We had been driving for what felt like an eternity, but even in the midnight hours, I still remembered my way. Makayla had been quiet for most of the trip, clearly lost in thought as she stared out the window at the darkened scenery passing us by. I was grateful for the silence, because I, too, was still figuring out how to process the entire situation.

Picking up and leaving everything was fairly easy. I knew Spiked Roses could do without me. Kenneth and Matthew ran the show for the most part. And my other businesses and investments practically ran on autopilot for me. I guess you could call me a man of leisure and semi-retired. I had earned my fortune and had worked my ass off for many years to get to this point. Now, I was fortunate to sit back and watch the money enter my bank account with very little effort. My pappy would have been proud. He always had lectured me growing up by saying that a wise man was a man who made money in his sleep. Looking back now, I was glad that I had followed that piece of advice of his. The lake house had Internet and cell service—though shitty as fuck. So, anything I needed to do for any of my businesses could be done remotely. The reality of the situation was that physically heading to the lake house wasn’t an inconvenience at all. Mentally, however, this entire trip was a complete mind fuck.

I kept going over scenarios of how I could try to help Rhett. I had left that sick life behind me, but it wouldn’t be too hard to dive back in if it could help. The fucked up fact was that I really couldn’t figure out a way to help even if I did get involved. And diving back in could expose Makayla, which I knew was what Rhett really didn’t want. He had the power still. He still controlled the safety of his precious daughter, and I didn’t want to fuck that up by trying to swoop in and play hero by foolishly trying to rescue a dead man.

“When was the last time you came to the lake house?” Makayla asked as she continued to stare out the window.

I sighed as I tried to remember the last time. “Well, it was with you, your dad, and your… mom. Before she passed.”

Makayla nodded. “So, the last time I was here too.”

“Yeah. It just never felt right coming back here without you guys. Without her,” I admitted.

“That’s why we never came back too,” she said sadly. “Papa said it would be too painful. That the memories of her here—where we were the happiest—would hurt us.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” I admitted as I stared at the straight, empty road in front of me.

“It made me sad not coming here, to be honest. I think Mama would have hated knowing we all would never come back. She loved it at the lake. She loved having us all there under one roof in what she called paradise.”

“Sometimes you have to close a chapter to move on.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see she had turned to look at me. “Is that what you did? Closed the chapter on us? Papa told me that you and he hadn’t spoken since Mama’s death.”

I nodded, swallowing against the lump in my throat. “It was best for me to just walk away from it all. There was a lot going on with the business that I wasn’t happy with. And with the death of Minka… it was just a really dark time that I needed to break free from. The business partnership needed to end for the good of everyone. I did what your father should have done a long time ago. If he had… well, if he had—”

“We wouldn’t be running off to the lake house for safety,” Makayla interrupted, speaking my thoughts for me.

Safety. Was that even possible?

I glanced at Makayla who stared out the window again. She rested her elbow on the door and propped her head up with her clenched fist. The dark shadows under her eyes revealed she was tired. Hell, I was tired too.

“Tell me something, Makayla,” I began. “Do you think your life is in danger?”

She shrugged but didn’t look at me. “Who knows? My life seems to always be in danger. I don’t even care any more to be honest.”

“Always in danger?”

“Yes,” she said as she glanced at me. “But I suppose you already know that.”

“To some extent,” I admitted. “But not really. I got out. I moved away and never looked back.”

“Well, my papa didn’t. If anything, he seemed to get in deeper and deeper with them.”

“Do you know who them is?” I wondered how much Makayla really knew about everything. How much did I have to protect her from the truth? Did she actually know more than me?

She positioned her body so she was facing me head on. An eyebrow rose as she asked, “Do you know who them is?”

Fuck.

I didn’t know how to answer her question.

I didn’t know if I should answer her question at all.

“We’re about to enter Old Pier,” I said, changing the subject. “Hopefully the gas station is still open twenty-four hours like before. We can pick up some basics to hold us over until we go into town for a full grocery trip tomorrow.”

