Hope Falls: Hearts Afire (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Julie Prestsater

  While she waited for her food to arrive, Katie studied the people at the cafe. She thought about all of those posts that filled her Facebook feed. You know, the ones that listed the top ten or top one hundred things or people or whatever. She was surprised there wasn’t a list titled “Top 10 Cities to Find Hot Guys.” Hope Falls would have sat comfortably at the number one. How was it that so many fine specimens could all reside within these small city limits? She wondered if they listed it on the city’s homepage as one of the tourist attractions. Come to Hope Falls where you can see the sexiest men alive, and you might just be lucky enough to touch one.

  If they weren’t using that as a marketing ploy, they should rethink their strategy. All she had to do was send a few pictures back home to the ladies and she was sure they would be in the car and on the road in five minutes flat.

  Not much later, Sue Ann came back with a plate of steaming hot fries and a deliciously juicy sandwich. Katie enjoyed her meal in peace, savoring every bite. She dipped her sandwich in the au jus, chuckling to herself as the juice dribbled down her chin. That didn’t stop her though. She kept at it until her plate was clean, even smothering her last French fry with what was left of the ketchup on her plate.

  She sat back and rubbed her belly, something that she and her brother often did when they were growing up. Katie’s mom said that she inherited her hearty appetite from being around Ryan and his friends. Being four years younger, she was like his shadow, always wanting to do everything he did. Even when that meant belching at the table and rubbing her full belly after an exceptionally large meal.

  Thankfully, Katie remembered not to belch in public.

  When Sue Ann came back with Katie’s receipt and her credit card, she asked, “You going to JT’s tonight?”

  Katie pointed to her plate. “After that I couldn’t drink a beer if my life depended on it. There’s no room in here.” She stuck her thumb in the waistband of her jeans. She wasn’t exaggerating either. For every thousand words she got down on paper, she added a pound to her ever-growing ass. And she had written a lot of words since she arrived in town. “Not tonight.”

  Sue Ann waved her off and said, “He’s on shift anyway, honey. He won’t be there.”

  Katie’s jaw dropped. That seemed to be happening quite often lately. Sue Ann turned tail, not giving her any chance to respond.

  Maybe the Hope Falls’ public relation’s department should add “Town Meddlers” to the website. She had no idea she was going to be stepping into a season of the Bachelorette when she decided to visit. She was a huge fan of matchmaking, just not when she was the one being set up.

  She wanted to be able to eat her fries without hearing about Casey Palmer’s work schedule, dammit.

  Things were sure to die down in a few days, right? Sue Ann and Shelby would find someone else to play games with. She was going to have to lie low. She didn’t want to chance any future meetings with the annoying firefighter, and she didn’t want to give her new friends any more ammunition. All she had to do was stay away from JT’s for a while and stay away from Casey.

  Easy peasy, as her mother would say.

  CHAPTER THREE

  CASEY

  Two days on, four days off. One of the hardest parts of the job was getting used to the rotating schedule. If Casey didn’t set up calendar alerts on his phone and have an old-school paper calendar posted in his kitchen, he wouldn’t know whether he was coming or going.

  At least he didn’t have a wife and kids to disrupt with his work hours. He’d seen firsthand what it had done to the other guys and their families. Some made it work, while others had a hard time adjusting. He’d even known a few guys who had gotten divorced because of the job. Casey’s dad had tried to tell him it could happen with any occupation, not just firefighting.

  His dad was one of the many people in his life who hoped he’d settle down soon. Both he and Casey’s stepmom had the grandparent itch. He was hoping his half-sister would take some of the pressure off of him when she got married last year, but she and her new husband were having too much fun traveling and weren’t in any hurry to appease their parents any more than he was.

  Casey had no idea how his mind wandered to his dad and grandchildren. He needed to get a life already. Maybe he’d see Katherine tonight at JT’s. That would be a step in the right direction. His last shift had been uneventful and time passed awfully slow allowing him more time than he needed—or wanted—to think about the new girl in town. Sure, he wanted to have fun with her, but he didn’t want her consuming his every thought.

  Thinking about JT’s was a bit premature so early in the morning. There was still half the day ahead of him, he thought as he double knotted his shoes. He was surprised he could think about anything, it was so cold outside. This was one of those times he seriously considered throwing in the towel and buying a treadmill, but he hated the idea of running in front of a TV in his living room or staring at a wall in the garage while he covered miles on a rotating belt. He much preferred taking to the trails around the lodge.

  Mountain Ridge Outdoor Adventures was off the main strip of town, but they had the best running trails. If he tried to run along the main drag, he’d get stopped every few storefronts by old friends who wanted to shoot the shit. At the lodge, there was a chance he’d run into the owners, his friends Justin and Amanda, or any of his other friends who were employed there, but they were working. When he was on a jog, they didn’t bother him.

  After stretching his hamstrings, he was just about ready to take off when a woman with a messy ponytail piled on the top of her head jogged passed him. He knew exactly who it was. He could’ve picked her ass out of a lineup. When she left JT’s the night they met, he watched as she walked out the door. He may have focused on her behind, but to his defense, everyone was zeroed in on the fine, heart-shaped curve that rocked back and forth with each of her steps.

