Ruined: Destiny Falls, #2

By Shaw Hart

This story starts with a car crash.

Lyla Winters's life is at a crossroads. She's bounced around from one job to another since she was sixteen, wanting to experience everything, but now that she's twenty-five, her lack of a plan is a little less cute. Too bad for her, she has no idea what she wants to do with the rest of her life.

She's got a plan though. She'll take a year off to travel and find herself. That plan goes off the road though when she gets to Destiny Falls, Michigan, and runs into some fancy SUV.

Out climbs Hudson Hayes. Restaurateur, James Beard Winner, and the man with a plan.

Also, maybe the man of her dreams.

She has to pay for the damage to both of their cars and just like that, there goes her savings for the year. Now she's stuck in Destiny Falls, working at the Mystery Cabin and living in the apartment above Hudson's restaurant.

The plan for the year off is still in play though. She just needs to save up her money and keep her eye on the prize. It's just that the prize looks more and more like Hudson every day.

When Lyla finally has enough saved to leave Destiny Falls, will she be able to say goodbye to the friends and life that she's made here in this small town? Or will she have finally found the one place that she truly belongs?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shaw Hart
• Release date: Apr 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223104131

Book preview

ONE

This story starts with a car crash.

I’ll get to that part in a minute though. Right now, I’m running late for work.

I race down the stairs of my apartment, bursting out the front door and onto the sidewalk of Main Street. My black Jeep is parked in its usual spot right outside of the door and I head that way, digging in my purse for my car keys. I don’t miss a beat as I grab the scrap of paper tucked under the windshield wiper on the driver’s side that is always there every morning and hop behind the wheel.

I only live about ten minutes away from the Mystery Cabin, where I work, and there is never any traffic in Destiny Falls, Michigan, so the commute doesn’t take long. I head down Main Street, past all of the little tourist shops, and head just outside of downtown.

I spot the familiar A-frame house that my boss made into his tourist trap of a business. It’s old, with a few shingles missing in some spots on the roof, but seeing the place always makes me smile.

I park next to Sutton’s old Volkswagen Beetle and hop out, sprinting for the gift shop door.

Well, it’s about time you showed up, Stan, my boss, says without looking up from the clipboard in his hands as I walk inside.

I’m right on time, I tell him, nodding to the clock on the wall and he hums his disapproval.

Stan reminds me a lot of that movie Grumpy Old Men. He’s crotchety, always grumbling unless he’s in front of a group of tourists whose money he’s about to take. He puts on a gruff exterior but I know that inside, he’s a big old soft marshmallow. He took a chance on hiring me when I first got to town and has always treated me fairly, and for that, I’m grateful.

Hey, Sutton says with a smile as she walks into the gift shop with a cup of steaming coffee in her hand.

The Mystery Cabin is still set up as a house. The living room at the back of the house has been set up as the gift shop. It has its own door that leads out to the back of the house, where Stan has set up a miniature golf course and zipline.

From the gift shop, you head down a hallway that leads to the rest of the house. Off to the right is the entrance of the Mystery Cabin and if you head straight, it leads to the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms.

Sutton is Stan’s great-niece, and she just moved to Destiny Falls a few months ago after the death of her mother. She was supposed to just spend the summer here, connecting with the last bit of family that she had left on Earth and finishing off the bucket list that her mom left behind for her. After the summer, she had a great job lined up for her in Boston, but instead of going, she fell in love with Teller, the Mystery Cabin’s handyman, and decided to stay in town and work for her great-uncle.

Hey, how’s it going? I ask her as I bend down and give Bandit, Sutton’s dog, a pat on the head.

The black and white mutt nudges my hand and I know what he’s after. I chuckle as I oblige him and scratch him behind his ears.

Come on, Bandit, Stan says gruffly. Let’s let these two get to work. I can’t keep paying them for nothing.

Bandit happily follows Stan out of the gift shop and down the hall. Sutton just rolls her eyes. We’re all used to her great-uncle pretending that he doesn’t care about things. It’s been his coping mechanism for a long time and it caused some problems between him and Sutton when she first got here.

Stan had given her a hard time when she first found Bandit, but now the two of them are practically inseparable—not that Stan would ever admit that.

It’s going to be a slow day, so I was hoping we could start inventory on the supply closet? Sutton asks and I nod.

The kids just started back at school, so Stan has warned us that the next few months will be a little slow, especially during the week. It’s boring just sitting around staring at the walls of the Mystery Cabin and at all of the merchandise, so I’m actually looking forward to organizing and doing inventory.

Sounds good. Did Teller fix that cabin next door yet? I ask her, and she shakes her head.

Stan also owns the Pines Motel and Cabins next door and Teller is in charge of keeping them running smoothly too.

No, he’s doing that today. I was thinking about heading over there and helping him.

Go for it! I encourage her, knowing that she’s probably excited to spend a few hours alone with her boyfriend.

Thanks. I’ll have the walkie-talkie, so just let me know if you need us for anything.

Will do. Have fun, I call as she heads for the back door.

She waves and I see Teller smile as he grabs his toolbox and waits for her to join him. Teller waves at me, his usual baseball hat on backward, his dark hair curling over the edges.

I can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy as I watch the two of them head next door to the cabin rentals. They got together shortly after Sutton came to town and, after a minor hiccup or two, are now together and stronger than ever.

