Chapter 5 #2
Mara pointed to the Phail Central sign. “I’d love to check that out. Amber said it’s the town information center and showcases local artisans. Do you mind?”
Seth gestured for her to lead the way.
The door led into Phail General, with an arrow pointing to Phail Central in the back.
Troy looked up from where he stocked shelves with dog food. “Babs! I heard you were in town. Welcome to Phail. We’re so damn glad you’re here.”
Then Seth was enveloped in a hug with a lot of backslapping. He swallowed his emotions. This was another welcome he hadn’t really expected. With no family, he wasn’t used to it.
“It’s great to see you, Epic. This is Mara Evans.”
Epic smiled. “Ford’s sister. Welcome to Phail, Mara. We’re glad to have you here, and I know Ford is thrilled.”
Mara smiled, although her face flushed a bit. “It’s nice to meet you, Troy. We’re supposed to be buying supplies, but I wanted to explore your town a bit first.”
Troy laughed. “Piper is going to be thrilled to hear that. Come on back and meet her. She’s the genius behind Phail Central and all the town improvements.”
Phail Central was a large room filled with everything from silly tourist mugs to world-class artwork. The paintings were as good as anything he’d ever seen.
Instead of strolling the space, he leaned against the counter and talked with Troy, easing some of the pressure off his leg.
Epic kept his voice low. “How’s the leg doing?”
Seth shrugged. “Better than the docs expected.”
His buddy grinned. “Which means it hurts like a son-of-a-bitch, but you’re getting through it.”
Seth chuckled with a shrug. That was close enough. “I see you got yourself a pretty wife and a pretty town.”
Troy nodded. “It’s a damn good deal. You interested in Ford’s little sister?”
Shocked, Seth turned to look at him. “What the hell makes you think that? I just met the woman yesterday. We’re in town to get supplies for the inn’s kitchen.”
Troy’s eyebrows shot up, and the laughter in his eyes told Seth he didn’t believe a word. It was the truth. Mostly. He had no intention of getting involved with Chaos Machine.
Sultry female laughter had him turning to see Mara and Piper checking out the selection of mugs and t-shirts.
Troy slapped him on the back. “You keep telling yourself that. You might even believe your own BS.”
Seth ignored his friend’s words while he watched the women. Sure, Mara was gorgeous. Friendly. Happy. Great baker.
But she was his buddy’s sister, and they couldn’t be more opposite in personality. She was as bright as the sun. She loved music and chatter.
Opposites. He didn’t want his darkness sucking her dry. He didn’t need reminders of his mom’s music filling the house and her studio. And he didn’t want to clean up after Mara.
If they weren’t working in the same place and living in the same house, he’d maybe see if she wanted to roll in the sheets for a few weeks. But he wasn’t screwing up this place for himself.
Chaos Machine was off-limits.
Seth changed the subject. “We’re going to need to order lots of ingredients. We want to support local whenever we can. Do you have those connections?”
Troy shrugged while his eyes continued to laugh at Seth.
“I can point you in the direction of local farmers. I carry small amounts of everything for when Fiona isn’t open, but she’s the expert.
She’ll be able to connect you with the right people.
I’ll let her know you’re coming before you head over to Phail Phoods. ”
Seth shook his head. “You know that sounds awful, right? Food shouldn’t fail.”
“Says the guy cooking for the No Phailed Apples Inn.”
Seth glowered. “Exactly. People are going to be shocked when they enjoy my food.”
Troy laughed. “Which means the pressure’s off. Low expectations. High results. Your reviews are going to rock.”
Seth rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t stop the smile. Epic had an answer for everything.
When the women worked their way back to the counter, he straightened.
Piper smiled at him. “Did the two of you have lunch before you left the farm? Both the diner and the Saloon are open, so you’ve got a choice. That way, you can see more of Phail before you grab your groceries.”
