Chapter Two

A s the clock struck noon, a whimsical chime sounded. Raine loved the fun clock, a Christmas gift from Callie Andrews, which didn't quite fit the laid-back vibe of the coffee shop, but it was perfect, nonetheless, and from a dear friend, so it hung in a place of honor. Much better there than at Raine's house where she didn't spend as much time.

Raine smiled. She'd survived two more hours on her own.

Go me!

The morning had passed by in a rush, but somehow, she'd filled every order, washed a load of cups, and sipped half a cup of cold coffee.

Caffeine was caffeine no matter the temperature.

Only eight more hours to go until Raine would flip the open sign to closed. Her fingers itched to lock the door now, but she would make it.

What was the phrase Taryn Lawson Andrews used?

Easy-peasy.

That was it.

The shop had cleared out twenty minutes ago, and Raine had raced to the bathroom. Usually, a morning rush meant a lunchtime lull. She would gladly take less business this afternoon.

The bell on the door jingled.

Raine pasted on her best service-with-a-smile expression.

Margot Winslow, in her sixties but a teenager at heart, carried an orange rubber bin with a black lid. She waltzed to the counter dressed in a short-sleeved T-shirt, broomstick skirt, quilted vest with tassels, and Birkenstocks—typical of the quilt-shop owner's boho style.

"Hello." Margot's eyes twinkled like aquamarine gemstones. The closest thing to royalty in Silver Falls, she ruled the First Avenue Business Association like a queen. She set the bin on the counter. "We missed you at the meeting today."

"Sorry about that." Raine readied her finger over the cash register to take the order. "I had no one to cover me."

Margot peered over the counter. "Where's your staff?"

That was the question of the day. "Out."

"You're here alone?"

"Yes." Raine's smile slipped. She forced it back into place. "The usual?"

"Not today." Margot studied the menu board on the wall behind Raine. "I'm overheated from the meeting and need to cool down. I'll have an iced tea. Extra ice with a smidgen of sugar. Oh, please add a lemon slice."

Raine rang up the sale. Margot paid with cash and tucked two dollars into the tip jar.

Usually, Raine left the tips for her staff to split and didn't take a share. Today, the money would be all hers. She would use it to buy dinner after she closed.

Margot remained standing in front of the cash register. That was…odd. Most customers moved to the other end of the counter to pick up their drinks.

Raine filled the stainless shaker with iced tea. "Did you want something else?"

"No. I want to tell you what happened at the meeting."

Margot was also the hub for gossip in town. "Drama?"

"A few tempers spiraled."

That happened when coordinators needed to be assigned to an upcoming event. Sometimes, people were eager to volunteer. Other times not.

Raine added a teaspoon of sugar—what she'd determined Margot considered a smidgen. "What got people so riled?"

"We voted on who would be in charge of the Boo Bash."

"I thought someone was picked in August." Raine shook the mixture.

"No. The Boo Bash coordinator is selected the month before."

Raine had missed that meeting too but assumed…

She filled a plastic cup with ice. "Was it a fight for the position or were there crickets?"

"Crickets."

That meant no one volunteered. The association must have drafted someone. Okay, being selected wasn't as bad as being named a tribute in the Hunger Games, but that might be preferable to juggling the event and a busy real life.

Raine poured the tea into the cup, added a slice of lemon, a lid, and a straw. She set the drink in front of Margot. "Here you go."

"Thank you." Margot didn't reach for the cup. "I have good news for you."

Raine's heart leapt. She leaned forward. The counter pressed against her stomach. "Do you know someone looking for a job?"

"No, but I'll let you know if I hear of anyone."

She straightened, tamping down her disappointment and picking up the shaker to wash it. "So, what's the good news?"

Margot's smile deepened the laugh lines around her mouth. "We voted for you to be in charge of this year's Boo Bash."

The shaker slipped from Raine's hands. She caught it.

Thank goodness for fast reflexes. Still, her pulse raced as if she'd shot a liter of caffeine straight into her vein. "How? Why? I wasn't there."

"No, but it's your turn."

"No." The word shot out. "I was in charge of the Valentine's Sweetheart Dance in February."

Margot's eyes widened. Her mouth parted as if surprised. "Oh, I forgot. It appears everyone else did too because no one brought that up. But no matter, everyone else is too busy right now to take on the Boo Bash."

Raine's muscles knotted. This was the last thing she needed or could handle. "I've been down an employee for months, and Timmy's cut back his hours because of college. I haven't had a day off in almost two weeks."

"All of us are in a similar position. I'm sorry, but you know the rules. Once voted for, you're it. No take-backs." Margot patted the bin's lid. "You're the coordinator for this year's Boo Bash. The materials you'll need are inside the box."

