Chapter Seventeen
Evie
The morning had started so well.
Crisp winter air, a clear blue sky, and the satisfaction of ticking a few errands off my list.
But, as luck would have it, all that goodwill evaporated when I realized I’d locked my keys inside my truck.
Again.
I stood there, staring at the locked door like it might magically open if I glared hard enough. My reflection in the frosted window showed a look of sheer disbelief mixed with the mild resignation of someone who’d been down this road one too many times.
“Fantastic,” I muttered under my breath, pulling my coat tighter around me as the wind picked up. I glanced around the small parking lot in the middle of Buttercup Lake, hoping for a miracle—or at least someone with a spare moment and a wire coat hanger.
As if summoned by fate—or maybe just the universe’s wicked sense of humor—Millie from the Sunshine Breakfast Club strolled into view.
She was wearing her signature brightly colored scarf and clutching a canvas tote bag with the slogan "Sunshine Is Contagious" in glittery yellow letters.
Was it, though?
I chuckled as her keen eyes locked on me instantly, and I could practically hear her thoughts.
“Well, if it isn’t Evie Grayson,” she said, her tone equal parts amused and curious. “What in the world are you doing standing out here looking like a frozen puppy?”
And that was when I remembered I grabbed my son’s dog-eared winter cap because mine was still in the washing machine.
I sighed, waving a hand toward my truck. “Locked my keys inside all for a latte to treat myself for running errands.”
Millie tilted her head, inspecting the situation like a seasoned detective. “Again?”
I shot her a sheepish look. “You’ve got a good memory.”
“It’s not hard to remember when it’s happened twice in the past year,” she said with a chuckle, setting her tote bag down. “Lucky for you, I have experience in these predicaments.”
“You do?”
Thankfully, the last time it happened was when I was at the community center, and the sheriff helped me out. Millie happened to be going inside the building for the book club meeting. I shivered at the thought of getting wrangled to one of those matchmaking events.
There was no way I’d fall for it being merely a book club with those kinds of hookup rates. The Sunshine Breakfast Club, mainly led by the woman in front of me, was nothing more than a way to ensnare unsuspecting singles.
But I suspected.
And I would not fall for their trappings.
“Oh, honey, I’ve been locking myself out of cars since before you were born. I even had to climb into the window of my own house once with nothing but a step ladder and determination. If I could do that, I can handle a simple truck lock.”
“Let’s hope you don’t need a ladder for this one,” I said, laughing despite myself. My truck was big, and Millie was not.
She pulled a travel-size toolkit out of her tote because, of course, she had one.
“Always be prepared,” she said, winking as she selected a slim tool. “Now, let’s see what we’re working with here.”
I watched as Millie approached the truck with the confidence of a seasoned locksmith. She slipped the tool into the space between the window and the doorframe, fiddling with a focus that made me wonder if she’d missed her calling as a secret agent.
Or maybe that was why she loved the book club.
“You know,” she said conversationally, “this reminds me of the time Violet got locked out of her car during the Winter Festival. She had a pie cooling in the backseat, and I swear half the town showed up to help. Took three people, two coat hangers, and a lot of creative swearing, but we got her back in.”
“That sounds about right for Buttercup Lake,” I said, shaking my head. “What is it about small towns that makes everyone think they’re qualified to break into vehicles?”
“Well, we’ve got time, determination, and a healthy disregard for looking ridiculous,” Millie said with a grin. “Speaking of which, do you happen to have a coat hanger? My befangled tool isn’t working.”
I snorted. “Not on me. I could check the backseat, though, if I could get in.”
Millie gave me a mock glare. “A comedian, I see. Don’t worry, I’ve got a backup plan.”
As Millie fiddled with the lock for the third time, she let out a frustrated huff and stepped back, hands on her hips. The sun glinted off the frost-covered trucks in the parking lot, and my breath clouded in the crisp air as I tried not to laugh.
“You’re awfully smug for someone stranded in the middle of town,” Millie muttered, narrowing her eyes at me.
“I’m not smug,” I said, biting back a grin. “I’m just… impressed by your tenacity.”
