Protect My Heart (The Haydon Falls #4)

Chapter 1

January

Jason

‘Singles table?’ a guy says as he sits across from me at the round table near the back of a large ballroom where the reception is being held.

‘Looks like it,’ I say, noticing the different last names listed on the place cards around where I’m seated.

‘Trust me,’ the guy says with a laugh. ‘It’s the singles table. I’ve been to enough of these things to know. They always throw us single people together and put us in the back of the room. So are you friends with Noah?’

‘Yeah, we went to college together.’

‘Were you on the team with him?’

‘I was supposed to be, but I messed up my shoulder the summer before college and couldn’t play.’

The guy nods. ‘That sucks.’

It more than sucked. It was devastating.

Growing up, I dreamed of being a professional baseball player.

I knew it was a long shot, but that didn’t stop me from trying.

I’d be out every day, practicing my swing, trying to get better.

By high school I was the best player the school ever had, good enough to get a college scholarship.

When I heard my shoulder snap during a workout, I knew it was over. Just one wrong move, a simple overextension with just the right amount of force behind it, was all it took to tear my rotator cuff and end my dream of playing baseball.

‘It turned out okay,’ I tell the guy. ‘I coach now. High school baseball, and I run a baseball camp in the summer.’

‘Got any kids of your own?’ he asks.

‘No. Never been married.’

‘I haven’t either, but I’ve got two.’ He picks up his phone and shows me a picture of two young kids, a boy and girl. ‘Kenny and Sierra. They’re five and three.’

The guy’s probably around my age and already has two kids. I don’t think I’m ready for that. I definitely want kids, but not until I’ve had time to save up some money and maybe get a house. And I need to find the right girl, which is a challenge in a small town.

‘Looks like this is my seat,’ someone says from beside me. I look over and see a gorgeous girl with long dark hair, fair skin, and the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen.

My breath catches in my throat as I try to respond. The guy across from me beats me to it.

‘Chuck Sanderson,’ he says, standing up and reaching across the table to shake her hand.

‘Mia Daniels,’ she says, her smile fading slightly as Chuck keeps hold of her hand. He’s being too aggressive, making her uncomfortable. I don’t even know her, but I can see the tension on her face.

‘I’m Jason.’ I hurry to get up and offer Mia my hand so Chuck will let her go.

She frees herself from Chuck and shakes my hand, her smile back, sending my heart soaring, beating faster by the second. ‘It’s nice to meet you, Jason.’

‘Nice to meet you too.’ I move her chair out for her, wait for her to sit down, then gently push the chair in before sitting beside her.

‘You friends with the bride?’ Chuck asks Mia before chugging down his drink.

‘Yes, we were sorority sisters back in college.’ She laughs. ‘That seems so long ago now.’

‘It’s only been what . . . four years?’ I ask, knowing Lacey, the bride, is 26. I’m guessing Mia’s the same age, or close to that.

‘It feels longer than four years,’ she says. ‘When I work with students that age, they all look so young.’

‘You work at a college?’

‘I’m in grad school,’ she says, turning to me. ‘But I counsel students as part of my studies.’

‘You’re a psych major?’ Chuck huffs, rolling his eyes. ‘My ex was a psych major. She’s fucking crazy. If anyone needs therapy, it’s her.’

Mia glances at him, then turns back to me. ‘So what do you do?’

‘I’m a teacher. High school science.’

Her face lights up. ‘Me too! I mean, I used to be a teacher. I taught high school English.’

‘And you decided you didn’t like it?’ I ask, knowing it’s not for everyone.

‘I loved it! But when I saw how many of my students were struggling with issues outside the classroom, I decided to go into counseling instead.’ She laughs a little. ‘I had already kind of become the school’s counselor by default. When anyone had an issue, they’d go to Miss Daniels.’

Miss. So she’s single. I guess I should’ve already known that since she’s at the singles table.

‘I’m going to the bar,’ Chuck says, getting up. He smiles at Mia. ‘What can I get ya?’

‘Nothing right now, but thank you.’

Chuck gives me a look like I better not try to take his girl while he’s gone. I ignore him. She’s not his girl. He just met her. And from the way Mia’s looking at him, I don’t think she’s interested.

‘Do you know him?’ she asks when he’s gone.

‘No, I just met him.’

She sighs and sits back in her chair as she watches Chuck walk to the bar. ‘I can already tell he’s going to be bothering me all night. Pressuring me to dance with him. Trying to get me drunk.’

‘I could help you out.’

‘What do you mean?’

Maybe I shouldn’t suggest this, but I really like this girl and don’t want Chuck ruining her evening.

‘Be my date for tonight. We’ll talk. Maybe dance. We’ll pretend to really hit it off so Chuck gets the message you’re interested in someone else and stops bothering you.’

