Chapter Twenty-Six
Always Two Steps Ahead
‘You are not hiding in this clinic for one more minute.’
Bree leaned against the door leading into the main exam room. Her bright pink scrubs were covered in dog hair and surgical scrub solution. ‘Jessa and I are going to play pool at the tavern, and you’re coming with us.’
‘Not tonight.’ I placed more gauze squares and cotton swabs into the cabinets above the sink. ‘The other rooms have to be restocked. There’s also a ton of charts that need updated notes, and Flora desperately needs a bath.’
It sounded like an excuse, but it was true. Every morning for the last week I was up at dawn and out on the trail with Flora. I tried to convince myself it was because I wasn’t sleeping, but it was more about the fact that I did not want to run into Bryce.
Jessa appeared in the doorway, and the two of them stood in warrior stances. ‘We’re not letting up until you agree,’ Bree pressed. ‘This is your town, and you can’t let some outsider dictate your movements.’
In a fit of frustration yesterday, I let it slip about my fight with Bryce.
How the plans for his article were about to blow up my entire family’s life.
Bree suggested intimidation in the form of a few local loggers.
Jessa asked if we could booby-trap his cabin.
After I talked them both off the ledge, they watched me silently.
Quietly pushed treats in my direction. Fielded any problems or complaints I didn’t need to know about.
‘Come on, Dani. One beer. One slice of Mo’s terrible pizza that comes straight out of the box and right into the microwave. A couple of games of pool. It’ll be a good distraction,’ Jessa begged.
They stood as a united front, and I’d hear about it for weeks if I didn’t give in.
‘Fine.’ I pointed a stern finger at them. ‘But when I’m ready to go home, no guilt trips.’
‘We promise,’ they said together.
The jarring sound of the front door creaking open had Jessa rushing back to the reception desk. Bree stayed in the doorway. ‘Offer still stands to send over Tobias and a few of his logging friends to scare him a little.’
‘That’s not necessary. Bryce would just figure out a way to use it as color for the article.’
She let out a reluctant huff. ‘All right, but my boyfriend and his pals can be intimidating when they want to be.’
I bit back a smile. Tobias was massive, but he also played Santa Claus every year for the town’s tree-lighting ceremony, so it was hard to picture him threatening Bryce.
‘Pokey is here for his nail trim,’ Jessa called down the hall.
Bree rolled her eyes and I laughed. ‘That dog is ferocious and you know it.’
‘He’s an eight-pound chihuahua, Bree.’
‘Yes, and he uses every bit of that weight to snap at me. Good thing we have that new grooming hammock that keeps him from taking chunks of skin out of my fingers.’
I had to admit Pokey was a tough case. He was deathly afraid of the nail clippers, but Bree exuded enough alpha behavior to get the dog to cooperate.
She took a slow walk down the hall. When she opened the door to Exam Room Three, she was greeted with a snarl. I pressed a hand to my mouth to keep from laughing and went back to work, dreading that in a few hours I’d actually have to pretend to be sociable.
The scent of burnt pepperoni, old beer and drugstore cologne smacked me in the face when I walked into the tavern.
All the town regulars sat on the cheap vinyl stools at the bar.
The judge and Eric gave me a wave. A few of the local farmers, including a smiling George, tipped their hats in my direction as I passed.
Bree and Jessa had already staked out a spot at the center pool table in the far back room. Two full mugs of pale ale sat on a nearby high-top table.
The girls spotted me across the room, and Jessa waved her arms, making more than a few gazes veer in my direction. When I reached the table, Jessa was still flailing about until Bree reached for her arms and said, ‘We are not flagging in a 747.’
Jessa let out a giggle.
‘How many beers has she had?’ I said.
‘One.’ Bree smirked. ‘She’s a total lightweight.’
A thick glass with a dark-brown stout and a creamy foam top landed on the table. Mo stood a few steps away with one hand propped on her hip.
‘I haven’t been to the bar yet,’ I deadpanned.
‘After what you did for Mara and Banjo, drinks and food are on me tonight.’
‘I don’t want to owe you anything, Mo, especially since you keep spilling secrets that aren’t yours.’ I was still angry that she’d said anything to Bryce about Max. I pulled my wallet out of my canvas bag, but she took a step back.
‘Not taking your money tonight, Dani.’
I started to object again until Bree interrupted. ‘We’ll take a large pepperoni pizza and breadsticks.’
‘Ooh, can we get some of those fried pickles too?’ Jessa squealed.
‘Dani?’ Mo said like she needed my permission.
‘If it’s on the house, add in another round too.’
‘Done.’ She strode away without another word.