Millie wagged the slim metal tool at me like a warning. “Don’t make me use this on you.”
I held up my hands in mock surrender. “I’d never dare.”
She sighed, muttering something about modern locks being too smart for their own good, and then straightened, pulling out her phone.
“Well, looks like we need to bring in the big guns.”
I frowned. “Who’s the big guns?”
Millie shot me a sly smile as she dialed a number. “Oh, just someone who owes me a favor. Don’t worry, he’s an expert at fixing things. The guy is ridiculously handy. Good with animals and kids, too.”
Before I could ask what she meant, Millie’s cheery voice filled the chilly air.
“Liam, darling, it’s Millie. We’ve got ourselves a little situation down in the town square, and I thought of you immediately. Be a dear and come help Evie out of her predicament, will you?”
My stomach did a flip.
Liam. Of course, it had to be Liam.
I’d managed to avoid a couple of texts while I gave myself some breathing room.
That kiss spun me into a web of confusion. And well, I didn’t ignore the texts. I acknowledged them with a wacky meme, but lots of vague answers about when we could see each other again.
“Millie,” I hissed, my cheeks heating as she turned her back to me and kept talking. “You did not just call him!”
She waved me off, ending the call and tucking her phone back into her tote. “He’s on his way.”
“Millie,” I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. “I could’ve called roadside assistance or someone else—”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, adjusting her scarf with a satisfied smile. “Liam’s practically family. Besides, he’s got that hero thing going for him. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.”
I wasn’t so sure about that.
The last thing I wanted was to seem like a damsel in distress, especially to Liam. But before I could argue further, the distant rumble of an engine grew louder, and sure enough, Liam’s truck came into view.
I looked at Millie and lifted my brows as I adjusted my wool cap. “You know this is why I didn’t join the Sunshine Breakfast Club, right?”
“You don’t have to. We come to you.” She chuckled. “Besides, that’s just a rumor.”
Smiling wryly, I gave her a hug. “What’s just a rumor?”
“That we’re a matchmaking club,” she said flatly. “That’s nonsense.”
“Is it? Because I can think of lots of other men who could have helped me. Some of them even being your sons-in-laws.”
She winked at me. “What’s the fun in that?”
I rolled my eyes and chuckled.
Liam pulled into the lot and parked a few spaces away, stepping out with the kind of confidence that made my knees feel just a little weak. Dressed in a fitted flannel and jeans, his blue eyes sparkled with amusement as he took in the scene.
The temperature was in the twenties, so being a true Wisconsin native, a coat wasn’t apparently required.
“Well, well,” Liam said, as he strolled over. “What’s going on here?”
I did my best to look unbothered.
“Oh, nothing much. Just Millie trying her hand at auto locksmithing.”
“And she was doing a fine job,” Millie chimed in, grinning. “Until this stubborn lock decided to ruin my streak.”
Liam chuckled, his gaze sliding to me. “Locked out, huh?”
I nodded, my cheeks heating again. “Yep. Just one of those mornings.”
He tilted his head, his smile softening. “It happens. Let me take a look.”
Millie stepped back, gesturing grandly. “All yours, hero.”
Liam gave her a mock bow before crouching beside the truck door. He inspected the lock, his fingers brushing the edge of the window as he studied it.
“Looks like it’s just being fussy,” he said, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a multitool.
I watched as he worked, his movements calm and deliberate. The quiet confidence he exuded made it hard not to stare, and for a moment, I forgot all about my embarrassment.
“So,” Millie said, breaking the silence as she leaned toward me. “How long are you going to pretend you’re not into him?”
I nearly choked. “I’m not—”
“Please,” she whispered, her eyes twinkling. “You’ve been mooning over him since he got here.”
I shot her a look, but she just grinned knowingly. Thankfully, Liam was too focused on the lock to notice our exchange.
After a few more minutes, there was a satisfying click, and the door swung open. Liam straightened, brushing his hands off on his jeans.
“There we go. Good as new.”
“You’re a lifesaver.”
“Don’t mention it. I happened to be coming to town to pick up some stuff for the lodge. It was perfect timing.”
I glanced at Millie and scowled. Something told me it was more than a coincidence.
