“What do you mean ‘holler if you need me’?” I asked.
“I’m short on waitstaff this morning. You’ll have to handle things by yourself out here.” Nellie arched her brows and leveled me with one of her no-nonsense looks. One that said I wasn’t going anywhere.
“I’m supposed to be clearing trails today. I don’t have time to sit in a tent and tell kids not to piss off your porcupine.” My lungs squeezed tight as I thought about all those people looking at me, wondering if there was any truth to me being called out as the ghost of Hard Timber. I still hadn’t figured out who was behind the damn post, but I’d talked about it with the guys last night and we had a few suspects.
“Percy won’t give anyone any trouble,” Nellie said. “He’s just like you. All bark and no bite.”
“Porcupines don’t bark, and I’m not worried about him biting someone,” I snapped.
“Oh, you know what I mean. His quills are just for show. He wouldn’t hurt a thing.” She picked up a skunk she’d recently nursed back to health and handed it to me. “Fabio here gets a little nervous, though. I’d keep him close by. We don’t want anyone to get sprayed.”
The skunk nuzzled between my unbuttoned flannel and the white tee I had on underneath, burrowing into my side. “You brought a skunk?”
“Just sit down and let him get comfortable. I’ll be right back with a thermos of coffee and a cinnamon roll for you.”
I remained standing, ready to go toe-to-toe with her over this. “I can’t stay, Nellie. I’ve got things to do.”
She pulled herself up to her full height of about four-foot-ten and tapped her finger against my chest. “Thatcher Thorne, you listen to me. It’s that kind of attitude that landed you and those other boys on that list in the first place. You might not care what people think about you, but some of those boys do. They look up to you. Set a good example for a change. Your mama loved being part of this town and it would break her heart to see how isolated you’ve become.”
I gritted my teeth and forced the feelings bubbling up inside my chest back in their box. “That’s low, Nellie. Bringing my mom into the conversation?”
Nellie’s shoulders sagged, and she set her hand on my arm. “I’m sorry, sugar. It hurts to think about her, but it’s true.”
It had been a long time since I’d allowed myself to think about my mom, and I wasn’t going to let myself go there while holding a fucking skunk and standing in the middle of town.
“I’ll stay until you can find someone else to take over,” I ground out between clenched teeth. “And I want a whole box of cinnamon rolls, not just one. Extra frosting.”
She bit back her smile. “Thank you, Thatcher.”
“Don’t thank me. Just find someone to take my place.” I ran my hand over Fabio’s back. I’d seen my fair share of skunks before, but I’d never pet one. His hair was much softer than I expected. Almost like petting a rabbit.
I sat down on the camping chair Nellie brought and talked to the little stink bomb while I waited for her to come back with my breakfast.
“How did a guy like you end up in a place like this, man?” I gently tugged Fabio out of my shirt and held him up to get a better look. One of his legs looked like it had been chewed up in a trap. “Did you get stuck somewhere, buddy?”
While I checked over the skunk, a woman laughed across the street. I looked up, my gaze locking onto Nellie’s renter. She stood at a booth selling handmade soap and candles. She’d tied her hair back in a ponytail and had on a pair of jeans that hugged her ass like they’d been painted on. The farmer’s market kick-off brought in folks from all over, so I wasn’t surprised that I didn’t recognize the vendor. I watched while she chatted with the guy operating the stand, my gut twisting as he smiled at her.
There it was again… that low, hungry ache I didn’t know what to do with. It didn’t make sense, but I wanted her. Wanted to be the one making her laugh like she didn’t have a worry in the world. Wanted to fist my hand in that long hair of hers and tilt her head back so I could claim her mouth with mine.
I couldn’t stand watching the guy brush his fingers against hers as he handed her another candle to smell, but I also couldn’t look away.
“Joely seems to be settling in just fine.” Nellie came up behind me and set a thermos and brown box on the table. “Have the two of you met yet? Seems only right, since she’s staying next door.”
“Yeah, I ran into her yesterday afternoon.” I set Fabio in my lap and tried not to think about how rude I’d been when I caught her trespassing.
“Good.” Nellie smiled at me, then lifted her hand to wave and call out to Joely. “Good morning, hon. Come on over and grab a cinnamon roll.”
For fuck’s sake. I needed another run-in with the curvy brunette just about as much as I needed a spa day. My throat went bone dry as Joely crossed the street. I stood with the skunk still in my arms and braced myself for another face-to-face interaction with the woman who’d haunted my dreams last night.
“Hi Nellie.” Her lips split into a wide grin. The woman was like a ray of sunshine wherever she went. “Looks like you brought the whole crew out today. I haven’t met all of them yet.”
Nellie nudged me forward. “You’ve met Thatcher though, right? His cabin is just down the road from the Hideaway. I wouldn’t be surprised if the two of you ran into each other quite a bit while you’re there.”
“Hey.” Joely’s smile faded a bit as she shot me a quick glance before reaching over to pet the goat.
“Morning,” I grumbled.
Even though the tension underneath the small tent was thick enough to choke a horse, Nellie didn’t miss a beat. “I need to get back inside, but Thatcher can introduce you to everyone. He’s also got cinnamon rolls. Help yourself. I hope you’ll stop by the cafe before you head back to the cabin.”
