Free Autumn Bliss by Stacey Joy Netzel

absolutely true. She enjoyed working at the coffee shop now, and loved the challenge of organizing the festival, not to mention she liked her co-workers so far. She had good friends here in town, and while her dad had moved away, it was still great to at least see Shane as much as she did.
    So, why was she so hell bent on getting out of town?
    “It killed all my hopes and dreams, and gave me nothing in return,” her mother’s resentful voice echoed from the dark depths of her mind.
    The moment her chest began to tighten at that last bit, she tossed her crumpled napkin onto her empty plate and stood to carry the dirty dishes to the sink. Then she turned and leaned back against the counter, watching as Levi washed down the rest of his food with a long swallow of milk.
    Feeling the need to justify her earlier words, she said, “I’m not unhappy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want more in my life.”
    “More what?”
    She frowned when a reply didn’t immediately come to mind. He’d flipped the inquisition back on her, leaving her to do most of the talking. But she didn’t want to question her reasons for wanting to leave.
    “I don’t know exactly, but more than what this small town has to offer, that’s for sure. You’ve been around the world in the military, right? I’m sure you know what I mean.”
    “Yeah.” His chair scraped across the floor boards as he rose and gathered his own dishes. “But then again, sometimes when you jump that fence, the grass that looked greener on the other side is all burnt to hell.”

 
    Chapter 8
     
    The words were low and rough, full of raw emotion that seemed to surprise even him. Before Mallory could respond, headlights flashed through the living room windows as a vehicle parked outside next to Levi’s truck.
    Relief flashed across his features before he glanced out the window. “Looks like your brother. I’m going to get back to work. Thanks for dinner.”
    He avoided her gaze when she passed him on her way to get the door. She paused to watch his retreating back for a moment, then turned to answer Shane’s knock. Her brother was still dressed in his uniform.
    “Hey, what’s up?”
    He drew back in confusion, then cast a look toward the driveway. “You are here.”
    “Clearly. Save the heat—get in here.”
    “Where’s your car?” he asked as she shut the door behind him.
    She gave a wry smile and was about to explain when he sucked in a deep breath.
    “Oh, man, is that Grandma’s meatloaf?”
    “Yeah. You want some?”
    “Well, duh.” He grinned, but it faded as his gaze shifted from the vacant table, to the empty living room, and then darted toward the bedrooms. Leaning close, he whispered, “Wait, I’m not interrupting something, am I?”
    She would’ve loved to take advantage of Levi’s unexpected conversation opening—but in all honesty, she still probably wouldn’t have gotten very far. The shutters had slammed closed pretty quick after he’d realized what he’d said.
    “Levi’s installing the shower in my bathroom,” she advised as she went to go grab a clean plate and fork. “As for my car, it’s up by the lodge. Wouldn’t start again after work.”
    He made a face as she returned to hand him the dishes, then he sat down to fill the plate to near overflowing. “Maybe you’re better off getting a new one. You’re saving money on rent here, right?”
    “Yes, but a new car is not in the cards right now.”
    “I hate to break it to ya, sis, but your grand exit won’t get you nowhere without a vehicle that runs.”
    “Well, duh,” she parroted with a roll of her eyes before getting him a glass of milk.
    Shane laughed, took a bite, then sat back with a moan of ecstasy. “God, this is as good as I remember.” He eyed the remainder of the loaf on the serving platter. “What are you doing with the leftovers?”
    “Having it for dinner tomorrow, so back off.”
    This time her brother’s laugh was muffled by a mouthful of food.