Millie clapped her hands together, her grin as bright as ever. “See? I told you he’d save the day.”
“You give me too much credit, Millie.”
“Oh, nonsense,” she said, patting his arm. “Now, I’d love to stick around and bask in this little moment, but I’ve got errands to run and a man to seduce back at home. You two behave yourselves.”
Before I could respond, Millie grabbed her tote and headed off down the street, leaving me alone with Liam.
“So,” Liam said, leaning against the open truck door. “What’s next on your agenda?”
“Hopefully not locking myself out of my house,” I said, chuckling.
“Always a good plan. You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Oh, I don’t know…Just a few half dozen memes instead of the usual texts I get back from you.”
I kicked my boot in the icy snow and chuckled. “Okay, you got me. I panicked.”
“Was it the kiss?”
“Maybe.”
“I won’t do it again.” He winked at me, stirring up the wild energy inside me again.
“Please do.”
His gaze lingered on mine, something unspoken passing between us.
The weight of the moment settled between us, and for the first time that morning, I let out a deep breath.
Maybe I had been overthinking everything.
For once, it felt like time was my enemy.
As Liam closed the truck door and handed me back my keys, I smiled, feeling the morning's tension ease.
“I owe you a cup of coffee for this,” I said, pocketing the keys before they could mysteriously disappear again.
“You don’t owe me anything.”
“Humor me,” I said, gesturing toward Buttercup Java, the cozy coffee shop just across the street. “It’s the least I can do after dragging you out here.”
“Well,” he said, scratching his chin as though giving it serious thought. “If you insist. I do have a weakness for their cinnamon rolls.”
“Good,” I said, already heading toward the coffee shop. “Because you’re getting one.”
Before I realized it, his hand had cupped mine. “You’re pretty bossy when you want to be, you know that?”
I shot him a grin. “And you’re pretty agreeable for someone who just called me bossy.”
“Only when it’s you,” he said, his tone light but his eyes holding something deeper that warmed my cheeks.
I hadn’t held hands with someone in so long that I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was completely out of my element. I started thinking about how much my arm was swinging, if my stride matched his, if I should let go first.
As we stepped inside, the rich aroma of coffee and baked goods enveloped us, and I sighed happily when I let go of his hand.
There.
A decision.
Buttercup Java buzzed with its usual morning crowd. Laughter and clinking mugs filled the air. The cozy decor, mismatched furniture, and twinkling fairy lights strung along the beams always made me feel at home. It felt like a rustic cabin and a quirky farmhouse had a love child.
“Hey, Evie!” Abby, the barista, called from behind the counter. “Another locked-out rescue?”
“Don’t start,” I said with a laugh, waving her off. “Just another coffee for me and a cinnamon roll for my hero here.”
Liam chuckled, leaning against the counter. “Hero, huh? Keep that up, and I might start getting ideas.”
“Oh, we can’t have that,” I said, rolling my eyes as Abby handed over our drinks and his roll, and I gave her cash.
We found a small table by the window with the winter sunlight streaming in as we sat down.
Liam took a sip of his coffee, his eyes crinkling with pleasure. “Now, this makes it all worth it.” He tugged a piece of cinnamon roll off the bun and ate it.
“What, the coffee?” I teased.
“No, sitting here with you,” he said smoothly, his grin widening when I rolled my eyes again.
Before I could reply, a familiar voice broke through the chatter.
“Liam Harper, of all places!”
I saw Fifi, Liam’s sister, bounding toward our table with her usual energy. She looked between us, her expression a mix of amusement and curiosity.
“And who’s this? The woman you can’t stop gushing about?”
Liam groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Fifi, don’t start.”
“Oh, I’m just saying hi,” she said innocently, pulling up a chair and plopping down without waiting for an invitation. She turned to me, her smile conspiratorial. “So, are you the reason he’s been smiling like an idiot lately? My guess is yes.”
“Fifi,” Liam said, his tone half-warning, half-embarrassed.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not sure I can take credit for that.”
“Well, I’m sure as heck going to find out,” Fifi said, winking at me as Liam groaned again.