Page 1 of Stay With Me (Griffin’s Den #2)

ONE

My hands shake as I read the papers Jenna just gave me.

Shock.

My eyes can only focus on one word.

Divorce.

I knew things weren’t perfect, but a divorce?

Jenna and I met in college when we were nineteen. We didn’t hit it off immediately, but our friendship grew as time went on. We were the picture-perfect couple. She was in the sorority that my fraternity often hung out with.

She was on the dance team, and I was the captain of the soccer team.

We enjoyed spending time in nature together, and in our free time, we always went on hikes and tried to find new trails as often as possible.

Before I knew it, we were married and planning the rest of our future. Soon after we got married, my dad died from a brain aneurysm.

Two years today, to be exact.

I was working at the police department in Santa Fe right after graduation, and Jenna started working in a lab, throwing herself into research projects in the medical field.

Without hesitation, we packed up to help my mom.

She left her research position and became a science teacher here in town.

I quickly got a job at the local sheriff’s department and worked hard to make sure she was happy, and my mom was taken care of. We bought a modest home in the middle of town, and everything fell into place.

I knew she gave up a lot to come here for me, but she told me she was sure she would be happy here.

I look up, and she’s by the door with her suitcase. “You aren’t even going to try and work this out? You’re just going to leave?” I look from her to the divorce papers again in disbelief.

She holds her hands out. “I thought I could learn to love this town like you do, but I can’t. I feel like my life is on hold. I miss working in a lab, and teaching, while rewarding, isn’t where I’m happy.”

“You didn’t even talk to me about any of this. We could have tried couples therapy or moving just outside town to be closer to the city.”

She just shrugs. “You’re happy, I’m not. I don’t know why you’re trying to drag out the inevitable. I’m not asking for anything in the divorce; I just need you to sign the papers.”

“And if I don’t want the divorce?” I’m going to sign the papers. I love her enough to let her go if that’s what she wants.

With a sigh, she cocks her hip to the side. “I’m leaving Griffin’s Den. That’s the only way this marriage will work. I want to go back to the lab and finish my master’s degree. You’re meant to be here, Noah, not me. This is your home.”

“Our home,” I mumble.

“Your home. One day, you’ll become the sheriff of this town, and you’ll find someone who is happy here. But that person isn’t me.”

I just blink at her, feeling a hollowness in my chest. “Well then.” I grab the pen sitting on the counter and sign the document. “I guess there’s nothing left to say.”

“This is for the best,” she says as she grabs the papers. “My lawyer will file this, and you’ll get your copy.” She turns with only her suitcase in hand. As she opens the door, she looks over her shoulder. “I really did love you, Noah. Never doubt that.”

With that, she leaves, and I’m left in the kitchen, staring at the door. Finally willing my feet to move, I sit on the couch and look around.

I realize she only took a single suitcase with her. She wanted nothing to do with any of the memories we made. I sigh and rest my elbows on my knees when my phone rings.

I ignore it at first, not wanting to talk to anyone, when it rings through another two times. I grab it out of my pocket and see that it’s Carter.

I answer. “Hey, what’s up?”

“You good?”

“I’m fine.” I lie.

“Rumor has it that Jenna just drove out of town,” he says.

“How the fuck does anyone know that yet? Maybe she’s just going shopping.” I drop my head on the back of the couch.

“If that were the case, you wouldn’t have said it the way you did. What happened, man?”

“I don’t know. She said she couldn’t live in this town anymore and handed me divorce papers. I was blindsided.”

Saying it out loud makes it more real. Doubt swirls in my chest. Is this all my fault? Maybe if I paid more attention, I would have seen this coming.

I hear movement on the phone. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, but you aren’t. I’m on my way over with pizza and beer, but you’re only having one because getting drunk isn’t the answer.”

“Thanks, man,” I tell him, happy that I don’t have to sit at home alone right now.

“You’d do the same for me. I’ll be there in fifteen. Have you called your mom?” he asks as I hear his car starting.

I shake my head. “No. It just happened.”

“Call her. I’ll bring enough food in case she stops by.”

“I can tell her tomorrow. Today is the anniversary of my dad’s passing.”

“Fuck. It is. She had to do it today? Call your mom anyway. She’ll be pissed if she finds out from someone else in town.”

I know he’s right, but I don’t want to upset her more than she already is. “Fine. I’ll see you in a few.”