Old Pier was the closest town to the lake house. Aside from the gas station, it had a small grocery, a few cafes, a restaurant only open for dinner, a fish and tackle shop, a barber, an ice cream and soda shop near the pier, and an antique shop that was housed out of an old barn. At least that was what all it had a decade ago. Who knew what was still around now. The quaint town had always been a favorite of mine, and I had hoped it hadn’t changed too much in the years I had been away.

Turning a corner, I was happy to see the lights of the gas station come into view. It was like stepping back into a fond memory that I had never released. Nothing had changed. It was the same white farmhouse structure with a single gas pump that announced we were only thirty minutes from our home sweet home.

“Looks like they’re open,” Makayla said. I could see a smile wash over her face for the first time since we had left New Orleans. “I wonder if they still have those peppermint sticks I used to love as a kid.”

I pulled up at the tank, deciding it was best to fill up now. “Let’s go in and see.”

Groaning as I got out of the car, I realized how stiff I had been during our drive. The tension I was feeling clearly had wrapped itself around every joint in my body. Stretching my arms above my head and trying to elongate my torso, I turned to find Makayla watching me.

Not saying anything further, I walked toward the tiny store with Makayla catching up to walk at my side. I was happy to find that the store still carried wine. It might not have been the most desired wine, but I would take grape juice spiked with moonshine if I had to at this point. I grabbed a few boxes of crackers, a bag of pretzels, some local beef jerky, some coffee for the morning, and some bottled water—all the fixings for a gourmet feast.

I found Makayla in the aisle gripping a fistful of peppermint sticks like she’d done so many years ago. She looked at me with a warm smile on her face. “They still have them.” She had grabbed as many as she could hold, and I noticed she had also grabbed a bottle of wine.

I held up my wine so she could see. “Great minds think alike,” I said.

“Yeah, it appears that way.”

It dawned on me that the last time we were at the lake house, she was far from being of age to purchase wine. Hell… she wasn’t twenty-one yet even now. Though I’m sure she just assumed I would be buying the groceries, so it was a non-issue. I couldn’t believe I would be sharing wine with… little Makayla. When had I become the old man?

I paid for our purchases and gas when the older woman asked, “Where you all headed at this time of night?”

“We have a lake house about thirty minutes from here,” Makayla offered with the kindest and most gentle voice. I think it would be impossible to not like her instantly on first meeting. “My uncle and I haven’t been there for long time.”

The lady looked at me, and offered a smile. She was probably happy to hear I wasn’t just some dirty old bastard dating a young girl and taking advantage of her. My black Lexus SUV outside showed I had a decent level of money though it wasn’t overly showy, but on appearance alone, it could appear that I was Makayla’s sugar daddy.

We headed back to the vehicle with our bags, and I glanced around pleased with what I saw… or could see in the darkness only lit by the almost full moon. It appeared like everything was just as it had been. From what I could see, there were no new buildings, no large supermarkets or chain stores. The road we’d been driving on was still a two-lane street with only a stop sign and no lights. It was almost as if time had stood still during the time I was away. My favorite town was waiting for me. Waiting for me to return with the promise of remaining just the way it had always been.

Perfect.

My home sweet home was perfect.

“Do you remember the rest of the way?” Makayla asked as we drove back onto the road once I filled up the gas tank. “I can enter the address into my phone and help us get there if you don’t.”

“I remember.”

I would never forget. That house had been my haven, and even though the circumstances now that led us to the house were horrific, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiar excitement as we got closer.

When I turned onto a graveled road off the main street, Makayla said, “Oh I remember this street! We’re almost there.”

I slowed down to a near crawl. The road hadn’t been driven on often—once a month by the property manager and housekeeper—and it was obvious by the large pot holes that were all over and the condition of the road in general. I also remembered how many deer were all around, and I didn’t want to risk hitting one by going too fast and not being able to stop in time.

“It’s funny,” Makayla said softly. “I still remember the feeling I would get driving on this road as a little girl. I would look out into the woods and watch for fairies and trolls. I knew they existed here because this place was always so magical.”

I nodded with a smirk. I hadn’t looked for fantastical creatures, but I did remember a sense of calm and relaxation take hold during the drive on the isolated road each and every time. It had been the beginning of my vacation the minute my tires changed from asphalt to dirt.

