Chapter 24
Big Bad Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
TRE
“You’re going to love the view up there,” the woman says, bouncing along the trail, as Ewan and I stand to the side on a boulder, leaving room for them to pass.
Her hiking partner, a tall man sweating profusely despite heading downhill, simply nods politely and returns his focus to the dirt path underfoot.
“Awesome,” I reply with a smile.
We’re about two-thirds of the way up the mountain, and these are the first people we’ve encountered. It’s a little after eleven in the morning on Tuesday, and we’re hiking one of the steeper, less popular trails in the area. Ewan doesn’t know it, but that relative seclusion is deliberate.
I take the lead as we resume trekking, still surrounded by the thick pines that dominate the slopes in this area.
After a few minutes, we emerge from the forest onto a rocky section of hillside.
The temperature difference hits immediately as the sun beats down on my face, and the heat is compounded by being on the leeward side of the mountain, where there’s no breeze.
“Oh wow, look at that view,” Ewan says behind me, stepping into the clearing. “Hang on. I want to get a picture.”
There are a few peaks in sight, but his breathing sounds labored, and I suspect he wants a break more than he wants a picture.
Between the heat and the elevation change, I can understand why that other guy was so sweaty.
Ewan’s likely to look the same before we’re done.
Amazingly, I haven’t felt the strain of the hike like I expected.
I’m barely breathing hard. I guess all that bike riding is actually working.
One more reason to be glad I ran across Fiona on Bridal Mountain.
Fiona.
I immediately think of her in my apartment.
In my bedroom.
In my bed.
Since that night, we’ve only seen each other at the diner.
She’s back to getting coffee before work most days, and on Sunday she actually came in for brunch.
She sat in a booth along the back wall where I could see her the whole time without having to look around.
It was torture pretending not to care that she was there.
I would’ve liked to go sit across from her, but people would talk, and I know she doesn’t want everyone to know we’re…
I don’t even know what we’re doing. We haven’t really had a chance to discuss it.
Ewan hasn’t said anything about it either. So he must not know.
Well, I ought to rip the Band-Aid off, I think. He’s bound to find out sooner or later, and maybe this way he’ll stay out of it.
“Hey man, you’ll never guess what happened,” I start and immediately regret this approach.
Ewan makes a show of staring at his phone like he’s reviewing his pictures, drawing out the break. “Yeah, what’s that?”
I press on anyway. The last thing any of us needs is a repeat of the Fourth of July because he doesn’t know what’s going on and decides to get in the middle of it. “Fiona and I hung out last week.”
“Last week? How am I just hearing about this now?” Ewan spins to face me, phone forgotten.
“What, I should shout it across Betty’s during dinner?”
“Whatever, dick. You can text. We hung out a few days ago.”
“I didn’t really want to talk about it in front of the whole crew, especially after what happened over the Fourth. And I’m not big on texting, you know that. It’s easier to just talk.”
“Whatever,” he repeats. “So what happened? You’re not throwing a fit, so I assume it went okay.”
“Uh, yeah. Pretty good.”
“Well, that’s cool. How, exactly, do you two ‘hang out’ since you’re so weird about each other?”
“I asked her to come by my apartment, and we spent a while talking. I made some food. You know—”
“Wait, you asked Fi on a date?” Ewan’s voice rises in pitch.
I look around to make sure nobody has magically snuck up on us in the last ten seconds. “Well, I didn’t mean for it to be. But it kinda turned into one, yeah.”
“Tre, that’s more than hanging out. How the hell did you get her to agree to a date? At your place, especially.”
“It really was supposed to just be talking things out, discussing shared interests, that kind of thing. And then it turned into more,” I finish sheepishly.
“Seriously? After all the shit you gave me, you two hooked up?”
“What? You complained when you thought something had happened and I didn’t tell you. I’m telling you now, and you’re pissed about that too?”
“No, jackass. I’m annoyed with you two idiots.
I’ve been stuck between you for six freaking months, telling you both to just get over yourselves and talk.
Suddenly you think it’s your idea and you’re all over each other.
You’re a real pain in the ass sometimes,” Ewan finishes, but he’s grinning as he says it.
My shoulders relax and my jaw unclenches. “So, you’re okay if we… get together?”
