CHAPTER FIVE

Maven

Imeet Tasha bright and early at the bookshop where she already has a lovely cup of hot coffee from the new Summit Coffee House waiting for me.

"You're the best," I say, taking a long sip and letting it sink all the way into my bones.

"Did you really think I wouldn't have a coffee ready for you? You're not much of a morning person, and besides, I know how you like it by heart," she remarks through a yawn.

"You know me too well and thank you."

We both have our hair pulled up and are wearing comfortable clothing—not bothering to put much effort into our appearance for the task we have ahead of us. There's really no need, especially since we won't be interacting with customers, just the hundreds of volumes waiting to be cataloged. We sit and drink our coffee for a few minutes, waiting for the caffeine to kick in before starting our task. The bookshop is so serene in these early morning hours that it only contributes to my sleepiness as the scent of the coffee and books mix together, creating a perfect aroma of coziness, just like it always has.

Since Tall Tales has been in Tasha's family for ages, I spent many playdates here as a child, and when I was older, Tasha and I would browse and read all the books we possibly could, drinking in words and leaving our young minds full of wonder. It never got old, and it still hasn't.

I waited until we got home last night to divulge my plans with Tasha, in case my mom was annoyed and didn't want to talk about it. She seemed a little irritated at first, but when I pitched her the idea that she may need some alone time to look over Dad's belongings, she changed her mood. For a moment, I thought she'd bring up what I'd heard her talking to Mina about, but her only reply was, "That sounds great, honey. I'm sure Tasha will love having company, and it will give you more time to catch up."

Eventually, Tasha rises from her chair, the creaking wood bringing me back to the task at hand, and I watch as she lazily makes her way to the counter where a pile of cleaning supplies are stacked.

"So, I was thinking we could start from the back and work our way across. You start on one end of the bookcase, and I'll start at the other until we meet in the middle, then we can move on to the next row," she recites with practiced orders.

Tasha had been doing this longer than me, so who am I to argue with her tactics.

I nod, absently surveying the shop. There are about thirty rows nestled in the tight space, and each bookcase is at least ten shelves high, their length as wide as the shop. I have no idea how long this will take us, but now that the caffeine has kicked in, I feel alive. I stand, stretching my arms above my head.

"Let's do it."

Tasha instructs me to thoroughly check each and every book, remove it from the shelf, flip through the pages, and check for any damage. For all the leather-bound books, I need to wipe them down with a cloth and apply a protectant so the leather remains in good condition. Most of the books are in excellent shape, no surprise there, the shop and books are in good hands. In the first half hour, we seem to be moving at a good pace, and thankfully, she doesn't bring up our mom's conversation we overheard the night before. I start to think that we'll be done in a couple of hours, but then I make the mistake of reading the books I pick up, and before I know where the time has gone, it's taken me a good five to ten minutes to "check" each book before placing it back on the shelf or into a donation box.

"Are you helping, or just reading?" Tasha teases.

"Both."

"We're going to be here all day!"

I chuckle in response. The rest of the morning is filled with laughter and reading, and I truly can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be, or anything else I'd rather be doing.

At some point, Mina calls us upstairs for lunch, and as we eat, I realize how grateful I am to be sitting here, talking with two of my favorite people in the world. For so long, I wondered if I would ever have the chance to live a normal life again, and I am lucky to say that, for the most part, I am.

We haven't been back to the book inventory for very long when the bell chimes, announcing someone has entered the shop. I don't really think much of it until I hear a man speaking in a deep voice and Mina's peppy tone responding to whatever they are saying. I go back to the books but pause again when I hear a boisterous laugh. I can't explain it, but I want to see the face behind that beautiful sound. It feels familiar somehow, even though I know I've never heard it before. Weaving my way through the rows, I find a spot where I can peek through the shelves to clearly see the checkout counter yet remain hidden.

The first thing I notice are muscled forearms leaning against the counter. I shift, standing on my tippy toes to see his face, and when I do, I can't help the wave of heat that travels through my body. The man talking with Mina has dark-blond hair, cut short on the sides and longer on top. There's stubble on his face, showcasing the strong angle of his jaw, and despite the distance, I can tell he has green eyes.

"What are you doing?" Tasha's sudden appearance makes me jump so hard that I knock a few books off the shelves.

"You scared me!" I whisper loudly, clutching my chest as my heart beats wildly. I don't even try to pretend that she hasn't caught me spying. "Who is that?" I ask in a whisper, motioning toward the front of the shop. Tasha walks to where I was standing to check, and when she turns to face me, her smile is positively wicked.

"That, my friend, is another thing that happened while you were away."

I shake my head. "What do you mean?"

Tasha covers her mouth to stifle her giggles, only making me more confused. "The look on your face is priceless." She snickers as I roll my eyes. "You're not the only one who responds that way the first time they see Renn."

