Chapter Thirteen

T he drive to the trailhead on Saturday morning was quiet. Keaton focused on the road while Raine dealt with a problem at the coffee shop.

She lowered the phone. "Sorry about that."

"Need to go back?"

"Nope. Timmy has dealt with this before, but he's not on for another hour so Parker wasn't sure what to do."

"I had papers and exams to grade, office hours to keep, and emails to answer, but no one's ever called me at nine thirty on a Saturday with an emergency."

"The life of a business owner. If your company's bigger then there's more than one person to answer the phone. In my case, I'm it. But I don't mind. Well, not as much now that two new people have started, and I've hired two more."

"Congrats."

"Thanks. They're in high school so can't work during the day, but they'll take afternoon, evening, and weekend shifts. I have a few more interviews set up. More is less is my new motto."

He flipped on the blinker and turned left into the parking lot. "Must be a relief."

"Huge. October's only a week old, but it's a hundred times better than September."

Keaton hoped he was a part of the improvement this month. He parked at the trailhead. Three other cars were there. "We won't be on our own."

"This isn't bad." She unbuckled her seat belt and glanced over her shoulder at the other row of parking spots. "During the summer, you have to wait for a parking spot to open."

"We lucked out."

"The overcast skies help." She grabbed her backpack from her feet and slid out of his car. "Come on."

He got his pack from the back seat. "Didn't know we were in a hurry."

Raine had her backpack on. She wore cargo pants, a tech tee under a long-sleeved button-down shirt, and hiking boots. Nothing looked new, but she belonged out here. "What do you smell?"

Keaton inhaled. Nothing stuck out, though there was something a little sharp. Must be the trees surrounding them. "Pine?"

"Yes, but I smell rain."

"Smell rain?"

She nodded. "We should have time to make it to the falls and back if we don't dawdle."

Raine headed from the asphalt of the parking lot to the trailhead at a fast clip. Her hiking boots hit the dirt path.

He hurried to catch up to her. "That's a funny word for someone who slept in and wanted to take her time this morning."

She glanced over her shoulder with a cute smirk. "Hey, I wasn't dawdling. I was ready to go by nine thirty."

"So does one become a dawdler after ten?"

"Depends on the day and time and if—"

"You smell rain."

"You catch on fast."

Her grin lit up her entire face. Who needed the sun with Raine's smile? But for some reason she left him more off-balance today than usual.

"I'm trying." Around Raine, he wasn't sure he always succeeded. An odd feeling, but one he was getting used to. He considered himself smart, always had, but book smart wasn't the only kind of intelligence. Logically he'd known that, but he judged those without degrees or multiple degrees, including Callie. But street smarts and common sense counted, too. More so in some cases.

"Stop thinking so much and look around. We're outside. Nothing to do but soak in nature." Raine held out her arms and spun around. "Inspiration awaits, dear writer."

"You're not like this at the coffee shop."

"The whole business thing. And I've been so stressed with everything—that's made it harder to relax. But I've tried not to become a hard-nose boss."

He imagined Dean Fredricks, who'd run the college where his department had belonged with a metaphorical judge's gavel. "You're not. And you're right."

Trees flanked both sides of the trails. "It's beautiful out here."

She inhaled deeply. "It is. There are lots of places a short drive from Seattle when you want to get away, but Silver Falls is different. Special."

Keaton enjoyed seeing this side of Raine. No lines creased her forehead or formed around her mouth. He wished she could always be so carefree. "Gorgeous."

He didn't mean only their surroundings.

"Let inspiration take you wherever your muse needs to go. If you follow me, you'll get where you need to go."

Something in his chest shifted. Something he'd never felt before. "T-thanks," he croaked.

He followed her in silence. Birds chirped from the trees. Twigs snapped beneath their hiking boots. The higher they went, the sharper the scent of pine in the air became.

Keaton kicked a pebble. He imagined a troll getting hit and tempers flying. A fight would ensue. Nasty and for reasons that made no sense to anyone but trolls. That might work. "Do you mind if we stop for a minute?"

She did.

