CHAPTER 1
HARLAN
I’d never been the type of guy to let anyone order me around. But when Nellie sent a text saying my presence was required at The Huckleberry Cafe at three o’clock this afternoon, I asked my buddy Dane to cover the store for me and headed her way. I wasn’t in the mood to socialize—hell, I was never in the mood for that—but I’d do anything for Nellie. Well, almost anything.
And Fridays were pie day at the cafe, where she made a special pie that wasn’t in her usual rotation. I could grab a piece of homemade pie and a cup of coffee while I was there. At least a visit to the cafe wouldn’t be a total waste of time.
She was waiting for me at a table near the back. I ignored the handful of other customers finishing up a late lunch or getting an early start on dinner and made a beeline toward her.
“Harlan,”—she got up and held out her arms—“thanks for coming.”
I leaned in and let her hug me, bracing myself for physical contact. Nellie was a touchy, feely kind of person, the exact opposite of me. She was also a talker and immediately launched into a one-sided conversation about why she’d asked me to come.
“Sit down, sugar.” She motioned to Angus, her long-time cook, who must have been covering for her while we chatted. More like while she chatted at me, and I sat there listening.
He brought over that cup of coffee I’d been looking forward to, along with a huge slice of some mixed berry pie. I nodded my thanks and picked up a fork, ready to dive in.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I’ve got a solution to your problem,” Nellie said.
My problem… what the hell was she talking about? Tension rolled over me, settling in between my shoulders. “I didn’t know I had a problem.”
She reached out and rested her hand on mine. “I know things have been a little rough since Wild Wilderness announced they’re looking into setting up shop nearby.”
I clenched my jaw. That was a fucking understatement. I’d heard about it last week. The giant outdoor retailer had reached out about building a satellite location in Hard Timber. They ran the kind of super-sized superstore that would run a small outfitter like me right out of business. My only hope was that the town council would vote against them.
“Yeah.” I waited for her to continue, my hand wrapped around the chipped white mug with the Huckleberry Cafe logo on the front.
“If you want to have a chance at keeping Big Package Outfitters in business, you’re going to need some help, hon.” Nellie leaned forward like she was about to share some top-secret information. “And I’ve got the perfect person in mind.”
I started shaking my head before she’d finished her sentence. “Nah. I’ll figure it out on my own.”
Her lips split into a soft smile. “You’ve been doing things on your own long enough. And you’ve done a great job. But even the hardest-headed man needs to know when it’s time to ask for a little assistance.”
“I’ll be fine.” I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms over my chest. “There’s not enough business here for a chain like Wild Wilderness. They’ll do their due diligence and move on.”
At least that’s what I hoped like hell would happen.
Nellie tilted her head and picked up her own cup of coffee. “I wish it were that easy. Here in Hard Timber, we’ve managed to fly under the radar so far, but folks are itching to get out of big cities and find their own little slice of paradise. I recently read about a development company that’s talking about buying the old ski resort over in Hell’s River. They want to revamp it and put in a whole complex of condos.”
My fingers curled into fists. I’d heard about that too but didn’t want to believe it.
“Those folks are going to need to buy their sports equipment somewhere.” She took a long sip from her mug and eyed me over the rim. The way her eyes sparkled said she knew she had me.
I swallowed past the tight lump in my throat. Asking for help wasn’t in my DNA, and Nellie knew it.
“This town has a vested interest in making sure you succeed,” she continued. “Like so many others, your family’s been here since the beginning, and we take care of our own.”
Even knowing that didn’t ease my mind. I’d been running the Big Package Outfitters since I took it over from my dad who took it over from his dad before that. It started as a small supplier for settlers who passed through Hard Timber when it was nothing but an outpost on the way to California. Through the generations, we’d each left our mark on the business, but our mission had remained the same… a bare bones, no-fuss supplier that offered quality items at a good price.
“I’ll think about it,” I mumbled, eager to get back to the store.
She shook her head. “You don’t have to think about it. I’ve made arrangements for someone to come in and help you bring Big Package Outfitters up to date. Once you do that, no competitor will be able to come in and run you off.”
I shook my head right back. “That’s not necessary.”
“And here she is.” Nellie glanced over my shoulder toward the door, her lips curled up in a wide grin. “I think you already know Jessa.”
Jessa… she couldn’t mean… oh, hell no. I stood, hoping like hell that I was wrong. The legs of my chair scraped across the wooden floor as I turned around in slow motion. Not Jessa Thorne, not Jessa Thorne… the phrase thundered through my head.
