Betting on Love

by Alyssa Linn Palmer

  In her car in the parking lot, she turned on her phone. It buzzed with a message, and her heart skipped. Alex. She listened to her voice mail.

  Ms. Cole, this is Fay Greene from AMS Designs. Your CV came across my desk earlier this week and I’ve been meaning to call. I was hoping you’d be available to come to an interview. My number is…

  Elly’s heart sank. It wasn’t Alex. She clutched at her phone, scrabbling in her apron for her pen and notebook. She repeated the message and scrawled down the name and number. It had seemed like a shot in the dark when she’d submitted her CV to AMS. The position was a bit more advanced than she thought she had the skill for, and she hadn’t thought it possible.

  But here it was.

  A chance.

  Elly glanced over at Parry’s, the neon light above the door glowing a bright red. If she got the job, she wouldn’t have to come here anymore or have to think about or see Alex. Alex had been right about that. She wouldn’t stick around Parry’s for long.

  *

  Alex heard the rumble of the R6 even before it turned into her street. She hobbled on her crutches to the door, pushing it open and stepping onto the concrete stoop. Will pulled up in front of her house and cut the engine, rolling the bike back until the wheel nudged against the curb. He dismounted and pulled off his helmet as he walked toward the house.

  “Hey there, gorgeous. How’s the ankle?”

  “Getting better. The doctor says I should still take it easy for a while. But after six weeks, I can start with some really gentle exercise and take the brace off, if it’s healing properly by then.”

  “Did he say anything about riding?” Will asked. “I miss having you around. It’s not quite the same, riding on my own. And my friend Reg is out on the rigs, so he’s not around, either.”

  “I can’t put weight on it to use the brake,” Alex said, “so I can’t ride my Ninja.”

  “What about as a passenger?” Will asked. “You can ride pillion on mine. All you’d need to do is hold on.”

  Alex sighed, looking beyond him to where his bike rested. “I can’t, not yet. Besides, I’d have to take my crutches along, and those won’t fit in your saddlebags.”

  “Soon, then. Six weeks.” Will looked disappointed, and Alex’s own spirits sank further. “Hey, babe, don’t look like that. Time will go so quickly you’ll hardly even notice.”

  Will bent down and hugged her, lifting her off her feet. She nestled her head against his shoulder like she always did, and while it was comforting, it didn’t feel quite the same. The old zing of attraction wasn’t there. She loved him, she knew she did, but he needed to be smaller, more girlish, more…Elly.

  He squeezed her until she felt her breath catch.

  “Down, silly,” she wheezed, and he chuckled, setting her down gently. He bent and picked up her crutches, which had fallen to the concrete, getting her situated once more.

  “What are you up to tonight?” he asked as he followed her into the house.

  “Nothing much. Movie, popcorn, whatever. I think I’ll end up catching up on all the films I’ve wanted to watch.” It would be entertaining for a couple of weeks, but not for too long. Already she was starting to feel on edge, impatient to get out of the house, to go to work, to be doing something. Staying at home, resting, sleeping…it wasn’t her thing. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so housebound. Perhaps never.

  “We could go out, if you want,” Will offered. “Parry’s, or somewhere else.”

  “Not tonight,” she said. “I was there last night for a few minutes. That was enough.”

  “See everyone?”

  “Most everyone.” Not Elly, though. Eric had said she was working, but she hadn’t come into the bar. After the other night, Alex hadn’t really wanted to talk to her. Best to make a clean break of it, even with the dreadful pun.

  “Elly coming round to nurse you?” Will asked, right on the mark.

  Alex winced. “No. She dropped me off, and that’s it.”

  “What?” Will set his helmet down on the coffee table and sat next to Alex. “What’s going on, babe?”

  “We called it quits. It wasn’t working out.” Alex didn’t look at him. Just saying the words hurt more than her ankle. She’d thought she could forget about Elly, but she hadn’t. Anyone else, and she’d have been out at the bar, raring to go.

  It must be her ankle, and being cooped up. She should be over it by now.

