Page 1 of Chasing the Sun

ONE

CALLUM

If I haveto get another rabies vaccine, I’m flipping a damn table.

My jaw flexed as I quietly pushed the front door open with the toe of my boot. The hinges groaned as I peered around the corner into the dark, musty cottage. My ears pricked at the faint sound of scurrying, and my instincts from my time in the Army sparked to life. My nostrils flared at the damp, stale air. My heart pounded as I listened.

Nothing.

Shouldering open the front door, I peered into the dilapidated home. I assumed at some point the house had been quaint and perfect for a small family just starting out. Now it was nothing more than an abandoned shack with rotting wood and a raccoon infestation.

A discarded candy bar wrapper caught my eye.

“Levi,” I called into the dim, early-morning light, my voice low but firm. “If you’re in here, kid, get your ass out. Now.”

When I had returned from my 5:00 a.m. run, I had peeked into Levi’s bedroom, only to find it empty, so I’dgone in search of him. I listened again, hoping for any sign of my fourteen-year-old son. A shuffle caught me off guard as two baby raccoons scampered across my boot. I bit back a yelp, knowing their mama wouldn’t be far behind. Sure as shit, the large raccoon hissed at me, baring her rabies-infected teeth before following her kits outside.

A shiver ran down my spine. “Fucking overgrown rats,” I murmured. I stayed rooted to the spot, heart hammering. She waddled her furry ass across the porch like she owned the damn place, before disappearing beneath it.

Assured that Levi wasn’t hiding out in the cottage again, I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed his number. My blood pressure climbed with each unanswered ring.

I gritted my teeth when it went to voicemail. Levi’s voice came over the line. “Hey, it’s me. You know what to do.”Beep.

My grip tightened on the phone.You know what to do?Yeah, I did. I knew exactly what to do. I just didn’t want to do it—track his ass down, drag him home, and try to talk sense into a kid who’d rather dodge me than listen.

“Where are you?” I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying my best not to completely lose it on the kid. “We talked about this. You cannot roam around without letting me know where you’re going first. It’s the last week of school. We made a deal.”

Frustrated, I pocketed my phone and exhaled. I loved my kid but he was going to be the death of me. A moment later, my phone buzzed, and I looked down at the new message.

Levi

I’m getting in the shower. Chill.

Chill.

A low growl vibrated in my throat. It would be a hell of a lot easier tochillif my kid didn’t insist on getting himself into so much trouble. I simply needed him to pass eighth grade and have a fresh start in high school.

Maybe things would be a little easier for him then.

I glanced at the time, noting that Helen should already be at the inn. As I looked across the overgrown lawn, my eyes landed on the Drifted Spirit Inn in the distance, and the knot in my chest eased a bit.

The layout of the land was simple: long ago, Stan’s land and my property had been one larger parcel of land. His dilapidated cottage hugged his property line and the Drifted Spirit was less than a hundred yards away with a post and rail fence dividing the grass between them.

Helen was already at the inn, keeping the place running. Keeping me running, if I was being honest. I wasn’t sure how much longer she’d put up with my shit, but if she ever left, I was royally screwed.

Helen was a saint and the only reason we didn’t go completely under after Levi’s mom died five years ago. Her self-appointed title ofconciergewas grossly inadequate for all the hard work she put in to help me ensure that our little inn ran like clockwork.

After my time as a Delta Force operator came to an end, running a successful inn in Western Michigan hadn’t been on my radar, yet there I was. I looked to the east and watched the first rays of June create streaks of magenta across an inky morning sky. For the briefest moment, I closed my eyes and imagined the warm June rays hitting my face.

I have shit to do.

Standing around, enjoying a sunrise simply wasn’t an option. With a sigh, I pulled the front door to the cottageclosed and stepped across the rickety porch. On the second step, the wood buckled under my weight, and my foot crashed through the rotting boards. I caught myself, palms slamming onto the worn planks.

“Careful now, Cal.” My eyes whipped up to see Stan Stafford’s amused grin. “Been meaning to patch that up.”

“Yeah? You planning to do that before or after the raccoons unionize?” I grumbled with a halfhearted laugh and hauled myself up before traversing the rest of the porch and standing beside the old man.

I wiped the dirt from my palm and held out my hand. “Stan.”