Romance: Love Left Behind - A Mystery Romance: (Romance, Mystery, Mystery Romance, Romantic Suspense) by Paige Powers Page B
Authors: Paige Powers
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she did about Ben. He was not only her best friend growing up but her closest ally, her original love. On the other hand, she didn’t want to deal with all of the negativity that his return would inevitably bring. She was dreading going home and asking Blair about attending Grandpa Cole’s funeral, knowing that her request would probably bring her few days of “relaxation” to an end. The thought of that conversation alone was enough to make her somewhat dread the fact that Ben was coming into town.
Would they be able to talk and catch up? Would there still be feelings between the two of them, or was Starla the only one who still felt something? Was there even the slightest possibility that Ben would bring his girlfriend back to Bellen with him as a support during this trying time? There were so many unanswered questions but absolutely no answers.
At the end of her shift, Starla made herself a cup of coffee in the kitchen. Two sugars, one creamer. She sipped it solemnly as she leaned against the stiff concrete wall. So many thoughts commingled in her mind that she couldn’t find a solid grasp on any of them.
Rather than drive directly home, she took her beat up red Chevy to her old house on Firestone Drive, where her parents still lived. She parked in the driveway behind her father’s silver Jeep and her mother’s blue Honda, and then made her way to the front door. It had been a while since she had visited, she was ashamed about it. The doorbell still made the same jingling noise it always had though.
Her father answered the door with a mixed look of excitement and confusion on his face. Starla was surprised to see that he looked much older than she remembered. The years had not been kind to her father. Once a strapping young lawyer, he had his soul beaten out of him by court cases and the loss of his youngest daughter. He now wore salt and pepper hair above a wrinkled face. His skin looked like a t-shirt that had been tossed aside and left to sit in a pile for too long. Starla thought, with a slight giggle, that if she could take an iron to her father’s face she could restore it to its original perfection.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, worry in his voice. “Are you alright?”
Taken aback, Starla said, “I’m fine, Dad. Can I come in?”
“Of course, of course.” He ushered her in, staring down the street as though a potential threat could come out of nowhere. Starla wondered if he had heard about the way Blair treated her and that was why he was so nervous. But of course he had. Bellen was a small town. She was pretty sure that everybody knew the way that Blair treated her and everybody found her to be weak for staying with him.
The inside of the Bluff house looked like a tornado hit it. Clothes were strewn across the floor. Empty dishes, still crusted with the remains of last night’s meal, sat on the carpet. On the table in the foyer were a collection of half-empty folders, wrinkled papers, and single keys. Growing up, Mr. and Mrs. Bluff had been advocates of living in a clean house, saying that cleanliness was next to godliness. It was nothing less than a shock to see the house in such a state of disarray now.
Noticing the look of shock on Starla’s face, Mr. Bluff quickly said, “It’s alright, darling. We’ve just been a bit busy lately, is all. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with everything. We’re getting old you know. We can’t do everything that we used to be able to do.”
“Dad, if you need help, you can just call me,” Starla replied, concern tingeing her voice. “I’ll come over and help you clean if that’s what you need.”
“No, no, we’re alright.” Mr. Bellen cleared his throat. “So what’s going on? Are you alright? Just decided to drop by for a visit?”
“Kind of. To be honest, I just heard at work today that Cole Brindell died. I know our families have always been close
Would they be able to talk and catch up? Would there still be feelings between the two of them, or was Starla the only one who still felt something? Was there even the slightest possibility that Ben would bring his girlfriend back to Bellen with him as a support during this trying time? There were so many unanswered questions but absolutely no answers.
At the end of her shift, Starla made herself a cup of coffee in the kitchen. Two sugars, one creamer. She sipped it solemnly as she leaned against the stiff concrete wall. So many thoughts commingled in her mind that she couldn’t find a solid grasp on any of them.
Rather than drive directly home, she took her beat up red Chevy to her old house on Firestone Drive, where her parents still lived. She parked in the driveway behind her father’s silver Jeep and her mother’s blue Honda, and then made her way to the front door. It had been a while since she had visited, she was ashamed about it. The doorbell still made the same jingling noise it always had though.
Her father answered the door with a mixed look of excitement and confusion on his face. Starla was surprised to see that he looked much older than she remembered. The years had not been kind to her father. Once a strapping young lawyer, he had his soul beaten out of him by court cases and the loss of his youngest daughter. He now wore salt and pepper hair above a wrinkled face. His skin looked like a t-shirt that had been tossed aside and left to sit in a pile for too long. Starla thought, with a slight giggle, that if she could take an iron to her father’s face she could restore it to its original perfection.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, worry in his voice. “Are you alright?”
Taken aback, Starla said, “I’m fine, Dad. Can I come in?”
“Of course, of course.” He ushered her in, staring down the street as though a potential threat could come out of nowhere. Starla wondered if he had heard about the way Blair treated her and that was why he was so nervous. But of course he had. Bellen was a small town. She was pretty sure that everybody knew the way that Blair treated her and everybody found her to be weak for staying with him.
The inside of the Bluff house looked like a tornado hit it. Clothes were strewn across the floor. Empty dishes, still crusted with the remains of last night’s meal, sat on the carpet. On the table in the foyer were a collection of half-empty folders, wrinkled papers, and single keys. Growing up, Mr. and Mrs. Bluff had been advocates of living in a clean house, saying that cleanliness was next to godliness. It was nothing less than a shock to see the house in such a state of disarray now.
Noticing the look of shock on Starla’s face, Mr. Bluff quickly said, “It’s alright, darling. We’ve just been a bit busy lately, is all. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with everything. We’re getting old you know. We can’t do everything that we used to be able to do.”
“Dad, if you need help, you can just call me,” Starla replied, concern tingeing her voice. “I’ll come over and help you clean if that’s what you need.”
“No, no, we’re alright.” Mr. Bellen cleared his throat. “So what’s going on? Are you alright? Just decided to drop by for a visit?”
“Kind of. To be honest, I just heard at work today that Cole Brindell died. I know our families have always been close
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