  “I can’t believe it. You and I get each other, babe. We understand each other, way better than anyone else does.”

  He sat forward, looking serious, resting his forearms on his thighs, clasping his hands together. Alex had never seen him look so intense. Will was usually a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, cracking jokes and making her laugh.

  “I know we’ve always just sort of had an…understanding,” he began, “but it’s really more than that, don’t you think?”

  Alex wasn’t sure where he was going with this. “We’ve always understood each other,” she answered. “More than anyone else.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t think that’s true, not anymore.”

  Now it was Alex who didn’t know what Will was talking about.

  “Babe, I love you,” he said, taking her hands. “And I know you love me.”

  “Are you proposing?” Alex felt her eyebrows rise.

  “Oh no.” Will chuckled, sounding a bit sheepish. “Suppose it does sound that way, doesn’t it?”

  “You weren’t down on one knee, but it seemed awfully close,” Alex teased.

  He cleared his throat. “Babe, I think you’re making a big mistake. I’ve seen you with Elly, and I saw how she came right out to help when you were hurt. No one’s ever done that for either of us. She loves you, even if you don’t love her. But I think you do.”

  Alex shook her head.

  “You can’t lie to me, Bellerose,” Will said. He took her hand, but she wouldn’t look at him. For once, he had no idea.

  “I’m not lying,” she said.

  “Aren’t you?” He tugged on her hand, drawing her attention. His blue eyes were warm, but worried.

  “No.” She met his gaze resolutely, and he sighed.

  “If you say so. But I’ve never seen you give anyone else a ride on your Ninja. Think about it.” He rose to his feet. “I’ll be around every other day or so, when I’m done work. If you need anything, you let me know, all right?”

  “All right.”

  Will let go of her hand. “Think about it, though, what I said. I’ll let myself out. Don’t get up.”

  He left.

  Alex took a deep breath and rubbed at the prickling of tears in her eyes.

  Chapter Twenty

  Elly stepped out into the sunshine and walked slowly down the sidewalk, her low kitten heels clacking on the cement. She shrugged off her suit jacket and folded it over her arm, her hands shaking.

  In a week’s time, she’d be starting her new job. Junior graphic designer at an IT company. No more hustling as a server, trying to make enough tips to live on, run off her feet by the end of the night. If she could sell the farm, she could buy a condo or a small house, and her life would be settled. Mentally she ran through her list of things to do, and what she’d need to pack up at the farm. She didn’t want to start counting her chickens, but she couldn’t help it.

  Her phone buzzed in her purse and she fished it out.

  “Elly, it’s Derek.”

  “Hi, Derek.”

  She thought guiltily of her new job, and how she’d have to give her notice at Parry’s. She hated to leave them short. It went against her nature.

  “What’s up?” It wasn’t too difficult to sound cheery.

  “Could you come in early? Amie just went home sick, and Charity’s stuck on her own. I can help her out for a bit, but when the early dinner crowd comes in…”

  “No problem. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Thanks, El. I wish I could hire more people like you.” D
erek hung up, and Elly felt worse. She didn’t want to leave him short-staffed, but she couldn’t do both jobs.

  She arrived at Parry’s an hour later, tying on her apron as she walked into the back, hanging up her purse and jacket on a hook near Derek’s office. The door was closed, and she went back downstairs and out onto the floor, where she saw Derek taking an order from a couple seated by the window.

  He came to the computer to ring it in. “Elly, you’re here. Thank goodness.” He smiled at her as he punched in the order.

  “I said I would be.”

  “That’s quicker than I thought,” he said, not looking at her. He scanned the screen, then hit a button. “Charity’s on a break. She’s been run off her feet.”

  “Do you have a minute?” Elly asked. “I need to talk to you.”

  Derek glanced out into the restaurant, scanning the tables. “I have a minute. Maybe two, tops.”

  “I have to give you my notice,” she said, slipping her hands into her apron pockets, finding her pen and notebook. They gave her something to hold and fiddle with.

