Library

16. A Good Mechanic Is Hard to Find

Hailey groaned as she eyed the obscene numbers on her phone—5:16 in the morning, and the world inside and out was steeped in a cold inkiness that made her want to pull the downy covers over her head. She'd awakened multiple times throughout the night, drifting in a twilight between sleep and alertness, which had left her fully fatigued.

As she hauled her weary self out of bed, Amy's words from the night before danced through her head. They'd been rolling past Mountain Coffee's darkened storefront, and Amy had pointed. "Stop by on your way out of town, and I'll buy you a cup of coffee. I know the owner." Amy's proud grin had lightened Hailey's mood.

With an unexpected morning off and time to kill, she took her time getting ready, looking forward to seeing her new friend again. She felt a kinship with the cheerful woman she couldn't explain. Besides, she craved java, and the Loose Moose's current state of remodel didn't allow for brewing what she needed. Even if she had the tools, her body demanded the good stuff that could hold up a spoon on its own. But Amy's place didn't open for another half hour, so she stepped outside in the crisp, icy air, intending to pile into her 4Runner and take it for a spin.

Snow glinted with millions of specks of reflected sunlight, nearly blinding her. The sky above was a vibrant cobalt, and the world around her dazzled with its brilliance. When her eyes adjusted to the brightness, she froze. In the Loose Moose's front yard stood its namesake, all gangly limbs and a huge set of antlers. The moose eyed her before ambling behind the bungalow.

Must be a good omen, right?

Hailey was as superstitious as the next athlete. A breaching whale or a ray skipping over the water had always been harbingers of good fortune on surf days. A dead crab or a colony of beached Portuguese men o' war, on the other hand, brought nothing but bad luck. Time away from the waves had lessened the omens' impact on her psyche, but her receptors still tuned in to fortune's many signs.

Like the presence of a real live moose.

The theory proved right when her SUV's engine fired up on the first try, and she let out a squeak of happiness.

She tapped out the text she'd been composing in her head before easing the vehicle onto Bowen Street. She wanted to let the vehicle run for a while, so she drove the few blocks to the outskirts of the sleepy town, where she followed a wooden sign that pointed toward a rec center that resembled a woodsy lodge, complete with wraparound porch and rocking chairs that invited relaxing—when it wasn't below freezing outside.

Another sign pointed to an outdoor ice rink, and she followed an access road that wrapped behind the building. The SUV's tires crunching over hardpack created a strangely soothing sound, and she let her mind wander to how often skaters used the rink and whether they played games here. As she cleared the building, the sheet of ice came into view. She jammed on the brakes and blinked. A dozen or so cow elk nosed at the snow-covered grass beside the rink. One looked up but went right back to grazing, nonplussed by her presence.

They were big and healthy and majestic as they stood on the fluffy blanket of white, and Hailey leaned forward, taking in the view. She'd seen elk a few times before, but not so close and not in such a casual setting.

Beyond them, the sawtooth San Juans rose stark and jagged against a clear morning sky in varying shades of salmon and arctic blue. Draped in swaths of snow and ice, the peaks brought to mind the purple mountain majesties that had inspired "America the Beautiful."

Hailey was caught off guard by a swell of emotion that caused tears to rim, and she gusted out a laugh. "Stop being a goof."

A few feet off her back bumper, a car flashed its headlights, startling her, and she waved and guided the 4Runner toward the rink. The other vehicle pulled up beside her, and the driver rolled down the window. Blond curls capped with a colorful, striped beanie appeared, and Hailey lowered her passenger window and grinned.

"Doc Embry, I presume? Here to see the elk?"

"Hi, Hailey Bailey!" Neve looked out her windshield. "What elk?" Sure enough, the small herd was gone, as if they and the magic they'd brought had never been there. Neve turned back to Hailey. "Are you joining us this morning?"

"For …?"

"The women's hockey team. We're part of a rec league that practices Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"The women's version of a beer league?"

"We call ourselves the Margaritas. Tart, sweet, and we pack a punch. We wanted to be the Wine League until the boys started calling us the ‘Whine League,' as in ‘whiny.' Fuckers!" Neve threw her head back and laughed.

Hailey joined her with a chuckle of her own. "Boys can be such buzzkillers."