After about thirty minutes or so, I turned a corner to see the headlights of the car illuminate an old sign carved in a tree. The sign still hung with the one word:

Home.

“I remember when Papa carved that.”

“I do too,” I said as I drove the car down the narrow driveway toward the lake. Rhett had been such a romantic at heart. There wasn’t anything that man wouldn’t do to prove his love for his friends and his family. Declaring that this place was truly home for all of us by forever etching the declaration into wood was classic Rhett Knox.

When the house came into view, both Makayla and I let out a heavy breath as we stared in awe at the magnificence of the three story craftsman, eight-bedroom house, sitting against the backdrop of a glimmering lake lit by the nearly full moon. I knew the house would still be in excellent condition because both Rhett and I had paid for ongoing oversight and had just recently paid for a new roof for the house. At the time, it had seemed like an almost frivolous expense for a house both Rhett and I never used, but we both weren’t prepared to put it on the market either.

Stepping out of the car, both Makayla and I didn’t bother with luggage or our makeshift groceries. We would get to all that later. By the speed in which Makayla approached the wrap- around porch, it was clear she was just as excited to enter inside as I was.

“Same place?” she asked.

“Same place,” I answered as I watched her run to a small electrical box near the front door. She lifted the cover and pulled out the spare key from what we had all decided a long time ago would be the hiding spot. I had a copy on my key ring, but it was charming and nostalgic watching Makayla run to its secret location like she had always done as a child.

The memories flooding back were strong, but they were welcomed, and I enjoyed them. She had always been a darling little girl. Bouncing blonde locks that her mother always tried to contain, but Makayla had always wanted to keep free and wild. She still had those bouncing locks, and they appeared just as free and wild as they had before.

The sound of the door opening snapped me from my thoughts. As we entered the house, I inhaled deeply.

The smell.

It still smelled the same—like cedar and cinnamon, hints of rich coffee, and laughter. If laughter had a fragrance, the smell of this house was the aroma.

Looking around, everything was the same. The same large cherry wood table that sat twelve easily was the centerpiece of the room as it always had been. To the left side of the room was the large stone fireplace with the same damn floral couch that Minka had insisted on buying. I had liked to tease her that it reminded me of something a grandma would buy, but she’d adored it, and Rhett and I had left the decor decisions up to her. To the right side of the room was my favorite part of the entire house—the view. Rhett and I had made sure that the entire wall was nothing but large windows from floor to ceiling so that the view of the lake would be the only thing seen. Minka had placed another floral couch and two matching chairs in front of the window so we could just sit there on cool evenings and stare out onto the sparkling water as the sun set.

God, the clenching feeling in my gut made me realize how much I had missed this place. How much I had missed Minka, Rhett and Makayla. I had missed the life that once was.

“It looks exactly the same,” Makayla said in almost a whisper.

“The property manager was under strict orders to maintain but not to change.”

Makayla walked into the main room fully and made her way to the open kitchen that blended flawlessly with the open living area. The granite counters matched the earthy slate tiles of the floor that covered the entire downstairs. The inside of the house seemed to blend with the outside by our use of elements of the earth to decorate and build with.

“I’ve missed this place so much,” she said with tears in her eyes. “Mama loved standing right here,” she said as she stood by the kitchen counter and stared out the window that overlooked the wrap-around porch and the Adirondack chairs that were positioned to take in the magnificent beauty of the lake.

Makayla was right. Her mother had loved the kitchen. Minka had been such a fantastic cook and would spend hours cooking some meal that we would all sit around and eat while we drank copious amounts of wine and talked into the wee hours of the night. Sometimes we would invite other friends to join us, and other times it was just us. Though Rhett, Minka and Makayla weren’t my family by marriage or blood, they were as close to a family I had after Pappy had died. They had become my everything.

Makayla wiped at a falling tear and then turned to me. “Let’s go get our stuff and get something to drink and eat. I’m starving.”

Smiling and feeling relief that Makayla wasn’t about to break down into a fit of tears, I led the way back to the car.

We were home.

Home.