Chapter 73
Chapter Seventy-Three
Cordelia
I used to think small towns were boring and predictable.
To be fair, in certain aspects, Lucky Falls fits that stereotype.
Phil’s donuts always opens early in the morning, rain or shine. There’s always a long line out the door. And the dang chocolate-covered donuts are always sold out before I can get to them.
In Lucky Falls, people know you by name, and if they find out something about you, they bring it up in conversation constantly. Did you ever fix that leaky pipe? Are you planning on joining the motorhomes committee? I notice your bike’s been parked at Renthrow’s a lot lately.
Speaking of conversation, the small town gossip?
Top-tier.
The nursing-home group chat—that I’m now a part of, thanks to April—gets the hottest news first. Senior citizens have their finger on the pulse, is all I’ll say about that.
Thanks to the group chat access, I’m not at all surprised when my bosses find out I’m dating Renthrow for real before I can make any sort of formal announcement.
“We should do a group date!” Rebel chirps, flashing another pageant-perfect smile.
April’s eyes glitter. “That sounds awesome!”
“You should call Renthrow,” Rebel says, ripping off her gloves, so she can text Gunner.
“What about me?” May pouts. “Am I not invited because I’m single? On top of being lonely, am I now being punished for it?”
April rolls her eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic, May.”
“I don’t see why May can’t come,” Rebel says. “It’s just The Tipsy Tuna.”
“Maybe the guys can invite Campbell?” May bats her eyes and sighs. “He’s such a hottie.”
“I thought you were into Theilan?” Rebel wonders. “Weren’t you gushing about his abs last week?”
“That was two weeks ago.” May rolls her eyes.
April scratches at her temple in thought. “Wait, didn’t you say you thought Max was ‘so manly’ last week?”
“Not last week. That was last month. Does no one listen to me?” The college student throws her hands high.
“How are we supposed to keep up when your crushes change every ten seconds?” April defends as she locks up her toolbox.
I laugh as I take in their chatter.
Rebel washes her hands at the sink and yells to me, “Delia, are you driving with us or are you taking your e-bike?”
I glance past the ladies to the e-bike parked just beyond the tents. It’s not as great as my Harley, definitely not. However, I use it to pick up Gordie from school. She loves riding in the sidecar, and that’s one huge perk my motorcycle can’t compete with.
“I’ll ride with you,” I say.
“Ooh!” May jokes. “She wants an excuse for Renthrow to drive her back.”
“Enough teasing, squirt.” April tugs May to the door. “Let’s go save the guys a seat before the Tuna gets crowded.”
I ride with Rebel while May drives over with April. My boss and I discuss cars for the first few minutes of the drive.
“Did you ever find a mechanic to manage Stewart Kinsey’s old garage?” I ask during a lull in the conversation.
“Actually, I did.” Rebel tilts her chin up. “She’s an aviation mechanic.”
My eyes widen. “You hired a female mechanic?”
“A female aviation mechanic,” Rebel says again as if she’s extra proud of it.
“Wow. When is she coming to Lucky Falls?”
“Next week. She’s here because of the nursing home. Her mother’s going to be a resident, and she wants to be close by.”
“I can’t believe it.” I blow out a breath. “Soon, Lucky Falls will be known as the town for female mechanics.”
“There are worse things to be known for.” Rebel winks.
“True.”
“Anything is possible, right? Isn’t that why we entered this field?” She gestures between us.
Rebel has a point.
“Let’s do it,” I say. Why not? It’s Lucky Falls. Anything can happen.
Rebel parks in front of the Tuna, and we join April and May to walk inside.
“There are my favorite mechanics.” Mauve greets us from behind the counter.
“Mauve, stahp it,” May answers, flipping her hair. “I do try.”
Rebel snorts.
April sighs heavily.
I laugh.
May points to me, grinning from ear to ear with pride. “I got Cordelia to laugh at my jokes! Finally.”
“Here are the menus,” Mauve says as she brings the laminated plastic around. Quietly to me, she says, “I fought to find a new source of fish, so we could put seafood back on the menu for you.”
My heart melts. Another check for small towns. People don’t hide that they care, and I love it.
“Thank you, Mauve.”
The bell above the doors jangle.
May brightens. “The guys are here! Who did they bring?”
I spin around, and my eyes immediately cling to Renthrow. He’s wearing the team jersey, and his hair is wet—from sweat or a shower, I’m not sure. He sees me too, and a grin grows on his face.
“It’s Max.” May huffs and turns away from the door. “Why didn’t they bring Nathan Campbell?”
I drag my eyes away from my gorgeous boyfriend and notice Max trudging in.
The giant hockey-team manager is usually upbeat and quick with a smile, but he looks beaten down.
