Slow Burn (Rabun County Book 1)

by Lisa Clark O'Neill

“I wasn’t skinny.”

  “Were, too. Living in the city’ll do that to you. All that smog and tofu.”

  Adeline rolled her lips in in an effort not to laugh.

  Catching the movement from the corner of his eye, Sutton nodded toward Adeline. “Ms. Clancy.” He kissed the back of her smooth dark hand. “I’d like you to meet Adeline Walker.”

  The café owner – at least, Adeline assumed as much – gave her a thorough looking over before fixing her brown-eyed gaze on her head. “What color is that, child?”

  Adeline touched her hair. “My stylist calls it cherry fizz.”

  “I like it,” the older woman decided, and then stuck out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Adeline. I’m Dorinda Clancy.”

  “Ms. Clancy was my kindergarten teacher,” Sutton said “but I turned her off kids so bad that she resorted to cooking instead.”

  “Oh you.” She smacked him with the edge of her apron. “Don’t you listen to a word this one says.”

  “What if I tell her you make the best apple custard pie in the entire southeast? Maybe the whole country?”

  “Well, that’s just the facts.” And then she glanced at the empty space in front of Adeline. “Has no one taken your order yet?”

  “I, uh –”

  “Travis!” the older woman bellowed toward the back. “He’ll be right with you,” she told Adeline in a softer tone. “Sutton, you let me know when you have that clinic open, you hear? It’s almost time for Rufus to have his shots.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  With that, she strode off to talk to some customers at another table.

  “She has quite a presence,” Adeline said.

  “She’s the love of my life. Which is the only reason I’m willing to take on Rufus, who is the meanest dog I’ve ever seen.”

  “Oh.” Adeline had sometimes wondered if veterinarians had certain types of animals they feared. “What breed?”

  “Miniature dachshund. And look, I know that sounds like a joke, but I’m telling you that if it were between meeting this dog and Jack the Ripper in a dark alley, I’d choose being knifed every time.”

  Adeline chuckled again, as he’d intended, but then she realized that she still didn’t know what happened to the dog she’d rescued – or attempted to rescue, anyway. “Did you find out anything more about the puppy? Otis, wasn’t it?”

  The subtle glow of humor faded from his face. “Yeah. I did, actually. It, uh, looks like someone snatched him from one of my friend’s back porch on Halloween night and then dumped him.”

  “Oh my God.” Adeline remembered how she’d felt that morning, staring at the abandoned home’s open door. Nauseated. Repelled, as if by some sort of stain on the very air. Without realizing what she was doing, her hand crept to her shoulder. “Do you have any idea why?”

  “Not yet.”

  “That’s… evil.”

  Sutton studied her for a long moment. “That’s exactly the word I used to describe it.”

  “Travis is in the weeds, so I…”

  The waitress who’d approached their table came to a halt mid-sentence, gaze fixed on the back of Sutton’s head. He turned, and Adeline watched surprise chase recognition across his face.

  “Shannon.”

  The woman, a pretty blonde in a bubblegum pink Clancy’s T-shirt that was at least two sizes too small, gaped. Adeline couldn’t help but stare at her mouth, which moved like one of the finned residents of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.

  “Sutton,” she finally said, visibly cobbling together her shattered composure. She cast a glance at Adeline before pasting on a sunny smile. “How perfectly lovely to see you.”

  Sutton hesitated, but when he smiled, his appeared more natural. “I didn’t realize you worked here.”

  “Oh, you know.” She flicked her hand in the air. “Keeps me busy. And speaking of busy, that’s actually why Dorinda called me in. We’re slammed, as you can see. Can I go ahead and bring you something to drink?”

  “I’ve already eaten,” Sutton said “but Adeline hasn’t. Adeline Walker, meet Shannon Cagle… excuse me. Shannon Caldwell. We went to high school together.”

  That earned him a sharp look, but the other woman was pleasant enough when she smiled at Adeline. “It’s nice to meet you. Can I –”

  Behind the bar, someone turned on a blender.

  “I’m sorry,” Adeline said, holding her hand to her left ear. “Would you mind repeating that?”

  Shannon’s smile slipped a little. “What would you like to drink?”

  “Just a decaf coffee,” Adeline said. “If you have it.”

  “Sure thing.”

  She hustled off, head held high. When Adeline turned back around, she found herself facing Sutton’s direct stare.

  “Sorry about that.”

  “About what?”

  “That… massive amount of awkwardness to which you were exposed?”

  “That’s not the only thing that was massive.”

  When Sutton choked, Adeline realized that was one of those thoughts she probably should have kept to herself.

  “Sorry. They were just…” she gestured with her hands in front of her chest “right there. Anyway, I take it went to high school together is code for ex-girlfriend, and that it perhaps didn’t end all that well?”

  “How’d you guess?”

  “I have radiation burns from that look she gave you.”

  Sutton grinned, but then it faded and he shook his head. “Coming back home after being away for over fifteen years is a little… weirder than I expected.”

  “Why did you come back? Unless that’s too personal a question.”