I turn back to the shelf to peek through again.

Renn. I replay his name in my mind. It's different, but not too unusual. Simple. I decide I like the name, probably because of who it's attached to, but nonetheless, I do.

"Do you want to meet him?" Her question causes me to knock a few more books off the shelf.

"What! No!"

"Tash? Everything okay?" Mina calls. Tasha grins and grabs my hand, pulling me before I can protest.

"We're good. Maven was just . . . checking out a few books," she says devilishly as we round the corner.

I'm now severely regretting my clothing choice. They turn to face us, and as we get closer, Renn straightens fully. Oh, goodness, he is tall, at least six-three. If I had to guess, he seems to be around our age—late twenties, maybe even early thirties. He's wearing a white, short-sleeve v-neck, with dark pants and black boots. Tasha, still pulling me along, stops a few feet in front of him.

"Renn! I want you to meet someone. This is my best friend, Maven. Maven, this is Renn." His eyes meet mine, and I suddenly don't know what to do with my arms and hands. Luckily, he saves me when he extends a hand to me.

"Nice to meet you, Maven," he says, grinning. I take his hand, large and rough against mine.

"You too," I respond, and he lets go. His smile is so inviting, I easily return the sentiment.

"I was just talking to Maven about you, actually. She just got back into town," Tasha enthusiastically tells him, and I smile awkwardly, making a note to remind her later how weird she's making this moment. Renn's green eyes, that appear to be more of a grayish green up close, look at me again as he cocks his head.

"Back?" he asks, casually folding his arms. The gesture makes me feel like he really is interested. I clear my throat nervously because his eyes never leave mine.

What is happening right now? Am I blushing?

"Yeah. I, uh, we haven't been back to town . . . for a while. My mom and I got here last night." He nods.

"Maven and her family have been coming to Solitude Ridge for many years. We've known each other for a long time," Tasha explains.

I can't think of what else to add so I give her a validating, "Mm-hmm," in response.

"Well then, welcome back," Renn says, beaming. I'm relieved he doesn't ask more questions.

"Thank you. It's good to be back." There are a couple of moments of silence before I find myself asking, "When did you move to Solitude Ridge?"

Renn rubs a hand under his jaw and stares off for a moment, seeming to consider his answer. "It's been about four years."

We just missed each other, I think to myself. Not that it matters.

Mina pipes in. "Renn graciously stopped by to take the donation boxes for us."

I glance at Renn just as he blushes at Mina, rubbing the back of his neck. It's not hard to miss that he exudes confidence, but it's not in any way cocky. Even though I've just met the man, I can clearly see it in his body language and the way he speaks—he gives off a sense of ease. But I also can't help the nerves building inside me. The only way I can describe it is that he has a presence, and by the way we're all admiring him, I'm not the only one feeling an aura radiating off of him.

"Oh, I don't mind one bit. Happy to help."

Tasha looks at me with an expression that says, Can you believe this guy?

Before anything else can be said, my mom bursts through the shop's door. "Mave, did you get my messages?" She's frazzled, but I'm familiar with her in this state, especially when I don't respond to her messages in a timely manner. It happens more than I wish it would.

"Oh, no. Sorry, Mom. I don't have my phone on me. I must have left it upstairs."

She opens her mouth to say something, but then realizes there are other people in the room, her eyes pausing on Renn for a few extra seconds. "I needed a break from unpacking, but I haven"t heard from you. I was wondering if you were close to being finished here." Pivoting to face Renn, she cocks her head. "But now I'm wondering who this handsome young man is," she coos flirtatiously, making me blush with embarrassment.

"Renn, this is Maven's mother, Tova," Tasha says, and they shake hands.

"Nice to meet you, Tova." They exchange friendly smiles.

"I see you've already met my daughter."

My cheeks burn.

"Yes. Just a few moments ago," he replies, eyeing me.

"Did you need help, Mom?" I say, cutting in before she can respond, because I get the feeling my mother is about to embarrass me further. "I can come back with you to the cabin if you need me."

My mom's head sways. "Oh, no, I'm good. I did, however, discover that the sink in the kitchen is leaking, so I need to stop by the hardware store."

"I can take a look if you need me to," Renn says cooly.

"Oh, no. We can figure it out. No need—" I start to say, but Mina interrupts.

"We can vouch for Renn. He's a good one to have around."

"No. I can fix it," I say, and Tasha looks at me skeptically.

"Have you fixed a leaky sink before?"

"Well, no, but . . ."

"Don't you remember how small towns work, Mave? We help each other. You know we're a close-knit community."

The way she says "community" makes me roll my eyes. Tasha is still laying it on thick for catching me spying on Renn. He hasn't moved during this exchange, but he seems to be enjoying the conversation unfolding in front of him, and gives me a look that suggests he's used to Mina and Tasha's theatrics.

"Don't let them guilt you into helping," I tell him, glaring at Tasha and Mina.

