Chapter 18
18
Spencer
The minute I saw Sheriff fucking Perry, I should have turned around and gone back home. I should have known the guy would find a way to sneak in an insult or two before the conversation was over. He brought up my scars, and I gave him five minutes of a hard stare, waiting to see if he felt like saying anything else. I thought about giving him a piece of my mind, but I didn’t want to wind up in handcuffs on my first outing since coming back to town.
I turned around without another word, intent on walking away.
The problem is I walked straight into her.
The single reason I’m back in this small town.
I’m not sure why I offered to give her a hand. It’s not the sort of thing I’m known for around here, for one. People talk, for two. But the image of her lips, parted and pouty, and the way I could just make out her eyes darting around the street, had the words falling from my mouth before I could stop them.
What the fuck do I know about veterinary care? Not one damn thing.
Except the fact that I might just be in love with the veterinarian.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. Bree should be back any minute.” Cortney delivers her brush-off without even turning her head fully in my direction.
“My hands have burn scars, but they still work.”
Her wince tells me that was a dick thing to say.
The problem is I can see Dora staring at them while she waits for this exchange to pass. That’s two people in ten minutes taking note of how my body looks a little different.
Many around here heard the rumors about the flash fire where I worked. But this is the first time they’ve seen the damage with their own eyes.
I should have known they’d whisper and stare.
I definitely should have stayed at home. But I needed to see her. I didn’t want to reconnect over some text. I wanted to take in her face as she set eyes on me again. Though now that she’s hardly looked at me, I might have made a mistake.
“Come on,” Cortney says quietly, gesturing me to precede her inside.
I rub my shoulder against hers as I take the cat carrier from her and climb silently into the RV. The brief contact blooms comfort in my cold heart.
“We’ll be right back with Mr. Fluffskateer, Dora.”
“You two take your time,” Dora calls after us.
“Oh, now she’s not in a hurry,” Cortney mutters, pulling out a pair of thick black sleeves from a drawer. “Here. Put these on. They’ll protect your arms.”
My response is a cross between a snort and a scoff. I shake my head. “No.”
She thrusts the gloves at me. “Seriously. This cat isn’t known for being friendly like his owner. I don’t need you getting bit or injured.”
“I’ll just add the scar to the collection.”
Cortney slams down a small nail clipper before turning around to retrieve a towel. “Suit yourself,” she mutters beneath her breath.
“Ready?” I ask.
She confirms with a nod, and I release the catch on the carrier. The orange cat slowly vacates the confined space with a long stretch.
We set out at a crawling pace. What seems to me like cutting one nail per minute. After the first foot is finished, Cortney breaks the silence.
“What brings you to the festival?”
“I’ve been helping Tony with his car for the race later.”
“I didn’t know you worked on cars.”
“It’s recent. I picked up some experience over the years. Tony gave me a job working at his shop. He needed another mechanic.”
Her head snaps up, bringing with it her gorgeous gaze. Our eyes lock while she works out what she wants to say next.
“Does that mean you’ll be staying in town for a while?” Her tone is cautious, if not a little hopeful.
I lick my lips while staring at hers. “That’s the plan.”
“I—”
The door flies open, startling us both from whispered words and secret admissions.
“I’ve brought sisters and sweets!” A voice rings out as two girls file into the RV. “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t know anyone else was here.”
A red hue colors Cortney’s cheeks. “A client stopped by with a bit of a time crunch, and Spencer was around to help.”
The blonde cocks her head to the side. “Spencer? Spencer Stone, right?”
“That’d be me.”
“I’m Bree.” She moves around us with a slight bounce to her step. “You’ll have to forgive me for not remembering. I know Silas and Sutton, but I left town for ten years, and the rest was sort of forgotten.”
I chuckle dryly at her description. If only she knew how accurate it was.
Silas and Sutton are the beloved brothers in this town, rivaling the Powell siblings and their dog sanctuary. With both of them in law enforcement, the town practically bows in their presence.
Not so much with me. Which is how I prefer it.
Bree rambles on. “And this is Juniper. She’s married to Lee Powell, if you didn’t know.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Juniper says.
The ginger feline in my arms startles with the newcomers. I tighten my grip and incline my head in Juniper’s direction. “Same.”
An awkward silence expands in the RV, broken only by the rumbling growls of the cat and the steady snip of Cortney’s clippers.
“Are we interrupting something?” Bree asks. The rustle of a plastic bag comes from behind me.
“No.” Cortney and I answer at the same time. My brusque tone probably does nothing to convince her of that fact.
“I can take over, Spencer, if you’d like to get out of here,” Juniper says, moving closer to the exam table.
“I got this one.”
“Are you sure?” she asks again, her tone losing an edge of confidence.
“I got it,” I reply curtly. I don’t mean to be rude, but if she’s married to Lee, who knows what version of me the oldest Powell brother told her about.
The one where we grew up together as best friends, or the one where I screwed his sister and left.
Juniper shifts her attention to Cortney, who keeps her focus firmly on her task.
“What’d you bring me?” Cortney asks, changing the subject.
“Only the best Fairview Valley has to offer. Fairview fudge and Grandma Ruth’s homemade cinnamon buns.” Bree bustles around at my back.
Without warning, the cat rolls in my arms and catches my forearm with his back foot.
“Ah, fuck,” I grumble. A streak of red grows on the surface of one of my scars.
“Done! I’m done,” Cortney declares through the commotion. I immediately scruff the cat and slide him into his cage.
“Excellent.” I locate a string of a gauzy material and wrap it around my arm twice to stop the blood. My eyes find hers once I’m done.
“I told you to wear the sleeves,” Cortney mumbles, flitting her eyes away from my stare.
“ You’re welcome. ”
“Thank you.” Her tone takes on a softer edge.
I want to stay and soak in her presence, but the audience makes me feel as caged as the fluffy orange cat. I can feel their curiosity like a dense fog. A suffocating presence when all I want is fresh air.
Tipping my chin, I nod to Cortney before dragging my gaze through the other women. “You seem to have more than enough hands, so I’ll be on my way. I’ll be at the shop at five if you want me to take a look at your car when you’re finished here.”
A cloud of confusion in Cortney’s eyes quickly dissipates as understanding of the veiled invitation sets in. “Right. I’ll come right over so you don’t have to wait.”
“I’ll see you later then.” With one last nod to the group, I make my way outside into the afternoon sun.
By the time I return to the racetrack, I’m sweating. My chest is tight. My quads and hamstrings ache with the need to turn around and go back to her. As I grab a beer from Tony’s cooler, I wonder if she knows about this pull she has over me. That the moment I sat down beside her four weeks ago, my life was irrevocably altered.
For months, I didn’t know how I was going to make it through healing from the fire. There were dark times that I didn’t even know if I wanted to. I was alone and dreading every second of what the unknown future held.
Four weeks ago, that all changed.
That fire might end up being the catalyst to setting my life back on its intended path.