‘That woman owes you a hell of a lot more than pizza and beer, but it’s a start,’ Jessa said with a hiccup. ‘The way she runs her mouth about your family. She swears it’s the key to bringing business into town but that’s such a crock of shit.’ She reached for her beer and took another big gulp.
Bree chuckled and helped her lower the glass to the table. ‘Slow down there, J. We have all night.’
Jessa wiped a hand over her mouth and giggled again. It took her two tries to heave her wobbly little body up onto the tall chair at the high-top.
‘Who’s up?’ I tipped my chin to the table.
‘We flipped a coin. I’m playing you first. Eight-ball okay?’ Bree said.
‘Rack ’em up.’
I moved to the wall where the pool cues hung like thin wooden soldiers in a neat row.
After plucking one off the squeaky hinges, I chalked the tip.
A familiar voice made me look up. Lia sat in a corner booth with the fire chief.
Their heads pressed together in a tense conversation.
I pulled in a full breath and strode in their direction.
‘Evening, Chief.’
‘Dani. Good to see you,’ he said like he was relieved to have a break. ‘Lia and I were just talking about the incident with Mara and Banjo.’
‘How is Mara doing?’ I asked.
‘According to Darren, she’s on the mend,’ the chief answered.
‘That’s good to hear.’
‘Lia and I were going over the rescue,’ he said uncomfortably. ‘Seems she has a few suggestions for how we can do it better next time.’
‘Lee did a good job. In fact, Mara called her a badass.’
A reluctant smirk lifted Lia’s lips. ‘She did?’
‘Yep. You’ve got a fan there.’
‘See. You need to ease up a bit,’ the chief said.
She reached for her glass, downed the beer in a single gulp and pushed to the edge of the booth. ‘See you tomorrow,’ she grumbled before stalking to the exit.
‘Should I ask?’ I said.
He smoothed his hand over his mustache. ‘Your sister is very good at her job, but she doesn’t always play well with others.’
‘Tell me something I don’t know.’
The corners of his eyes pinched in sadness. ‘I’m serious, Dani. Seth Cambridge is leaving his captain’s position to move to Bozeman in three months. Lia could take the test. Easily slide into his job, but—’
‘She doesn’t play well with others,’ I parroted back.
‘Talk to her. Get her to think about what it means to be in a leadership role. If she can’t ease up’ – he shook his head – ‘there are others who want to move in and take that job.’
Lia could be immovable when she thought she was right. That kind of attitude would never earn her friends or the respect of her peers.
‘I promise we will have a conversation about it.’
He grabbed his baseball hat from the booth and plopped it on his head. ‘We’re one of the best fire stations in Colorado because of your sister’s organization and ingenuity, but she needs to get out of her head.’
‘I hear you, Chief.’
‘I’ll say goodnight then.’
Lia’s job was her world. Aster and I talked about that fact a lot.
But she also needed another focus or purpose.
When we broached the subject with her, she waved us off.
Told us to mind our own business. There was such a thing as being too caught up in your own job, which I was reminded of as an annoyed Bree pointed at the pool table.
I chalked the end of my stick again, a flutter of blue dust filling the air.
‘Lia all right? When she walked out of here she looked like she wanted to kick someone’s ass,’ Bree said.
‘It’s Lia being Lia.’ I shrugged.
‘Flip a coin to break?’ she asked.
‘No, you go ahead.’
She leaned her arms down onto the green felt, setting the white cue ball behind the head string. After she let out a smooth breath, the pool cue slid between her fingers and she launched the ball in a straight line toward the neat triangle.
The pack broke apart, shooting multi-colored balls out in several directions. She deflated when the cue ball careened into a side pocket. ‘Well, that was awful.’
I grabbed the cue ball and moved around the edges of the table, scanning the lines to figure out the best shot. The solid orange five-ball hovered on the edge of the right corner pocket. I leaned over, and with a gentle tap of my cue, it dropped into the hole.
‘Woohoo,’ Jessa called out.
‘Hey, whose side are you on?’ Bree grumbled.
‘I’m team McGuire Clinic,’ Jessa replied, taking another long pull on her beer.
‘You may have to call Stewey later, to come and take her home,’ I said as I passed Bree, sizing up my next shot.
‘Already way ahead of you. Texted him on my way here. Told him to be ready.’
‘Why am I not surprised?’
‘Because I was your best hire ever, and I’m always two steps ahead of you.’
‘That’s true. It’s why I pay you the big bucks,’ I said.
That finally got her to smile. I bent close to the table and banked the solid green six-ball against a bumper before it slid into a side pocket.
