Chapter 10 #2
“Absolutely.” It’s the only way I made it through finals in college.
“Then I’ll make it.” Hazel turns and starts to get to work, moving levers and grinding coffee beans. “So what brings you to Ember Falls?”
“I’m actually here for work. I’m a publicist for a company in New York City.”
“That’s great. How long are you here for?”
I was hoping I would already be in my car heading home, but that’s not happening.
“I’m not sure—depends how long my client needs me. Probably another week though.”
She glances at me from over her shoulder. “Oh, then you must be here to help Killian.”
“Who?” I pretend I’m misunderstanding. Part of my job is discretion, and I have no idea who this woman is.
Hazel laughs softly and then turns with the coffee, placing it on the counter with a muffin. “Killian is a good friend of mine. I really hope he has you on his team. Especially since you so expertly dodged my question. Lord knows small towns aren’t known for keeping secrets.”
I smile softly. “Yes, I grew up in one and I learned that lesson well. Thank-you—for the coffee.”
“You’re very welcome, Tessa.”
“For the love of God, Hazel!” A deep voice yells as the door opens. “You’re going to be the death of me!”
The man with dark brown hair in a pair of scrubs walks in with Dr. Everett Finnegan embroidered on the left of his shirt. He’s tall, stocky, and super cute. Not as cute as Killian, but I’m starting to think that’s not even possible because no one measures up to him.
I need therapy.
Hazel rolls her eyes and sighs at the outburst. “Everett, meet Tessa. Tessa, this is my idiot best friend who clearly has no damn manners as he’s yelling at me for no damn reason.”
Oh boy.
He huffs. “Right, no damn reason.” Everett looks to me. “Do you know what she did?”
“I don’t even have a clue.”
“She told Violet, my fiancée, that I agreed to renovate her house starting this weekend. Her entire freaking house she wants to do. Now, as someone who has a full-time job saving lives, do you think I can do that?” he asks.
I purse my lips, not really wanting to enter the fray. “I’m going to guess no.”
“You would be right.” He turns to Hazel. “Care to explain?”
Hazel sighs heavily, looking completely unrepentant. “You owe me.”
“I owe you?”
“Yes, for about four years of free coffee, for fixing your ever messed-up love life—well, before Violet came back—having to go to your dumb games, and I could probably name a million other things. So, you owe me, and your saint of a fiancée agrees.” Her smile says she thinks she just played her winning hand.
“What’s my total that you feel you’re owed? I’ll write you a check.”
Hazel grins. “Not a chance. Now, we’re being rude arguing in front of a customer.”
I lift my hands and chuckle. “Oh no, this is great. Reminds me of me and my brother.”
Hazel slaps Everett’s chest. “He’s an idiot, and it’s my job to fix him and all the other dumbasses who live in this town.”
“There’s a lot of them?” I ask.
“All of them, and coincidentally the four biggest ones who reside in Ember Falls happen to be on the same Ultimate Frisbee team.”
I pull my head back. “What is an…Ultimate Frisbee team?”
Everett huffs. “Seriously, the women in this town need to learn more about sports. For fuck’s sake, it’s a very serious league. It takes an extreme amount of athleticism as well as mental concentration. We are elite athletes.”
At that Hazel bursts out laughing. “Oh my God! You said that with a straight face? Oh, I can’t wait to tell Ainsley, Penny, and Violet what you said.”
“I hate you,” Everett retorts.
“You don’t, but you’re ridiculous.” She turns to me. “It’s Frisbee with goal lines. You should come by and see their intense athleticism and absolute dialed-in concentration.”
“I’m a little afraid now,” I confess.
I’m not really afraid, but they seem pretty intense about this. I need to occupy myself a little, and if this is a league and there are games or something, that could be fun.
Maybe.
I love sports, don’t get me wrong. I used to sit on my grandpa’s lap and watch football every Saturday and Sunday before he passed away.
He didn’t discriminate between college and professional.
Saturday we listened to him scream about his alma mater continuing to suck each year and Sundays it was the same thing.
But no matter what, I would go in my room, get my jersey and sit with him, yelling and repeating whatever he grumbled about. It carried on through college by going to home games, even though we lost all the time, I just love sports.
This doesn’t really sound much like a sport.
“Oh, they’re harmless, don’t even worry, but it’s fun and the girls bring wine and charcuterie, make fun of everyone. I know you’re only here for work, but a week is a long time to be holed up somewhere in this town. Isn’t there a practice tonight?”
Everett crosses his arms over his chest. “Yes, at six.”
She grins. “What do you say, Tessa? Want to come watch middle-aged men pretend they’re still in their twenties?”
I laugh. “I wouldn’t miss it.”