Chapter Four

A t the coffee shop, Keaton rubbed his eyes. He'd been staring at his computer screen for thirty minutes. His job search showed nothing new while he'd been offline driving to Silver Falls.

I should be teaching my course right now.

It was true, but someone else was doing that.

Which meant his focus was on the job search and his manuscript.

As the first week turned into a second, he'd gotten less picky over the jobs he would apply for. But his holy grail would be a visiting instructor position. That would see him through the school year. A temporary job would give him additional time to look for a permanent spot at a tier-one university. Though after talking to friends at other schools, finding a tenure-track position might be a long shot.

No reason to get discouraged.

Keaton closed his laptop. Today was his first full day in Silver Falls. He couldn't expect a change in location to bring a miracle. Even if deep inside, he wanted that to happen.

Overall, his Monday was going well. He'd stopped off at Taryn's bakery for a cookie and said hello to her staff. Even though Jayden had offered a coffee, Keaton said no. Lawson's couldn't compete with Raine's coffee.

He sipped his drink. Lukewarm but delicious. The pumpkin spice flavoring was growing on him. The smiley face in the milk brought a grin to his face.

Keaton glanced at the counter, but a customer blocked his view of Raine. He'd see her plenty given Tea Leaves and Coffee Beans was where he planned to work on his book. The coffee and the Wi-Fi were as strong as he remembered. And the price was cheaper than in L.A. Good given his current budget.

He downed what remained in his cup.

Might need to order another.

Margot worked at the quilt shop until five. Her dogs—Angus and Sadie—were at Callie's doggy daycare and wouldn't be home until Margot picked them up. That left an empty house for Keaton.

He'd enjoyed the quiet, but after two hours the silence had gotten to him, reminding him of his last day at the university and that he wasn't there for the start of fall quarter. No need to return to the empty house. He might as well work on his book.

Keaton opened his laptop and opened the file.

Mom's suggestion to work on the manuscript had been a good one. The prose was in better shape than he recalled. Most of all, he was proud of what he'd created. He'd started it after that fateful class freshman year changed his major and his life.

The story, a love letter to Norwegian folklore, featured trolls from Trold-Tindterne and the álfar . The elves were crucial to the story.

He'd queried an agent to seek representation. Worse come to worse, he could investigate publishing the book himself. After his quest for tenure died a premature death and he'd lost his job, he'd been nothing more than a passenger adrift in the Stadhavet Sea on a boat with no rudder or compass.

He touched his laptop.

But the manuscript had become a lifeline to him, providing direction and giving him another goal to pursue than a new job.

Face it. Writing was better than taking a random job he was overqualified for.

You're so good at this I'm tempted to hand you an apron, and put you to work.

He cringed.

Raine had shocked him by suggesting he'd be a good employee.

Keaton Andrews BA, MA, PhD working as a barista?

Laughable.

Yes, but his reaction had been rude.

He should have said thank you and appreciated her for seeing him as employable. Something his university hadn't done. He'd discovered not all non-tenured faculty in the Scandinavian Studies department had been let go. A couple had been absorbed elsewhere.

But everyone had abandoned him. Ghosted would be the more popular term. His texts and emails got no replies. He'd even tried calling but only got voicemails and no one called him back. Only Lilia stopped by his office to wish him good luck. A scribbled note taped to his former office's door had been his goodbye to the colleagues he'd worked with for six years.

He didn't get it.

No farewell gathering or happy hour to bid him adieu .

No card signed by everyone in the department.

No offers to introduce him to others in the field.

He'd become persona non grata. As if by associating with someone let go, they would become tainted.

The only thing Lilia said was that a few people considered him stuffy and egotistical. But that had never been mentioned in his course surveys from students or in his reviews. Yes, he'd been acting the part of a professor, but he'd made sure students found him approachable.

No dwelling on the past.

Keaton had his family in L.A. and in Silver Falls, including Brandt, his aunt Margot, and Taryn.

Another cup with another smiley face appeared in front of him.

He glanced up. "Are you a mind reader?"

The dark circles under Raine's eyes had nothing to do with the mascara and eyeliner she wore. "I read the tea leaves in the last cup I steeped. They said you needed a refill."

He laughed. "I did. Thanks."

She glanced at the counter. No customers were there if that was what she wanted to check.

"I was about to work on something else," he added. "A book. A fun project not an academic one."

"What does a fun book mean to someone like you?"

His brows creased. "You mean someone who teaches at a college?"

"If the tweed fits…"

He grinned. "Fair enough. I wrote a fantasy novel years ago. I haven't had time to work on it until now."

Her eyes widened. "That's cool. Lots of people say they want to write a book, but you're doing it."

Raine's excitement brought a rush of his own. "I am. I love how the story keeps improving."

"Good luck with it. I hope the drink inspires you to the top of the NYT bestseller list."

He'd love to hit a list someday. He raised his cup in a toast to her.

"Thanks." Keaton took a sip. Another latte. "Very inspiring. I'm enjoying these."

Her smile relaxed, bringing a brightness to her tired eyes and face. Despite her tiredness, Raine was attractive with expressive eyes. Her facial structure would be the envy of social media influencers. But—and it was a big but—her multiple ear piercings and her asymmetrically cut platinum-blond-streaked brunette hair made her one hundred and eighty degrees different from his ideal woman.

