Chapter 4 Greer
GREER
What was I thinking coming to this place?
It takes less than an hour to walk up and down main street, even with stopping to read all the signs in the windows.
It’s not that Iron Peak is bad in any distinguishable way. In fact, the people here look happy, and there’s a true feeling of community.
But it’s so unlike where I grew up, and I feel out of place.
I was two hours away from home, driving toward farmlands that were hiring when I finally took my brother’s call. He was absolutely furious when I told him what Mom and Dad had planned for me, but he was renting a room from an old man, and couldn’t let me stay with him.
He convinced me to head to Kellan’s, saying he’d help me get on my feet. And he was right. After years of silence, Kellan came through, agreeing to house me.
I can’t waste this opportunity.
I look to the right, at an old brick building with tall, narrow windows. Above the door, a placard reads: Iron Peak Ridge Public Library.
It’s a sign. Literally and figuratively.
The door creaks when I open it, announcing my presence when I’d rather go unseen. A few feet inside, a dark-haired woman pushes a book into place on a shelf.
She turns to face me, adjusting her glasses. “Hello!”
“Hi!” I give a short wave and try to smile, but my lips skew.
Her eyebrows lift. “May I help you?”
My mouth falls open because I’m overwhelmed and haven’t a clue how to fix my train wreck of a life.
A concerned expression washes over the woman’s face.
“I’m lost,” I blurt.
The smile reappears on her face. “Where were you looking to go?”
“Here, but…” I sigh. “I’m a little out of my element.”
“Just about everyone is with the advent of ebooks.” She nods deeper into the room. “Let me show you how to work the card catalog.”
“No…it’s more than that. I need to study for my GED, but I have dyslexia, so I need help with that too.” Might as well go all-in.
“Right this way.” She pivots, heading towards the back of the building. “My name is Evelyn, by the way. I thought I knew everyone in Iron Peak, but every once in a while, someone emerges from their hobbit hole and says ‘hello’—” she pauses, “not that you look like a hobbit!”
I laugh, feeling more at ease. “I’m Greer, and I’m actually not from around here.”
She stops in front of a shelf full of enormous books with boring, white spines and grabs a few. “May I get you set up with a library card?”
My eyes dart to the floor. “I don’t think I’d qualify.”
After a long silence, Evelyn says, “If you don’t mind my asking, are you homeless?”
“No! Well…technically.” My stomach sinks. “I’ll get out of your hair—”
“Not so fast!” Evelyn says in a scolding way. “I didn’t mean to shame or intimidate you. I was only asking because we have resources available if you are. Also, sorry if I sound snappy. Around here, I’m rarely this useful.”
“You’re fine.”
She grabs one more book. “Follow me.”
We head to a table, and she sets down the books. “These are to help study for the GED, but the dyslexia situation won’t easily be solved with any book.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” I grumble.
“The good news is that we have a teacher who comes in on Tuesdays and Thursdays to tutor people within the community, and she has experience in helping people like you.”
“Oh…that sounds wonderful.”
“Great. Her name is Willa, and I’ll arrange for you two to meet up. Will you have trouble getting here, or should I look at securing you a ride?”
“Oh, ah, Kellan should be able to take me.”
“Kellan Blackwood?” A smile curls on her lips. “The veterinarian?”
“It’s not like that,” I say a hair too defensively. “He’s my brother’s friend, and he agreed to take me in while I get my life sorted.”
“Of course. I’ll put in a call to him and we can put the books on his card, so you can take them home.”
“Thanks, that would be amazing.”
KELLAN
As the day comes to a close, I slide into the driver’s seat of my truck and murmur a small thank-you that I haven’t somehow adopted a new orphaned animal.
A small Greer-shaped figure rushes down the sidewalk, arms full of books. I reach over the passenger’s seat and open the door, deciding against exiting the vehicle, because the last time I tried to help, she fell out of the truck.
“Sorry I’m late!” she huffs out, setting a stack of books on the seat before hauling herself inside the cabin.
There’s a tiny spark of home in her eyes that wasn’t there yesterday that hits me harder than it should.
“You’re right on time.”