  Stunned, he watched as she got farther away heading deeper and deeper into the trail until she was out of sight.

  Casey shook his head clear. What the hell are you doing, asshole? Run.

  It was like he had the good and bad consciences sitting on either of his shoulders battling it out over what he should do in that moment. The evil twin was telling Casey to go after her and make a move. The good twin was shaking his head in disgust, telling him to slow his roll. He was there to go for a run. If by some chance he caught up to her, maybe he’d say hello. Maybe he’d apologize for acting like a dick. But that was it. Now wasn’t the time to make a move. It might never be the time.

  Casey barely knew Katherine. Case in point, he wasn’t even allowed to call her Katie. He didn’t see them having any fun at all until he was, at the very least, given the green light on that.

  So he took off at a light jog, allowing the good guy sitting on his right shoulder to win the battle.

  He did eventually catch her. Maybe his good conscience didn’t win after all. While he started out at a light jog, somewhere along the line he definitely picked up the pace.

  What he was going to do next was a mystery to Casey. Should he say something? Probably not. At the pace they were moving, talking wasn’t going to come easy. In fact, it felt like she was speeding up. They were running side-by-side. Casey kept looking to his right at her, hoping that she’d look left so he could at least flash her a smile, but she never looked his way.

  He matched her speed and stayed at her side until she sped up even more. He didn’t take off after her even though it would have been easy to keep up. He could hear her labored breathing and knew it was a matter of time before she’d need a rest. Casey couldn’t understand why she was so adamant about ignoring him. Had he been that much of an asshole? He didn’t think he was that bad.

  If she didn’t want to at least accept his smile or make eye contact with him, he was over it. Casey wasn’t messing around anymore. His workout was already ruined. He didn’t start on time. He wasn’t going to beat his regular pace. Hell, he hadn’t even started the
app on his watch. If he had to guess, he was going to come in about five minutes slower than usual. Casey decided enough was enough and hit the accelerator. In less than a minute, he was closing in on Katherine and passing her. His head never moved a millimeter in her direction, even though he was dying to look. What he really wanted to do was glance back at her over his shoulder and say hello, but he didn’t. He had just passed her, if he turned around and said something, he’d look like an asshole. Again.

  It was time to move on, Casey.

  He ran for a good quarter mile before he heard footsteps slapping the gravel and gaining on him. He heard the runner before he saw her. She was breathing heavily, panting, maybe even gasping for air. She was being ridiculous. She was going to end up having a heart attack if she kept this up. Just as she closed in on him, Casey kicked it up a notch and ran faster.

  Katherine did too, passing him by a few inches.

  So, he did the only thing any man would: he sped up again and passed her.

  They went back and forth like this until Casey couldn’t breathe any longer and he was sure Katherine felt the same way.

  Up ahead, there was a bench along the trail. It was the perfect place to put a stop to these shenanigans before his ass had to call 911. He was sure they were both in need of oxygen.

  As they approached the rest point, Casey waved his hands in the air and managed to get out, “All right, all right. I’m crying uncle. I can’t take it anymore.” He came to a stop, bent over, and placed his hands on his knees while he tried to catch his breath. He considered that he could die at any second and wanted to slap himself for not staying behind Katherine. If he was going to meet his maker, he would have loved the last thing he saw to be her ass.

  Katherine came to a screeching halt behind him, panting just as loudly. She plopped herself on the bench with a thud and yelled at him between heaves of breaths. “It’s… about… time! Were you trying to kill me?”

  “Me?” His tone raised an octave. “I was just out for my daily run. You’re the one who had to go all Flo Jo on me.”

  “Hello!” she yelled. “I’m a woman, by myself, on an unknown trail and some creeper starts running beside me.”

  Casey rolled his eyes. Now he was a creeper. He took a seat on the bench, making sure to leave some space between them. “It’s not like I’m a stranger. And you did run faster to catch up to me.”

  They were both starting to breathe evenly again. His heart was ready to pound right out of his chest, but he didn’t know if that was from the sprint or the close proximity to this beautiful woman.

  “I didn’t know it was you until you passed me.” She paused for a few beats. He could see a little smirk forming on her lips out of the corner of his eye. “My competitive side may have kicked in a little.”

  “A little?” Casey asked, sarcasm dripping from his words.

  To this, they both started laughing. It felt good to laugh, even if it did hurt his chest a bit. It had been a long time since he ran like that. He liked to set a good pace, but he never went balls to the wall. And she still caught him. Damn, she was in good shape.

  And she was beautiful. Casey tried not to be so obvious, but he couldn’t help study her features. There was this sparkle in her eyes that lit up her whole face. Her smile was so big and bright, reaching all the way to her warm brown eyes and the soft blush of her cheeks—that smile could power a small city.

  Not only did it reach Katherine’s eyes, it reached him. All the way down to his core. It was as breathtaking as their race had been.

  KATIE

  Abandon ship, Katie.

  Run, Katie, Run.

  Abort! Abort!

