“Smells better than the parade,” I said. He grunted, which for Holt passed as a compliment.
My oldest brother Thatcher pushed through the crowd with a paper cup already in hand. “The line was out the door when I got here. It’s worth it, though.” He draped a possessive arm over Joely’s shoulders as he looked me over. “I hear you’re already planning an expansion. Didn’t even break in the gym before moving to the next thing, huh?”
“It’s not about me,” I said. “The town needs these courts.”
“Sure,” he said, and the word carried the weight of every bet people were placing about how long I would last.
My buddy Harlan slid past with a pastry box under one arm. “Save me a spot on those courts, Butterfly.” He said it just loud enough that a few heads turned. When I flipped him off, he smiled even wider. Every time someone called me that in public, my cheeks burned a little hotter.
“Boys,” a voice called. “Behave yourselves, or I’ll cut you off on pie day.” Nellie stood at the edge of the crowd with a Morning Wood mug cupped between her hands.
Someone yelled, “You worried about the competition, Nellie?”
“Not even a little.” She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the edges, and I believed her. “There’s room in Hard Timber for more than one good cup of coffee. Besides, I’ve got pie at my place.”
Sabrina blew her a kiss from the doorway, and Nellie caught it with a wink.
I got caught up in the lightheartedness of the moment, but then I saw Rowan. She moved along the sidewalk with purpose in dark jeans, neutral flats and a tan cardigan buttoned up all the way. Even off the clock she looked all business. Her hair was pulled back in her usual bun and she held a clipboard against her chest. Gillian spotted her, offered a friendly wave, and then resumed chatting with one of Ridge’s bartenders I recognized from The Knotty Tap.
Rowan told me she was expected to show up, so I wasn’t surprised to see her. What got me was how she held herself. She didn’t let the laughter pull her off course, just watched the door, the line, and the overflow onto the street. I’d bet she could tell how many people were inside by feel alone. While Sabrina was sunshine at full wattage, Rowan was like a bucket of ice water whose sole purpose was to keep a guy like me in line. Except today she didn’t look like ice. She looked focused and steady. For the first time, I wondered if anyone would ever see me like that.
I cut through a knot of people until I stood in front of her. “Good to see you here, March.”
“Supporting local business is part of my job.” She shifted the clipboard, so it rested against her side. “Also, I like coffee.”
“You don’t say.” I dropped my voice a notch. “Keep showing up like this and Sabrina might name a drink after you. Something strong. No cream, no sugar.”
Her mouth twitched, but her tone stayed flat. “Cute. But I’m not here to earn brownie points.”
“That’s a shame,” I said. “You look like someone who’d kill to be teacher’s pet.”
She gave me a cool once-over. “Some of us show up to lead. Others just want attention.”
That comment hit me like a sucker punch to the gut. I could’ve laughed it off or thrown something back. Instead, I took a long sip of my coffee, letting the heat cover the sting. I’d built The Woodshed from the ground up and poured everything into making it real. Yeah, I’d started plenty I didn’t finish like the pop-up gear shop that lasted two weekends, but this was different. Seemed like no matter how rooted I got, some people still expected the worst from me. That used to roll off my back. Lately, it had started to really burn.
“You’ll have to keep watching,” I said. “See how long I last.”
Something flickered in her eyes. Interest, maybe. Or the brief recognition that I’d heard her and wasn’t going to run. Whatever it was, the look faded fast, and her usual professional calm took over.
Sabrina swept by with a tray of mini scones. “Are you two doing okay?” She pressed the tray at us and flashed a grin. “Dane, tell me you’re bringing your sponsorship board to the gym this week. Powered by caffeine. It was your idea.”
“Put me down for it,” I said, snagging a scone. “You’ve got the whole town here.”
“That’s the plan,” she said. “Rowan, thank you for coming. Tell everyone at Town Hall I appreciate the help with the permits. Main Street feels better already.”
“It’s a strong addition,” Rowan said, her voice sincere. “Congratulations.”
Sabrina beamed and vanished back into the crowd.
Rowan watched her, the corners of her mouth tipping up just barely. “She planned well,” she said. “You can see it in the flow. The counter sits so you can line up without blocking the door. The side table keeps people from crowding the register. She really thought it through.”
“You sound impressed.”
“I never said I wasn’t.”
“Maybe one day you’ll look at me like that,” I said.
Her eyes snapped to mine. “Don’t count on it.”