‘So you’re good at pool too, huh? Why am I not surprised?’ said a deep, honeyed voice.
Bryce stood a few feet away, his own pool cue gripped between his fingers. Faded, well-worn jeans hung across his hips. A dark blue Denver Broncos hat sat low on his head.
‘I have many talents,’ I flung back, too pissed that even after everything that’d happened, I still felt that tug toward him.
‘Yeah, I know that.’ He gave me that too-sexy grin that he thought would soften me up. He was wrong.
‘Funny hat for someone who’s from LA,’ I said.
‘Eric gave it to me. Said he has a ton of leftover gear from his playing days.’
‘Of course he did,’ I fumed. Why did it seem like everyone in this town was clearly charmed by this guy?
He set a handful of quarters on the green felt. ‘Next game?’
‘It’s girls’ night.’ Bree stalked around the table, sizing up her next shot.
‘Yep,’ Jessa hiccupped. ‘Go away, troublemaker.’
Bryce arched a brow.
‘Nothing is a secret in this town,’ I said, ignoring the way he tried to get closer. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, Bree is about to miss this shot.’
‘Am not!’ She tried to bank in the nine-ball and missed the pocket by an inch.
‘How about a little wager?’ Bryce pressed.
‘You have nothing I want.’ I moved to the far end of the table. ‘Four-ball top corner pocket.’ I took the shot, banking the solid purple ball against one side of the table before it careened straight into the pocket.
‘Impressive.’ Bryce leaned against the cue, his forearms flexing.
Screw Aster’s statement about his color. I needed this guy out of my life.
‘You play one game with me.’ He sank his teeth into his full lower lip, and I forced myself to ignore the memory of the way that mouth had been all over my body only a week ago.
Brought me to a dizzying bliss that would take decades to forget.
‘If you win, I’ll sit down and show you everything in my files and on my laptop. ’
That got my attention.
‘But if I’m victorious, you go on one date with me, and we don’t discuss anything about the article. Just you and me, a five-star meal and a great bottle of wine.’
Bree let out a brittle laugh. ‘Yeah, you’d have to drive to Breckenridge, which is like an hour drive away, to make that happen.’
Bryce’s stare turned soft. ‘Exactly.’
Jessa let out a squeal behind me. Bree leaned on her cue.
The mischief in her eyes urged me to take the deal, because she knew I’d been playing pool for years and could easily crush Bryce.
At lunch one day right after she’d started at the clinic, we’d swapped stories about our families, and I told her about the special bond I had with Grandpa Beau.
How we’d come to this tavern every Sunday to have the fried chicken special and play pool.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was his own sneaky way of teaching me math and physics.
As he sauntered around the table, he’d explained how playing pool was all about simple geometry.
Lining up your shots with the right angles.
How striking the ball with a measured force made all the difference.
Beating Bryce would be easy, but I still hesitated. I’d let my guard down with him once, and it bit me in the behind. There was no saying it wouldn’t happen again if I opened the door for him.
‘You don’t trust me to keep my word.’
I set my hip against the table. Gave him a fiery stare. ‘You’ve lied to me how many times now?’
The room grew hushed. It would be great if I didn’t live in a place where my life felt like a constant spectacle.
‘Hey!’ Bree shouted at the patrons. ‘Mind your business. Go back to your drinks and your meals.’
Jessa wobbled off her stool and went to the jukebox. An old Bon Jovi song filtered through the speakers, and the town was distracted again.
‘How about this, I’ll also throw in final review of the article before it goes to my editor. You can make any changes or deletions you want.’
I narrowed my eyes, sensing a trap. ‘Why would you do that?’
‘Because I have nothing to hide from you.’
His meaning was clear. I was the one who still had the journal. Who was still keeping secrets.
When I stayed quiet, he added, ‘Your friends can be a witness to the offer. Make sure that I don’t go back on my word.’
Bree shrugged. ‘Your choice, but it sounds like a decent deal to me.’
‘I agree,’ Jessa shouted a little too loudly from the table.
This ridiculous scene was one of the many reasons why I liked my quiet life. ‘One game. Winner takes all,’ I conceded.
That gorgeous smile of his lit up the damn room. ‘Let’s go.’
Even as the warning bells went off in my head, I pointed at the table and said, ‘We need to finish this game first.’
With ‘You Give Love a Bad Name’ blasting through the room, it took me less than five minutes to sink the rest of my balls. The crowd let out an appreciative shout as I walked back to the table and took a long pull on my beer.
Bree swung out her mug in Bryce’s direction, taunting him. ‘Good luck. You’re gonna need it.’