Chapter 8 - Echoes of the Past
The following spring, the rolling hills of Chester County erupted in a riot of green grass, blooming dogwood trees, and wildflowers that stretched all the way to the tree line.
The stone manor was filled with the sounds of life—running footsteps down the hallway, the distant splashing of water from the newly opened stone fountain in the courtyard, and the rich, warm smell of baking bread drifting from the massive country kitchen.
Rachel stood at the kitchen island, flour dusted lightly across her apron and her cheek, as she rolled out pastry dough for an apple pie.
The back door clicked open, and heavy footsteps echoed across the stone floor. Damian walked in, carrying a small, squirming black puppy in one arm and holding Eli’s hand with the other. Sophie trotted behind them, wearing a pair of oversized yellow rain boots that clicked loudly against the floor.
"Mommy! Daddy found another dog!" Eli announced proudly, pointing at the wriggling ball of fur in Damian’s arms. "Can we keep him? We'll name him Bandit!"
Rachel wiped her flour-covered hands on a dish towel, looking from the puppy to Damian with a raised eyebrow. "Damian Cross, we already have a golden retriever, three cats, and a horse. If you bring one more animal onto this property, I’m turning your study into a petting zoo."
"He was shivering by the delivery gate down on the main road," Damian defended himself with a completely unconvincing look of innocence. "What was I supposed to do? Leave him for the coyotes?"
"You're a soft touch," Rachel laughed, walking over and leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "That's the third stray you've rescued this month."
"Only the strays that matter," Damian murmured, his gray eyes softening as he looked down at her.
He handed the puppy over to Eli, who shrieked with joy and ran off toward the living room with Sophie and the golden retriever hot on his heels.
Once the children were out of earshot, Damian stepped closer to Rachel, his hands sliding around her waist to pull her flush against him. The kitchen was warm and quiet, the afternoon sun streaming through the paned windows.
"Marcus called from the city this morning," Damian said quietly.
Rachel’s body stiffened just slightly. "Is there a problem?"
"No," Damian reassured her instantly, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Just business clean-up. The federal receivership officially closed out the last of the old corporate accounts. Hale Maritime is completely dismantled. The assets have been liquidated into clean trusts for the children's education."
Rachel let out a slow, steady breath. "It's really all gone. The old world."
"Every last brick," Damian said. "We don't look back anymore, Rachel. There’s nothing back there for us."
May you like
She looked up into his face, seeing the absolute peace carved into his features—the tension that had defined him for a decade completely vanished.
"Good," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Because I like who you are out here in the sun."