Raine opened her mouth and then shut it. Her thoughts were a jumble, but she had to figure out how this happened. "Was the vote unanimous?"

"Callie, Taryn, Pippa, and Beth voted no."

Too bad Anna worked for Callie or that would have been another vote in Raine's favor. At least her friends had stood up for her. That had to count for something. "No take-backs, huh?"

"If you quit, you'll be assessed a significant fine. You know the rules."

"I do, which is why I should have never been nominated in the first place. We're only required to do one event a year. I did that. I organized the Valentine's dance."

Margot said nothing.

Not unexpected. Still, Raine needed to get this out. "I'll be fully transparent and tell you the Boo Bash won't be anything close to what it's been in the past. I don't have the time."

"That's your choice. But you may have fallout from that decision."

"Don't care." Raine didn't. If she had the extra money, she would pay the fine. "This falls on everyone in the association who voted for me when I shouldn't have been up for consideration."

She would make sure the kids had fun trick-or-treating at the shops on their early release day the Wednesday before Halloween and call it good, but less would be more this year.

Raine had worked hard for the association, including in February after Emmett broke up with her for the first time, and she'd felt empty inside not romantic. She'd given her all then. She had nothing to give now.

Forget about remaining in the association. No way would she renew for next year. Not after they'd done this to her. Now wasn't the time to tell Margot, the founder of the association, who loved it as much as her two dogs and nephew. But enough was enough. A business association should support its members, not enforce rules and assess fines that made their lives harder.

She pushed back her shoulders as if preparing for battle. Given what these events meant to the association and the town, she was in for a fight. "I can handle whatever people have to say. Especially when I remind them how I put on an event earlier this year and should have been exempted from this one."

Harsh, perhaps.

But true.

Just let someone complain, and words would fly. Was it horrible she looked forward to that?

Must be from keeping all the stuff that happened with Emmett inside her for too long.

Surprisingly, Margot's smile spread across her face. "It's good to see you showing some backbone finally."

Raine cringed, even though Margot made a valid point. "Been trying."

And she had.

Ever since July when Emmett showed up unannounced to pick up the boxes he'd left in her garage. His mother wouldn't keep them after he'd moved out of his apartment in January, so he'd dumped them on Raine. He now lived in Seattle, which was where she'd grown up.

They'd swapped hometowns.

Ironic or fitting?

She hadn't decided which.

"You've been through a lot. Emmett's mother said he's enjoying Seattle." Margot's voice was sympathetic. Not unexpected. But she had blinders on when it came to the First Avenue Business Association. "It's time you replaced him."

Like any small town, rumors ran rampant, but this one was one hundred percent true based on the updates to Emmett's social media accounts. Raine still followed him and vice versa. Though seeing him with another woman had stung worse than the hornet she'd come across at the old mill. "It's not only Emmett I need to replace. I need at least two more baristas."

"I'm not talking about work."

Oh.

Oh, no.

A heaviness pressed against Raine's shoulder. This was bad. Not in charge of the Boo Bash bad, but a close second.

Margot fancied herself the town matchmaker. Okay, she'd brought together her nephew, Brandt, and Callie in December. And this summer, she'd managed to get Taryn together with Callie's brother, Garrett.

Whether luck or coincidence, Raine wanted no part of any matchmaking in her life. She wasn't ready to take another shot at love. She might never be ready for that, even if she was over Emmett. The mixture of hurt and disappointment had been too much. It was as if she'd relived losing her parents again. She didn't want to go through that again.

Raine crossed her arms over her chest. "My focus is Tea Leaves and Coffee Beans. With my crazy work hours and the Boo Bash to plan, dating won't be happening for a long time. Please go play matchmaker elsewhere."

"Of course," Margot replied quickly. A little too quickly, which suggested trouble. "Did I imply otherwise?"

"No."

Margot's reputation, however, preceded her. And now, her blue eyes danced. A bad sign that put Raine's sanity at stake, but her relationship status wasn't changing. No matter what Margot had in mind.

Time to shut this down. "Just want to be clear where I stand."

"I hear you." Margot perked up. "And you're in luck."

Yeah, bad luck. Raine's shoulders drooped. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not only a matchmaker. I'm also a headhunter." Margot winked and sipped her iced tea. "No one makes tea blends like you. Now…tell me what you're looking for in a barista?"

Maybe Raine overreacted with her worst-case-scenario-matchmaking thinking. But with two friends saying "I do" recently, she couldn't help herself.

