CHAPTER THREE #2
“At least you’re still hot and single.” Aidan’s blue-green eyes danced as he winked at Wylder and then turned to me. “Nova, I’m Aidan. Let me be your guide to the Boot. I will set you on the path to big tips with as little work as possible.”
Brae let out a choked sound of amusement. “What he means is, if you flirt with every human that enters the premises, your tips will be huge. Or you’ll end up with a beer dumped on your head.”
Aidan shook his head. “Come on now, B. You know I never get a drink dumped on me. My skills are too good for that.”
“I don’t know,” Wylder argued. “That elderly lady tossed her sweet tea on you when you flirted with her granddaughter.”
“And don’t forget the couple that came down from Portland. Wasn’t his name James? He did not appreciate you asking for his husband’s number,” Brae added.
Aidan winced. “I might’ve miscalculated there. I thought they were brothers, not married. I’m still trying to get the grenadine out of that tee.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing again. “It’s nice to meet you, Aidan. I’ll be sure to take no dating advice from you.”
“Oh, you should definitely take dating advice from me. Like letting me take you out dancing on Friday night—”
“Aidan,” Wylder clipped. “What’s the rule?”
Aidan scowled at his boss. “No dating anyone employed by the Boot or you.”
Wylder let out a huff. “Correct.” His gaze flicked to me. “I lost too many good people because of their broken hearts.”
Aidan sighed. “Too handsome for my own good.”
“You and Maverick need your egos examined,” Brae muttered.
“Ain’t that the truth?” a new voice cut in. The woman who entered our huddle looked to be in her early sixties, with ruddy cheeks and a warm smile. Her dark hair was threaded through with silver, and the lines around her green eyes said that warm smile appeared often.
Brae grinned back at her. “Fiona, meet my best friend, Nova. Nova, this is Fiona, part-time cook, part-time waitress.”
“All-the-time keeper of these fools,” Fiona amended. “Nice to meet you. Call me Fiona or Fee. I answer to both.”
“Lovely to meet you, Fiona.”
I expected her to move forward and extend a hand for a shake, but she didn’t. Neither had Aidan nor Wylder. And I knew then that warnings had been given. No touching.
Embarrassment washed over me, the emotion tinged with shame. Like every person here had seen my deepest, darkest secrets—things that even I didn’t understand. I suddenly felt a little nauseous.
Keep it together.
I chanted the words over and over. Because if I lost it now, Brae would lock me up in the cabin for sure. There’d be no job, no outings, and she’d drive me back to that damned therapist, who looked at me like I was a science experiment.
You’re alive. You’re breathing.
I held on to that refrain like a lifeline.
“Where’s Cora?” Brae asked.
The vibe in the group shifted, the air going charged at the name.
It was enough to bring me back to the here and now. Because I’d been bracing for this, too. Meeting the woman.
Wylder’s gaze shifted slightly. “She might be running a little late. I’m sure—”
“I’m here,” a new voice interjected—a little too brightly. “Sorry I’m late. I spilled coffee on myself and had to change and put my shirt in to soak, but it might be too late for that one.” She sucked in air as she came to a stop outside our huddle, her green eyes coming to me.
I didn’t miss the way Wylder took in everything about the woman as if checking for invisible injuries.
“Hi,” Cora greeted, but the single syllable was more of a squeak than anything.
“Hi,” I parroted. It was all I could get out as I surveyed her. Cora was probably around my age of twenty-seven, give or take a year or two. Her light-brown hair was pulled back into a loose braid, and while she wore light makeup, I could see the dark circles peeking out.
Lack of sleep. Something I knew well. And then I saw it, the emotion brewing in her eyes. The thing she was trying so desperately to cover with that warm smile.
Guilt.
Because my captor, my tormentor—the man who’d kidnapped and killed at least eight people—had been the love of her life.
The one who’d gotten off on watching the loved ones of those missing persons fall apart.
Used his role as an investigator with the sheriff’s department to insert himself into every investigation so he could watch it all up close and personal. A monster.
But as I looked at the woman opposite me, I realized something. I wasn’t the only survivor of Travis’s reign of terror. Cora was, too. And just like me, she was trying to pick up the pieces.
That eased something in me, but at the same time, it broke my heart. Still, it made my smile turn more genuine. Because I wanted to reassure her somehow. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
Breath left Cora’s lungs in a visible exhale. Relief. “You too.”
Wylder watched the exchange. “Well, now that everyone has met, let’s get this show on the road. Nova, you’ll shadow Brae for the first couple of hours, and then you should be able to start taking tables on your own. I’ll be behind the bar if anyone needs me.”
