page into the air. “The next mayor of Goose Harbor is Kellen Ashby!”
Kellen’s daughters sprang to their feet, screaming and jumping up and down. Skylar ran to the stage, snatched the page from Mr. Banks and performed a victory dance that rivaled any on the football field. Kellen’s face had gone red. The poor man looked petrified.
Claire’s initial shock faded and she couldn’t help but chuckle. If she had to lose to someone, Kellen wasn’t so bad. He was a great guy who would serve the community well.
Mrs. Clarkson slipped her arm around Claire. “Try not to feel bad, dear. This town always did run better with an Ashby at the helm.”
Claire got to her feet and addressed the crowd. “You all chose well. Kellen will make a great mayor.” She sent a smile his way to show him she was sincerely happy for him and wanted him to accept the position. “Much better than I would have been.”
The crowd responded by converging in Kellen’s direction, and Claire took that as her cue to sneak away. She kept hold of Alex’s hand and led him out the back way, down the narrow stairwell where she’d fought with Evan. Now that she’d had two days to cool off, she regretted how she’d handled the blowup with him. She’d allowed emotions to rule her and didn’t want to make that mistake again.
When the time came she’d apologize to him, if he would hear her out. She’d told her father about Brice and Evan’s plans to build the dock and her father’s irate response had embarrassed her. He was her parent, but he was spiteful, mean-hearted and greedy. Kendall had explained how breaking Dad’s monopoly would be a positive step for the community, and after considering it, Claire couldn’t help but agree.
Late Saturday, guilt had shrouded her shoulders like a heavy woolen quilt. She’d spent her entire life being supported by the money her father had pinched out of the people of Goose Harbor and other nearby communities. She knew most of his business practices were dishonorable and she’d turned a blind eye. Evan’s point about messes being hidden under the snow came to mind. He’d been right. Stepping out on her own was scary, but she could no longer ignore the evil her father engaged in.
Claire had immediately typed up and handed in her resignation from the family company. She’d also informed her parents that she and Alex would be moving out as soon as they could. Now came the task of finding a new home.
She and Alex walked toward her car, winter air tickling her face. “Well, buddy, where do you think we should go to celebrate?”
“There’s nothing to celebrate. You lost.” He gave her a skeptical look, as if she might be trying to trick him.
“There’s plenty to celebrate.” She looped her arm over his spindly shoulders. “Besides, you’re the man in my life and I want to go do something. What should we do?”
“I’m a boy.” Alex stopped abruptly. “Evan’s the man in your life.”
“Evan and I...we decided not to be friends anymore.” That sounded a lot better than admitting to her son that she’d all but thrown a public hissy fit because she believed Evan didn’t love her.
Alex narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think that’s truth.”
“Well, it—”
“He told me he loves you.” Alex pushed his fingertips into his chest. “He loves you with the kind of love that never sends someone back.”
Claire dropped to her knees to be at his eye level. Snow seeped through her pant legs. “Sweetheart.”
“He said he’d never send you back, Mom.” Alex’s voice grew stronger. “That means no matter what you do or what happens you’re his family. No send-backs. Like me and you. It’s love forever that doesn’t go away.”
How could she make Alex understand that no matter how much she wanted to change things, Evan might not end up in their life?
“Listen to the kid. He talks a lot of sense.” Evan’s voice put her off balance and she had to catch herself with her hands to the ground.
Alex helped steady her. Claire rose to her feet and a stiff wind whipped her hair in front of her face. She pawed at the strands until she could finally see the man she loved leaning against the hood of her car. “Evan?”
He was here. She tried not to read too much into it. Evan wasn’t one to let a feud fester—well, besides with her father. But that was different. He could have sought her out to make peace, not to reopen their tattered love story.
He straightened as she and Alex drew nearer. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the dock. The truth is, I never wanted to be mayor.”
“She lost, too.” Alex jutted his thumb in her direction.
“Kellen won by a write-in vote,” Claire explained.
Evan broke into a dimpled grin. “If that isn’t the most Goose Harbor thing ever.”
She nodded, inching closer. “I thought it was a fitting end.”
His dimples disappeared. He shuffled his feet and then stopped to search her face with his intense green eyes. “Can you ever forgive me?” he whispered.
Claire stretched her hand out, offering it, waiting for him to take it. He did.
She closed her fingers around his, thankful she’d forgotten her gloves despite the cold. She traced the calluses on his work-worn hands. “I realized when I was praying yesterday that if you had wanted to use me, you wouldn’t have stepped down. I overreacted and I’m sorry for everything I said. What must everyone think?”
Evan captured her other hand so they were facing each other. He swung their hands between them. “All I care about right now is your opinion of me.” He stopped fidgeting with her hands and captured her gaze with his. He drank in the sight of her cheeks, her lips, her eyes. “Claire, after everything, do I have any chance of winning you back?”
Taking him by surprise, she rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him gently before pulling back. “You can’t win back something you’ve never lost.” She looped her hands around his neck. “I have loved you since I was a teenager and I want to love you until my age hits triple digits. No one challenges me the way you do. No one uplifts me or enrages me quite like you, either.”
“What about your dad? I don’t want to come between you and your family.”
“That’s my choice to make. Alex here...” She reached out and draped an arm over her son’s shoulder, bringing him into their huddle. “He’s taught me something really important. God makes families, not by bloodlines but by heart ties.” She tapped Evan’s chest twice. “My heart is tied to yours, Evan Daniels. I want you to be my family.”
“And me.” Alex scooted so he was between them. “I have heart ties to both of you, too.”
“Speaking of my dad, it just so happens that I gave him my two-weeks notice.” She added in a softer voice, “I don’t want to be under his thumb ever again.”
Alex propped his foot on the bumper of her car. “We’re moving out, too. We started packing yesterday. But we don’t know where we’re going. Right, Mom?”
Evan rocked back on the balls of his feet and a playful smirk lit his face. “Well, that’s funny, because I have plenty of space in my house.”
Claire tilted her head and grinned at him. “Is that so?”
“But I’m not looking for roommates, you understand.” Evan closed the distance between them again. “These spots in my house, they’re only available for family of the heart-tied variety. You wouldn’t happen to know any people who fit that description, would you?”
“Us!” Alex jumped back into the conversation. “We do!”
“Under one condition.” Claire held up a finger.
“I’m listening.” Evan fought a goofy grin. Unsuccessfully.
Claire stood there taking him in for a second. She loved him, every facet of his personality, and she wanted to be with him forever. They’d waited long enough. “We go to the courthouse tomorrow and do what we planned to do twelve years ago. We rewrite our ending.”
Evan drew her into his arms. He kissed her forehead and moved down to her cheek, her nose, her other cheek. “We’ll go.” He pressed his lips to hers. “But we don’t rewrite anything,” he whispered, his breath hot against her neck. “Instead, we’ll write a new beginning. All of us.”
* * * * *
Don’t miss these other GOOSE HARBOR stories
from Jessica Keller:
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