“The wondrous Silver Pines.”
Late afternoon sun beamed over a beautiful Victorian chapel. Wrought-iron fence surrounded it and snaked around the rose-filled garden. The musty smell of centuries-long history filled the air, wrapping around him tightly, urging Ash to seek answers.
Who were the Mallorys? Was he really a Mallory too?
Was he abandoned by his father? Or had his father also been robbed of their relationship thanks to his mom?
“Lester asked me to take care of things until you took over,” River said, smiling proudly toward the chapel. “Ben—the guy who was with me at Beauview library—he opens during the week.”
“Taking care. That makes sense. As much as any of this can, anyway.”
His granddad wanted Ash to have his legacy.
River spoke gently. “It’s not two hundred grand in the bank, but Silver Pines is fulfilling work.”
Ash gulped, and he stared at the fancy awnings.
“Should we go inside?” River gestured to the porch, where a smartly dressed couple exited, toting beautifully wrapped books held together with string.
“I didn’t realize this was such a formal place.”
Ash brushed lint off his hoodie. Should he take it off?
Maybe such questions were procrastination.
He tugged his hoodie over his head.
The material caught on his T-shirt and pulled up to his armpits, knotting him. Stupid hoodie.
Stupid nerves.
River laughed softly, pinched the tangled T-shirt at his nipple, and smoothed it to his waist. Despite the sun, Ash’s skin pebbled, his gasp thankfully swallowed by the hoodie.
Another yank and the bookstore façade framed River once more.
Ash balled his hoodie, wincing at the Mickey Mouse print on his shirt. “I’m not exactly classy.”
River’s smile faded as he reached out and unfolded a kink of material at Ash’s hip. “Trust me, you’re perfect for Silver Pines. Lester would have loved you no matter what you wore.”
Ash lost all coherent thought as pulses of happiness flooded through him.
Ridiculous that he was so desperate for any suggestion that his family cared.
He swayed toward the Silver Pines entrance. It took all his effort not to rush inside and plead River to tell him more. Everything.
The store door swung open with a tinkering ring of a brass bell. Ben slipped outside. “Headed to Zeros for a coffee.” He waved a small wooden board with Back in a few chiseled into it. “Guess I don’t need to hang this now.”
“We’ve got it,” River said. “Bring us coffee too, would you?” River looked at Ash. “Latte? Cappuccino? Tea?”
Ash shifted uncomfortably. Coffee sounded amazing, but he never bought it at cafés. “I’ll have water.”
River studied him. “Do you drink coffee?”
“Sure. Couldn’t survive without it, but”—Ash shrugged—“I’m good.”
“You had one piece of bread for breakfast and nothing else all day.” He shook his head and turned to his friend. “Bring us back a couple of cappuccinos and two ham sandwiches?”
River’s friend raced down the street, and River beckoned Ash to the porch. “If you like Silver Pines from the outside, you’ll love it from the inside.”
Ash shifted from foot to foot. He wanted in there.
Hated that he wanted it so desperately.
This was why he’d kept telling Danielle he was “thinking” about the offer. Because he was a fool.
Danielle. He should think of her. The money for college. Not a legacy from someone who was never there for him. It was a huge burden to place on someone who had no history with Lester or Silver Pines.
Sunlight brightened over the chapel and Ash was hit with its beauty and the tantalizing scent of answers. “This is a bad idea. I need that money, River.”
“How long do you have to make a decision?”
“Two weeks, and the offer is off the table.”
“Lester gave this place to you. If in two weeks you choose to accept the gift and sell, I won’t stop you.” River leaned in close. Whispered at his ear. “But I hope I can change your mind before then. I hope you fall in love and stay forever.”
River pulled back and their gazes connected. Tingles fluttered through Ash. “Love doesn’t exist,” he murmured.
River gestured Ash inside. “Then you should have no problem stepping inside.”
Ash straightened, balled his fists at his side, and walked deep into the library-converted chapel.
Thousands of antique books filled every nook. From floor to ceiling. Aisles and aisles of bookshelves and wooden ladders. It reeked of old leather and polished wood—high society and the highly educated. All things Ash had once wished for.
All things that might have been his if his father or granddad had claimed him.
“Imagine,” River said. “You could run this place.”
“I could never run a place like this.”
He wouldn’t know a single book in here. How was he supposed to sell old books when he didn’t read them? He doubted there was a set of Harry Potter tucked in any of these shelves.
The place must cost a fortune to maintain, and even if the store didn’t lose money, it wouldn’t earn him what Birch Lagoon was offering.