She smiles and extends her hand to me. ‘Deal.’

As we shake on it and I look in her eyes, I feel something between us. A spark. Chemistry. A connection. Maybe all three.

‘Oh, and . . .’ She leans toward me, her hand still in mine. ‘That part about us pretending to hit it off? I don’t think we’ll need to pretend.’

My heart skips a beat and my smile widens. ‘I think you’re right.’

I might’ve just met the girl of my dreams .

. . at the last possible place I’d ever imagine meeting someone.

I’ve spent the past five years going to wedding after wedding for all my friends and never once met a woman, at least not one who’s single that I’d want to date.

I assumed tonight wouldn’t be any different.

‘Do you live here in Chicago?’ Mia asks, reaching for her glass of water.

‘No, I live in Haydon Falls. It’s a small town in Wisconsin.’

She nods. ‘Yes, I’ve heard of it. My friend, Nora, goes there every fall for some kind of festival at an apple orchard. She said it’s beautiful and that people come from all over to go there.’

‘It’s my family’s orchard. And yes, it’s beautiful in the fall.’

‘Wait.’ She sets her water down and puts her hand on my arm. ‘Your family owns that orchard?’

‘Yeah, my dad started it right after my parents got married. My oldest brother runs it now, but my parents are still involved with it.’

She squints her eyes like she’s thinking hard, then pops them open. ‘Kanfield! Kanfield Orchard! Am I right?’

I nod. ‘You are. I’m Jason Kanfield.’

She sits back, that intoxicating smile still on her face. ‘What a small world. Nora was just telling me about the orchard and here I am, talking to the owner. Well, not the owner but the owner’s son.’

‘You should come to Haydon Falls sometime,’ I say, already wanting to see her again after tonight. ‘The orchard isn’t open in the winter, but you could check out the town.’

‘I might just do that. Nora said it’s adorable with all the cute little shops and restaurants. And she mentioned they have a new microbrewery.’

‘Kanfield Brewery. My brother, Sawyer, owns it. And his girlfriend owns G’s, the brewery just outside of town.’

Mia laughs. ‘Does your family own the whole town?’

‘No, just the brewery and the orchard. And Brody, my younger brother, has a snowplowing and lawn mowing business. He’s also getting into renovating houses. I come from a family of entrepreneurs. I’m the only one who took a different path.’

‘Why is that?’

I shrug. ‘I just always wanted to teach. Well, actually I wanted to play baseball, but when that didn’t work out, I went into teaching. I’m also the baseball coach.’

‘Hope you weren’t talking about me,’ Chuck says with a laugh as he joins us back at the table, a drink in his hand.

‘Jason was just telling me about his job,’ Mia says.

‘I’d tell you about mine, but you probably don’t want to hear about pouring concrete,’ Chuck says before taking a swig of his drink. ‘So where are you staying tonight?’

‘With a friend,’ Mia answers. ‘She’s picking me up after the reception.’

‘I got a room here at the hotel.’ He winks at her. ‘Just saying.’

‘Jason, would you like something from the bar?’ Mia asks as she hurries to get up.

‘Yeah. Let’s go.’

‘I thought you didn’t want anything,’ Chuck says as we leave.

‘I was hoping he’d get the hint by now that I’m not interested,’ Mia says, holding onto my arm as we walk.

‘We might have to step up our efforts,’ I say.

‘How?’

We stop as we reach the bar. There’s a line with three couples ahead of us.

‘What if I did this?’ I take Mia’s hand as we stand side-by-side, facing the line.

‘I’d be okay with that.’ She glances at me. ‘And maybe you could put your arm around me when we’re sitting at the table.’

‘I could do that,’ I say, trying to hold back my smile. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I think Mia and I might be seeing each other after tonight. We just met and we’re already hitting it off.

‘What would you like?’ I ask, getting out my wallet as we reach the front of the line.

‘Oh, I’ll get it,’ she says, opening her phone case where she has some money stashed.

‘I’m your date. I think that means I get to buy you a drink.’

She smiles and closes her phone case. ‘I’ll have an old fashioned.’

‘An old fashioned.’ I eye her, feeling this immense amount of curiosity for a girl I just met. I want to know everything about her.

‘Did you think I’d say wine?’ she asks.

‘I wasn’t sure. I tend to date women who drink beer, but that’s probably because we always end up going to my brother’s brewery.’

‘What can I get you?’ the bartender asks as I step up to the bar.

‘An old fashioned and a whiskey on the rocks.’

‘That’ll be 30 even,’ he says as he makes the drinks.

Thirty dollars for two drinks? It’d be half that in Haydon Falls. I forgot how expensive things are in big cities. It’s another reason I’d never want to live in one.