He pulled out a journal and pen. He wrote down ideas. Glimpses of what he saw around him and in his mind. He listed something from his other four senses. Satisfied, he tucked the items back into his pack's front pocket. "Thanks."

Raine beamed. "That's what we're here for. Ready to see the falls?"

"Lead the way." The falls would be the icing so to speak. A morning out there with Raine and scenery breathtaking enough to spark his creativity. It didn't get much better than that.

They continued up the path at a fast pace.

"When do you have time to work out?" he asked.

"I don't." She didn't slow. "Who needs a gym when I'm on my feet all day? I lift bags of coffee beans and other supplies. It keeps me in shape."

"I used to belong to a gym in L.A. That was my down time."

"There's nothing like that in Silver Falls, but Summit Ridge has a few places. The university, too."

Maybe he should have taken the barista job when she offered. If he had, he would be getting paid to work out. The best part was he would spend all day with Raine.

Rushing water sounded nearby. "We must be getting close."

"We are." The trail switched back. "It's just around the next bend."

His family had mentioned the falls once he'd brought them up, but he was happy to be there with Raine.

The water became louder. Keaton rounded the bend to see a huge waterfall cascading over rocks at the top and splashing up in a sea of mist and foam at the bottom. The gray rocks gave the water an almost silvery glow.

Mesmerized, he stared. "Silver Falls."

If the waterfall didn't inspire him, nothing would.

A family of four stood on the bridge closer to the water.

"It's not as impressive as Multnomah Falls in Oregon, but we're proud of Silver Falls."

"Someone was since they named a town after it."

"Yep." She pointed to a bench. "Sit and take it all in. See if inspiration hits."

It already had, but he wasn't sure if it was being out here or being with Raine. Maybe she was his muse.

And maybe he was getting caught up in the moment.

This was a hike, not a date or even a practice one.

"I will." He took a seat on the bench. A breeze carried mist toward him and wet his face. Not much, but just enough to make him feel alive. "What are you going to do?"

She had her phone out. "Take some photos."

Keaton focused on the falls, letting everything fall way. Soon he was writing page after page of notes. Some snippets of dialogue. Lines of description. The words flowed, and the scene giving him trouble made sense now.

Keaton wrote until he had nothing left to put on the page. He closed his journal.

He blinked, unsure where he was for a moment.

The falls came into focus. So did Raine, who stood on the bridge, her face lifted to the water cascading down.

He put away his pen and paper and made his way to her. "Get enough photos?"

She nodded. "You seemed in another place, so I came down here. Find inspiration?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Thank whoever discovered this place."

"That's you for me. I stand by my initial thank you."

His gaze held hers. Neither of them said anything. The roar of the falls provided the soundtrack. "I'm glad we came."

"Me, too, but unless you feel like getting soaked, we should head to the car."

Bummer. Keaton would have liked staying there longer. At least, she would be with him on the way back. "Lead the way."

If he wasn't having dinner with Brandt and Garrett tonight, Keaton would have asked Raine to go out with him.

Practice date or date didn't matter. Spending more time together did, Boo Bash or not.

*

That evening, Raine sat at Callie's dining room table with her four closest friends in Silver Falls. In between them lay a casserole pan with what remained from their pasta dinner, their plates and utensils, a basket of bread, and an empty salad bowl.

Her muscles ached from the hike with Keaton, but they'd managed to just beat the rain, so the soreness was better than getting caught in the downpour. He'd needed to concentrate on the road during the drive home, which meant they didn't talk much. But she'd enjoyed every minute of the hike, especially watching the play of emotions cross his face as he wrote.

Magic.

That was the only way to describe what she'd seen today.

And that made her more excited for his book. She wasn't a huge reader, but she would make the time for his story.

Callie, Taryn, and Anna laughed at whatever joke Pippa told.

"Tired?" Taryn asked Raine.

"Just thinking." She raised her glass of Chardonnay. The wine went well with the scallops in a white cream sauce served over pasta they'd eaten for dinner. "To Callie for a delicious meal and organizing a girls' night. It's been too long."

"Hear, hear!" Anna, Pippa, and Taryn cheered.

Callie blushed. "Thanks. It's about time we started doing these again."

