Chapter One – Tessa
“I can see why you like it here.” Tessa paused at the trailhead, her breath catching at the view. Bear Creek sprawled beneath them, the town’s buildings nestled among the trees like a village from a storybook. The kind of place a person could find their happy ever after.That was exactly what Tessa wished for her best friend, Rachel.
And maybe for herself.
Rachel came to stand beside her, her cheeks flushed from the steep climb along the trail. “After the divorce, we needed a fresh start.” Despite the move, there was still a raw sense of loss in her voice over the breakdown of her marriage. “And when I was offered the job at the restaurant, working shifts that fit around the kids going to school... it was a no-brainer.”
Tessa glanced over at her friend, happy to see that some of the tension had eased from Rachel’s shoulders in the weeks since she’d moved here. The sound of childish laughter drew her attention to where the girls were crouched in the undergrowth, their small hands carefully selecting treasures.
“Look, Tessa!” Seven-year-old Aria held up a pinecone nearly as big as her hand. “This one’s perfect for the fairy queen’s throne!”
“And I found sparkly rocks,” five-year-old Lucy announced, her palm full of ordinary pebbles that somehow did seem to catch the light differently.
“We can build the fairy castle while your mom is at work later,” Tessa called out.
“I can’t thank you enough for offering to look after them while I work the extra shift today,” Rachel said. “I usually can’t work weekends, and the extra money will come in handy.”
“Hey, no problem,” Tessa replied. “Anyway, you know how much I love spending time with the girls. It’s so good to see them so happy again.”
Rachel nodded, then swallowed hard. “They are,” Rachel paused. “After their dad left... it was hard to believe we would ever be happy again.” The admission held no bitterness now, just a quiet acknowledgment of how far they’d come.
“Thanks to you,” Tessa told her friend.
“I don’t know about that…” Rachel shrugged. “Maybe if I’d…”
“No.” Tessa held up her hand. “No maybes. No, what ifs…”
“You’re right. It’s done in the past. Now I just want to focus on us and rebuild our lives.” She tucked her hand through Tessa’s arm. “So, what about you?”
“Me?” Tessa asked as they started back down the trail. The girls skipped ahead but stayed within sight as Tessa and Rachel followed at a more leisurely pace.
“Yes, you,” Rachel said, squeezing Tessa’s arm.
“There’s not much to tell,” Tessa said, stepping carefully over a protruding tree root as she deflected the question. “And how is your job?”
Rachel glanced at Tessa, realizing her friend wasn’t ready to talk. That’s what Tessa loved about Rachel. They had been friends for long enough that they easily picked up on each other’s moods. “Oh, the Thornberg family is wonderful. They’re so supportive. When Aria had a doctor’s appointment a couple of weeks ago, they didn’t hesitate to cover my shift.” She chuckled. “It seemed fate stepped in there, though. Caleb Thornberg literally ended up engaged to the woman who covered the shift.”
“Fate, huh?” Tessa said, though she’d never believed in fate. Life was what you made it, what you worked for. Nothing was handed to you by some cosmic plan. Her childhood had taught her that much.
“Oh!”
The cry jerked Tessa’s attention back to Rachel, who had suddenly crumpled, her ankle twisting awkwardly on loose gravel. Tessa lunged forward, catching Rachel’s arm before she hit the ground completely.
“I’ve got you,” Tessa said, instinctively shifting her weight to support her friend. “What happened?”
Rachel’s face had gone white, her breath coming in short gasps. “My ankle…I think I…” She tried to put weight on it and sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, that hurts.”
Tessa eased her to sit on a nearby rock as the girls turned back at their mother’s cry, their small faces pinched with worry.
“Mom?” Aria called, her voice high with concern.
“It’s okay,” Tessa said, keeping her tone calm and matter-of-fact. “Your mom just twisted her ankle. We’re going to take care of it.” She turned to Rachel, whose hands were trembling. “Can I take a look?”
Rachel nodded, and Tessa carefully unlaced the hiking boot, easing it off as gently as possible. Even so, Rachel winced. The ankle was already swelling, a bruise beginning to bloom across the skin.
“We need to get some ice on this,” Tessa said, her brain assessing what needed to be done. “And elevate it. Can you put any weight on it at all?”
Rachel tried again and shook her head, tears springing to her eyes…not just from pain, Tessa realized. “My shifts,” Rachel whispered, panic edging into her voice. “I can’t…Tessa, I can’tlose this job. We’re just getting settled, and everyone at the restaurant’s been so good to me, but I’m still new, and...”
