Chapter 3 - The Secrets We BuriedThe drive back into Crestfall was thick with unspoken history. Emma, possessing the relentless curiosity of an eight-year-old, broke the silence from the back seat.
“Are you a princess?” Emma asked, leaning forward between the front bucket seats. “Your car looks like a superhero car.”
Isabella couldn’t help the small smile that broke through her tension. “No, sweetie. Just someone who drove a little too fast on a bad road.”
“My dad fixes everything,” Emma announced proudly. “He fixed Mrs. Higgins’ tractor and my bicycle chain and the kitchen sink!”
Mason caught Isabella’s eye in the rearview mirror, a brief flicker of warmth softening his guarded posture before he looked back at the dark highway.
When they arrived at Carter’s Auto Repair, Mason towed Isabella’s car inside the dry, warm garage. The smell of motor oil, rain, and old metal filled the air—a nostalgic scent that instantly transported Isabella back to her youth.
After putting Emma to bed in the small apartment attached to the back of the shop, Mason returned to the garage floor. Isabella was sitting on an overturned wooden crate, her expensive coat draped over her knees.
“Why are you really in Montana, Isabella?” Mason asked, leaning against his workbench, crossing his arms. “You don't just happen to break down on Route 9.”
Isabella took a slow breath. “My father passed away six months ago, Mason.”
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Mason went still.
“Before he died, he revealed something in his estate papers,” she continued, her voice trembling slightly. “The land your shop sits on... my father bought the mortgage through a shell corporation years ago. Now, my board of directors wants to foreclose on it to build a luxury resort.”
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