"Totally. Anyway, you should join us!"

"I don't skate!" And I don't live here!

Neve made a beckoning motion with her hand. "We'll teach you! Better yet, have one of the hunky players from the men's team teach you. I'm sure you'll have a line of them slobbering at the chance, kinda like last night." She flashed a wicked grin.

"Last night?"

"At the Miners."

"You were there?"

"Yep, not in your section, though. I think that was filled with the entire male population of Fall River. That tavern maid outfit was killer. I'd like to borrow it sometime. Maybe turn a certain head." She wiggled her eyebrows, and Hailey's mind darted to the mystery person Neve had in mind, but she didn't know her well enough to ask.

"Talk to Dixie! She's the one who loaned it to me. Oh wait! I have it right here. I was going to return it. It needs a wash, though. Kinda stinks of beer, and I didn't have a washing machine at my disposal."

Neve wrinkled her nose. "Never mind. I'll pass."

More cars filed in, and it was time for Hailey to get out of the way. She laughed to herself as she drove away. Me, play ice hockey? "Why not?" she answered herself. She'd tackled snowboarding and mastered it pretty quickly. "If you can do that, you can learn to skate and push a piece of rubber around with a stick, you trooper, you. All it takes is one hunky guy to teach you, apparently." Too bad she didn't have any candidates at the moment. Well, maybe Charlie.

Back on Bowen Street, she nosed into a parking spot in front of Mountain Coffee and checked a chiming text. Breathing a sigh of relief, she whispered, "Thank you, Charlie." He'd already arranged for her to stay at the Loose Moose a few extra nights. Cliff would be staying at the Majestic alone.

When she peered inside the dimly lit coffee shop, her heart sank. It wasn't open yet. Hailey began weighing her options when a form darted in the shadows and rushed toward the front door. The door whipped open, and there stood a beaming Amy, her pearly teeth flashing against her dark skin.

"I'm so glad you could make it! Come in out of the cold." Amy gave her arm a little tug.

Hailey stepped into a warm, aromatic space scattered with empty bistro tables.

"But you're not open. I don't want to put you out."

"You're not. I was already here to accept a bakery delivery. Besides, not being open gives us a few minutes of uninterrupted social time."

Hailey pulled off her gloves and hat, her eyes traveling around the walls as she followed Amy toward the sparkling counter. The space was a little too big for its charmingly mismatched tables and chairs, but everything was tidy and clean, and Hailey couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Who knew if Mountain Coffee was on Cliff's radar? "So this is where you work."

"I work here, sweat here, sleep here sometimes …" Amy gave a queen's wave around the interior. The expression on her face broadcast how proud she was of her store. "Now what can I get you?"

Hailey ordered a double espresso and selected the biggest croissant from one of the bakery boxes. With her mouth watering, she leaned against the counter and watched Amy prepare the coffee and warm up the pastry with spare movements, cleaning as she went—not unlike Noah behind the bar the night before.

And just like that, her mind had landed right back on his carved forearms.

Stop thinking about Noah! "You look like you've done this a few times," she quipped.

"Probably because I have," Amy tossed back with a laugh. After handing Hailey the croissant and coffee, she prepared herself a cup of Earl Grey, which she doctored with milk and sweetener.

She raised sheepish eyes to Hailey. "I should drink it plain, but I figure the non-caloric sweetener balances out the calories in the milk. Don't tell Mick I'm cheating."

Hailey cocked an eyebrow. "Cheating?"

"He says I should lose weight, and he's right, but it's hard when you have a sweet tooth like mine." Before Hailey could argue that Micky was blind—and probably stupid—Amy motioned toward a wooden table that featured a top inlaid with colorful bits of broken glass. "Let's sit."

"I love this table."

Amy waved a hand. "There's a funky little shop down the street that carries mostly crystals, beads, chakra stones, that kind of thing, but the owner also displays artwork and handcrafted pieces created by locals. It was a splurge, but I loved it so much, and it fit the vibe I was going for in here. It's a favorite with my customers too."

"Do you get much of a morning rush?" Hailey pulled out the chair facing the window while Amy took the seat perpendicular that pointed toward the door.

"Not as much in the off-season. Just the regulars, but they do like their coffee hot and strong. During tourist season, it's a whole other level of insane."

