Antique Love

Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews, the views, the alerts, and just being awesome! It warms my little heart. I suppose I should have mentioned that this story has alternating POV's. Not that I think you'll mind too much.

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EDWARD

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" my mom asked me for the umpteenth time, and I gave her a smile.

"Yes, Mom. This is what I want. I need a change of pace and scenery, and I've always loved Port Angeles and the surrounding areas. Please don't worry," I told her, and she let out a scoff as she told me it was her job to worry despite the fact that I was a thirty-year-old man.

"Besides, Alice is only a few hours away in Seattle. It's not like I won't know anyone on the west coast."

"I know, dear. I just want you to be happy."

That's all I really wanted as well. Life in the last eight months had been rough for me in my hometown of Chicago, and more than a little unpleasant. I mainly had myself to blame, though, because I'd gone and fallen for the one person I never should have, and she had done her best to ruin not only my business but my life.

I took a deep breath and did my best to clear all thoughts of Tanya from my brain. She'd turned me upside down and had gutted me, and it was best if I just forgot that she had ever existed.

I assured my mother, once again, that moving to the other side of the country was the best thing for me, and a week later, I arrived in Port Angeles, Washington, with my car and a UHaul.

I'd found a three storied building for sale downtown, and it had seemed the ideal place to set up my shop and apartment. Just because I was starting over in a new place didn't mean I couldn't continue to do what I loved, and antiques were my passion.

My shop in Chicago had been one of the largest and most renowned until she had taken that from me. I'd lost a lot of business and a lot of very important clients. I hadn't been blacklisted by the antiquing community, but it had been close, so I figured a store somewhere away from the drama would be a smart idea. Hopefully, the rumor mill in Port Angeles wasn't as noisy as the one in Chicago, and I really hoped no one in the antiquing community out west knew about what had happened.

My little sister, Alice, had been my biggest supporter, and she'd encouraged me to move out west. She and her husband, Jasper, lived in Seattle, and they loved it. However, I was tired of the big city and opted for Port Angeles where our grandfather had lived when we were kids.

Alice had been amazing and had forwarded me listings of buildings for sale in Port Angeles, and I'd fallen in love with the old brick building on the corner. The building that was now going to be my store and my home. I'd had contractors out working on the place, making sure everything was up to code, and I had them create a small apartment on the third floor by adding a few walls and some doors. Alice had called me earlier in the week and had told me the place looked great, and I felt excited for the first time in months. This was definitely what I needed to get my life back on track.

I grinned as I pulled into one of the parking spots behind the building and spotted my sister and her husband, Jasper, waiting for me. Before I could even get out of the car, Alice was at my door, pulling me into a slightly awkward hug which I returned before she allowed me out of the vehicle.

"Hey, Ed," Jasper said in his thick Southern drawl, and I returned the hug he gave me before taking the keys that were in his hand.

Alice was practically bouncing on her toes as I unlocked the door and made my way inside.