  Katie took one look into Casey’s eyes and knew she had to get the hell out of there before she jumped into his lap and kissed him. Not because she had feelings for him. Not because she liked him—she barely knew him. It was because he was so damn irresistible.

  He was hot with a capital H, O, and T.

  From the top of his dirty blond hair to the bottom of his glorious big feet, the guy exuded sex appeal that was off the charts. His jawline alone was something she was dying to run her fingers along. And let’s be honest, she really wanted to swipe her tongue across it before she feasted on his full, plump lips.

  As if that wasn’t enough, Casey had striking blue eyes—mesmerizing blue eyes—that you could get lost in for days.

  She couldn’t afford to get lost in anything of Casey’s. So, for the sake of her own sanity, she stood, waved to him, and took off jogging back down the trail.

  Later, Katie realized she should have said something before she left. She didn’t trust what might come out of her mouth. She pondered choice words the whole way back to the B&B. All of them were X-rated and for some, she might have been arrested. She laughed all the way up to her room where she flung herself onto her bed and released and a long, relaxing breath.

  Warm and content, Katie started to nod off but was quickly awakened by the sound of her phone.

  “Hello,” she said when the call connected.

  “Hey, baby girl.”

  Katie’s eyes filled with tears at the sound of her mother’s voice. She talked to her every few days or so, but she never failed to get emotional each time.

  “How’s everything going? Are you ready to come home yet?” Her mom’s question was something she came to expect. She led with it every time.

  “You’re so predictable,” she told her.

  “Well?” Clara asked. “Are you?”

  “Not even close. I’m making progress, that’s for sure, but I still have a long way to go.” She thought about her outline and all the scenes she had yet to write. She knew where she was going with it; it was just a matter of getting there.

  “After you sent that last batch of pictures, I looked online. The town is absolutely gorgeous.”

  “So are the guys.” Shit. Katie didn’t mean to say that aloud. “Yes, the views are breathtaking.”

  Katie tried to cover up her faux pas, but her mother wasn’t buying it. “Sounds like it. Has my baby met a boy?”

  “Mother, I’m not thirteen anymore. I didn’t meet a boy.”

  Her mom gave her a teasing whistle. “My baby met a man.” She could just imagine her mom’s brows waggling up and down. She was quite the character and the romantic. If Katie didn’t come up with something quick, Ryan would be calling her next asking for all the sordid details.

  “Mom, this town is swarming with enough man meat to feed a million starving women, but, thankfully, I’m on a diet.”

  “Diet?” Clara mocked her. “Honey, I know things didn’t work out with Brendan, but don’t pass up the opportunity to meet new people. You might not be interested in starting a relationship, but there’s nothing wrong with making new friends.”

  “Is that what you told Ryan?” Katie rolled her eyes.

  “I sure did.”

  “And look how that turned out,” Katie said.

  “Perfectly, I have to say. He’s married to an amazing woman and couldn’t be happier.”

  “Moooommm!” She had no idea why her mom was so eager to marry her off and knock her up, but she’d heard it all before.

  “I know, I know. Just have some fun, Katie. You deserve it.”

  She had been all work and no play since arriving in Hope Falls. Maybe it was time to have some fun.

  Exercise was fun.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  KATIE

  The next day, Katie thought long and hard about going on another run. She didn’t want to see Casey again, but if her tight pants had anything to say about it, she knew she needed to get back on the horse. Well, not that horse, she thought with a chuckle. She shook her head clear of her muddied imagination and decided to hit the trail again.

  Only today, she’d go earlier. Maybe she’d be lucky enough to miss Casey.

  Why was she even torturing herself with what-ifs? Casey might not even run at the same time every day. Hell, he might not even run at all. It was p
robably just a fluke. A man didn’t look like him by running alone. He no doubt hit the gym on a regular schedule.

  Before Katie drove herself crazy, she grabbed a scarf from the back of her chair, wrapped it around her neck, and headed down the stairs to the front door.

  She couldn’t afford to sit around all day and write. She had a choice to make. Either she could get off her ass and exercise, or she had to give up Sue Ann’s famous sandwiches and fries. Katie knew there was no way she was going to give up the cafe, so she sucked it up and headed out into the cold for another run.

  Alone.

  CASEY

  Casey had brushed his teeth two times that morning and even combed his hair. And it was for nothing. She wasn’t even on the trail.

  KATIE

  If Katie was being honest with herself, she was kind of hoping she’d see Casey on the trail today. Yesterday, she had tried to avoid him and she was successful. But she couldn’t stop thinking about the exchange they had earlier that week. They had barely said a few words to each other and she had more fun in that moment than she had her entire stay in Hope Falls. Worry started to settle in at that revelation, but she thought of what her mother had told her. Just because she didn’t want to date, it didn’t mean she couldn’t have friends.

  Maybe Casey could be a friend. Like Shelby. Or Sue Ann. Yes, she considered Sue Ann a friend. She was living temporarily in a new town; she had to take them where she could get them.

  But Casey? The guy acted like such a jerk the first time they met. Maybe he wasn’t friend material, after all.