"A good problem to have, I expect." Hailey added a tiny teaspoon of sugar to her demitasse, suddenly conscious of her body's ability to burn calories with little effort.

"Not really. It's tough to keep the place adequately staffed, and people in need of coffee aren't very patient about getting their fix."

"That's why you were so quick to help out at the Miners Tavern last night."

Amy nodded. "I totally get the mess Noah was in."

"Does he ever return the favor?"

"I haven't asked, nor would I want to. That man works sixteen-hour days, every day, and I don't want to add to that. At least I get to stop at two o'clock." Amy sipped at her creamy brew. "Too bad you're not planning to stick around, or I'd hire you."

Hailey snort-laughed.

"I'm serious, Hailey. You're a hard worker, and you're great with customers. I pay well—in money, not just coffee and pastry." Amy's ebony eyebrows bounced.

Being on this side of the business would be different, but living on an hourly wage and tips? All that unpredictability? Without a pension plan? No way. Hailey needed her steady state job like a trout needed a clear, cold stream.

"I'm flattered, Amy. I'll keep it in mind if I ever become unemployed." Which will happen never. She was practically tenured at the health department, and she was due for another raise that would elevate her to six figures in a few short months.

Amy's eyes shifted to somewhere outside the window. "I used to punch a clock too. It may sound counterintuitive, but living in a small town has been liberating."

"But isn't it kinda like being a goldfish in a glass bowl?"

Amy shrugged. "It can be, but you work with it."

Anonymity had its perks. If Hailey made some boneheaded mistake that caused a guy to drive off the side of the road during a snowstorm, no one would know and no one would ridicule her. Then again, no one in Fall River had ridiculed her … because the guy who'd slid off the highway hadn't told them the real story. And big town or small, if she'd ridden out the night with her victim in his truck, there would be no such thing as anonymity because they would learn one another's names … and so much more.

Her mind flipped to a different scenario. In a big city, if she were a little tipsy and some random guy kissed the breath from her lungs in a back room, they could easily part as strangers—not that she was in the habit. No one else in the city would know, nor would they care.

She pulled apart the steamy croissant and sniffed at the buttery aroma. "Omigod, that's heaven!" It smelled and looked tastier than the croissants she got from her favorite Denver bakery. She pointed her knife at a pot of butter and another brimming with plum-colored jam. "Is that blackberry?"

Amy grinned. "Homemade, curated from a lovely man right here in town. You won't get that in a big city."

"Thank God I'm here for a few more days." When Amy quirked an eyebrow, Hailey filled her in on her change in plans while conveniently skimming over the nature of her work. She liked Amy and didn't want to put her off.

Slathering the pastry, she tried not to moan when it landed in her mouth with a burst of buttery texture and tart fruit tempered by sweetness. It would just be cruel in front of a woman watching her weight—who didn't need to watch her weight.

So good! "What about dating, though? I mean, you have a pretty small pool of candidates to choose from here. If people hooked up and moved on to the next one over and over, it would get awkward, wouldn't it?" Like sitting at the bar with one girl who's drooling over the bartender while another one is meeting up with him in his loft.

Yeah, that.

"You really don't see that happen. Lots of townspeople are in committed relationships. The singles might hook up with each other or travel out of town. We've had a few folks fall for a tourist or someone who lives in one of big cities along the Front Range or in another state. It's not like we're a gated community." This she said without any hint of being offended.

"I hadn't considered that, but it makes sense." What didn't make sense was the relationship between Amy and Micky. Why this kind, intelligent woman was with a leer-meister and put-down artist like Micky mystified Hailey. He was no prize.

"How long have you and Micky been together, and what first attracted you to him?" There. That didn't sound all judgy, right?

"About a year now. As for what attracted me to him, he talked to me and bought me a drink!" Amy laughed. "Honestly, when you look like I do, you're grateful when a decent guy pays attention. Someone with your looks wouldn't know about that. I'm not beautiful, so I'm less fussy. Oh, I know he likes to flirt with other women, but he's not serious."