Troy slapped him on the shoulder. “We’ll close up and join you for a bit. Let’s head to the Saloon. Falcon’s working in one of the upper rooms today.”
Sean Falcone, another member of Troy’s army team, ran a construction business in town. His wife, Branna, ran the Saloon. Seth turned to Mara. “You okay with that?”
It didn’t surprise him when Mara nodded with a smile. She appeared to enjoy people. She probably liked parties and other forms of chaos as well. The quiet of rural life might send her screaming back to New York in no time.
That should make him happy. He’d have his kitchen to himself. There’d be no worries about cleaning up after her. No music playing.
But the thought irritated him. She shouldn’t have told her brother she was coming to an isolated area if she wasn’t cut out for it. She’d only end up disappointing Ford.
Troy locked up their store and left a sign telling people to call them if they needed anything. No phone number on the sign meant everyone had their numbers. That made Seth shudder. Imagine an entire town having access to you at any time.
The Saloon sat on the far side of the park from Phail Phoods. The other names made Mara laugh, and he couldn’t contain his own grin. Doc’s sat beside the Saloon. Yoganna Love It offered yoga classes. And Phail Jail sat at the end of the street. “Your town suits you, Epic. It’s absurd.”
Troy laughed. “Thanks. We’re aiming for memorable.”
Mara grinned. “You’ve achieved that. This is amazing. I bet tourists talk about their visits here all the time.”
Troy slapped Seth on the back. “See. We’re amazing.”
The Saloon lived up to its name. Long, gleaming bar with bottle-filled glass shelves behind it. Round wooden tables and chairs. A staircase rose to a second-floor balcony overlooking the main space, just like in old-time western movies.
A gorgeous redhead behind the bar smiled at them. “Hey Troy, Piper. Have a seat anywhere. I’ll be with you and your friends in a minute.”
Chalkboard signs around the room showcased the food and drink selections. The beer list made him grin again. Epic Phail Pale Ale. Falcon Blonde. The Pilsner of Oz. Slick and Smooth Dark Lager. Scooby’s Sweet Porter. Straight Arrow Stout.
Seth knew the call signs of the members of Troy’s army team and the co-owners of Phail brewery. One beer for each of them. There was also a Seamus’s Guinness and a selection of wine.
Because he was driving, Seth stuck with a soda, but he’d get a few cans of each brew to bring back to the farm. It would be fun to experiment with the beer in recipes. And play with their callsigns to name the dishes. Epic Ale Brisket. Falcon Blonde mac’n’cheese. Yep, it would be fun.
The redhead turned out to be Falcon’s wife, Branna.
When they were introduced, she whistled loudly.
Falcon popped out of one of the second-floor rooms and searched for her.
The concern on his face disappeared when he spotted them and waved.
“Babs. I heard you were in town. I’ll be down in a minute. ”
By the time they’d ordered some food and drinks, Falcon and Branna sat with them, and introductions were made.
Mara shook their hands. “This is an amazing place. It looks like a movie set.”
Branna laughed. “Thanks. The name was already in place when we took it over, so it’s fun to lean into it.”
Falcon surveyed Seth. “Glad you made it up here. Very different from LA, but you’re going to love it. Running your own place suits you.”
“I needed a change.”
Falcon nodded and looked pointedly at his leg. “How are you doing? Healing?”
Seth appreciated that his friend didn’t say anything specific. He didn’t talk about his injury much. Or the nightmares that went with it. For an answer, he shrugged. “Good. Not much to complain about.”
Which made Sean’s eyebrows shoot up. Message received. The man wouldn’t discuss his leg in front of the others. Or the nightmares. That was a discussion reserved for when they were in groups of people who knew exactly the kind of hell they’d been through.
Since he’d been stateside, Seth had been mostly on his own. In Vermont, he was surrounded by friends, both on the farm and here in town. It was weird having people know his business, but it wasn’t bad.
Across the table, Mara laughed at something Piper said, and something inside Seth loosened.
It wasn’t bad at all.