  “Aw, man,” Derek groaned. “El…I thought you were my girl.”

  “I got another job,” she said apologetically. “And I start next week.”

  “You’re not leaving me for the restaurant down the block, are you?” he asked, eyebrows rising, clutching at his heart in mock distress.

  “Oh no,” she assured him, a smile creeping onto her face at his purposeful dramatics. “I’ll be a junior graphic designer.”

  “Damn.” He shook his head. “Can’t hold you here now. A fancy office with a basketball court and free lattes doesn’t even compete with us.”

  “There isn’t a basketball court,” she said, chuckling.

  “You should request one,” Derek replied. “Seriously though, El, that’s awesome. I’m envious. And a little sad.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Do you want me to tell the others, or did you want it kept quiet? I know some people just like to disappear.”

  “I’ll let people know,” she said. “And I’ll work every night for the rest of the week if you need me.”

  “I wish you were staying,” Derek said, hearing her offer. “I want all of my staff to say they’ll work every night.” He chuckled and headed to the pass-through, where a cook had just called his name. “You’re in section three tonight.”

  “All right.” Elly punched in and went to work.

  By the end of the night, the entire staff on duty had heard she would be leaving.

  “I’m still here till the weekend,” Elly said as she slid onto a bar stool in front of Eric where he poured a rye and cola.

  “Karaoke time,” he said, grinning.

  “Oh no. I don’t want to sing.”

  “You’ll have to,” he said. “It’s a tradition.”

  “No way.”

  “You can pick the song, but you have to sing,” he continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “But you won’t have to buy your own booze. We wouldn’t let you.”

  “I’m a cheap drunk,” she admitted as she counted out her float for the next day and calculated her receipts.

  “That’s promising. I’ll invite all the regulars.”

  “Not all,” she said, looking up at him.

  Eric gave her an understanding look. “No certain biker chick, eh?”

  She felt her cheeks flush. “Right.”

  “It’s a real shame, you know. I think she did love you.”

  “I don’t think so,” Elly said. She didn’t want to discuss it with Eric, but he didn’t get the hint.

  “I haven’t seen her like that with anyone,” he said. “You didn’t see her, always glancing over to see if she could spot you as you passed by. She could hardly concentrate when you were working.”

  “She already has someone,” Elly replied. “And it’s not me.”

  “I think you’re wrong.”

  Elly shook her head.

  Eric shrugged. “If you say so.”

  Chapter Twenty-one

  A couple of weeks after starting her new job, Elly returned to the farm. She’d hooked up the trailer, which had sat, forlorn and empty, in a parking space behind her apartment building, and towed it back. It would go into the shed until she needed it to haul her stuff to the city. If she sold the farm.

  Stopping for a quick break in Claresholm, and grabbing a Slurpee from the convenience store and gas station, Elly checked her phone. It flashed with a message.

  Elly, it’s Noreen. I have an offer on the farm. Give me a call when you get this.

  Elly’s stomach flip-flopped and she sat in her car, her Slurpee forgotten in the cup holder. An offer. A buyer.

  It was real.

  She drove to Cardston directly, forcing herself not to exceed the speed limit, though she wanted to put the pedal right to the floor. She should have called Noreen, but given that she was already on her way…

  She pulled up outside the real-estate agent’s office and went inside. Noreen was on the phone, but she waved and indicated a seat in front of her desk. Elly sat and tried not to fidget while she waited for Noreen to finish her call.

  “I’ll be in touch, Walter,” she said. “’Bye now.” She hung up the phone and smiled at Elly. “I thought you’d call.”

  “I was already on my way down, so I figured I’d stop in. Is that all right?”

  “Oh, of course.” Noreen took out a folder. “There’s a family in town who came to see me, looking for a farm property to buy. They’ve just moved here, and they’re renting while they look for properties. I took them out to see it, and they just fell in love.”

  “They’ve already seen the farm?” Elly was startled. Noreen hadn’t said anything about that. She thought of the state of the kitchen, and the clutter.