This year, they hadn't had a chance to get together much. Callie and Anna had managed a few times with only the two of them, but their nights out—or in—had taken a back seat with all the changes in their lives.

"Well, now we need to keep it up." Anna sipped her wine. "I'm happy to host the next one."

"I'm in. Soon, I won't have to work weekends." Raine couldn't wait for that to happen. "I haven't been in all day today. Feels so good."

"Is Robin working out?" Callie asked, her voice quiet.

Nick Baxter had made life miserable for Brandt seven years ago and as recently as December. "She's a hardworking employee. Appreciative every hour she's scheduled. When Nick has the kids for the weekend, she asks to work weekends."

"I'm so happy for both of you." Callie grinned. "I still consider her a friend, even after what Nick did."

Taryn nodded. "Nick, Brandt, and I grew up together. Nick always wanted to be center of attention, but he was never mean about it. No one else cared. It was kind of joke. But he changed. The guy's a sociopath now."

"He's the one who named their dog, Precious. Reminds me of Gollum in Lord of the Rings ." Anna shuddered. "The dog looks so sweet, but she has a mean streak as long as Silver Falls."

No one knew Raine had spent the day with Keaton at the falls. She wanted to keep it quiet, if only to keep her friends from worrying about her.

Anna reached for an éclair. "I don't know either one of them well. But Robin's clothing and accessories make me green with envy."

"Go to the New Life consignment store in Summit Ridge." Raine debated between finishing her wine or eating one of Taryn's éclairs. "Robin dropped off a bunch of her stuff there."

Robin said Nick had lost their money investing in risky business ventures. He'd found a consulting job, but finances would be tight until their house sold. In the meantime, Robin hoped to sell enough items to cover renting an apartment for her and the kids.

Pippa wiped her mouth. "I know where I'm headed tomorrow. How about the rest of you?"

Callie beamed. "Brandt and I are having a picnic while we see the leaves change colors."

Anna had an of-course-you-are look. "I'm working in the morning. Mary Jo needs the time off. I'd love to go to the shop, but I'm staying away from Summit Ridge after bumping into Davis the other night."

"How was that?" Raine asked.

"Awkward." Anna reached for an éclair. "His date wore an engagement ring. Guess he decided to stop dating more than one person at a time."

Anna bit into the éclair.

"I'm so sorry," Pippa said.

Everyone else added their condolences, but no one was upset that Davis was no longer in Anna's life.

"She's welcome to him." Anna sighed. "It's just too bad there aren't many single men in the area. But I've got my patience cap on and deleted all my dating apps."

"I do have another brother." Callie got up to let Rex out.

"Grumpy, arrogant surgeon brother?" Anna made a face. "Hard pass, but thanks."

Taryn laughed. "Don't blame you for that. He's intense like my husband. I put him to work in the yard to get rid of some of that."

"What she's not saying is they're installing a dog run in the backyard," Callie confided.

"That too." Taryn gulped her wine.

"I've convinced them they need a dog." Callie winked. "They'd rather do that than have the wedding reception all the parents want to throw them."

"I married Garrett. That's all I wanted." Taryn sounded adamant. "I don't need a reception."

"A wedding cake would be nice," Anna said. "I could put a slice under my pillow and dream about my future spouse."

"I'll make you a wedding cake," Taryn replied. "No reception required. Everyone can take home a slice to eat or sleep on."

"If there's no wedding, does it count as a wedding cake?" Callie asked.

Taryn shook her head.

"How are things going with the professor?" Anna asked Raine.

"We've been working on the Boo Bash." Keaton had handed out most of the flyers. "He has great ideas."

Pippa smiled. "I don't think Anna was asking about the Boo Bash."

"I wasn't," Anna chimed in.

"We went hiking to Silver Falls earlier today, but that wasn't a date or anything. We're just working on the Boo Bash and hanging out."

"Isn't that how you ended up with Emmett, only not with the Boo Bash as the catalyst?" Taryn asked.

Yes, but… Raine shrugged. "Keaton isn't like Emmett."

"He's better-looking," Anna muttered.

She wasn't wrong. "Keaton's not sticking around Silver Falls. But doing things with him is good practice for when I'm ready to date again."