"Reliable with a strong work ethic and breathing. But I don't need a headhunter to find baristas." What Raine needed was a miracle. She hoped her ads did the trick. "I'll figure it out."

"You do that, but I'll keep my ears and eyes open too."

"Thank you." Raine's eyes would be open. She wouldn't be sleeping much with the Boo Bash to organize at night. That was the only time planning the event could happen until she hired more staff. "Enjoy your iced tea."

She placed the Boo Bash's rubber bin behind the counter.

Doable, right?

Raine crossed her fingers again, hoping it would be.

*

Only four days had passed since Keaton had lost his job, but it felt like a lifetime. He paced across the floor of his parents' living room in Beverly Hills. He'd grown up there and knew every inch. If he didn't stop walking, he'd wear a path on the wood floors, but sitting would only make him fidget.

"You must be getting tired." The concern in Mom's voice made him slow down.

"I'm…" Saying okay would be ridiculous. It was a weekday and not his day off. He wore shorts, a T-shirt, and bare feet, not his usual tweed jacket, bow tie, suspenders, dress pants, plaid socks, and leather shoes. His world had turned upside down and inside out. He hated the out-of-control feeling. "I'll sit later."

Everyone was there. Well, those related to him by blood. His new in-laws Brandt Winslow and Taryn Lawson Andrews had stayed in Silver Falls. Rex and Lawson's Bakery most likely the reasons, but Keaton hadn't asked. Not when he was trying to salvage the life he'd so meticulously planned.

Flynn sat on the couch next to Mom. "You'll wear yourself out."

Talk about being a hypocrite. The circles under Flynn's eyes appeared worse than the last time Keaton had seen his oldest brother. "You're one to talk."

Flynn's face hardened. "I'm fine."

Which meant he wasn't. That was almost as shocking as Keaton losing his job. Flynn was the oldest and a renowned surgeon. The playing God part of medicine appealed to him. The guy was as arrogant as he was generous. An odd mix. But Keaton appreciated having Flynn on his side.

"Things at the hospital will slow down soon, and Flynn won't be as tired." Mom, chief of staff where Flynn worked, wrung her hands—something she did when worried. But it wasn't her oldest she was concerned about. Mom barely glanced at Flynn. Her attention had been on Keaton.

He gulped.

For the first time, he was the reason for the hand wringing. The figurative knife in his heart twisted. All he wanted to do was make his family proud and not disappoint them. He'd never imagined he would be the one who failed.

"You're the focus now," Mom added as if he hadn't figured that out himself.

"Welcome to the hot seat, Keaton." Callie had flown in with Garrett as soon as they found out about Keaton losing his job. "Must admit I'm glad it's not me sitting there."

"Or me." Garrett shot Keaton a sympathetic look. "There's a first time for everyone."

It shouldn't be Keaton's. "I was hoping to avoid it."

Dad sat on a wingback chair with his elbows on his thighs and leaning forward slightly. Even with his loosened tie and the rolled-up sleeves of his dress shirt, he would be a formidable opponent in court. "This isn't the end of the world, Son."

"I want to believe that."

Bitterness coated Keaton's mouth like a double dose of cough syrup. He'd had a few days to come to terms with losing his job and his shot at tenure, but he was still reeling. His emotions swung from disbelief to frustration to anger. Everything he'd defined himself as had been stripped away. And one question kept him awake at night.

Who was he without teaching at a prestigious university?

He'd defined himself by his job. He hadn't only lost his income. He'd also lost his identity.

And his purpose in life.

Keaton took a breath and another. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do?"

Dad sat back. "I've consulted with top employment attorneys who specialize in education. The university is within its right to cut your department and cancel your contract."

Keaton shot a glance at Garrett. "Did you find out anything?"

"Sorry, Keaton." After Garrett's plane landed on Friday night, no one saw him until today. He'd been working nonstop to find a way to help Keaton. "Dad's right. There's no recourse to what the university did, but you've got excellent experience, and you're getting solid recommendations."

"Finding a tenure-track position will be difficult." The words flew out of Keaton's mouth as if he were tossing a spear like the Vikings of eons past did. He took a breath. "I thought I was different. That I would beat the odds when I submitted the dossier. I was so sure and now…

"Keaton was born to be a professor," Mom said.

"Thanks, Mom." She worked more hours than Dad and pushed for each of her children to live up to their potential. That drive had annoyed Callie, but Keaton appreciated Mom's support.

"You'll find your place." Callie smiled at him, a bright torch in his pitch-black week. She might be the baby of the family, but she was the glue that held them together. "And in the meantime, I have an idea."

"What is it, sweetheart?" Dad asked in the softer tone he reserved for Mom and Callie.