Running the store might be nice in theory, but that was where it ended.
A block of warmth hit his side as River parked himself close. He pointed to an alabaster window that ran up one wall. “Lester prayed to that glowing window every day when I was a kid.”
“What did he pray for?”
“For me to stop asking him inane questions. Sometimes coffee. I’m proud to say I managed both half the time.”
Ash stared at the glass tinting the filtered sunlight amber. Below the window sat a bright blue mailbox on a post, its red flag up. “Is that where you and Lester exchanged notes?”
“Yes.”
Ash touched the top of the mailbox. “The flag is up.”
A sad smile touched River’s face. “He never read my last letter.”
Ash’s fingers dropped. “It’s just sitting in there?”
“In a little blue envelope. I’ll take it out eventually.” River pinched the flag and steered it down. “When I’m ready.”
River was genuinely heartfelt. Caring and emotional. Had his granddad helped make him that way?
Would Ash have been a better person if he’d grown up with Lester? Would he be less cynical? Would he have proof that love existed?
“With good management,” River said. “Silver Pines can make a small but comfortable yearly profit.”
Ash swallowed. “I’m just a cleaner, River. I don’t know anything about this business.”
“You’re not just anything. Anything you want to learn, I’ll help you.”
“Even if I decided to keep this place, when would you teach me? You saw my schedule.”
“What day do you take off?”
Ash shrugged. “I don’t.”
“You never take a day off?”
“Christmas. My birthday. Danielle’s.”
River’s lips thinned. He turned on his heel and paced toward the front desk, then came back again. “Call them.”
“Who?”
“Your employers. All of them. Tell them you’re sick. That you need a day off.”
Ash lifted an eyebrow. “You can teach me everything I need to know to successfully run Silver Pines in a day?”
“No. I want you to sleep. To have a day entirely to yourself. Do nothing. Enjoy it.”
Ash sighed at the thought. “That sounds amazing but—”
“I’ll pay you.”
“What?”
“You don’t have to lose any money. I’ll give you what you would have made.”
“I know we don’t know each other well, but do you think I’d let you do that?”
River chuckled briefly. “I suppose not.” He shook his head sadly. “Is there any way I can convince you?”
“No. Well . . .” Ash shut his mouth.
Too late. River perked. “What?”
“Maybe you could help me search Lester’s things? Tell me his stories?” Search for reasons Ash should contact his father—or not.
River grinned. “There are hundreds of stories. Shelves of letters and photos to sort through.”
Ash spluttered. “How many days do you think I’ll need?”
River’s lips twisted up at the edges. “All of them.”
* * *
No wonder Ash always looked tired. The man worked himself to the bone. Lester would have found it frightening to learn how hard his grandson had it. He’d have been rightly upset.
“Anything you want,” River said. “I’ll give it to you.”
Ash smiled, cheeks twitching. “Well in that case, I’ll call in sick immediately.”
With curling admiration, River watched Ash slip in and out of aisles and take in the sea of books.
He wanted to follow every step and catalogue each awed glance at Lester’s legacy. Wanted Ash to topple in his arms again, that sinewy, slender weight pinning him with electrifying heat.
Wanted to squirrel the man into a restaurant, feed him properly, and share his favorite Lester memories.
Ben returned, their much-needed coffee and sandwiches balanced in his hands. He crossed to the main desk and set down their food.
River beckoned Ash over. “Coffee and sandwich for you. Eat up.”
Ash sipped his coffee and his eyes shuttered in enjoyment. He cradled the cup as they talked, savoring every sip. Every bite of sandwich.
River nudged the second half of his to Ash. “Have it.”
“You’re not hungry?”
Yes, he was, but Ash needed it more. “I’m good.”
Ash picked it up and smiled at him. “Thanks.”
There was so much more of Silver Pines for Ash to discover, but River had caught Ash yawning twice.
He’d show him the crypt tomorrow.
Besides, holding out on the best parts meant Ash would come back.
At Ash’s third quiet yawn, River packed them into his car.
He intended to drive him directly back to Poplar Low but found himself taking a detour up Shady Heights Hill.
He stopped the car where a trail began. “Come with me?”
Evening light bounced off green shrubs. Ash looked back at River with a cocked brow.
“Ten minutes. Tops.”
Ash followed River down the sun-cracked dirt path. Each time they passed a few dog walkers, Ash said hello in a cheerful, sweet voice. Nothing like Lester’s hoarse voice.
When they rounded the last corner of the incline, Greenville opened up below their feet. A tightly packed town of white houses, a river, and large green pastures surrounding it.