“How was the clinic today?”
“It was a slow day full of neutering barn cats.”
“And Elliot the Emu?”
“He was getting lonely. I recommended to the owner that they relocate him to a nearby ostrich farm, and he was happy to oblige. So it worked out for everyone.”
“Good for Elliot!”
“And how was your day?” I ask, pulling onto the road that leads up to the mountain.
“I met the local librarians, hung out at the diner, and did a piss-poor job of studying.” She sighs. “In a few weeks, I’ll meet with a tutor, but I don’t expect much.”
Hearing the defeated sound in her voice brings out a protective urge in me. I grip the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white, trying to quell the inner urge to pull the truck over, drag her into my arms, and tell her I’ll fix everything she thinks is broken.
The thought of how good she would feel—soft curves pressed against me, warm breath on my neck—haunts me. But romance has no place in my life. Especially with my once-best friend’s little sister.
The entire drive home, Greer keeps her nose buried in a book, her only sound being the occasional frustrated groan. This carries on as I make dinner, which she eats while studying.
“This is impossible,” she says to herself as I’m clearing the table.
I stop what I’m doing and join her at the table. “We’ll figure it out.”
“I can’t do this.” She shoves her fingers through her messy red hair.
Instead of arguing with her, I ask, “What’s your plan b?”
“I’d found some farms that hire for the season.”
“And you think that’ll help you get on your feet?”
“Not really, but at least I’ll be working toward something.”
It suddenly occurs to me that I’ve been going about this all wrong.
“Look, I understand what it’s like to be on shaky ground, but it’s dangerous to let yourself get spread too thin.
Trust me—I know. It’s a lot managing a clinic and a small homestead, and sometimes I don’t know how I get through the day.
” The truth is, I live my life on autopilot, but the lie feels good, like it’s said for the right reason.
Her pretty lashes flutter. “Really?”
“Why do you think I’m so concerned with you overwhelming yourself?”
She looks down at her books, then back up at me. “Maybe we can help each other?”
“No!” I shake my head emphatically. “I couldn’t ask that of you.”
She grabs the book and shakes it at me. “If I’m stuck studying all day, I’ll go crazy—and it’ll happen quicker than you might think.”
I slump my shoulders. “Well, maybe you could come in with me a few days a week to man the phone—just for a few hours.”
She smiles ear-to-ear. “Can I do anything with the animals? Like check them in?”
“You could weigh them.”
“Is that all?”
“I could teach you to clip their nails.”
“And?”
Her enthusiasm makes me want to find more busy work for her. “There have been a few residents who have requested grooming services, but that takes a lot of patience—”
“I’ll do it!” Her eyes come alive with giddiness and hope that I can’t help but want to nurture.
“There’s an extra room at the clinic. You can make it yours if you put in the work.”
She nods so fast it’s almost comical. “Deal.”
“Greer…I don’t want you to feel like you have to do something you hate in order to get by. I have the means to help you, if you’ll let me.”
“Honestly, I’m excited to get started. I love animals, so this is like a dream job.”
“But you have to keep working toward your diploma.” I look down at her books. “Is there any way I can help you study?”
She bites her lower lip, looking hesitant.
“Tell me.”
“If I read this out loud, can you make sure it’s all coming out right?”
I pull my chair around so it’s next to hers. “Of course.”
Being so close to her puts me in sensory overload. The smell of her hair—like the ocean breeze mixed without something sweet and warm—fills my lungs, making my brain go numb.
Her finger moves to the pages, and she begins, “Victoria is a dentist…” She reads slowly through the paragraphs, her brow narrowing at a few words. Her lack of confidence is a mystery, because while she might read slowly, she’s consistently accurate.
The paragraph is followed by five questions that test her comprehension of what she’s read, and she nails all of them. But instead of celebrating, she drops her elbows onto the table and buries her hands into her face.
Instinctively, I bring my arm around her, realizing my folly the moment my heart skips a beat. Her body fits against me too perfectly—soft where I’m hard, warm where I’ve been cold for years.
It’s been so long since I’ve held a woman. Lord knows I’ve tried over the years, but I never could get over the sting of betrayal that’s followed me since I left Summerton so long ago.
