He could always sit his ass in the diner and let her explore on her own.
Which he didn’t want to do. Instead, he stretched and watched Mara turn, taking everything in. A large park sat in the middle of the town. Three edges were lined by streets with businesses facing the park. Trees and brush covered the fourth side.
Mature maples provided shady spots for benches and picnic tables. There was a kids’ play area with a splash pad at the back, and a jogging trail that circled the park and headed into the trees beyond.
That had him yearning. He wasn’t up to walking a long trail, never mind jogging. Once, he’d been able to run for hours with a fifty-pound pack on his back. Now, he was worried about exploring a tiny town without his cane.
He forced the negativity out of his brain. He was alive and walking, with all his pieces intact. The leader of Troy’s team, Marcus Ramirez, hadn’t been so lucky. Seth knew Marcus was the town’s police chief now. Arrow had lost his foot in an explosion overseas, but he’d mastered his prosthesis and was doing great.
Seth wouldn’t be complaining about his own situation anytime soon.
Mara pointed to the Phail Central sign. “I’d love to check that out. Amber said it’s the town information center and showcases local artisans. Do you mind?”
Seth gestured for her to lead the way.
The door led into Phail General, with an arrow pointing to Phail Central in the back.
Troy looked up from where he stocked shelves with dog food. “Babs! I heard you were in town. Welcome to Phail. We’re so damn glad you’re here.”
Then Seth was enveloped in a hug with a lot of backslapping. He swallowed his emotions. This was another welcome he hadn’t really expected. With no family, he wasn’t used to it.
“It’s great to see you, Epic. This is Mara Evans.”
Epic smiled. “Ford’s sister. Welcome to Phail, Mara. We’re glad to have you here, and I know Ford is thrilled.”
Mara smiled, although her face flushed a bit. “It’s nice to meet you, Troy. We’re supposed to be buying supplies, but I wanted to explore your town a bit first.”
Troy laughed. “Piper is going to be thrilled to hear that. Come on back and meet her. She’s the genius behind Phail Central and all the town improvements.”
Phail Central was a large room filled with everything from silly tourist mugs to world-class artwork. The paintings were as good as anything he’d ever seen.
Instead of strolling the space, he leaned against the counter and talked with Troy, easing some of the pressure off his leg.
Epic kept his voice low. “How’s the leg doing?”
Seth shrugged. “Better than the docs expected.”
His buddy grinned. “Which means it hurts like a son-of-a-bitch, but you’re getting through it.”
Seth chuckled with a shrug. That was close enough. “I see you got yourself a pretty wife and a pretty town.”
Troy nodded. “It’s a damn good deal. You interested in Ford’s little sister?”
Shocked, Seth turned to look at him. “What the hell makes you think that? I just met the woman yesterday. We’re in town to get supplies for the inn’s kitchen.”
Troy’s eyebrows shot up, and the laughter in his eyes told Seth he didn’t believe a word. It was the truth. Mostly. He had no intention of getting involved with Chaos Machine.
Sultry female laughter had him turning to see Mara and Piper checking out the selection of mugs and t-shirts.
Troy slapped him on the back. “You keep telling yourself that. You might even believe your own BS.”
Seth ignored his friend’s words while he watched the women. Sure, Mara was gorgeous. Friendly. Happy. Great baker.
But she was his buddy’s sister, and they couldn’t be more opposite in personality. She was as bright as the sun. She loved music and chatter.
Opposites. He didn’t want his darkness sucking her dry. He didn’t need reminders of his mom’s music filling the house and her studio. And he didn’t want to clean up after Mara.
If they weren’t working in the same place and living in the same house, he’d maybe see if she wanted to roll in the sheets for a few weeks. But he wasn’t screwing up this place for himself.