He dated girl-next-door or academic types, women who would fit in at university gatherings. Callie claimed he was a snob, only dating women who still wore pearls and sweater sets who would meet a dean's approval. She might be right. Not that dating that type had helped him keep his job.

"I'd better get back to the counter. Wave if you need another," she said. "I'll bring it over if there's no one at the counter."

This was his chance. He set the drink on the table. "I'm sorry for being so rude when you mentioned hiring me."

"Don't worry about it." The way her words shot out belied her casual tone.

No matter what she said, it had mattered to her. He'd hurt her with his careless words.

"I was half joking," she added. "Just getting a little desperate trying to find more help."

He was fighting a bit of desperation himself. His frustration over losing his job had gotten the best of him. Flynn and their parents must be relieved Keaton had left Southern California. "I hope you find someone soon."

"Me, too."

The bell on the door jingled. Brecken, who worked for Taryn, and the barista Keaton remembered serving him this summer walked in.

The only difference from a month ago?

The barista's hair was green instead of purple.

"Hey, Boss," Timmy called out.

A genuine grin crossed Raine's face.

Keaton did a double take. She hadn't smiled at him or other customers like that.

She hugged Timmy. "How did classes go today?"

"Good." Timmy glanced at the counter. "Here alone?"

Raine's nod was imperceptible. Keaton would have missed it if he hadn't been staring at her.

"You're exhausted." Timmy's gaze narrowed. "When was the last time you ate?"

She rubbed her neck. "Um, yesterday. Lunch, I think."

Keaton's mouth dropped open. She thought?

Not good. He felt like an even bigger jerk. She hadn't been kidding about being desperate.

Brecken bit his lip.

Timmy was the only one who didn't appear surprised. "That's what I thought."

"I'm fine." Raine's words sounded practiced, too smooth.

"And I'm the newest member of MENSA." Timmy handed his backpack to Brecken. "I'm taking over the counter for a few minutes, so Raine can take a break."

Brecken nodded.

Funny, but Keaton found himself nodding too.

She shook her head. "That's not necessary."

Timmy put his arm around her shoulder. "Go into the office and close the door. Eat. Take a catnap. Just relax, okay?"

Relief transformed Raine's face yet again, more like the barista Keaton remembered from visits this summer and in December.

Callie spoke highly of Raine, as a friend and a business owner. His sister called Raine strong—a fighter. He expected her to tell Timmy no. Instead, she walked toward the counter with him.

Brecken came closer to Keaton. "Mind if we sit with you? Well, me. Timmy will be here soon enough."

"Go ahead."

He placed the backpacks on the floor and sat in an empty chair at the table. "Taryn said you were back in town."

"I'm staying at Margot's again."

"Yeah, Taryn and Garrett are too into each other. Callie and Brandt too." Brecken's expression was more tween than teen. "Taryn said Raine was working too much, but it's worse than I thought."

"She mentioned trying to hire a barista."

"She needs like three of them. Timmy's working weekends and a couple of nights, but he worked full-time before classes started last month."

"You started college too. How's it going?"

Brecken hung his head as if the weight of the world rested on his eighteen-year-old shoulders. "Community college is so much harder than high school."

"What's difficult about it?"

Brecken wouldn't meet Keaton's eyes. "I got an F on my first paper."

The dejection in the kid's voice reminded Keaton of when he and Flynn had found Brecken after he'd run away. "Did you turn the paper in?"

"Yeah, but I may have watched the movie instead of reading the book."

"May have?"

"Okay, I did." Brecken rubbed his hands over his face. "I was babysitting my brothers and sisters, and time got away from me. I couldn't read the book in one day and write a paper."

"What book?"

" The Scarlet Letter ."

Keaton winced. The instructor would have known right away.

Brecken leaned forward. "You've read the book and seen the movie?"

"Yes. You can't take shortcuts like that. Not at college."

"It's community college."

"Doesn't matter. A high school English teacher would have caught that." Keaton remembered a meme. It might help Brecken understand. "Picture an iceberg. The part above the water is the movie. The larger portion below the water is the book."

"The book sank the Titanic ."

"I suppose you could say that, but with movie adaptions, sometimes the film and the book aren't the same iceberg. They're separated by miles. Sometimes in different oceans."

"Yeah, I guess the ending is different from what I watched." Brecken blew out a breath. "I won't do that again."

Timmy placed an iced coffee with a straw in front of Brecken. "We can study as soon as Raine's back."

"Take your time. I'm catching up with Keaton." Brecken sipped his drink. "So good, thanks."

"If you guys need help with your classes, and it's not a STEM subject, I'm happy to help." Keaton would miss holding office hours.

"Cool." Brecken glanced at Timmy. "Keaton's a professor at a university the smart kids with high test scores go to."

Timmy nodded. "I remember you working on a syllabus this summer."

Keaton's chest tightened. It took every ounce of strength to keep a smile on his face. "I did."

The word came out stiffer than he'd wanted, but the two young men didn't seem to notice.

The bell on the front door jingled.

"Need to take care of the customer." Timmy raced toward the counter.

"Timmy's a junior at Summit Ridge University." Brecken took another sip. "He's taken a couple of the courses I'm in, so he offered to help me. I'm not much use to him, but you would be."

"Don't say that about yourself. You can be helpful, too. A different perspective can be all that's necessary to learn something new."

"Even if I'm not in his classes?"

At the counter, Raine came out from the back and shooed Timmy away, even though the young man fought her.

That wasn't much of a break. She still appeared tired, but her smile came easier. "Even then."