Callie's face brightened like a ray of sunshine had somehow found its way through the ceiling. She scooted forward in her chair as if to get closer to Keaton. "Come to Silver Falls. You can stay with me and Brandt, or Garrett and Taryn, or Margot if you don't want to be around newlyweds."

Callie and Brandt had had a big wedding. Garrett and Taryn had eloped in Lake Tahoe, much to the dismay of both sets of parents, who kept asking if they'd have a reception. Both couples were lovey-dovey all the time.

His sister and brother's happiness thrilled Keaton, but a guy could only take so many heart-eyes and so much couple togetherness. "Do you think Margot would mind if I stayed with her?"

"Not at all." Callie didn't hesitate to answer. "She's the one who suggested you come to Silver Falls. She won't charge you rent."

"That's generous of Margot," Mom said.

"She enjoys having house guests." Keaton had stayed at Margot's the week before the wedding. Then, he'd moved to Callie's house when they left on their honeymoon. Margot had invited him over to dinner each Sunday, and he'd taken her out to lunch twice a week. He got the better end of that deal.

"Great idea, baby sis." Garrett rubbed his chin. "Keaton can regroup and apply for jobs."

"And play with Rex." Keaton missed the dog.

Callie rolled her eyes. "Yes, we all know how you bonded with your nephew. Rex would love to see you too."

"I need to move out of my apartment." Rent around the university was expensive, so the school offered subsidized housing to faculty members. They'd given him a month to vacate, but finding a new place made no sense when he was unemployed. "I'll put my stuff in storage."

Until he knew where he would end up.

"Leave your things in my garage. I only use one spot so you can have the other half. That'll save you a monthly fee." Flynn yawned.

Keaton's next job might not be in L.A. Few tier-one universities were on the West Coast. To pursue his dream of teaching at one meant he would likely end up on the East Coast. He didn't like the idea of moving away from his parents and oldest brother, but two of his siblings now lived in the same small town in Washington. Their family was changing.

Dad laughed. "He's thinking about it."

Yes, but not about Silver Falls, per se.

"Please come to Silver Falls." Callie's gaze implored Keaton in the same way she used to ask for an extra cookie or for him to play Barbies with her. "I was so busy with the wedding and then you left right after we got home from our honeymoon. I haven't spent time with you beyond Thanksgiving and Christmas."

Garrett side-eyed her. "And both holidays you storm off after we beat you at Monopoly."

Flynn nodded. "Settlers of Catan."

"And cards." There were worse places Keaton could go to regroup. He missed working on his courses in Tea Leaves and Coffee Beans. No one made coffee like Callie's friend Raine. "But you're right. Silver Falls might be a nice change."

Callie jumped to her feet and clapped. "You can relax and research jobs."

"You'll finally have time to finish the novel you started as an undergrad," Mom suggested.

His novel.

Keaton had completed a second draft before pushing aside fiction writing to pursue academic pursuits. Publish or perish wasn't far from the truth for any university's faculty member. Sure, his specialty included folklore, mythology, and legends, but writing about those for papers wasn't the stuff of novels. "I will have the time for it finally."

Time was all he would have. Unfortunately.

He scrubbed his hand over his face.

"The university will regret losing you." Dad's furrowed brow reminded Keaton of when he'd told his dad he didn't want to be a lawyer. Dad had been disappointed, but he never said a negative word and supported Keaton's endeavor to be a professor someday one hundred percent. "Maybe not this week or next month, but a brilliant career lies ahead of you, Son."

"Of course, they'll regret it." Mom didn't miss a beat. "Keaton's irreplaceable."

Keaton shared a glance with his siblings, who all smiled. Their parents were their biggest supporters.

Garrett shook his head, but amusement filled his eyes. "You sound like such a mom right now."

"Well, that's what I am." Mom raised her chin. She turned her attention to Keaton. "When you return to L.A., stay here. Your old room's ready for you."

Keaton appreciated the offer, but he was too old to move home. Unless he had no other place to go. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. "Thanks, but I might stay in Silver Falls for a while."

As soon as he packed up his apartment, moved his stuff into Flynn's garage, got the oil changed in his car, and his tires checked, he would drive north. A free place to stay would keep his expenses low while he applied for jobs. Oh, he'd make sure to help Margot around the house, yard, and in her quilt shop. He'd even cook meals. Anything to repay her kindness.

He wasn't broke, only unemployed. He had a decent severance package and unemployment would kick in if he couldn't find a job. He also had money in savings, but he wanted to be careful with his finances. Finding a tenure-track position would take time.

Keaton hadn't expected to be in Silver Falls until December, but the small town was his best option.

For now, at least.