2. Chapter 2
Well, today has gone to shit faster than an avocado.
It started off well enough. The morning rush was easy, and then Willow came into the shop and made everything a little brighter, as she always does when she comes in.
Until Kellen Woodcroft walked through my front door.
It’s not like he couldn’t find me easily enough, but when I left my job as a U.S. Marshal on the Fugitive Task Force, it was with the understanding that I would be left alone.
Part of being left alone was completely disconnecting from the pain and trauma that comes from a failed case. And the case we fucked up on was more than that. It was, and still is, every nightmare come to life.
It’s why I settled in Bluebell Falls, where no one knew me or my past and I could just be Oakley, Grind Time owner and not-so-pretty latte maker. Not James Oakley, Fugitive Task Force Commander, catching one terrible human at a time yet unable to catch the one man that haunts every happy moment of my life.
I’m currently walking Woodcroft back to my office, with a million things running through my mind. Why is he here? Is there a development in the case? I thought I finally had some peace.
He quietly shuts the door as I lean against my desk and cross my arms.
“We had a deal,” I say through gritted teeth.
“I know, and you know I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t something big.”
“I don’t care how big it is. I got out. We are no longer partners. I no longer have clearance to hear any of this, nor do I care.” My anger is betraying my anxiety. My entire body feels like it’s vibrating, and my fingers are digging into my biceps so hard I know there’ll be bruises tomorrow.
Woodcroft stares at me for an extended second, seeing a little too much. He sighs in exasperation, before walking up to me and clapping my back in as much of a hug as he can with my fuck-off stance.
“It’s good to see you, Oak, really good. You look better, healthier.”
“Well, I was until you walked through the damn door,” I grumble before running my hand through my shaggy hair. I need a fucking haircut.
Walking around my desk and plopping down into my chair, I motion for Woodcroft to take a seat.
“We have a lead.” He says it so simply, like it doesn’t send me into a cold sweat and has my heart rate doubling.
“I’m out, man. There’s nothing I can or want to do. Does boss-man know you’re talking to me?” I didn’t leave on the best terms. Having a full mental breakdown and screaming at your boss will do that. They treated me better than I deserved when I left, but that chapter of my life is over.
“Whose idea do you think this was? I told him you wouldn’t be interested.” He shrugs.
I hate everything about this, but potential answers are right in front of me, too tempting to ignore.
“What’s the lead?” A statement, not a question or a commitment.
“Word is the Tennison Strangler is traveling west. Someone spotted him on Interstate 40 in Tennessee, and we just received a call from authorities that a victim came into a hospital in Knoxville.”
Bone-chilling. When people use the phrase to describe movies, it’s child’s play to this. Alfred Tennison eats horror movies for breakfast and giggles about them.
He was my breaking point and someone I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from.
And now, Woodcroft comes to tell me he’s attacked again. Left another victim with lifelong damage and an existence that will probably never be happy again. This is worse than dangling the forbidden fruit.
“Kellen, I can’t.” My voice breaks as I clench my eyes closed.
“I know, but I was given an order to come talk to you, so I have. I’m not here to convince you to come back. I was there last year. I never want to see a friend, a brother, go through that again.”
“Shit, you could have just lied, man. I don’t want anything remotely to do with that case touching my life here. No one knows that part of my life, and I want to keep it that way.” Scrubbing my hand down my face, I’m exhausted. Just the thought of the Tennison Strangler gets my adrenaline pumping, and now I’m crashing.
“It’s been a year. Selfishly, I wanted to check in and see how you were doing. You cut everyone out of your life, including me, and I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He looks me in the eye the whole time, and I feel like a shitty friend. We weren’t just partners. We were best friends—practically brothers—and I just cut him out of my life like he was nothing.
“I just needed time,” I mutter.
“I know, man. I’m not trying to guilt-trip you. I was there for everything, and no one blames you for stepping away.”
“I can’t help you, Kellen. If they tell you to come back here again, don’t.” I abruptly stand up and walk to the door, ripping it open and standing aside, wordlessly telling him to leave.
He looks at me, opening and closing his mouth a few times like he wants to say something, before he stands up and walks to the door.
Clapping his hand on my back, he says, “Don’t be a stranger, okay? I miss when Oak and Wood took over the world.”
“We should have punched anyone who called us that. It’s fucking ridiculous.” I crack a smile at our stupid nicknames.
Following him down the hallway, I do a quick look to see only a few people hanging around today, which is a good thing because I need some alone time to get my head together.
“Good to see you, Woodcroft. I’ll make more of an effort to keep in touch.”
He nods before throwing a wave over his shoulder and walking out the front door.
“Just the man I was hoping to talk to. You got a minute, Oakley?” Sheriff Arlo’s voice pulls me away from my spiraling thoughts.
“Uh, sure.” I look over at Brittany, who’s manning the front counter. She waves me off as she wipes the counter down, and I turn to make my way back to my office for the second time this morning.
Silently walking down the hallway, it feels like my two lives are crashing together. I’m not sure what Arlo wants to talk about, but it can’t be good. He isn’t aware of my former life, but I have a gut feeling that will no longer be the case.
“Have a seat,” I say, motioning to the seat Woodcroft just vacated.
“I won’t take up too much of your time. I’m just following up on the rumor mill. There are reports of a suspicious new guy in town, and I’m banking on the fact it’s the gentleman you just conversed with.”
His formal tone almost makes me laugh. I’ve never once heard the man, who looks to be no older than forty, sound anything other than a friend. It doesn’t make me feel great that I’ve lied to a man who’s been nothing but welcoming to me, but it was born out of necessity. Now, it all comes crashing down.
“Let me guess, Mabel and Alice made some outlandish claims?”
“I’m not going to confirm one way or the other,” he says diplomatically, but the small smirk tells me I’m right.
I sigh. Fuck, I don’t want to let the ugliness out, especially not in this quiet town that’s starting to feel more and more like home.
“That was my old partner, Kellen Woodcroft.”
“Partner?”
“U.S. Marshals, primarily working the on the Fugitive Task Force.”
His eyebrows shoot up his forehead.
“Woodcroft was just here to update me on a case, but as I told him, I’m no longer a U.S. Marshal. There is nothing to be concerned about, Sheriff.”
“Yet he came all this way even though you’re, what, retired?” His challenge to me sets my hackles up.
“Not retired, no. Resigned.”
I know if I told anyone my reasoning, he would be the best one to do so with, but I can’t bring myself to say any of it.
“And then you came to Bluebell Falls to open a coffee shop.” He arches an eyebrow.
“Yes.”
“So, your partner just came to update you on a case, in which you have no jurisdiction over and no hand in anymore, just for shits and giggles?” A statement, not a question. We’re more similar than I care to admit.
Gritting my teeth together, I try to take a deep breath before responding. “Yes.”
“Listen, I’m not telling you I need to know this information because if you say there isn’t a problem, then I believe your word. However, if your old partner is bringing things to you that could affect the citizens of Bluebell Falls, I’d like to be, at the very least, prepared.”
I hear him, but all his concerned tone does is set me on edge. It brings me right back to over a year ago, when I failed one too many times. When I wasn’t capable of doing my job and had to resign out of sheer self-preservation.
“Oakley, I promise not to tell a soul. And I don’t need to know all the gory details, but at a minimum, I’d like to be informed so I can be here for you if you need anything. Hell, just to talk. The Task Force is no joke, and I know you’ve probably seen the worst of the worst.”
I scrub my hand over my face, knowing the right thing is to fill him in. I doubt any trouble will come to Bluebell Falls because of me, but Woodcroft showing up has me doubting all of it.
“I was the commander on a case, the Tennison Strangler case…”