“See you,” he says and hangs up.

My finger hovers over my mom’s contact. With a deep breath, I hit dial.

“Hey, sweetheart. I just got back from the cemetery and the grocery store. Give me one second while I unlock the door.”

The rustling of grocery bags fills my ears as I wait for her on the phone.

“Okay, sorry. Are you still there?” she says, slightly out of breath.

I decide to just rip it off like a Band-Aid. “Jenna left me. She handed me divorce papers and just left.”

“Wait, what? I’m on my way over,” she says as I hear the bags rustle again and the door open.

“Mom, put the groceries away. Carter said he would come over, and he’s bringing pizza.”

“Noah Walter Andrews. I will bring my damn groceries over to you and sit with you and Carter if I want to. If you think I’m going to sit here at home after you told me that, you don’t know me at all. Are you okay?”

I take a deep breath and tell her the truth. “No, not really.”

“Okay, then. I’ll be over in ten. I’ll make your favorite snacks, and we’ll have a beer or two with Carter.”

“Thanks.” My voice cracks.

“Anything for you, Noah. I’ll be there soon,” she says and hangs up.

Setting the phone down, I close my eyes, tears falling that I’ve been holding back. Of all the days she had to choose to leave, it had to be today.

I miss my dad.

We were so close, and to lose him so suddenly, when we had no idea he was sick, was hard.

Time gets away from me, and I’m pulled from my thoughts as I hear someone pull into the driveway. I stand and let in the two people I can trust above anyone else, knowing with them around, I can get through anything.

Luna Age 25

I rest my forehead on the window, condensation on the glass cold on my skin. It’s been just over nine years since I left, and I still feel like I have to keep running.

Looking at the map in my lap, I wonder how long I’ll have to keep doing this.

I’m pretty sure The Family has long forgotten me, but I’ve never felt comfortable enough to stay in one place longer than six months. Always feeling like they’re right on my trail, but I have no reason to believe they would leave the compound back in Utah.

“We will be pulling up to the Raven’s Talon bus station in ten minutes,” the driver announces over the speaker system.

Griffin’s Den is my final destination and the largest city I’ve been in since I left all those years ago, but it’s not large enough that I’ll get lost or have too many questions asked when I try to find a job.

When I first saw the job listing for someone to help at a bed-and-breakfast, it sounded too good to be true.

After talking to one of the owners, I realized that I’ll also be able to rent one of their cabins at a discount.

As the bus comes to a stop, I stand and grab my bag, which has all my belongings in it, and walk to the front of the bus. I thank the driver, who’s busy looking at something on their phone, and as I walk down the stairs, I’m hit with the dry heat of the south.

Squaring my shoulders, I walk up to one of the ride-share locations that have started to pop up at all the Greyhound bus stations. I turn to the parking lot where Ann said she would meet me to bring me back to the bed-and-breakfast.

I wasn’t going to accept at first, but she insisted.

I fish in my pocket and pull out the piece of paper with the make and model of her vehicle before scanning the parking lot. My eyes land on the truck and an older woman standing outside of it.

As I approach her, nerves course through my veins. I can’t afford for her not to like me. “Mrs. Ann?”

“Just Ann, dear, and you must be Luna?” She opens the back door of the truck for me, and I place my belongings on the seat.

“Thank you,” I say softly as we both climb into the truck.

“I hope the bus ride went smoothly.”

“Yes. It was pretty smooth. Thank you for asking,” I tell her as I look out the window.

“Well, I hope you’re hungry because we’re going to meet Joe at the diner for lunch,” she says while turning out of the parking lot.

Ann makes small talk as we drive to our destination, giving me a full history of the town and the bed-and-breakfast. As we pull into the diner, my nerves come back full force.

In the car, we were in our own bubble. Ann didn’t expect me to talk.

She just kept talking so that I didn’t have time to get a word in.

She parks, and I climb out. Fiddling with the hem of my shirt, I wait for her.

With a soft smile, she motions for me to walk with her. “I promise it’ll be okay. We’re going to treat you to a welcome-to-Griffin’s-Den meal before we head back to the house and get into the boring side of the job.”

I nod. “I appreciate all you’re doing for me.”

I mean it too, in more than just an I-need-a-job way. I wasn’t sure where I was going to move since I had a hard time finding a job that paid under the table.

As I hold the door open for Ann, my stomach grumbles. Ann smirks at me as she walks by.