He chuckles lightly, a deep vibrato I can practically feel vibrating through my body. "Tasha's right. That's what we do."

I shake my head at him but can't help but smile. Not only is he good-looking, he's charming and helpful, too.

Tasha wraps an arm around my shoulder. "Welcome back to Solitude Ridge, Mave."

Everyone laughs, except for me because I'm too busy staring Tasha down. I guess if I'm going to be living the small town life permanently, I need to accept everything that comes along with it. I forgot how different this place really is sometimes. The genuine care of checking in on your neighbors and supporting each other is not common elsewhere these days.

"I was planning on taking the books to Greenhaven, but I could come by afterwards. It's about a two hour trip there and back," Renn says, looking at my mom.

"Oh, of course. No rush! Thank you for the offer." Her eyes crinkle from her grin. "Well then, I guess I'll be seeing you two later," my mom adds with a quick look between Renn and me—a look I do not like. Then, she's heading out the door.

"Bye, Mom!" I call quickly before the door closes.

Mina sighs and claps her hands. "So, Renn, the boxes are over here."

"Lead the way." He moves to follow her, and just when I think he will leave without saying anything else, he stops and turns to me. "It was nice to meet you and your mom, Maven, truly." His green eyes peer down at me, the color so cool, yet they hold so much warmth. "See you later?" I'm stunned by the genuineness in his voice.

"You too, and yeah, I guess I'll see you later," I say nervously. He gives a curt nod, then follows Mina. I wait until they're out of sight then turn to Tasha, hitting her arm.

She mouths, Ow at me.

"Care to explain why you left that out of your updates last night?" I bite, tossing my thumb in the direction of where Renn disappeared.

Tasha's grin is full of mischief. "That whole exchange was worth leaving it out, but since I'm feeling bad now . . ." I glare at her again, playfully this time. "Where would you like me to start?"

"How about from the beginning!"

She giggles. "Hmm, okay. Well, as you saw, he is insanely handsome."

I certainly did, but I'm not sure handsome is sufficient to describe Renn's appearance. From his observant and alluring eyes, to his sculpted features . . . I know there's more to him, but I can't put my finger on what it might be.

Tasha continues, "He just showed up one day and stayed. It was about a year after you . . . left." I know she was about to say something else, and I'm glad she didn't.

"Weird, but go on." It was unusual for someone to randomly stop by and decide to stay for so long.

"Well, he's probably one of the nicest people I've ever met. Always willing to lend a helping hand, as you saw. He's basically the town's hero. Last summer, a little six-year-old girl wandered off from her family on a hiking trail and was lost in the woods. Everyone in town was searching for her, but Renn was the one who found her. He acted like it was no big deal."

I nod. "Wow, that's admirable."

"Tell me about it!"

I can't remember the last time Tash and I talked this excitedly about a guy. Probably not since we were teenagers. Neither of us has ever had a serious boyfriend, well I've had one,technically, and as far as I know, Tash still hasn't. Dating hasn't really been on my mind since the accident. I've never really had time to.

"But there is one thing . . ." she continues, tapping her nails against the bookshelf and scrunching her lips.

"What one thing?"

She hesitates, giving me a knowing look.

"Wait, did something happen between you two?"

She snorts. "No, nothing like that. He's just a good friend, and besides, he doesn't have flings with anyone as far as I know."

"Okay . . ." I urge, motioning with my hands to keep going.

She purses her lips again. "He's a bit of a mystery. He's never spoken much about where he moved from, or about his family, and he doesn't date." It is a little peculiar, but nothing completely out of the ordinary.

"It is strange, I guess," I say with a shrug. I don't know why I care to ask, but I do. "How can you be sure he hasn't had a relationship with anyone since he's lived here?" I hate being so nosy, but my interest is definitely peaked.

Tasha snickers. "Because myself and every female in this town talk!" Both of us chuckle, and then I laugh harder because I love when Tasha cracks herself up like this. I've missed that.

"Fair enough."

Tasha stretches her arms above her head, turning back to the bookshelves.

"Anything else you've been holding out on?" I ask skeptically.

"Nope, that's it," she says with a smug expression. I stick my tongue out at her as she walks to the end of the row of books.

At this point of inventory, I'm more distracted than ever, and it has nothing to do with books. I wish I could say that I haven't given him another thought, but I'd be lying. I don't share it with Tasha, but I'm more curious about Renn than I made it sound, especially by the mysterious past she claimed he has.

I bet Valery knows, I think, and I bite my lip to keep from smiling, thinking about how pleased she will be when I ask her about him. Four years is a long time to avoid questions and give no real answers. I would know, because I've done it myself.

The "how" he did it isn't what causes me to think about Renn for the rest of the afternoon, it's the "why."

Why would he avoid his past?

I can't help but wonder that maybe he's running away from something too.