The bell jingles as I open the entrance of Pine Hollows Community Bank. I haven’t been in here since I first opened my account—back when I was married. You could walk through the whole building in five minutes.
“Sawyer!” Nora greets with a smile, adjusting her position in her chair. “What a nice surprise.”
“Hey, Nora.” I nod, grabbing a styrofoam cup from the stack next to the coffee pot. I try to stay away from this bank, especially when Nora’s working. She was Lila's best friend. Sometimes looking at her still hurts. But the rumor mill went crazy after Lila passed away. In a town like this, people take something small and run with it. “How’s it going?”
“Oh, you know, I’ve been talking about retiring since I started working here.” She shrugs. “How’s studying for the sergeant’s exam going? You are still studying, right?”
“Yeah, I am.” I furrow my brows, wondering how she’d know that. I haven’t talked to her since that night.
“I always run into your mom at the coffee shop,” Nora explains. “She talks about your sergeant exam nonstop. She's so proud of you.”
“Yeah, she was excited when I told her.” I lift the cup to my lips, feeling the warmth of black coffee—nothing added. “You’ve met Chris, right?”
Nora turns her attention to him, looking him over like she isn't wearing a wedding ring.
“No, I don’t think I have.” She holds out her hand, shaking Chris’s. “I’m Nora.”
“Chris. Chris Hanley. Nice to meet you, ma’am.” He flashes that easy smile of his. Always a flirt, even when he’s just trying to be polite.
“Anyway, I’d actually like to make a dep—”
“I told you for the hundredth time that I did NOT overdraft my account!” A shout from a middle-aged man interrupts my sentence. I can't believe anyone would act like that in public.
“Are you too stupid to understand that?” She flinches. Actually flinches, like she's been hit. That was all I needed to see.
Chris and I exchange looks, immediately moving toward the teller station where the commotion is happening.
“Hey, sir, you’re causing a disturbance,” Chris says firmly. “Either keep your voice down, or we’ll have to ask you to leave.”
Her hands are shaking as she tries to process whatever transaction the man wants. She’s young, with straight chestnut brown hair and round clear-framed glasses. I bet she was just doing what she gets paid to do.
“Well, tell her to learn how to do her job or go into a different career field!” The man shoots the teller a nasty look, and it almost looks like she’s about to cry. I can’t blame her. Who knows what kind of day she's been having before this man started yelling at her.
“Okay, that’s enough.” I nod toward the man, silently instructing Chris to escort him outside. Once he does, I turn to the young teller who still can’t make eye contact with me. “Hey, are you alright? What’s your name?”
“Um… Al-Alice,” she finally manages to get out.
“Hey, Alice. I’m Sawyer—Sawyer Edwards.” I point to the golden name tag attached to my uniform. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.” Alice gives me what I can tell is a practiced customer service smile.
“That guy was out of line.” I lean against her counter. “You handled it well.”
“I didn't do anything.” She adjusts her glasses—a nervous gesture. “You two did.”
“You didn't escalate. That's something.”
“I guess I'm just used to it.” Her smile falters for a second. Then it's back, bright and practiced. Used to it? That sits wrong with me, but Chris is waiting.
“My gosh,” Nora pipes up from her station. “Sawyer’s our hero. Well, I guess technically Alice’s hero.”
“Do you always rescue strangers, Mr. Sawyer?” Alice asks, a genuine smile replacing the fake one as she leans back in her chair.
The genuine smile hits different. My chest does something I'm not ready to name yet.
“I guess it kind of comes with the territory.” I shrug, taking a sip of my coffee.
“Well, I guess thirteen years of being a cop will do that to you,” Nora adds with a grin.
