Down Memory Lane

Chapter One

Welcome To Charming

Connie breathed a sigh of relief as her Tahoe sped past the city limits toward town. She looked in the rearview mirror to see Maddie passed out and Nate on his phone, oblivious to everything around him. It had been a long trip but they had made it in good time, only having to stop a few times for restroom and snack breaks and once for a hotel.

"How about pizza for dinner? I won't have anything unpacked until tomorrow."

She looked in the mirror again to see Nate lift his head from his phone and look out the window as he shrugged. "Yeah, whatever's fine, mom."

She sighed, knowing that out of her two kids, Nate was taking the divorce the hardest. At thirteen, she knew that he felt like she was taking him to another planet, not just a city in California. Maddie, being almost four, didn't really understand what was going on yet, thinking that they were just on an adventure.

"You're gonna love it here, you'll see."

Nate shrugged again, looking disinterested. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that mom. We don't know anyone here. This is gonna suck."

Connie just shook her head. "Google pizza parlors in Charming, please. I'm going to stop up here at this grocery store for some paper plates and napkins. I'll do some proper shopping in the morning."

While her son looked up somewhere to get dinner, she got out of the car and grabbed her purse before going around and lifting a still-sleeping Maddie out of her seat. She walked into the store and picked up a basket to do her shopping, balancing her load as she walked down the paper aisle. She was reaching up to an impossibly tall shelf for napkins, cursing her short stature and heavy child that she still held with one arm.

A masculine-looking arm reached up and easily plucked a package of napkins down and dropped it in her basket. She looked up to see a good-looking blonde man standing beside her with a smirk on his face. "There ya go, darlin'. Hate to see ya drop anything important." He pointed at Maddie and grinned, making Connie chuckle. "I haven't seen you around town. Just passing through?"

Connie shook her head as she eyed the kutte he wore on his back. "No, actually, we just moved here today. Getting some stuff for dinner."

He nodded. "Gotcha. Well, I'm sure I'll see ya around, darlin'. Welcome to Charming."

Connie nodded and he was on his way, making her grin at the bad boy swagger he had going on. She blew out a breath and finished her shopping, having just picked out a bottle of wine when Nate came walking in. She quickly passed his sister to him and made her way to the cashier.

"Pizza will be ready in about ten minutes."

Connie smiled at her son and nodded. "Thanks, sweetie."

She paid for their things and they walked outside to see the blonde-haired man and another with black curly hair, sitting on their motorcycles and talking as another heavier man with long curly hair spoke on a phone. The blonde smiled and nodded as she walked around to put Maddie in her seat while Nate loaded their bags in the storage compartment.

"Find everything you needed?"

Connie gave the men a polite smile and nodded as she shut Maddie's door. "Yes, thank you." She started around the front of the Tahoe but stopped midway. "Could you tell me where the police station is? I need to swing by there tomorrow."

The blonde nodded and pointed. "Yeah, about three blocks up on Main. You can't miss it."

Connie nodded her thanks and went around to get in. She waved as they pulled out of the parking lot and headed to the pizza parlor.

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Pizza devoured and kids in makeshift beds on the floor of Nate's room, Connie was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Sitting against the wall of the living room, she quietly sipped her wine and took stock of things. The moving van would be there sometime the next day with the furniture and then she'd go the grocery store and the police station. 

She looked around the room with a little bit of pride. This was her home, one that she had paid for herself. She'd fix it up a little at a time until it was exactly how she wanted it. The neighborhood seemed to be quiet, with houses and yards in good condition. She had seen children out playing and they had passed a small park on their way into the subdivision. She planned to take Maddie there if she got too restless in the morning, since all of her toys were in transit, except for the stuffed bear she took everywhere with her.

She frowned as she recalled the last conversation she had with her now ex-husband, Jack. He hadn't been happy with her taking the kids out of state, but she'd been granted custody so there wasn't much he could do about it. She couldn't explain why she had picked Charming, not even to herself. She just knew that she needed a fresh start somewhere and this was where her finger had landed on the map.

She poured a little more wine into her glass before getting up to walk outside and sit on her porch steps. The night air felt good and it was quiet, only the sound of crickets in the darkness. She looked at the driveway next door and saw a motorcycle sitting there next to an SUV. She smiled at the domestic picture it painted.

She knew it would be a huge adjustment for all of them, but she honestly felt that this was the best thing for all concerned. Jack would be able to chase every woman in Spokane for all she cared, and the kids would grow up in a small-town setting. She would have a place to write and raise her family, perhaps find love again one day. she shook her head at her own foolishness as she stood up and walked back inside. 

As she made sure everything was locked up for the night, she tried to tell herself that she had just gotten out of one messed up relationship, she certainly didn't need a new one to complicate things.