As she contemplated Amy's dancing eyes, Hailey felt a pang of envy. Was it really so simple? If only she could buy into Amy's philosophy, she might be able to enjoy what her body craved without her mind getting in the way, but so far she'd failed miserably at separating the two. To find the man whose mental makeup not only matched but outstripped his physicality … Did he even exist? She put the question aside, turning her attention back to the raven-haired beauty beside her.

How was it possible Micky couldn't appreciate what he had?

As if Amy read her thoughts, she wiggled her jet-black brows. "Don't you feel sorry for me. Micky's a pro at wrenching on my lug nuts, and as they say, a good mechanic is hard to find."

Hailey burst into a fit of laughter, and Amy joined her. Oh, that felt good!

Until reality zapped Hailey between the eyes. "Oh no! I forgot to pay Micky!" She'd been so intent on escaping the Miners Tavern that she'd completely spaced settling up for the tow and the new battery. "Do you have any idea how much I owe? I can Venmo it if I have—"

Amy gave her a warm smile. "I happen to know exactly how much you owe, and that's zero."

Hailey didn't mask her confusion. "Zero what?"

"Zero dollars. Noah took care of it."

"He what? When?"

"Right before we ducked out of there. Didn't he tell you?"

Hailey sat back, dumbfounded. "No, he never said a word." Because I didn't give him the chance. "Why would he do that?"

Amy smirked. "Maybe he's trying to make a good impression."

Hailey's stomach turned a few somersaults over the prospect of the hot Hunnicutt trying to impress her—even if it was ludicrous and she was reacting like a hormonal middle schooler.

"Haha!" she bleated. She needed to work on cultivating a more ladylike sound. "Doubtful, especially since he's involved with someone else."

Amy's expression scrunched in puzzlement.

"You know. The … Ursula, his … whatever." Oh, that didn't sound stupid at all. Hailey rolled her eyes … at herself.

Amy's bewilderment seemed to deepen. "I don't think Ursula's his anything, unless they got back together, but that would have to be really recent. The last time they broke up was about a year ago."

A flutter of happiness lifted Hailey's heart. Only a few hours ago, she'd been thinking "Lucky Ursula," followed by a rubber-band snap when her mind leaped to its conclusions about Noah being a player. She'd reasoned that Ursula might be royalty, but if her prince was running around kissing random women ... What if he wasn't running around kissing random women? Had Hailey read the situation—and him—all wrong? It wouldn't have been the first time her prudent side had yanked her back without learning the entire story. If Noah and Ursula had been broken up, him kissing Hailey couldn't be a betrayal—it would be a walk on the wild side of the tracks, and a mind-blowing one at that.

Except … the last time? "Are there many ‘last times'?"

"For a while it seemed like it," Amy chuffed. "You could bank on it like the seasons changing. ‘Oh, spring is here, and Noah and Ursula are back together. Oh, it's ski season, and Noah just broke it off again.' It followed a pattern."

"Sounds more like a yo-yo than a relationship. Is he always the one to end it?" Hailey gave herself an inner fist bump for keeping her tone casual.

"Since I've lived here, it's mostly him. Not like I keep tabs, but it's a small town, you know?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Anyway, Ursula pulls some stunt or up and disappears for months on end without contacting him, he gets fed up, and boom. It's done. Then she worms her way back into his life again, and we all scream, ‘Noooo! Don't do it!' I don't know what happened a year ago, but that's the longest they've been apart, and I think it's sticking this time."

"So no one since that breakup?" Hailey held on to her breath.

Amy scoffed. "Are you kidding? He's a Hunnicutt and a bartender with a wicked smile and a body to die for. No shortage of opportunities with that combination, but they're usually one-and-done." Her voice dropped conspiratorially. "There was one exception. This hot pro skier landed in his bar one night, and she came on strong—everyone called her the ‘Maneater.' She wanted Noah, and she got him—at least for a few nights. I hear they really burned up the sheets. She even stuck around a few days longer than she'd planned, trying to convince him to be her boy toy, but that was as far as it went."

Hailey tried not to let the punch of jealousy make her flinch.

"He didn't date anyone else when he was with Ursula, though. She, on the other hand, wasn't so loyal—even back in high school—according to Mick."

"Ouch. Why not just break up with the guy and leave it?"