It’s obvious to see how much that they love each other and I wish that I could find that too. I’ve never loved anyone romantically. I’ve never even come close.

I’ve dated, more so when I was younger, in high school, and had more time, but I never seemed to be able to make it past the first date. Something always went wrong, or I found some way to ruin it.

There was that date with Robby Schulmer where we went to the county fair and I threw up on him after one too many funnel cakes and twister rides. Or the time where I accidentally ran over Trever Beltima’s foot when we went go-karting. Every single date has ended with someone sick or injured. After a while, I just stopped trying. It seemed safer for everyone that way.

Like it was a sign that maybe I’m just not meant to be in a relationship or find love.

An image of Hudson pops into my head and I know that I can’t go down that road, so I turn and try to focus on the inventory that needs to be done.

It doesn’t work.

I only make it a few minutes before I’m back to thinking of my dark-haired landlord. I’ve been thinking about Hudson since I first got to town. In fact, he’s the reason why I’m currently living and working in Destiny Falls. Remember that car crash that I mentioned?

It all happened two and a half months ago.

I had just driven over the bridge and into the small town of Destiny Falls and was trying to grab my sunglasses from out of my purse when some fancy black SUV had pulled out in front of me. I had tried to stop, but it was too late and I ended up rear-ending them.

The them being Hudson Hayes.

I had thought that maybe I needed more sleep, that I must have been seeing things, but when I blinked again, it was still him. I had closed my eyes again, praying for sweet death to take me so that I didn’t have to get out of this car and face him.

Hudson Hayes is a big deal in New York City, where I’m from. He’s actually a big deal to anyone who likes good food or handsome men. He’s a Michelin star chef, a James Beard winner, and the owner of restaurants in all of the major cities all over the world.

He got out of his car, his hand grabbing the back of his neck as he went to look at the damage and I couldn’t help but notice that his hair had looked longer than the last time I saw his picture in the newspaper back home. It’d been a while, probably over a year, but I hadn’t really noticed. The two of us didn’t exactly run in the same circles, and if I was ever able to get off the waitlist for a night out at one of his restaurants, then it would mean that I couldn’t afford rent that month.

He used to be a staple in the New York Times and the society pages, standing in his chef’s uniform, arms crossed, easy smile on his sculpted face. Sometimes I wonder if it’s that face that has so many people clamoring to get a reservation at one of his places.

I had gotten it together, jumping out of my Jeep to assess the cars and looking at how bad the damage was.

Luckily, there had only been a scratch on the front of my Jeep. His Range Rover didn’t get away so easily. One of his taillights was busted and the back door was dented along with his bumper. I couldn’t help but wonder how much of a dent this was going to put in my travel fund.

I’m so sorry. Are you alright? I was trying to grab my sunglasses and didn’t see you in time, I apologize.

It’s… fine, he finished as he finally turned to look at me.

I can grab my insurance card, I offer, wincing as I think about what this is going to do to my rates.

I had an accident when I was sixteen and had just gotten my license and another right after my father’s funeral several weeks ago. I could barely afford insurance before this; it’s going to be impossible now.

I’ll tell you what. Let’s just take it around the corner to Gavin’s Mechanic Shop. He can take a look at it and maybe we won’t have to go through all of that paperwork, he offered, and I almost gave myself whiplash turning back around.

Really? Are you sure? I asked, and he gave me an easy smile.

Yeah, I’m sure. Gavin’s shop is just around the corner.

I’ll follow you, I promised.

He nodded, heading back to his car, and I climbed into mine. Gavin’s Mechanic Shop really was just right around the corner but given the fact that this town seems to be one main street and not much else, that’s not a surprise.

Hudson pulled in front of one of the loading bay doors and I parked in a spot in front. I grabbed my purse, hopping out, and sighed as I stretched my legs. I’d been driving for the last few days and I didn’t realize how tight my muscles had gotten.

I did my best to stretch as I headed over to meet Hudson at the door. He opened it for me and I smiled, walking in front of him inside.

It had taken some time for Gavin to look over Hudson’s car and when he came back, wiping his hands off on a greasy towel, I knew that I was screwed. I had only saved up a few grand for this soul-searching trip and I had a feeling that my savings were about to get wiped out.

I was right.

I had still offered to go through the insurance since I couldn’t cover the cost, but Hudson said that he trusted me and that I could make payments.

That’s how I ended up working at the Mystery Cabin and living in the apartment right above Hudson’s restaurant downtown. It was the cheapest place to live since he gives me a break on the rent and I just have to cover the utilities.

He got his car fixed. I know, because he leaves it parked right next to mine every night even though he lives in a nice house on the water a block and a half away.

That reminds me, and I reach into my pocket, opening up the note that was left on my windshield. Hudson has been doing it for months and it’s always the same. A would you rather question and an invite to dinner.

So far, I haven’t taken him up on his dinner offer and I never reply to his would you rather questions either, no matter how entertaining I may find them. I swore off guys until I have a plan for the rest of my life. I thought that it was a good idea… before I met Hudson.

Hudson makes me wish that I already had my life together, that I already had a plan.

He’s basically my dream guy and I hate having to ignore him every time he leaves me a note or when we run into each other in town.

I take a deep breath as I read the note that he left for me today.

Lyla, would you rather be forced to sing along or dance to every single song you hear?

Have dinner with me and we can discuss…

x. H