Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Olivia
Callie gives me a moment to take a sip of my gargantuan coffee before ambushing me again with her chattery excitement. “I have to say, the rumors swirling around town about you are ridiculous.”
My stomach sinks. Rumors? About me? Memories from high school come flooding back. I’m going to be sick. “None of those are true!” I blurt, even though I don’t even know what she’s heard.
“Of course they aren’t. The rumors in Roots never are. They’re just how people in this small town entertain themselves.” She scoots her chair closer to the table. “You have to hear how ridiculous these rumors are. I’ve heard you’re here because you’re on the run from the law. I’ve heard you came here because you realized your true calling is in country music. That one doesn’t even make much sense to me. I’d think you’d go to Nashville if that were the case.” She gives a soft smile. “I promise, no one actually believes the nonsense that gets spread around town. I think people just like to see how crazy of a story they can come up with.”
I take another gulp of my coffee. It’s not kicking in fast enough to keep up with Callie’s energy and the bomb she just dropped on me. I don’t like that people are spreading rumors, even if Callie claims everyone knows they’re nonsense.
“Sorry.” She grimaces. “I realize I can come on a little strong. I’m just so excited to have someone new in Roots. I’ve been dying for a friend.”
“I could use a friend too.”
Laughter bubbles out of her as the corners of her eyes crinkle. I like her energy. There’s just something about her that makes me immediately feel comfortable around her.
“So, what do you think of Rhett?”
I nearly choke on the sip of coffee I just took, sputtering and coughing in a manner that certainly seems incriminating. “You just jump right into things, don’t you?”
“I was going to ask you why you’re really in Roots. Which would you rather start with?”
I shake my head but accept her offer to start on a lighter note. “I don’t know what to think of Rhett just yet. I think we are starting to warm up to one another, but he’s a bit closed off whenever I ask him anything personal.” I glance up at her. “He mentioned you two are friends. What did it take? I should at least try to be his friend since he’s so close with my parents.”
“Rhett is kind of like a pineapple. He’s a little prickly on the outside, but if you slice him open, you’ll realize just how sweet he can be. Give him a chance. You two would be a pretty cute couple.” She nudges my arm from across the table with a smirk. Then she goes serious again. “You’re not alone in how you feel, but you just need to learn to be stubborn like everyone else in Roots. We are all insistent on seeing the best parts of a person, and we aren’t all that okay with just being another face to each other. We want to be friendly. We want to live in a town full of people who will drop everything to help each other out. You’ll get through to him eventually. I’m sure of it.”
“Wow. I guess I’m not in San Francisco anymore.”
“No, you’re not, Dorothy. So, have you seen Rhett in a backwards hat yet? If you think he looks good with his hat on forward, you have another thing coming.”
I burst into a fit of laughter. “He was wearing one the first day I met him.”
“Oh, then he didn’t even give you a chance of not falling for him!” She giggles. “You stick with me, and I’ll look out for you. I can give you all the tips to thrive in Roots. I’m a professional after all.”
“Noted. Thank you.”
“So, what really brought you to Roots?”
I hesitate. She did just tell me how crazy the rumors here are, so obviously she’s involved in the gossip somehow. I don’t need the whole town talking about how much of a mess I am, but something in me is telling me to be honest with her anyway. I think I can trust her.
“I, uh, work in a pretty demanding job. I spend more than half the year working sixty-plus hour weeks, and it’s pretty stressful. We have a lot of strict deadlines, and no matter how far I plan ahead or how much I prioritize things, there’s always something that pops up. I have always dealt with anxiety, but it started getting out of hand again over the last couple months. When my coach at work found out, she insisted I get away from things for a while. My parents were really worried about me, so I came here to show them I’m okay.”
“How did you get into a job like that? That sounds so stressful.”
There she goes again, cutting straight to the chase.
“It’s been my dream to be a tax accountant at a Big Four ever since my freshman year of college.”
“Before you go any further, you’re going to have to tell me what the Big Four is.”
“It’s just what we call the four largest accounting firms in the world.”
“Okay, you may proceed.”
“I needed a sturdy job, and I’ve always been good with math and numbers, so accounting was a no-brainer. My dad was a CPA too, but he had to leave his job before he even made it to senior because of some family complications. He’s always talked about how he wishes he could’ve stayed longer to further his career. Between my dad’s experience and the way my school’s accounting program pushed it, the obvious choice was to work for one of the Big Four. You’re supposed to be able to work there for several years and then go work anywhere you want in the accounting world.”
“I don’t think you once said that you actually enjoyed the job.”
“I—” I’m speechless.
Acting as if she didn’t just stump me, she asks, “So, how are you going to spend your time here in Roots? You don’t have to work, right?”
“I don’t need to work while I’m here, but I’m not exactly used to having free time.” I take a sip of my coffee, stalling. “Maybe I will pick up a part-time job to give me something to do. I could use the money after all. They don’t exactly pay me to take time off work.”
“You could work here!” She must see the look of uncertainty on my face because she adds, “It’s a great job. I’ll give you flexible hours, and you can work with me most of the time. I could use some help with the baking and whatnot.”
“Okay.” Somehow her smile grows wider. “Where do I fill out an application?”
She tosses her hand at me. “You don’t need to fill out an application. Consider the last fifteen minutes your interview. You did great. When do you want to start?”
“That’s it? You’re going to hire me without an application or anything?”
“Yup. When do you want to start?” she repeats.
“When do you need me?”
“How about you take the next week to get settled.” She pulls out her cell phone. “Give me your number, and I’ll call you to figure out more details about your schedule.”
I type my phone number into her phone. When I hand it back to her, she quickly presses a few buttons. “There, I just texted you my name, so you can add me to your contacts too. Welcome to Roots.”
“Thank you.” Hearing the rumble of Rhett’s truck outside, I say, “I guess it’s time for me to go, but it was great meeting you. Thank you for the job. I think this will be good for me.”
“No problem.”
I close the door gently behind me and turn to find Rhett loading Maverick into the truck. His skin shimmers with sweat from walking around in the hot sun. Once Maverick gets situated, he sticks his head out the open window, and Rhett gently scratches behind Maverick’s ears. Despite what he says, I can tell he already really likes this dog.
At the sound of my footsteps, he turns to me. “Are you two done gabbing?”
“We weren’t gabbing, you grump. She was just welcoming me to Roots. I like her. I can see why you would’ve hit it off with her so quickly.” I’m not sure what I’m hoping for when the next words slip from my mouth, but they escape me anyway. “She’s pretty too.”
“Yeah, Callie’s great.” His facial features don’t give away a morsel of anything. “Should we head to our next adventure?”