Amy pursed her lips. "Two reasons. One, to make him jealous so he'll be motivated to put a ring on it. Two, Ursula wants a meal ticket, and the fatter, the better. Noah's like an insurance policy she keeps in her back pocket in case someone wealthier doesn't come along. Those are the prevailing theories anyway."

"Is he that rich?" Wealth was an unpleasant vibe Hailey had dealt with plenty of times—one that often came with an equal dose of entitlement—but Noah didn't put off those airs.

"The family's got money. I think she's counting on him having access to the fortune someday. She helped him blow two million right after he got his hands on his trust fund money eight or nine years ago, and I expect it's tough to give that up once you've gotten a taste."

Hailey nearly spat out the cappuccino she'd swallowed seconds before. "Dollars?" Amy nodded. "How do you go through two million dollars?"

"You rent mega-yachts for you and your closest friends and travel around the Virgin Islands. You ski the most exclusive resorts in Europe. You buy luxury sports cars and wreck them because you also drink too much top-shelf liquor. Doesn't take long to drain a bank account when you're living in style. Not that I would know," she added playfully.

Hailey gasped. "Very few of us would." Then again, she'd watched plenty of athletes party beyond their means, though not at the two-million-dollar level.

"I heard that once it was gone, his family cut off his access to the stack."

Hailey sat back. "Wow. I wouldn't have guessed. I mean, he's got the tavern and a nice truck—"

"And loans to show for them." Amy sipped her tea.

"But he seems so responsible." Hailey's mind skipped to his precision with running his bar before leaping to the simple furnishings in his loft. "I guess running through two mil would do that to me too. No wonder Ursula has her sights on him," she mumbled.

"Well, let's not overlook another theory."

Hailey raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Old family ties. A pairing of Fall River royalty. They may not wear crowns, but the old guard likes matching their offspring to other founding families. I always thought that's why Ursula and Noah were together, almost like it was prearranged between their families. Her family goes back almost as far as Noah's, but unlike the Hunnicutts, the Joneses lost their fortune a few generations back.

"It reminds me of those rich American women in the nineteenth century who traveled to England and married destitute lords. She got a fancy title attached to her name, and he got money to keep the family estate from crumbling. Only in this case, it's the penniless lady and the wealthy male heir." Amy's dark brows crunched together. "I'm not sure what Noah gets out of the arrangement, though. Well, besides the most gorgeous woman this side of the Divide, but the price tag's high. She comes with a boatload of headaches that can lead to a permanent frowny face."

The most gorgeous woman. Hailey tried to ignore the salt being rubbed into the raw spot inside her.

Amy continued. "I know Noah's super serious a lot of the time, but underneath that grumpy exterior beats the heart of a softie who has some whacked-out sense of loyalty. Why else would he put up with guys like Micky mooching off him?"

Hailey couldn't disagree. He was a softie, even if he used scaly armor to hide his acts of kindness. Maybe she owed Noah Hunnicutt an apology after blowing off his attempts to see her last night. It wouldn't recover the lost opportunity, but it would soothe her guilty conscience.

As her head spun, a mild ache settled in her chest. See? She was no good at this stuff, and here was one more reason why she couldn't get carried away by rangy good looks—even if she couldn't unsee his biceps and forearms bunching and elongating as he worked the cocktail mixer.

Amy's words shook Hailey from the ridiculous vision. "It's so much easier for us commoners. No one gives Micky and me a second thought unless they're wondering why a local is with a newcomer." Her smile told Hailey she didn't mind what the locals thought of their relationship … though she should probably be concerned with how her lug nut-wrenching mechanic looked at other women.

"But you've lived here a long time," Hailey pointed out.

"Unless you're born here, you're an outsider, especially if you look like me."

"Do people treat you poorly because of your … heritage? God, is that the right term, or am I muffing this whole thing and coming off as biased and extremely rude?"

Amy's answering laugh was light and easy, putting Hailey at ease. "Not at all. I wish everyone was so candid. And while I run into haters once in a while, the people here treat me well, so it's very comfortable. In case you're wondering, my dad is Black Irish, and my mom's family emigrated from Mumbai. When my parents met, it was love at first sight. It caused quite the scandal when he whisked her away." A devilish grin sprouted on Amy's face. "I see an epic romance novel in their love affair."

"And I'd carry it in my Denver bookstore!"