  “Just the outside,” Noreen said. “You didn’t give me keys to the house, so they just peeked. They’re keen to buy, even though it needs some work. Their kids had a riot running around the yard too.”

  “That’s good.” Elly rubbed her hands on her thighs, blotting away the sudden dampness of her palms.

  “I know the land was last appraised at about $450,000,” Noreen said, flipping a page in her folder, “but they can’t afford to pay quite that much.”

  “Hamilton Farms offered half a million,” Elly noted.

  Noreen made a moue, looking sour. “Hamilton, that jerk. Horse slaughter is absolutely disgusting.”

  “I wish he’d said something when he offered. I’d never have considered it if he had.”

  “Typical of him. Anyway, this family said they could afford just under $400,000. Also, they’re waiting for the sale of their previous property to be finalized. I know it’s not the best offer, but I promised them I’d pass it along to you.”

  Elly looked down at her hands in her lap. It was less than she’d hoped, but still…

  Thoughts of her new job floated to the forefront of her mind. It would be nice to have a proper house in the city, instead of just a tiny apartment. She might even be able to work from home sometimes.

  “Take your time and think about it,” Noreen advised. “It’s a big decision to make. It’s your family’s land, after all.”

  “I will. I’m headed down there for the weekend. I should take advantage and pack up some of my things. By the way, did Jack put in an offer?”

  “He told me he would, but I haven’t gotten anything from him yet. Can you let me know one way or another by Sunday evening on this one?” Noreen asked. “We shouldn’t leave them hanging too long.”

  “I’ll know by then,” Elly said. “I think.”

  She rose and said good-bye to Noreen, going back out to the car. She stopped at the grocery store on her way out of town and grabbed a few essentials.

  The sun was high in the sky when she made it to the farm, driving slowly into the rutted driveway in front of the farmhouse. She got out, and the breeze ruffled her hair, smelling of dirt, a hint of manure, and the fresh scent of the country. The hedge bordering the yard
bloomed with small flowers, and the flowerbeds her mother had kept up were in bright profusion, though they needed some care before the new owners moved in.

  The new owners.

  Elly sank down on the weathered porch steps. She’d sat here for hours upon hours as a girl, watching the sun set over the hills, seeing her father come back down the road—gravel in those days—in his old truck, her mother singing to herself in the kitchen as she made dinner. But now, it was quiet, empty.

  Lifeless.

  The land deserved more than this, a lonely existence. She doubted she’d ever be able to live here full-time, but she hated to see it neglected. She leaned against the post.

  This was a family house. Kids should be shrieking as they ran down the stairs, filling the house with laughter, their feet pounding on the floor. A shaggy dog should lie on the porch, keeping guard over his people. Their parents would fill the house with love and security, and it couldn’t get more perfect than that.

  Elly swallowed hard as she rose and unlocked the door.

  She’d made her decision, but she’d call Noreen in the morning.

  Elly spent the afternoon cleaning, and packing up the bits she wanted to take with her, going through her lists and walking through the house several times. She didn’t know what she’d do with the rest, but she hoped she could find a charity to take some of it. She loaded up her car, then came back inside and made herself a quick, simple dinner of eggs, toast and bacon, and tea. She ate at the cracked Formica table, as she’d done so many times before. She’d take the table with her, once she came back with a moving van for the larger pieces.

  Once she was done, she cleared up, and then went to sit on the porch with a book she’d found during her packing, an old, tattered romance novel. It had been her mother’s favorite, and Elly remembered sneaking it off the shelf when she was eleven, reading it under the covers at night and wondering why her mother loved it so much. She hadn’t read it in years, but when she opened the cover, the words were familiar, almost like an old friend.

  She read until the light grew too dim and the breeze too cool. Then she went back inside and curled up on the sofa in the living room, pulling the blanket over her legs. As the sun dropped below the horizon, she heard a rumble of thunder. It had been hot that afternoon, perfect weather for an evening storm. She glanced out the window, seeing lightning flash in the distance.