"Emmett's dating already," Pippa said.

"I know, but I'm not him," Raine clarified. "I mean, I'm over Emmett. But I'm not ready."

Callie refilled her wineglass. "I owe Keaton an apology."

"What for?" Anna asked.

Raine wanted to know the answer to the question.

"I was worried he might hurt you," Callie said to Raine. "But he said the same thing you just said."

"Thanks, but I'm not letting Keaton or anyone else in."

Taryn grabbed an éclair. "Sometimes what you want isn't what you need."

"It is in my case." Raine appreciated her friends, but they were wrong in this case. Yes, she was attracted to Keaton. They had fun together. There seemed to be a spark between them. That didn't happen every day, but the timing was off. "And besides, we're too different."

True, but saying the words left a hollow feeling inside her. She didn't want more, but there seemed to be a connection with Keaton.

"What do you mean different?" Taryn asked.

Oh, boy. Raine hadn't wanted to go there.

Her four friends stared at her as if they were looking at a complete stranger.

Guess I'm going there. Raine took a breath. "We're opposites. Keaton's a professor. He has three college degrees. The definition of smart. I'm a barista who barely passed to get her associate's degree."

"A degree doesn't make someone smart. You own and run your own business. You couldn't do that if you weren't intelligent."

"I attended a culinary institute to learn to be a pastry chef. That was better for what I wanted to do than getting a college degree."

"Seriously better," Pippa agreed. "I have a degree in horticulture. It's come in handy, but I spent a lot of money when I could have learned the information elsewhere. I would have been better off getting a degree in business. I'm still paying off my student loans."

"Pippa's right." Callie scooted forward in her chair. "I have a degree I'm doing nothing with. I didn't have to pay for college, but it was a waste of my parents' money given what I do now. Don't sell yourself short."

"Do you really feel this way?" Anna asked. "Or is it how Emmett made you feel after things ended?"

Raine considered the questions. "A little of both. Silver Falls was no longer good enough for him. And when he called it quits with me the last time, I wasn't good enough for him either."

"Not true," Callie blurted.

"Feels true," Raine admitted.

"Emmett wanted a different future." Taryn smiled sympathetically at Raine. "That's not on you."

"It's hard to believe that." Raine stared into her wineglass. "I believed in forever with Emmett, but my dreams turned into nothing. Maybe I'm not supposed to have a forever with someone."

"Or maybe you just haven't met the right person," Taryn said with compassion.

Callie nodded. "Someone is out there for you, Raine. The same as for Anna and Pippa."

Someone. Not Keaton.

Was Raine reading too much into this? Those éclairs looked mighty tasty. Forget the wine. She wanted sugar.

Anna tsked. "You're sounding like Margot, Callie."

Callie raised her shoulders. "Well, she brought me and Brandt together."

"And me and Garrett," Taryn added.

"Coincidence," Pippa spoke in a firm tone.

Callie shrugged. "Maybe, but that's two of five of us."

"Nope." Anna shook her head. "Not buying it."

"Please don't fuel Margot's matchmaking," Raine said. "If Margot thinks something is happening between Keaton and I, she'll be beaming brighter than the lights on Broadway, and trying her matchmaking skills on others. This conversation can't leave this room."

The others agreed.

"Now," Raine said. "Can someone please pass me an éclair?"

Death from Lawson's Bakery sounded like a good idea. The only problem? She wanted to share with Keaton.

*

In the only bar in Silver Falls, Keaton lined up the cue and hit the white ball. It struck the three-ball, which rolled and dropped into the corner pocket. "That's how it's done, gentlemen. Three more, and I win."

Garrett rolled his eyes. "Lucky shot, little brother."

Brandt groaned. "No one told me I'd be hustled tonight."

"Hey, no one's hustling." They were playing six-ball. The object—put the balls into the pocket in order from one to six. Keaton hadn't shot off the break, which had made taking over and gaining control easier. "I can't help it if I'm a pro at pool."

Even though Keaton had been up half the night writing, he wasn't tired. If anything, the words exhilarated him.

He took another shot. The four-ball went in easy.