“What a view,” Ash said.
River sat on the old-fashioned wooden bench behind them. Ash did too, pausing at the shiny bronze plaque studding the back.
“In loving memory of Lester Mallory,” Ash read. His gaze whipped to River’s.
River clasped the lip of the bench, rubbing his palms. “This was our favorite place to walk. The path starts at Silver Pines, and we used to sneak up after he’d shut shop.”
“How long have you been coming here with him?”
“I was twelve the first time. I had a dog-walking gig over the summer, and Lester showed me this track. Since then, we met up weekly, sometimes multiple times. We came here to vent. Share good news and bad.”
“Like what?”
“He told me about his diagnosis here. Somehow he ended up holding me as I cried. I’ve never cried so much.”
Ash shuffled across the seat, closer. He reached out like he might squeeze his knee, then awkwardly halted.
River touched the sides of their shoes together. “Your granddad was the best person I knew.”
Ash nodded and gazed out over the city. “What good news did you share?”
“My good grades. My college acceptance. Graduating with first-class honors. Lester winning a trip to Hawaii and asking me to go with him to hunt for rare books . . .”
“What was the last thing you talked about?”
River smiled and ran a hand through his hair. “He told me he was proud of me.”
“Proud.” Ash stared at where their shoes touched.
Did he feel the beam of energy passing into him too? Or was River imagining it because he ached for his old connection to Lester?
“That sounds touching,” Ash said.
River laughed gently. “It was. Then he whacked me with his cane one last time. I can still feel it.”
A small grin quirked Ash’s dark pink lips.
“Nice memory.”
“Most of them are.”
Ash smiled wistfully. The sun set over Greenville as they shared thoughts about their town, their favorite spaces, their high schools, all the while wondering how they had never seen each other.
“I wish we’d passed each other during a Saturday market. If I’d seen you a year earlier . . .”
“If we’re wishing, maybe you could have recognized me a decade ago?” Ash gave a fruity laugh, deep, strong. Pleasant.
River smiled. To have known him a decade ago would have changed their lives.
Ash would have enjoyed Lester as a cornerstone in his life.
River would have had . . . well. Maybe Lester wouldn’t have needed River after all.
He led Ash back to the car. Once inside, he turned on Miley Cyrus through Spotify.
Ash pressed himself against the passenger seat and laughed. “Really?”
“Come on. Sing with me. You know you want to.”
River sang along to Miley the entire drive to Poplar Low, soaking up Ash’s smirks. By the last stretch, Ash had joined in.
“Thanks,” Ash said when River parked outside Poplar Low. “For driving me around all day, I mean.”
He was more than welcome. Hell, River had a hard time not offering his services as Ash’s personal chauffeur for the rest of his life. “No problem.”
River stepped out of the car. He’d almost forgotten about the groceries in the trunk. Ash followed him around the back, frowning when River grabbed the bags and started into Ash’s apartment complex.
“What are you—?”
River cut him off. “This is an apology.”
“For the butter? That’s far too much.”
They hiked up the five floors to Ash’s place, and Ash let them in. His brow furrowed as he took in the groceries. He bit his bottom lip in a way that sent a shiver through River.
River stopped him before he could reject the groceries. “It’s not only an apology for the butter. It’s a way to say thank you.”
“Thank you? I haven’t done anything worth thanking.”
Ash stared at him, hip resting against the counter.
River methodically emptied the bags and filled Ash Heartford’s empty fridge.
“Sure you have. You trusted me with Lester’s letter last weekend. You had no reason to offer me something so personal, and on the smallest chance it brought me some closure, you opened yourself to me, and I . . .” River shut the fridge, and met Ash’s eye. “Thank you.”
Ash picked up Chucky and burrowed his face into her fur.
The display of affection sent a rush of tenderness through him.
“Early start tomorrow,” River said, trying to distract himself. “I have a pregnant Dutch Warmblood to check up on, after which I am free.”
“How can you be free most of the day? Shouldn’t you be, like, crazy busy running your business?”
“I cut my vet duties by half for the last year to help run Silver Pines while assets got sorted.”
“That’s a big sacrifice.”
“It’s fine, thanks to my mom I was born into money. I have the privilege to do it.” River grimaced, guiltily. “Ben will open the store tomorrow,” he hurriedly continued. “On my drive back into town, I can pick you up and take you to Silver Pines.”
“I can catch a bus.”
“It’s on my way. I drive right past here.”
“In that case, okay.”
River looked forward to it already.
He had less than two weeks to convince Ash that he loved Silver Pines and never wanted to leave.