Obsession Falls (The Haven Brothers #1)

“My dad was a politician, so my parents were very image conscious. The most important thing was always how we looked to everyone else in town. And when I was in school, I played into all that. I was an overachiever. You know, the girl who always got good grades and joined all the clubs. I was a cheerleader and in student government. I made them look good.”

“But?” she prompted.

“They had very lofty, and very specific, expectations. They encouraged me to go to college, but then I was supposed to come back to Pinecrest to serve in city government and marry Colin Greaves, my high school boyfriend, so we could be some kind of small-town power couple or something.”

“Obviously you didn’t do that.”

“No. I broke up with Colin and declared I was going to have my own life and it was not going to be anywhere near Pinecrest.” I sighed. “And yet, here I am.”

“Took a hit to your pride in coming back.”

“That’s an understatement. But I was laid off and I couldn’t find a job. Lou was the first person to reply to one of my applications in months. I’m trying not to let that hurt my feelings but it still stings.”

“It’s tough out there. My son was out of work for a while, too.”

“So tough. My old boss was really apologetic when she had to let me go. She kept saying she knew I’d land on my feet, so she wasn’t worried about me. Little did she know.”

“But you did land on your feet. Just not where you expected.”

“I guess that’s true. And it’s probably good for me to be close to my mom for a while. My dad died a couple of years ago, so I know things have been hard for her.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Thanks. It was tough but also not unexpected. His health had been deteriorating for a while.”

“How’s your mom doing with such a big change?”

“She seems fine. Honestly, this might sound terrible, but in a way, I think she’s relieved. My dad wasn’t a bad guy, necessarily, but he wasn’t easy to live with.”

“Wait, Young. Was your dad Darryl Young?”

“Yeah. Did you know him?”

“Not personally. But wasn’t he mayor of Pinecrest for years?”

“Oh yeah. Twelve years, I think.”

“I remember his name being in the paper. Your mom, too, I think. Patrice?”

“That’s her. And yeah, I think press coverage was his favorite thing ever.”

The door opened again and I had to do a double take. Colin? What was he doing here?

“Speak of the devil.”

“Who’s that?” Sandra asked, looking over her shoulder.

“Colin.”

“High school ex-boyfriend Colin? You’re kidding.”

“Nope, that’s him.”

“His ears must have been burning.”

Our eyes met and he flashed me a wide smile as he walked to our table. He was dressed similarly to the last time I’d seen him—button-down shirt and slacks. I wondered if he always dressed like that or if he’d just come from the office.

But what was he doing here?