As I start to pull away, she grips me tightly, nuzzling her face against my chest. Her breath fans across my shirt, heating my skin beneath.
My fingers weave through her hair with no input from my brain—silky strands slipping between them—and for one moment, I allow myself to feel. To know the warmth and weight of a woman without the haunting ghosts from my past.
And it nearly breaks me.
Greer finally pulls away, her face a mess of tears.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, fighting the urge to pull her into my arms again. “You did fantastic.”
She sniffs. “I was too slow.”
“Says who?”
“I’ve just always been too slow when I read. It’s one of the reasons I dropped out of school.”
“Did your teachers tell you that?”
“No…not exactly.”
Fire storms my blood. “Who did?”
“My parents said the school was giving them hassle. That I was too much for them to handle.”
I grind my teeth. “Knowing how much money they saved having you work at the restaurant makes me doubt that.”
Her plush lips become a thin line as she contemplates what I just said, finally shaking her head. “No, they wouldn’t do that…”
It’s exactly what I thought when I was confronted with betrayal from the woman I’d loved more than life itself. I would have given my dying breath to my ex, and she would have gladly drained the life out of me while wearing a pretty smile that could melt a man’s heart. She almost did.
I take the book from her, flip the page, and point to the next section. “How about we make it through the next few questions and call it a night?”
She blinks a few times before beginning, keeping a slow and steady pace. She stumbles over more words than she had earlier, but she gets through the paragraphs and answers all the questions.
“Based on what I’ve heard from you, you could probably pass the test tomorrow.”
She snorts out a laugh. “That’s because you haven’t seen how bad I am at math.”
“Well, you’ve worked hard enough for one night.” I flip the book shut. “We’ll tackle that tomorrow.”
She leans into me.
It’s not dramatic. Not intentional. Just a small, instinctive movement, like she’s seeking warmth or reassurance. Her shoulder presses against my arm; her scent fills my nostrils.
Every muscle in my body goes tight.
“Thank you,” she says quietly.
“For what?”
“For not making me feel stupid.”
I shift toward her so that I can see her pretty face.
“Greer,” I say, my voice rougher than I intend it to be. “You are not stupid. Not even a little.”
Her eyes shine, and she looks away quickly, blinking hard. “I always feel I’m missing a few pieces to the puzzle,” she admits. “Pieces everyone else has.”
“You’re not just smart—you’re driven. You might be a little behind, but that’s not your fault. You had a lot on your shoulders, and your parents depended on you when they should have been helping you.”
“What if I never pass the test?”
“Then I guess I’ll just have to keep taking care of you.”
The words hang between us, heavy and irrevocable.
Her eyes search my face like she’s afraid of what she might find there.
The room feels smaller. Warmer. Charged.
“Kellan,” she murmurs.
I shouldn’t lean closer.
I do.
Her lips part slightly, her gaze dropping to my mouth before snapping back up. The space between us shrinks to nothing.
I can feel her breath on my skin.
I’m so close, I could kiss her.
But that’s not fair. It’s not why she’s here, and the last thing I want to be in her life is another person taking advantage of her.
I pull back abruptly, standing so fast that the chair scrapes loudly against the floor.
“I should—” I rake my fingers through my hair. “It’s late.”
Her face falls. “Oh.” She nods. “I can study in my room.”
The word sounds like surrender.
Guilt coils tight in my chest.
She gathers her books and starts toward the bedroom, pausing in the doorframe. “You won’t send me away, will you?”
The fear in her voice cuts deep.
“No,” I say immediately.
She exhales, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “Good night, Kell.”
“Good night, Greer.”
She disappears into her room, leaving me cold and hollow.
I stand there long after she’s gone, feeling panicked as the loneliness inside me expands. I tell myself I did the right thing. That we were getting too close. Too damn comfortable.
But I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t stopped myself. Could she have felt the same way? Or am I just a fool?
The only thing I know for certain is that I can’t let this happen again. Not with her. Not with anyone.
But the pull is already there—stronger than before—and I’m not sure how long I can fight it.