Amy's eyes popped wide. "You have a bookstore in Denver?"

"Not yet, but someday. That's my dream, but I have a looong way to go."

"I get that. Sometimes I wonder how on earth I started my own business. Besides needing a way to mainline coffee, it was probably a combination of naivety and feeling invincible, along with a healthy dose of cray-cray."

"Nah, more like determination and guts." Hailey gave Amy a friendly elbow bump. "I'm really impressed. You're my hero."

Amy's dark eyes brightened. "Why not open your bookstore here? We could sure use one, and you'd be on the ground floor of the town's revival."

"Revival?"

"For years, the senior Hunnicutts lobbied to get a historical designation to keep Fall River from becoming a ghost town. That way we can get funding for renovations that draw tourists, plus they've thrown in a lot of their own money for the cause. Their sons have taken up the reins and are trying to build momentum. The Miners Tavern is a good example of that revival."

Hailey finished off her pastry and licked her fingers. "Fall River's revival will be well underway before I have enough saved up to pull off opening a shop." At least opening it her way, which meant without taking on a ton of debt.

"It's something to consider, though." Amy stood and stacked her mug on top of Hailey's empty plate. Her head snapped as the front door rattled. "Hold on to your snow shovel. Here comes a Hunnicutt, and I'm sure he's here for you."

Hailey whirled, and her eyes landed on Noah banging his knuckle against the glass. Any leftover doubts from the night evaporated as her heart went into a sprint. Here was her chance to apologize. But when Amy unlocked the door and Hailey glimpsed his stormy expression, her galloping heart came to a screeching halt.

Amy's eyes widened an instant before the door to the coffee shop whipped open, and Hailey's jaw fell. Noah stood in all his Hunnicutt glory, his eyes lasered in on her. A pair of black heels dangled from his hand.

"Hey, surfer girl!" he barked. "You left these behind." He closed the distance to the table, his dark expression transforming into something resembling a shit-eating grin that made Hailey want to throttle him.

Amy's mouth dropped open. Quickly recovering herself, she gathered up the dishes, seeming to fight a laugh. "I'll just leave now. I have some things to take care of in back. Holler if you need anything."

Hailey wanted to holler all right—that she hadn't spent the night with Noah and left her borrowed CFMs behind. Instead, her cheeks flared. "Um, can I keep my cappuccino? I wasn't quite done."

"Oh! Of course." The cup and saucer rattled as Amy returned them to the table. She darted a glance Noah's way. "Help yourself to some coffee, Noah." With a secret wink aimed at Hailey, she scurried away.

Noah thanked her and laid the heels in the middle of the table. Pulling off his coat, he hung it on the chair Amy had vacated, his movements a study in deliberateness. He sat, resting his forearms on the table, clasped his hands, and leaned forward. Smoky smudges beneath his eyes broadcast his lack of sleep, but they didn't dull his glittering emerald eyes as they bored into hers. "I'm surprised you're still here. Thought you had to leave early."

Amy's voice floated from somewhere in back. "Her plans changed. She's staying."

Something akin to surprise flickered in his orbs.

Hailey fired a glare in that direction, then squeaked, "How did you know I was here?"

"I have eyes and ears all over this town, though my intel must be lagging because I didn't know you were staying." Was he joking? His expression gave nothing away.

"What are you doing here?" she blurted. "You look … tired."

He fingered the strap on one of the shoes. It was a simple move, but something about it was seductive as hell. "You left your heels behind."

"You said that." She took a swig of her drink to avoid the intensity of his gaze. It made her twitch, and she let out a hyena laugh. "Don't tell me this is a Cinderella moment where you're looking to cram them back on. I left them with Dixie on purpose. They about killed my feet."

He sat back. "That's a shame because they looked damn good on you." One corner of his mouth hitched, and his eyes twinkled. The combination made her glad she was sitting down.

"You're such a man," she huffed.

"Is that a bad thing?"

Dear God, no. Hallelujah for men. "Maybe, maybe not." She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest—a move to batten down her hatches. "The real reason you're here?"

He reached into a coat pocket and brought out a fat envelope, which he held in his hands like a platter as he offered it to her. "This. I also want to know what Ursula said that made you ignore me after that smoking-hot kiss."

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.