I had my son, Elias Francis Tremaine, on January 13th. He was a month early but in good health. Word spread around town about me leaving, and I was glad about it. That little town’s gossip has been nothing more than a thorn in my side, and I was delighted to be gone. I stopped hearing from Ryan four months ago; after he announced his engagement, he completely forgot about his daughter, which is fine by me since she forgot about him. I stayed in touch with James once in a while, but I wasn’t seeking him out to be more than a friend.
One Friday night in February, I returned to work. I was feeling great, Sarah was watching the babies, and I was ready to be back at work. The jukebox was playing, and the customers were flowing in. I was making my rounds when James walked in w
