here.”
She laughed. “This is the last place I’d fit.”
He shook his head. “Nope. You belong here, in the wild, in this town.”
As Star drove home from Evan’s she couldn’t shake his words. She didn’t fit here. She didn’t want to fit here. She hated Alaska.
More than ever, she couldn’t wait to get home to her brand new condo, to all the smooth granite and the scent of freshly laid hardwood floors. Once she was there all this silly doubt would go away.
She was sure of it.
Chapter Fourteen
The following day, Star finished up at Evan Jenson’s, seeing to the last minute details. Evan seemed good with everything Vivienne suggested. He loved the deep greens and beiges of the color scheme. He loved how the designer had managed to bring the outdoors in, layering different textures, selecting an eclectic assortment of textiles.
Star left Evan’s place satisfied that the filming of his home restoration would go smoothly. She was free to leave Alaska now. Her part of the show was done. A week from Monday the crew would come up, ready to roll, and she’d be home, enjoying her new condo.
Star waited for the feeling of satisfaction to come, but oddly, her emotions were mixed. A part of her hated to leave Brandi, and another part of her wasn’t done with Cade yet. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t just walk away from him. Cade stirred something inside her, brought to life a spark that she wanted to fan into a flame, an inferno of, well, lust. Was this desire, the one sensation that had always managed to elude her?
The thought troubled Star as she cruised down the highway, the road a wide open runway. There wasn’t another car in sight. At home, negotiating I–5 took a master’s in defensive driving. As she drove she marveled at the slow, almost comatose pace of life here. Alaska had been fun for a while, but she needed the stimulation of the city, needed the energy, she even needed the traffic.
Star didn’t bother with her turn signal and pulled into Patsy’s driveway. Right away, she spotted the note pinned to the front door. Star turned off the ignition, left the car, and removed the note.
Trudy’s in labor. Where are you, Destiny? I have guests coming and I need you. Cade
Trudy was in labor? Where was her mother?
Afraid she knew the answer to Cade’s question; Star let herself into the mobile home and walked straight to the bedroom. The bed had been stripped, the sheets in a wad on the floor. Destiny’s hot pink suitcases were gone. Back in the kitchen, Star found another note. Quickly, she scanned the paper. Her mother was gone, to Canada, with John. Gone. Without so much as a goodbye.
Star wondered if her mother had even bothered to say goodbye to Brandi. Disappointment filled Star’s chest, the pain almost unbearable, yet all too familiar. Why was her mother such a coward? Once again Destiny had left Star to pick up the pieces. Obviously, her mother hadn’t bothered to quit her job with the O’Briens.
With a heavy heart, Star headed for Cade’s. A part of her didn’t want to clean up her mother’s mess, but the more responsible side of her said she had to pitch in, help fill the void her mother’s departure had left behind.
Two minutes later Star pulled into Cade’s driveway. She exited the car and walked quickly to the door, knocked once, and let herself in.
Brad came out of the kitchen, Emma behind him.
“How’s Trudy?” Star asked.
Emma, seeing Star, broke free, running straight for her. She flung her little arms around Star’s legs.
“Water came out of Trudy.” Emma tilted her head back to look at Star, her eyes wide. “She’s hurt.”
“Hurt?” Star looked to Brad for confirmation while stroking the top of Emma’s head.
“She’s in labor,” Brad confirmed, suddenly looking more mature than his sixteen years. “Uncle Ron took her to the hospital.”
“Where’s your dad?”
“In the kitchen,” Brad said.
Star started forward, pausing to unwrap Emma from her legs. Star squatted in front of the little girl. “Sweetie, it’s okay. Water was supposed to come out of Trudy. It just means the baby is ready to be born.”
“Really?” Emma asked with a sniff.
“Really,” Star confirmed with a smile. She stood and held her hand out to Emma. “Now come on, let’s go and find your dad.”
Together, Brad, Emma, and Star went into the kitchen. Cade stood at the counter, chopping carrots.
“Hey,” she said.
He glanced up, the wrinkles in