"Hustler," Brandt muttered.

Garrett laughed. "Guess this is what they teach in college these days."

"You'd be surprised." Keaton studied the angles for the best shot to knock the five-ball in. Math was his least favorite subject—chemistry held second place, but geometry came in handy playing pool. He tapped the white ball with his cue. That sent the orange ball banking off the far side and into the middle hole. "One more to go."

Brandt shook his head. "Your little brother doesn't play fair."

Keaton figured out his shot for the six-ball. He took aim and…

Garrett snickered. "Wonder what Raine thinks of gambling."

The cue didn't hit where Keaton intended. Who was he kidding? The white ball missed the green ball completely. It wasn't even close. "You distracted me."

Brandt grinned like the only turkey left at the farm before Thanksgiving. "I'd say a certain barista's name did that."

"Heckling isn't against the rules because there are no rules." Garrett took aim. With one tap of his cue to the white ball, he sunk the six. "Now, that's how it's done."

"I need another beer." Keaton headed to the bar.

The other two followed him.

He ordered another round.

"So you and Raine?" Brandt asked.

"He's helping her with the Boo Bash," Garrett said.

Brandt laughed. "Guess I know more than big brother for once."

The bartender placed three pints of lager on the bar. Brandt handed them out.

"Wait." Garrett held his glass. "You and Raine are going out?"

Keaton took a sip. The cold liquid went down smoothly. "No. We're not dating, but we've been hanging out. Someone saw me kiss her forehead in a security tape, and the rumors have been flying ever since."

Garrett's brows drew together. "Raine knows you're leaving, right?"

"It's never been clearer that Callie truly is your mini-me. That should scare me more than it does." Brandt drank.

Garrett's jaw jutted forward. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Callie's worried Keaton is leading Raine on," Brandt answered before Keaton could.

"Are you?" Garrett asked a beat later.

"No." Keaton didn't know why everyone was so worried about Raine. The woman was so much stronger than people gave her credit for. "Raine knows what happened with my job and that I'm applying for a new one. I've been upfront about leaving Silver Falls. Satisfied?"

Garrett nodded, but his entire posture was tight like it was jury selection day. "Just be careful. You won't be around here long, but the rest of us will have to live with the consequences of your actions."

Keaton rolled his eyes. "No consequences, bro. I'm sure you've heard of swipe left and right. Those of us in ivory towers even participate in such activities as hanging out or spending time with someone you get along with."

"True." Garrett took a swig of beer. "But Raine doesn't strike me as the casual dating type."

"She admitted she's not, but that's not what we're doing so it's a nonissue." Keaton didn't want to tell them about her not knowing how to date and the practice one that set off all the gossip. "Trust me. She's on board with this. One hundred percent."

Brandt shook his head. "He sounds like Callie except for the deeper growly voice."

That brought a laugh. Still, Keaton pinned his brother with a hard stare. "You might live in Silver Falls now, but I spent six weeks here this summer. That's five weeks longer than you were here for the wedding. Give Raine some credit. She's a grown woman, who is fine with what's happening. If she wasn't, she would stop it."

"That's true," Brandt agreed. "Raine can take care of herself, which is what I told Callie."

"Thanks for having my back." Keaton raised his glass to his brother-in-law. "You're right."

"Hope you're both correct." Garrett, however, didn't sound convinced. "It's clear you're not serious about her."

Keaton flinched. "How do you know that?"

"If you cared about Raine, you wouldn't be so flippant in the way you talk about her. You would have shut down this conversation as soon as it began."

Brandt stared over his beer glass. "True that."

Both were wrong. Keaton did care about her, or he wouldn't have spent all day Friday going to every business in Silver Falls, including the market, asking them to put up the flyer.

He took a drink.

Flippant?

Keaton hadn't been flippant. People had it all wrong, acting like Raine was a fragile porcelain doll when she was strong and independent. Those characteristics were finding their way into his story's female protagonist.

Raine was both, or she never would have survived losing her parents, moving to a new town, and starting a coffee shop. But he wasn't about to say that to Garrett and Brandt. That wasn't being uncaring or flippant. The reason was the simplest of all—it was no one's business.