“Dude, it’s none of my business who either of you sleeps with. As long as Fi doesn’t date some shithead, I don’t care who she picks. Honestly, I’m just glad she finally got it out of her system. She’s been wound so tight I was worried she was going to snap.”
Oh good, I’m important enough to count as blowing off steam. And since he didn’t know, that means Fiona didn’t talk to him about us. Shit, maybe that was the only time. Maybe she did get me out of her system. Fuck.
My thoughts begin to spiral down a vortex of self-doubt when Ewan says, “Well, should we get moving? I’m starting to bake under this sun.”
My eyes come back into focus to see him sip from his hydration pack and wipe his forehead with the back of his hand.
He walks past me to lead the way across the rocky clearing back into the cool shade of the pines. “I hope there’s a breeze up top.”
“And that’s exactly why we need to make them listen, or they’ll keep selling off our town, one corporate deal at a time,” I assert over the background noise of the diner as the Wednesday morning breakfast crowd is winding down.
Bob gives me a mock salute with two fingers pressed to his forehead, the others wrapped around his receipt. The bell above the door jingles, and he steps out into the sunlight.
As the door swings shut, I turn away from the register to check for another ticket, but Walt pipes up from the end of the counter. “We’ve already told all the council members they need to put Henley and Montank in the hot seat at the town hall next week.”
Beside him, Henry nods firmly, his face resolute as though he’s trying to convince them right now.
They both retired a few years ago, and they hang out here gossiping for several hours two or three days a week. Apparently, they rotate between a few spots around town so they don’t get too bored with all of their free time and no idea how to spend it.
Behind them, in the corner booth, Special Agent Smith looks up from his laptop. He’s still been showing up here for breakfast or dinner at least once every few days.
“All of them, huh?” I inquire.
Jackie hustles over with the coffeepot and tops off their mugs. They’ve probably downed a whole pot between them.
“Perks of being retired, kid. You got all the time in the world to be a pain in the ass,” Walt answers with a grin stretching across his weathered face.
Connor returns his attention to his computer with a hint of a smile on his face.
Another jingle of the bell makes us glance at the door, and suddenly I’m not listening. Fiona is standing in the doorway, backlit by the midmorning sun.
Holy shit, she showed up today after all, I marvel. It’s later than she’s normally here.
Fiona walks directly to the register and sets a trio of travel mugs on the counter. “Three coffees. Please.”
Jackie calls over, “It’ll be a few minutes, Dr. Carson. I’ve got a new pot brewing.” She lifts the nearly empty pot in case anyone doesn’t believe her.
“Just Fiona, please.”
I realize I haven’t moved since she appeared, and I’m staring.
Walt folds his arms over his solidly built chest and continues where he left off. “We’ve been spreading the word around town for you, Tre. The ladies who meet up at the library for their knitting club were especially keen to talk to the council. We’ll get those bastards to answer for themselves.”
Fiona’s gaze darts to Connor before she makes eye contact with me, her face intense but inscrutable.
I’m supposed to make sure the execs are out of their houses during the town hall.
I know this is super visible, but it’s not like I can be their favorite suspect more than I already am.
Backing off now would be suspicious, so I may as well lean into it, I think in her direction, wishing she could read my mind.
Wishing I could tell her all of this, but there’s no way for us to talk here.
If only we could meet at my apartment again. We could talk over dinner. And then… My pulse starts throbbing in my neck, and then my dick follows suit. I look away from Fiona, busying myself with straightening napkins that are already stacked.
Jackie walks back behind the counter from the other end, hands full of dirty dishes.
“My mom has been complaining about it. Apparently, people keep coming to her accounting firm to demand the same thing. They’re not causing a scene or anything, but she says it wastes a lot of time.
She spent like half of dinner last night talking about it. ”
“If she wants to be on the council, she needs to listen to the people,” Walt responds.
“How about you, doc?” Henry adds, the light shining off his still mostly black hair.
“What’s that?” Fiona turns to look at Henry and Walt.
“Are you gonna demand the council bring Henley and Montank to the next town hall meeting to hear from us directly?”
Walt answers for her. “Henry, haven’t you been paying attention? The new doc wants them here.”
“Even if she supports them, she should want them to come talk to us. If they were doing good, they’d be able to explain it. But they have to be there to make their case.”
They begin bickering, seeming to forget they were talking with the rest of us.