“Aw, man,” Aidan muttered. “I wanted Nova to shadow me.”
“I want her to learn good work habits,” Wylder shot back.
Aidan just shook his head. “Harsh, boss man. Harsh.”
Cora chuckled, the sound a little rusty but like she was trying to find the light around her. I understood that, too.
I followed Brae to a cabinet behind the bar, where we stashed our belongings. As I secured my sunglasses case in my purse, I hoped my eyes would hold up okay. The bar wasn’t overly bright, but I’d never gone more than a few hours without giving my eyes a break.
Because I was used to living in the dark. And I couldn’t go even a few hours without a reminder of that.
Straightening, I steeled my spine and followed Brae to unlock the doors.
Today’s crowd probably wouldn’t be that huge—it was past the heart of tourist season in Starlight Grove. People mostly came to town for the outdoor activities: fishing, rafting, biking, rock climbing, hiking.
That’s what had brought Brae and me here originally. A girls’ weekend of eating, wine tasting, massages, and what was supposed to be a beautiful hike. One that had ended with Travis Moore kidnapping me.
I shook off the reminder and followed Brae around as she started her duties, getting a few folks seated and starting drink orders.
After we dropped off two Cokes to a couple of tourists, we headed to a table of what looked like locals: two women who appeared to be in their eighties, assessing me with a single-minded focus.
“Good afternoon, ladies. How are you doing?” Brae greeted.
One of the women wore a shirt that read Knitting So I Don’t Stab Someone. She set her menu down and grinned at Brae. “Just lovely now that things are cooler. How are you, dear?”
“Just fine, Miss Patricia. This is my friend, Nova. She’s shadowing me today to learn the ropes,” Brae informed her.
The second woman’s eyes narrowed on me—not in a mean way but in an assessing one. “Nova? Are you the girl that—?”
“Maisy,” Patricia hissed.
Maisy let out a huff. “I’m just surprised she’d want to work here. That’s all.”
What the heck did that mean? She didn’t think I’d want to work in a bar? I guessed it made sense. Maybe she thought I needed to work in a library or at an accounting office. Somewhere quiet, where I wouldn’t startle. I’d have to get used to people making assumptions about my recovery.
Brae’s mouth thinned into a hard line. “Can I get either of you something to drink while you’re looking at the menu?”
Patricia’s cheeks reddened, clearly embarrassed by her friend. “I’d love an Arnold Palmer. Thank you, Brae.”
Maisy clearly gave zero fucks and simply tapped her fingers on the table as she stared at me. “I’ll take a Coke. Glad you’re okay, Nova. That must’ve been quite an ordeal—”
“All right, then,” Brae cut in. “We’ll get those right out to you.”
I followed Brae toward the bar.
“This is exactly what I was afraid of,” she mumbled. “People are going to hound you the second they find out who you are.”
“Maybe I should come up with a fake name. I always thought I’d make a good Sharleen.”
“It’s not funny,” Brae spat.
I shrugged. “People are curious. I get it. I probably would be, too. I know how to dodge folks if I need to.”
“Good luck with Miss Maisy,” Brae grumbled.
“I can handle her. Let me prove it.” I moved to the waitstaff end of the bar and gave Wylder the ladies’ drink orders. He filled them in a matter of seconds, and then I was off to the table.
“Here you go, ladies,” I said, depositing their glasses. “Do you know what you’d like to order?”
Maisy’s gaze roamed over me. “How long have you been out of the hospital?”
She was bold, I’d give her that. “I can tell you one thing: The food here is a heck of a lot better than what they serve there. I especially recommend the bacon cheeseburger.”
Patricia’s lips twitched, knowing exactly what I was doing. “You know, that sounds perfect. I’ll do the bacon cheeseburger, medium, and sweet potato fries.”
“You got it. Miss Maisy?”
The second woman let out a huff of annoyance. “I’ll do the chicken bacon ranch salad and curly fries.”
“Coming right up,” I said, taking their menus and heading to put in the order.
Brae watched me as I moved. I just had to hope that, with time, she’d trust that I could handle this—and that I wouldn’t turn out to be a liar.
Everything hurt. It had only been three hours, and my entire body felt like I’d run a marathon. I was happy as hell that I’d opted for sneakers, but my feet still felt like they’d taken a pounding. My lower back. My arms. My head. My eyes. Everything throbbed.
But I wasn’t even close to being done for the day, and I wasn’t about to let anyone know I was dying.