I recognize the dark circles under his eyes, and it reminds me of myself.
Maybe I should recommend he come to dinner at Renthrow’s?
It helps me more than any pill I’ve ever been prescribed.
Thanks to Renthrow’s gift in the kitchen, I finally get eight hours of sleep consistently.
“Hey.” Renthrow pulls out the chair next to me.
“Hey,” I say. Excitement, anticipation, and happiness all torpedo in my stomach. It happens every time Renthrow comes around, and I don’t think it’ll ever stop.
Gunner greets Rebel with a kiss on the forehead while Chance takes April’s hand and scoots his chair closer to hers.
May sits awkwardly beside Max, who’s massaging his forehead.
“Have you guys ordered yet?” Chance asks, resting his arm along the back of April’s chair. My usually firm and serious boss melts into him.
It’s amusing the way Chance brings out the gentle, helpless side of April. Looking at the way the team captain doesn’t allow her to lift a finger, not even to grab her own napkins from the bar, no one would ever think April could reprogram twelve engine trouble codes in an hour.
“Not yet,” Rebel says. “I have no idea what I’m in the mood for.”
“You said you wanted to incorporate more potatoes and less rice into your diet. How about this?” Gunner, the most guarded and reserved member of the team, points to an item on the menu.
“There you go. Proving you know me better than I know myself,” Rebel muses.
Gunner leaks a smile, and it’s something I’ve only ever seen him do around Rebel.
Renthrow cups my hand and sets our joined hands on his thigh. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just…” I glance around at all my friends. “Happy.”
“You’re beautiful when you’re happy.”
“And what?” I arch a brow. “I’m ugly when I’m sad?”
He laughs and shakes his head.
I lean forward, so I can trace the curve of his smile. His sexy stubble. His firm lips. His flash of white teeth. Wow.
“What?” he asks quietly.
“You’d think it’d be enough that you’re kind, responsible, a good dad, and an amazing lunch-bag packer. Unfortunately, you had to be nice to look at too. It’s unfair to other men, really. Did you leave anything for them?”
He laughs again, his ears turning a bit red. I bet he’d accuse me of flirting if we were alone, but I’m not. I’m being completely honest.
Beneath the table, Renthrow rubs his thumb over my knuckles. “I was thinking about you all through practice.”
I shift so our knees are touching. Then I whisper so only he can hear. “What about last night? Did you dream about me too?”
The tips of his ears get even redder, and he chuckles guiltily. “Reality is ten times better.”
“As it should be.” I wink.
Mauve arrives and darts around to get our orders, breaking my little bubble with Renthrow.
The food is dished out soon after, and we eat heartily. Renthrow hands me napkins when the dispenser on my left runs out and shares his drink with me when, as usual, I finish all of mine first.
He’s as attentive to me as he is to Gordie, and it’s amazing all the ways he gives and takes care of others so selflessly. It makes me want to beat him at his own game, and be even more selfless and considerate in return.
While we eat, I glance across the table and notice a very exhausted Max listening attentively to May. She flings her arms back and forth as she tells her story, and Max drags a full cup of soda out of harm’s way before it’s knocked to the ground by her gestures.
May then lifts her fork full of pasta and brings it to her mouth. Max slides a napkin on the table to catch the noodles as they fall from the spines.
May finishes the story without noticing any of his accommodating actions and waits expectantly.
In response, Max tilts his lips up in a smile. For a brief moment, the exhaustion written all over his face eases, and he laughs. It’s booming and belly-deep and genuine.
May grins, eyes sparkling as if she takes his laughter as a personal accomplishment.
Something about the interaction makes me stare at them a little harder.
Renthrow sees the direction of my gaze.
I arch an eyebrow in May and Max’s direction as if to say, “Do you see that?”
He scrunches his nose in response. “Them? No way.”
I look at them again and notice their glaring height and age difference. Max is more than a foot taller and ten years older than May.
I dismiss my hunch as Max being brotherly and continue to enjoy lunch.
After the plates are cleared, the men have a big, macho fight about who pays the tab. It feels like it’ll drag on forever until Mauve comes to our rescue with separate bills for each of the couples.
I notice that Max pays for May’s pasta, but I don’t bring it up to anyone.
After Renthrow drives me back to the garage, I tell him that I’ll be working late tonight and not to set a plate for me. I’ve been at his house almost every night, and I’ve fallen way behind on my engine repair studies.
Renthrow leaves me with a long, lingering kiss that’s hot enough to keep me warm overnight.
I return to the job I love, working with people I respect. And I don’t feel the time slipping by until I get a call from Renthrow.
“Hey.” I check my watch. It’s not even five o’clock.
“Cordelia.” He sounds urgent, and I’m instantly on guard. “It’s Gordie. She’s having another episode.”