Part 7
Autumn arrived in full force,
turning the aspen trees into columns of shimmering gold against the gray mountain rocks.
One chilly Tuesday afternoon,
while Richard was sweeping the sidewalk outside the hardware store,
a sleek,
black luxury SUV pulled up to the curb.
The vehicle looked completely out of place in the dusty,
rugged town of Silver Pines,
instantly catching Richard's attention.
The door opened,
and a man stepped out,
wearing a tailored charcoal suit and expensive leather shoes that shone in the sunlight.
Richard froze,
the broom stopping mid-stroke,
as he recognized the face of Marcus Vance.
Marcus had been his chief financial officer,
a man who had managed to escape prosecution by turning state's evidence against Richard.
"Well,
well,
well,"
Marcus said,
stepping onto the sidewalk,
a smug,
patronizing smile playing on his lips,
"look how the mighty have fallen."
Richard stood his ground,
holding the broom tightly,
refusing to let Marcus see the sudden anger rising in his throat.
"What are you doing here,
Marcus?"
Richard asked,
his voice calm,
devoid of the fury he would have felt a year ago.
Marcus looked around the quiet street,
shaking his head with mock pity.
"I was passing through on my way to Aspen,"
Marcus said,
flicking a speck of dust from his sleeve,
"and I heard a rumor that you were hiding out in this sandbox."
"I am not hiding,"
Richard replied steadily,
"I am living my life,
paying my debts,
and moving forward."
Marcus laughed,
a harsh,
unpleasant sound that echoed off the brick walls of the shop.
"Sweeping dirt is moving forward?"
Marcus mocked,
stepping closer,
lowering his voice to a whisper,
"I came to offer you a way out,
Richard."
"I have a new venture in the Cayman Islands,"
Marcus continued,
"completely legal,
completely off the grid,
and I need your brain to run it."
"We could make millions within a year,
and you could leave this miserable town behind."
Richard looked at Marcus,
really looked at him,
seeing the expensive clothes,
the gold watch,
and the empty,
soul-less eyes.
He saw the reflection of the man he used to be,
the man who chased wealth at the expense of everything that actually mattered.
"I am going to say this once,
Marcus,"
Richard said,
his voice dropping,
becoming as cold and hard as the mountain stone,
"get in your car,
and get out of my town."
"I would rather sweep this sidewalk for the rest of my days,"
he continued,
"than spend one more minute making dirty money with a snake like you."
Marcus's smile vanished,
replaced by a look of ugly contempt.
"You are a fool,
Donovan,"
Marcus spat,
turning on his heel,
"you are going to rot in this dump."
Richard did not answer,
he simply watched as Marcus got back into the luxury SUV,
slammed the door,
and sped away in a cloud of dust.
Samuel stepped out of the hardware store,
holding a heavy wrench,
having watched the entire encounter from behind the glass.
"Who was that?"
the old man asked,
looking down the road where the SUV had disappeared.
"A ghost from my past,"
Richard replied,
setting his broom back down,
"but he does not belong here anymore."
Samuel nodded approvingly,
placing a heavy hand on Richard's shoulder.
"Good riddance,"
Samuel said,
"now finish that sidewalk,
we have a shipment of winter tires arriving in an hour."
Richard smiled,
May you like
feeling lighter than air,
knowing he had just passed his hardest test yet.
