by Laina Turner
Finally, she was able to head to the diner but she found she couldn’t move. Once the two men had left and she started to think about what happened the enormity overwhelmed her. Sure it was a silly traffic accident and thankfully no one was hurt, but it was one more thing to go wrong in a long line of things that had been going wrong. She felt tears welling up and had to laugh at herself for letting this accident, of all things, be the catalyst for her stoicism to crumble. She didn’t want to show up at the diner in tears, so she turned the car on and listened to music for a while until she felt calm again. Finally, she got out and headed to the diner.
Kate opened the door and Claire looked up and saw her, then yelled across the room, “You’re here! Hey everyone, this is my friend Kate, here to visit our great town of Moonshire Bay.”
Kate waved shyly at everyone as they waved back at her, some shouting out a welcome. She felt a little uncomfortable with all the attention, but it was nice that people seemed so friendly.
Claire walked up to her with a menu in her hand. “Follow me.”
Her friend led her over to a booth in the corner that had a reserved sign on it. The sign was simply a paper placemat on which the word reserved had been written on the back. Kate had to laugh.
“I feel so special having my own reserved table,” she teased.
“Only the best for you. Iced tea?”
As Claire left to get her drink, Kate slid into the booth. When she looked up a moment later, she saw the man with whom she’d just had the fender bender sitting at the counter. She found it odd he was there since he had said he was on the way to a meeting but maybe his plans had changed.
Claire returned, placing Kate’s iced tea on the table in front of her. “You find the place okay?”
“Yeah. Hey, do you know that guy at the end of the bar? In the boring, white button-down?”
Claire’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s Zach Elstoy. You interested?”
Kate snorted. “Oh, heck no. I have no desire to become involved with anyone anytime soon, if ever.”
“He’s a really nice guy. He’s one of the two lawyers in town, the other one being his dad. Of course, that’s if you don’t count Lucy, who’s retired but sometimes helps people out on the side.”
Wonderful, Kate thought. She’d damaged the car of an attorney. Thank goodness for car insurance, she mused. She hoped she wouldn’t need to have any more to do with him and that their insurance companies would handle the repairs. Though, even as she had no desire to become involved with a man anytime soon, she couldn’t deny that he was very attractive. But another lawyer? No thanks. She’d had her fill of lawyers the last year and a half.
“What do you recommend?” Kate asked Claire, wanting to forget about Zach, but the vision of his green eyes wouldn’t leave her mind. She found herself glancing in his direction again.
“Well, everything is fabulous, if I do say so myself,” Claire laughed. “But if I had to pick something, I would pick the BLT. Bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado, with a side of extra crispy French fries.”
“Sold. But tomorrow, I have to start laying off the carbs and the fried food or I’m not going to be able to fit into any of my clothes.”
“Whatever. You look awesome, and we can always go shopping for new clothes.”
As Claire walked away, Kate sipped her iced tea and glanced in the direction of the counter again, locking eyes with Zach’s. He smiled and it made her want to smile back, so she quickly broke eye contact and glanced down at her phone. She realized she hadn’t been subtle at all and brought her head back up—expecting to see him laughing at her—but his nose was buried in paperwork of some kind and he didn’t appear to notice that she was staring his way again.
Just as well, she decided. She didn’t need to be making eyes at a guy—even a cute one.
5
Zach heard the crunch of metal as he felt something hit his car. He looked to his right to see that a black Volvo had smashed into him and that a beautiful woman was staring at him in shock over her shoulder.
Annoyed, he got out of his car at the same time as she did.
“Do you always back up without looking?” he snapped.
As she snapped right back, he barely registered what she was saying because, even angry, she was a stunning woman, and clearly a spitfire as well. It was almost mesmerizing to watch her. It had been a long time since a woman had that effect on him.
He was at a loss for words, so he said nothing further and instead called his friend Toby, who was also one of the police officers in town, and who he knew was currently on duty.
It didn’t take long for Toby to arrive, which was a relief to Zach because they had both stood outside their cars during the wait, not saying anything, and he had found it a bit nerve-wracking. As a lawyer, he was rarely speechless, but this woman had left him confused.
They quickly took care of the necessary paperwork for insurance purposes, then Zach asked, “Should we exchange numbers?” He knew that the insurance companies would handle it all, but he wanted to see her again, and having her number would make that easier. He figured that it made sense for them to have each other’s contact information, just in case.
“Sure,” she said with a sigh, then pulled out her phone. They traded numbers and he got back into his car to park and headed up to his office.
When Zach opened his office door, Rhoda, the receptionist who had been employed by his father for forty years, looked up. She was in her seventies, and like his father, Phillip, should have been retiring. Rhoda said she wouldn’t take that step until Phillip did.
As much as Zach admired the loyalty she had to his father, he hated that she was still putting in full weeks at her age. It wasn’t that he deemed her incapable—it was more that he felt that she should be enjoying her life instead. Phillip Elstoy was not the easiest person to deal with on a good day. Rhoda was working more for Zach now than his father, who spent a good deal of his time running for a judgeship. Still, Zach felt she worked too hard.
