Healing Hearts: A Second Chance Romance. Book1 of The Willowbrook Series

Chapter 7

Sage

Damn it, damn it and damn it again. "Here you go, lovely. Not seen each other in a while have you?" Barb says as she places my pumpkin latte down in front of me. Nothing goes by the locals in our hometown, hence the reason I want to get out as soon as possible and start living in a city again.

Don't get me wrong, Barbara is wonderful. She's like a second mother and I used to babysit her little ones when I was just a teenager. She always had me in pocket money even though my folks gave me an allowance it didn't cover all the stuff I wanted to buy back then. You know make-up, the latest trend in sneakers and jeans and books. Right, books. My downfall. Thank God for Barbara and her brood of four kids that all needed looking after at some point or other.

Then there was Mr Marshall and his wife Katerina, a Russian lady that caused quite a stir in the neighbourhood according to my mother when she came to live in our small town. I would have been just a kid at the time, only rumour has it that she was some kind of postal bride. That was the term back then. It still makes me smile. Anyway, the Marshalls needed their dog Trevor looking after during their holidays so, the gorgeous chocolate Labrador would come and stay with us on the understanding by my parents, that I would be fully responsible for him.

Needless to say I adored having Trevor over. He'd sleep on my bed and snuggle into me with his large head resting on my hip. We were bonded from the moment he was a puppy and the Marshall's let me play with him in their front yard. Special, special doggy. I miss him when I think about him which is right now.

Barb is still standing by the small table I chose to sit at. Yes, the one right at the back. The one that was furthest from Logan and Daisy. I suppose I was being a bit childish. The least I could have done was say hi to him and Daisy. It's not like Daisy has done anything wrong. It's not like Logan did anything wrong either, other than chose not to come to Michigan with me and work at State hospital there. He could have, he'd easily have got in. But oh no, he decided he didn't want to leave this damn small-town and where he'd lived all his life.

What was I supposed to do? I had dreams. B.I.G. dreams not staying in the same town I was born and raised in. Fat lot of good that all did me as I'm sitting here in Bluebell diner with Barb hanging around looking for a bit of gossip bless her.

I don't suppose a lot goes on around here to be honest. "Sorry, Barb. Miles away. What did you say?" I stumble for time to construct a response. One that isn't full of bitterness and anger at Logan for choosing his hometown instead of me. It broke my heart. It shattered it into pieces, my world felt as if it was collapsing around me. The darkness took over my days and it was an effort to focus on packing my stuff up let alone getting out of bed to get showered, dressed and participate in life.

"I was saying, it's been a while since you've seen each other."

"Yes, I guess it has been."

"Ten years." Okay so someone has been keeping count. Wow. I just nod.

"Have you come back for him? He's a good man, honey. A definite keeper." She winks. Good Lord, is she trying to match me back with my ex? This town. Honestly. For real?

I don't say anything, what can I say? I still feel upset about it, even though I moved and met Miles and lived with him for about a decade. Perhaps it's because I just saw Logan again and it has dredged up all those emotions from when I was a younger woman.

"Sure that he is." I finally manage to let pass my lips. The diner door chimes and she turns to face it, I look up. Holding my breath hoping it isn't Logan coming back in to say hi or anything else. How am I exactly going to avoid him whilst I'm here? What I need to do is drink this latte and get back to the safety of my room at home and start looking for a role in one of the other city hospitals. There was one I spotted but it was in New York and although I love the hustle and bustle of the city, it's not somewhere I'd consider putting roots down.

"Well good morning, Sheila." Barb is off, another customer, another local. Sheila is the town's hairdresser and beauty therapist and came to Willowbrook when I was about fifteen. What is wrong with these people I wonder? Whoever comes tends to stay. It's nice and all, sure. We're nestled with forest and mountains surrounding us, we have our own lake and it's a beautiful town. But there is a big world out there.

Knocking back my latte and eating the last of my muffin, I gather up my mobile and head outside thanking Barb on the way out and giving a greeting nod to Sheila. "You must pop in, darling get those ends trimmed." I'm gobsmacked since recently I paid sixty dollars for a trim back in Michigan. There's nothing wrong with my ends. The audacity.

"For sure. Maybe." I say and get out as fast as I can. Split ends indeed.

I slap my hand to my forehead as I see Daisy not far away on the other side of the street with Hector trotting by her side. He's one handsome dog and I want to run over and bear hug him. I don't. That would mean starting up conversation, asking how she is, her asking how I am. Her asking if I intend to meet up with Logan. I shudder. I can't go there.

It's going to be a challenge to lock myself away until I can get a new position somewhere else. In the meantime I'm going to be wary every time I set out of my parent's house. Not a nice feeling.

Daisy hasn't spotted me, she's busy chatting away to Hector, like having a proper conversation. I have to admit it's pretty cute. Daisy is cute and we always got along when we were younger. I feel like the bitch from hell by trying to slip away without her realizing I'm standing right across from her.

The other snag I've got is that to get back home, I need to go past the one and only doctor's practice in the town. That's right. The very same one that belongs to Logan now. My mother filled me in on the fact that his father retired and handed the reins over. Let's hope I don't need a doctor anytime during my stay here. If I do, I'm getting my dad to drive me straight to the Centra Lynchburg General which his way out of the way. There is no chance in hell that I would let Logan start inspecting me and touching me with those hands of his. I'd rather shrivel up first.

Daisy continues to walk along until she reaches her shop a little way down. It is so perfectly Daisy-like. The outside is painted baby blue with daisies painted on either side of the large glass door. They surround the entire door and the window frames which are old-fashioned bowed windows. There are flower boxes hanging at the bottom of them, a few terracotta pots by the door hosting shrubs and colourful flowers. Mom had many an item made in the shop by Logan and Daisy's mom, in fact my prom dress was made by her. A beautiful lemon creation, straight and off the shoulder, it skimmed just above my ankles. Logan brought me a stunning matching corsage. The only hint he had of the dress was the colour. It was a top secret mission that we kept from him. I wore my hair up in a classic high ponytail. Right just stop thinking about Logan and the damn prom already. Jeez it was over years ago. Pack it in. I admonish myself. It's hard to forget.