The diner smells of coffee and grease. Pictures and memorabilia cover the walls, the seats are red and black, and with more than half of the tables full for the lunch rush, I start to question if this is a good idea.

Everyone seems to be having one big conversation about things happening in town.

Nerves make my palms slick with sweat at the thought of sticking out as the outsider when all I want is to blend in.

“Oh, I see Joe,” Ann says, but before we can take three steps, we’re stopped.

“Mrs. Ann! I was wondering if you were coming in for lunch today. How are you doing?” a young woman asks her.

“Abby! I’m good. Just bringing Luna, who will be helping us at the bed-and-breakfast, for lunch today to meet Joe before we head home.”

Abby offers me her hand. “It’s a pleasure meeting you. I’m glad you’re here to help these two. We’ve been telling them for years they need it.”

I shake her hand. “I’m excited to get started.”

“I’ll see you around. Once you’re settled, let me know. We can plan lunch or something sometime. It’ll be nice to have a new friend my age around town,” Abby says with a smile before heading off to help a customer.

I swallow hard as she walks away. I’ve never allowed myself to make close friends at any of the towns I stopped in for a few months to work. It just didn’t feel fair to me or someone else to start any type of friendship.

As we walk up to a table, an older man stands and greets us. “Hello! I hope the drive over wasn’t too bad.”

“It was quick and easy. Joe, this is Luna, our new employee. Luna, this is my husband, Joe.”

“Hello, sir,” I say, my eyes cast down, a habit I haven’t been able to break since leaving The Family.

“Joe will do just fine. Sit, sit. Let’s order food and talk about your drive down and just get to know each other.”

“Yes, si—I mean Joe, but before I sit, I’d like to wash up a little before we eat,” I say as they both sit down.

“Of course! What would you like to drink? I’ll put the order in so it’s ready for you when you get back,” Ann asks.

“Just water, thank you,” I tell her before I walk away.

Once in the bathroom, I turn the water on and take a deep breath. In less than an hour, strangers have shown me more kindness than any of my previous bosses or my biological parents ever did. I’m not sure how to process this inclusivity that they’re showing me.

Not wanting to keep them waiting, I finish washing up and quickly wipe my hands and face with a damp towel. I open the door and run into something hard.

“I’m so sorry,” someone with a deep voice says as they grip my arms.

“No, it’s my?.?.?.” I look up and am met with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen, and I lose my train of thought.

“No, it’s not your fault. I should have been paying attention to where I was going instead of being on my phone. Are you okay?” the man asks.

Giving my head a quick shake, I take a step back. “Yeah, I’m perfectly fine. I’m sorry for running into you.”

He drops his hands, and I cross my arms over my midsection, unsure of what to do.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before. Are you new to town?” he asks and gestures me forward, and I begin walking again.

“Yes. I’m starting at the bed-and-breakfast,” I tell him.

My past has taught me not to trust men, but this man seems different, and I don’t know why.

“Joe and Ann are great people. You couldn’t ask for a better job. My name is Noah,” he adds as we exit the hallway and head into the main dining section.

“Luna,” I reply.

“Well, Luna, it was great meeting you. I’ll probably see you around.” He smiles softly. “And I promise next time, I’ll watch where I’m going.” He laughs.

“It was nice to meet you as well,” I tell him, a soft smile pulling at my lips.

With a wave, he crosses the dining room and sits at the table with a lady who stands to hug him.

I watch them for a moment before walking back to where Joe and Ann are waiting for me.

“I see you met Deputy Noah,” Ann says as I sit down.

“Yeah, we ran into each other walking out of the bathrooms,” I tell her.

“We just said hi to his mom. She was telling us she’s going on an extended cruise and will be doing some traveling that she’s been wanting to do,” Ann says as she hands me a menu. “Order anything you want. The food is great here.”

I take it, and after scanning it, I pick the sliders with a side salad. Our server, Antonella, comes and takes our order.

Before I know it, lunch is done, and we’re heading out to the bed-and-breakfast. As we leave, I give in and look over at Noah. He sees me and gives a small wave. I wave back and quickly catch up with Ann and get into the truck.

As Ann talks about how excited she is to show me around, I settle into my seat, and for the first time in a long time, hope fills my chest, like a weight I didn’t realize was on my shoulders is being lifted just by being in this town.

Part of me is scared, but another part of me is excited to see what the future holds.