Over the years, Rhoda had been much more than a receptionist. She’d had a big hand in raising Zach after his mom died when he was fifteen. He’d never been very close to his dad, and Phillip hadn’t known what to do with a teenage son. He hadn’t been particularly involved in Zach’s life while his wife was alive, and once she died, he’d spent his energy nursing his own hurt and had made even less time for Zach. Rhoda had become a great confidante and friend to Zach during his teen years, and remained so into his adulthood. Her involvement in their lives had gone way past the expectations for employer and employee. She’d never married or had kids of her own, and she had always told him that he brought happiness to her life.
At times, Zach wondered if Rhoda might be in love with his dad. It was just a feeling he’d gotten from the maternal way she’d kept watch over them throughout the years. He hoped that wasn’t the case. Rhoda deserved to be happy, and ever since Zach’s mom died, his dad had been anything but.
Phillip had always been a difficult man, but it seemed to Zach that—after his mom died—his dad made sure to take no pleasure from anything. In Zach’s opinion, his dad tried hard to make sure no one else did either.
Rhoda deserved much better than a bitter, old man.
“You’re in luck, Zach. He’s not here,” Rhoda said, reading his mind like she often did—at least when it came to matters involving his dad.
Zach stopped in his tracks, relieved at first and then irritated. “Why isn’t he here? We have a one o’clock appointment scheduled.”
“You were running late, so I rescheduled it for tomorrow.”
Zach didn’t have to bother asking how she’d known. They were in a small town and news traveled fast. Someone must have seen what happened and the gossip had already made its way to Rhoda. Nothing stayed private for long in Moonshire Bay, but Zach still loved the town. He couldn’t think of a better place to live.
“Thanks, Rhoda. What would I do without you?” Zach let his irritation wash
away, even though his day felt like a waste. All he had gotten for his troubles was a crumpled car. Anytime he could get out of a meeting with his dad, though, he felt better about life.
“Oh, please. Why don’t you go to lunch and bring me back a piece of pie from the diner?”
“Why don’t you come with me?”
Rhoda shook her head. “I have these briefs to prepare for your father and I brought my lunch. But I could use a piece of pie for an afternoon pick-me-up.”
“Okay. I’ll be back after lunch.”
Zach headed down the stairs, which spilled out onto the sidewalk, then turned left toward the diner. He went inside and took his usual spot on the very last stool at the bar. He liked being able to set up his laptop and work from there. It gave him a little bit more elbow room and counter space. The diner was hopping, but since everyone in town knew that he came for lunch on most days, and that he always sat in the same spot, his seat was empty. Another perk of the small-town life.
“The usual?” Claire asked as she came over.
“Yes, plus a piece of peach pie for Rhoda to go.”
“You got it.”
Claire set his drink in front of him, and he pulled some papers out of his briefcase to review. One client, Jean, changed her Will every month, or so it seemed to Zach. He honestly thought it might be a ruse to get someone to come over and visit. Still, he wanted to read through the most recent iteration to make sure he had incorporated all of her changes before giving it to Rhoda to file. Even though he knew that Jean would probably change it back in a week, he wanted to make sure to do a thorough job and give his client the attention she deserved.
He heard the door open and absently glanced in the direction of the sound, then did a double take as he saw the woman from the parking lot.
“Hey everyone, this is my friend Kate, here to visit our great town of Moonshire Bay,” he heard Claire yell out. Kate waved shyly, looking even more beautiful than she had earlier when she’d had a scowl on her face. Her wide-set blue eyes had flashed when she’d been angry at him, but now they looked friendly.
Claire ushered her to a booth in the back. Zach started to get off his stool to go over and apologize for his rude behavior in the parking lot, but then they locked eyes. Her expression went from a happy one to what he perceived as annoyed. She quickly looked away and turned her attention to her phone. Clearly, he decided, she was still upset about earlier. Zach knew from experience that approaching an angry woman, especially one that he didn’t know, might not be the best idea. He did feel badly, though, and wanted to smooth things over by saying he was sorry. Technically, the accident wasn’t his fault, but he felt a pull to get to know this woman better. And apologizing seemed like a good excuse to go over there to speak to her again.
He looked back down and skimmed over his papers once more before finally deciding to risk Kate still being angry at him and going to talk to her. He walked over to where she was sitting, and she looked up at him. If he’d had any hope that she was going to be receptive to his arrival, it was ended by her less-than-friendly expression.
He could tell she wasn’t going to make this easy on him.
“Hi,” he offered with a smile, hoping to disarm her. He’d been told on more than one occasion that he was quite charming when he smiled. However, the look on her face suggested that she wasn’t inclined to agree.
“Hi,” she replied in a manner that struck him as neither friendly nor unfriendly. Her response seemed guarded, so maybe there was some hope after all.
“I wanted to apologize for snapping at you earlier. Accidents happen and I overreacted.”
“Thank you,” she said, then seemed to relax just a little. “I’m sorry about your car.”
“It’s just a car.” He shrugged. “But thank you.”
After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he said, “Well, that’s all I came over to say.”
