her a reason to smile. Maybe that was Joshua at last.
Seconds later, the van slowed at the end of the street, turned, then came to a stop in front of her house.
Joshua climbed out. He was a handsome man, around six foot one with a broad chest and a leggy stride. Today, he was wearing a black windbreaker, a dark blue T-shirt and jeans.
Myka stood up, stepped off the porch and went down the flagstone walk to meet him, reminding herself to remain casual and not walk too fast.
He strode toward her, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Myka, I’m glad to see you again. I didn’t get the chance to talk to you when we laid Dad to rest. You were there, then you were gone.”
His dark eyes shimmered with mystery and the scar that cut across his left eyebrow made him look even more masculine. “You had others waiting for you and I didn’t want to intrude.”
“You wouldn’t have been intruding,” he said. “So what brings you back to the old neighborhood? Did you move back in with your parents?” He glanced at the mailbox.
“For now, kind of,” she said. “After Dad retired, my parents took to the road in their RV and asked me to look after the place. I jumped at the chance. Betty, Tanner’s sister, is living at our old house in town.”
“So you came back to heal in a place that held only good memories,” he said with a nod. “Makes sense.”
“It felt strange at first, with Mom and Dad gone, but your dad was a terrific neighbor. I really miss him.”
“He never mentioned he wasn’t well. If he had, I would have come home sooner.” Joshua rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.
“He didn’t think it was serious. He only went in for some tests. He expected to be back home after a few days. His death was a shock to all of us.”
Joshua glanced at his dad’s house, then at her. “I’d heard about Tanner’s accident at the plant. Getting taken by surprise with news like that...I know how it feels,” he said and gave her an impromptu hug.
The second she felt his strong arms around her, Myka’s pulse began to race. That flicker of life took her by surprise. Unsettled by her reaction, she stepped back.
She stared at the ground for a moment, breathed deeply and looked back up at him. “At least Tanner was spared having to see what has happened to the community. Independence is in trouble.”
He acknowledged the real estate signs lining the street. “I’ve seen things like this on the news, but it’s different when it hits home.”
“IVA held the town together. Luxury—American Style.” Myka took another deep breath. “Now that IVA’s gone, the only way we’re going to survive is by reinventing ourselves.”
He smiled. “So you’re still an optimist?”
She shrugged. “What else can you do?”
“You’ll be staying here, then?”
“I’ll try to stick it out,” she said, “but right now Independence feels like a home with all the children gone. I keep hoping a new industry will move in. The plant is just sitting there, the buildings empty.”
“I passed by on the way in,” he said with a nod.
Her sheep began to gather along the north end of the pasture, which stopped at the front corner of the house. Here, the semi-rural neighborhood was still zoned for certain livestock. Joshua smiled and went over to the fence. They readily let him pet them. His touch was gentle and calmed the sheep even as they clustered around.
This was a side of Joshua few ever got to see, particularly back in the day.
“I feel as if I’ve stepped back in time,” he said. “You still have your Churro sheep. More head than ever, too, if I remember correctly.”
“You bet. They’ve allowed me to fend off the bill collectors. I spin and dye the wool and then sell the yarn on the internet through my store, Myka’s Wooly Dreams.”
“Now that’s the Myka I remember. You always had a knack for turning a bad situation around.”
“Life doesn’t give us much of a choice sometimes,” Myka said softly. “So what are your plans?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Not yet anyway. I need time to figure out my next move. I had to close my architectural firm. My partners and I couldn’t make it work. The downturn in housing hit our company hard. We hung on as long as we could, but in the end, we all knew what had to be done.”
“Yes, I’m sorry, I had heard about that. Every time Bertie visits her daughter Andrea in San Francisco she brings back the latest news.” She felt helpless and didn’t know what else to say about his career, so she changed the topic. “I gather you and Andrea remained good friends.”
He nodded. “She and I would get together for lunch when we could and catch up. It was good to see a familiar face from time to time.”
“And now, here we are,” Myka said.
“Looks like I’ll be fixing up Dad’s house and putting it on the market.” He stared straight out at the for sale signs and didn’t so much as blink. “If you hear of anyone who might be interested, let me know.”
“It’s really a buyer’s market right now,” she warned, even though she knew she didn’t have to.
“I’ll do what I can to spruce up the place and see how it goes.”
Life’s hard knocks appeared to have toughened him and that only added to the raw masculinity that was so much a part of Joshua.
She tore her gaze from his and walked back to her porch. She climbed the three steps.
“That’s one of my nicest memories of home—you spinning yarn out on the porch,” he said, walking to the porch rail.
“This is when I’m happiest. But my days here are numbered unless something more lucrative comes along. I’m a good bookkeeper—one of the last people IVA let go. Despite that, I haven’t been able to find anything in the area, not even over in Painted Canyon, and they’ve got that big mining operation just north of the city.”
“If I was still in business, I would have offered you a job,” he said.
“Running your own company was your dream even before college. It must have been tough walking away.”
Joshua looked out across the valley. “It was, and starting over is going to be even tougher. After you’ve had your own company and called the shots, it’s harder to work for someone else.”
She stood beside him with the porch rail between them. “We each got what we wanted, but we just couldn’t hold on to it.”
“Myka, I’m sorry life’s been so rough on you,” he said, brushing his knuckles across her cheek.
His unexpected touch startled her. As she saw herself reflected in his gaze, she stepped back. She didn’t want pity.
