Cage went on a rant about a few clients that were super high maintenance and had called him at home after hours for ridiculous reasons. Life as a small-town veterinarian was endlessly entertaining, at least for the siblings of the doctor.
My parents just listened happily, thrilled with all the exciting things coming up. I felt a bit like the weak link at the moment. I’d lost my job. I was living in my sister’s rental house, trying to pretend to be an organic farmer-slash-freelance reporter. I needed to go home and find a story. Start creating my future. It wasn’t going to just happen. I needed to make it happen. I sent a quick text to my cousin’s husband, Hawk, as we all finished up dinner.
Hey, Hawk. I don’t know if Ever told you, but I’m between jobs. I’m looking for a good story. Something big. Do you think you could get me a meeting with Breen Lockhart? Or do you know anyone else that I could interview?
I watched as the three little dots moved around the screen and chuckled when a picture came through of Everly, Hawk, and their two adorable kiddos’ faces all pressed together.
Hawk
Hi, Brinks! We’re all sending our love. Unfortunately, the hottest topic in sports right now is Lincoln Hendrix and where he’s going to play, but I’m guessing you don’t want to talk to him right now.
My cousins all knew that I hated the guy after that whole press conference fiasco. The public wasn’t aware of all the gory details, but my family, and most of the people in Cottonwood Cove, all seemed to know about my current situation.
Word always traveled fast in small towns.
But as gossipy as they were—they were equally protective of the people who lived here.
Yeah. That’s a hard no. Unless he wanted to give me his story, which isn’t likely considering the man hates me as much as I hate him.
Hawk
I’m still surprised by that because, as I told you, I’ve known him for years, and he’s normally a really good guy, Brinks. But the media attention does get overwhelming, so it sounds like he lost his patience.
Oh, I’m sorry. I was just looking for my tiny violin. Poor Lincoln Hendrix… He’s the hottest thing in the NFL, he makes more money in a week than most will make in their lifetime, and he was number three on The Sexiest Man Alive list this year. I feel so bad for him. <eyeroll emoji>
Hawk
I get it. He did you wrong. Hell hath no fury like a Thomas or a Reynolds girl scorned. <Laughing face emoji> I can get you a meeting with Breen, but you need to watch your back. He’s not my favorite. He’s cocky, and he’s a playboy, so be prepared. But he’ll do it. He loves the attention.
Thank you so much. Love you guys. Hope to see you soon. Give big kisses to the babies!
Another photo came through of him and Everly with puckered lips.
Hawk
We love you. I’ll be in touch.
We all made our way toward the front of the restaurant and said our goodbyes. Hugh and Lila were informed that there was some sort of crisis in the kitchen.
“Hey, can you stick around and help with a few to-go orders while we handle this?” Hugh asked me after everyone else was out the door and I was still saying goodbye to Lila.
“Of course. I’ve got it.”
I spent the next twenty minutes chatting with Brandy, the hostess, and running back to the kitchen to grab the orders for a few customers. Reynolds’ was always packed because they had the best food in town.
I walked back to the kitchen to see Hugh and Lila listening as two of the cooks argued their points after apparently having a big blowup with one another.
There was one final order sitting under the heat lamp, and I checked the receipt.
Captain Jack Sparrow.
I highly doubted Johnny Depp was in Cottonwood Cove, and I couldn’t wait to see who the smartass was who’d placed this order.
I took the bag to the front, as the restaurant had all but cleared out. Closing time was around the corner and everyone was making their way out the door.
A few people stopped me on their way out. This was what I loved about my hometown. Everyone knew everyone, and it really was just like one big, happy family.
J.R., who had been the town Santa Claus for as long as I could remember, picked me up and spun me around as I clung to the to-go order in my hand that dangled behind his back.
“Good to see you, sunshine.” He set me on my feet, and I pushed up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
“You, too,” I said, before turning and hugging his wife, Sandy.
I waved my goodbyes and turned just as the door opened.
And the air left my lungs for the second time this week when I came face-to-face with my nemesis.
Enemy number one.
It didn’t help that he was painfully good-looking. And I wasn’t easily impressed by men. But this particular man was the whole package. He had the looks, the confidence, and the swagger to balance it all out.
And I despised him… obviously.
He was tall, with muscles straining against his white tee and broad shoulders.
Shoulders of the hottest quarterback in the league.
Green eyes. Blond hair. Chiseled jaw with a little bit of scruff.
The bastard.
He reached for the bill of his baseball cap and turned it around slowly as he met my gaze.
No one was up at the hostess stand, as Brandy was most likely helping the busboy, Lionel, who also happened to be her boyfriend, clear off the tables.
He glanced down at the apron that I was wearing, and his brows cinched together. I’d only put it on to protect the white blouse and skirt that I wore beneath it.
“You work here now?” he said, his voice low, and I didn’t miss the pity in his tone.
Nothing pissed me off more than being pitied.
Well, being escorted out of a press conference and being fired probably trumped being pitied, but I still didn’t like it.
I rolled my eyes. “That’s none of your business. What do you want?”
“I’m picking up a to-go order.” He squared his shoulders, and his face hardened.
It took everything in me not to laugh.
“You must be Captain Jack Sparrow?” I mocked.
“Just trying to keep a low profile,” he said, glancing around to see that the place was practically empty. “Hey, for the record, I didn’t know you’d lost your job over what happened at that press conference. I’m hoping you got a call today?”
Anger coursed through my veins. Who the hell did this guy think he was?
“I don’t need you sticking your nose into my business. I’m not taking that job back because I never should have been fired. I was doing exactly what I was supposed to do.”
“Just take the goddamn job,” he said, his jaw clenching like he was aggravated.
“Oh, I’m sorry if getting me fired has inconvenienced you. I’m going to write as a freelancer until I get hired by a magazine that respects its reporters. So, unless you want me to interview you, I’m going to treat you exactly the way that you treated me.” I slammed the bag of food against his chest and turned around and shouted to Lionel to come help me.
“You’re ridiculous,” he said with an annoyingly sexy smirk on his face.
He had no idea just how ridiculous I could be.
four
Lincoln
She’d just slammed me in the chest with a bag of ribs and called over some teenage kid, who was a scrawny little thing. The dude couldn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds soaking wet.