“Okay,” she responded, and she looked at him as though she might have something else to say.
When nothing more came, he told her he hoped she enjoyed her meal, gave a slight wave and headed back to his seat.
As he sat there reviewing notes on an upcoming case, he couldn’t get her out of his mind.
By the time he left, she was already gone. He couldn’t explain why, but he hoped to see her again soon.
6
Later that evening, Kate was at Claire’s relaxing on her couch, enjoying a glass of merlot while waiting on her friend, who had needed to close up the diner. When Kate heard the door open, she looked over her shoulder to see Claire walk in and set her purse on the side table before hanging up her keys.
Kate jumped up from the couch. “Have a seat. Let me pour you a glass of wine.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice. Being on my feet all day isn’t as easy as it used to be,” Claire replied, then she took a seat in an oversized chair before putting her feet up and closing her eyes.
Kate walked into the kitchen to pour a glass from the bottle she had open and called out to Claire, “So where’s Jim?”
“On a fishing trip with some friends. That whole manly man, living off the land, catching their own food thing. He’ll be home in a few days.”
“I never really pictured him as the live-off-the-land type,” Kate said, chuckling and trying to put together a mental image of Jim, who was a retired research scientist and looked more nerd than mountain man, living off the land. She walked through the living room and handed Claire a glass of wine before returning to her seat on the couch.
“He’s not,” Claire said with a grin. “Trust me. I packed enough food for an army. I didn’t assume they’d survive without help from civilization.” Claire was quiet for a moment as she sipped her wine. Then her gaze returned to Kate. “Not to change the subject, but I heard about your run-in with Zach. Your literal run-in. Why didn’t you tell me you’d been in an accident when you came into the diner?”
Kate got the impression that the situation amused Claire, but since she didn’t know why that might be, she didn’t question it. Maybe the wine was already going to her head, Kate mused, and she was imagining things.
Kate shrugged. “I didn’t want to bother you with more of my problems, especially when you were working. Plus, I figured I could tell you later. Like now.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe that happened on my first day in town. Believe it or not, I’ve never been in a car accident before. As if I didn’t have enough to deal with these days, now this.” At the memory of the incident, she felt her blood pressure rising. “He was driving way too fast for a parking lot,” Kate said indignantly as her anger resurfaced, despite knowing that, technically, the accident was her fault.
“Zach’s a good guy. I’m sure he wasn’t mad,” Claire said. “And, in case you didn’t notice, he’s quite handsome.”
Kate snorted. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“What? You don’t think he’s handsome?”
“I don’t know about that,” Kate responded, blowing off Claire’s comment because she was not about to admit that she had found him attractive. Having a man in her life was the last thing that she needed. “I will admit, I feel bad about his car. That sure was a nice-looking piece of machinery.”
“I think, if I remember right, it was his grandfather’s and Zach restored it when he was in high school.”
Kate winced. That made her feel even worse about having hit it, as well as about her behavior afterward. Sure, he’d snapped at her, but if she had been in his shoes, she knew that she would have reacted the same way.
“Is that your phone?” Claire asked, interrupting Kate’s thoughts.
She listened for her ringtone and heard the faint sound. Sure enough, her phone was ringing.
“I guess I left it in the kitchen,” Kate explained, then hurriedly got up to grab it, but by the time she’d reached it, the caller had hung up.
A few minutes later, when she had returned to the living room with her phone in hand, a voice
mail message notification appeared. “That’s strange. I don’t recognize the number. I wonder who could be calling me at seven at night.”
It’s not like I have many friends who call me anymore, Kate thought.
As Kate listened to the voicemail, she could feel the blood drain from her face.
“What’s wrong? One of the kids? Are they okay?” Claire demanded in a frantic tone.
“Oh, no. Nothing like that,” Kate answered slowly, bringing the phone down and holding it in her hand. She stared at it as if she could wish the message away.
Claire put her hand over her heart. “You got my blood pumping there for a minute. I don’t know why I always assume the worst.”
“Because it’s what you do when you’re a parent. You worry. But no, it was my insurance company,” Kate said, though she didn’t elaborate. She still couldn’t believe what the voicemail had said. She wondered how she could have been so stupid.
“Then what’s wrong?” Claire asked, her eyebrows furrowing, and Kate could see how worried she was. It made Kate feel lucky that—despite the mess that her life had become—she had such a caring friend.
“They called to tell me that my car insurance is lapsed due to non-payment. Apparently, Zach’s insurance already contacted them and this was a courtesy call,” Kate explained, trying to keep her voice steady. She was determined not to let one more thing get to her because she wanted to be stronger than the problems that were trying to bring her down. It was hard enough to stay positive when she had no control over those problems, but she knew that this had been her fault entirely.
“Oh, no. Maybe it’s a mistake?”
Kate shook her head. “Nope. The fault is mine. As soon as I heard that voicemail, I remembered that I forgot to pay the bill. I kept putting it off because I was so focused on packing and moving that I didn’t want to take the time to go online and make the payment. How ridiculous is that? I can’t even blame Todd for this one, as much as I’d like to.”
