Coming Home

Coming Home ~ Chapter 7

Epilogue - One Year Later

I slide a drink down the length of the bar towards Richard, the town blacksmith. "Son's giving you a hard time again?" I ask him, drying one of the mugs with a small towel.

"You know me too well, Arika." He says with a chuckle, picking the mug up and taking a drink.

"Nah." I shrug, half-grinning. "I'm just a bartender who's good at reading people."

"Oh, please. You are so much more than that, even if you won't admit it." Oliver says, jogging through the door and leaning over the bar, giving me a quick kiss, pulling back with his lazy, happy smile.

Oliver is Jack's son, who came back to Maple Beach about a month before I did, and we started dating a month after I came. Sandy blond hair and olive-colored eyes and the fact that he was only a year older than me made me curious if he was adopted, but I didn't pry. He worked with me at the pub, which gave Jack his long-overdue retirement.

"Are you just gonna sit there flirting with me, or are you actually going to do your job?" I ask him, grinning and putting the glass back where it belongs on the shelf behind me.

He leans back in the chair. "I think I'm going to keep flirting with you."

I hear the door close as Richard left, and go back down the bar to take his empty glass and toss it toward the sink, letting the water jump up and catch it. "Well then, you are going to have to order something." I joke.

Oliver sighs. "Some time with you. We hardly ever get to spend any time together." He whines.

I roll my eyes and laugh a little.

We live together, you idiot. I think, but I don't argue.

"Fine. I'll close up early. Wait outside." I take the stained white apron off and put it behind the bar, going back to the door to turn the sign from the 'Open' side to the 'Closed' side. I look through the glass, and smile a little.

When I came back, I learned something. Family has nothing to do with who raised you, or who gave birth to you. It is who is willing to stand by you, for the good and the bad, and support you. That is family. Something that I was unable to see before I went on the wild goose chase to find who I thought was my family. And I'm happy here, with my real family. When I left here all those months ago, I thought I was going home, but in reality, I was leaving it.

I am about to go outside when I realize I still have a mug in my hand. I shake my head, smiling a little and go back to put it away.

I turn back around, and a blond girl comes in. I recognize her instantly, and freeze.

Lynn.

I purse my lips together and put one hand on my hip, the other hand at my side, ready to use water if need be.

"What do you want?" I snarl at her, my gaze turning to a glare.

She bites her lip, wringing her hands. "There's trouble back in Icewood. The Guild is getting in trouble again. We're about to be outlawed again. Please, you have to help us."

"So you want me to clean up your mess? Sorry, not going to happen. Not after what you did."

Lynn starts to look scared, but she doesn't back down. "Arika, please they're your fam-"

"No." I say harshly. "They're nothing close to family. And neither are you." I turn around, taking a deep breath. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I will tell them what you are. What you've done." She hisses at me, her apologetic facade dissolving.

"That won't be necessary." Another voice says. I turn around to see Oliver standing there, one of the guards behind him. "Everyone already knows. Now, please leave my property before I call for an arrest."

Lynn looks between the three of us, and leaves with another glare in my direction. Oliver thanks the guard, who leaves, and takes my hand pulling me outside.

"Thank you." I whisper as we walk down the street, lacing our fingers together.

"Hey," he says to me, smiling. "It's kind of my job, isn't it? Now, come on, there's something I want to show you."

End of Book 2