  “I guess I’ll allow it.” He smiled to show he was joking. “One, I missed my family. My dad retired, and I realized that none of us are getting any younger. Atlanta isn’t that far away, but it’s far enough to make it inconvenient to drop by for Sunday dinner. Two, and this one is harder to admit, I realized I wasn’t happy in my job. Too much bureaucracy, too little… warmth, I guess you could say.”

  “I mean no offense, but did you honestly expect warmth from pathogens?”

  He was seriously cute when he laughed. “Touché. No, I can’t say that I did. But I did expect… well, it’s a long story, and I’m not going to bore you with it.”

  Adeline didn’t think she’d be bored at all, but she wasn’t going to push him. “I left my job recently, as well. It was slowly suffocating my creativity.”

  “Someone force you to design boring business cards?”

  “You joke, but you’d be amazed at what some clients think…” she remembered his cards. “Actually, no, I guess you wouldn’t.”

  He put a hand over his heart. “You wound me.”

  “Whoever allowed you to hit print on those cards did the real damage.”

  “Here’s your coffee,” a voice said, and Adeline leaned back so that the young man could sit it in front of her. “Sugar’s on the table, but Shannon didn’t say whether you wanted cream.”

  “Ah, yes. That would be great.”

  “Coming right up. Hey Doc.”

  “Travis. Looks like your grandma’s making you earn your keep.”

  The teenager rolled his dark eyes – a replica of his grandmother’s. “This whole work-based learning thing sounded a lot better in theory. I could be sitting on my butt in study hall right now instead of running it off. I’ll be right back with your creamer, ma’am,”

  Adeline watched him scurry off, dodging another waitress carrying a tray with the agility of the young and athletic.

  “I guess your ex-girlfriend isn’t coming back.”

  “Probably not if she can avoid it.”

  “You said her last name is Caldwell? Any relation to the real estate guy?”

  This time all traces of amusement fled. “Which guy?”

  “Ummm…” Adeline rooted around in her purse until she produced the card she’d been given. “This one.” She slid it across
the table.

  Sutton picked it up. “Where’d you get this?”

  The flatness of his tone didn’t escape her notice. Adeline hesitated before replying. “I bumped into him when I was looking in the window of my grandparents’ inn. Former inn.”

  Sutton jerked his head up. “Your grandparents owned the Mountainview Inn?”

  “Up until… well, they sold it twenty years ago.”

  “I remember going there sometimes with my parents for their Sunday buffet. I know you mentioned that the cabin you’re staying in belongs to your family, but I didn’t realize you had such deep ties to Clayton.”

  “It’s one of the reasons I’m here. To figure out what, if anything, those ties mean.”

  Sutton studied her a moment, and then returned his attention to the card. “He’s her ex-husband. Shannon’s.”

  “Oh.” Adeline sensed there must be quite a bit more to that story, as well.

  “Look, I have to get back to the clinic because I’m expecting some equipment to be delivered, but are we still on for this evening?”

  It took Adeline a second to figure out to what he was referring. The kindling. “As long as you’re sure you have the time.”

  “I have the time. Do you like pizza?”

  She blinked at the non-sequitur. “Are there people who don’t?”

  “I’ve heard rumors to that effect. Anyway, I’ll bring dinner with me. Is around six-thirty okay?”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  “If your plans change, or you have any topping requests, feel free to give me a call.” With some hesitation, he handed her back the card. “Good luck getting your work done. I’ll see you tonight.”

  With that, he snagged his ticket from the table and headed toward the register on the other side of the restaurant.

  “Here’s your cream. Any idea what you’d like to eat?”

  Adeline pulled her gaze away from Sutton’s retreating backside to smile at Travis. “Will you kill me if I say I haven’t even looked at the menu?”

  “I saw where you were looking.” He winked, and Adeline was startled into laughing.

  “Busted.”

  “It’s okay. At least you have good taste. I’ll give you a few more minutes.”

  When he left, Adeline looked back toward the register, but Sutton was already gone. She glanced at Beckett Caldwell’s business card, and her amusement faded.

  Based on Sutton’s pretty obvious distaste, she began to wonder if her reaction when she’d met the man hadn’t, in fact, been solely a reflection of her own tangled emotions. Maybe it was him.

  Of course, if Shannon was Sutton’s ex-girlfriend, but she’d married Beckett, it was far likelier that simple rivalry was to blame.

  Adeline debated for a moment before sliding the card back into her purse. She doubted she’d have any reason to contact him, but would keep his number, just in case. Opening the menu, she read through it several times before heaving a sigh. Even though everything she’d seen since coming inside smelled and looked delicious, she realized that she’d lost her appetite.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  SUTTON was on his way out the clinic door when his phone vibrated. Leaving his keys dangling in the lock, he pulled it from his pocket.

  Willow. With a fair amount of trepidation, he accepted the call.

  “The answer is no.”

  There was a moment of silence before her outraged “I didn’t even ask a question.”

  “But you were about to.”

  Another pause. “Why do you think that?”

  “Because you called. If you’re imparting information or just want to send me a meme or a link, you always text. The only time you ever call is if you want something.”

  She seemed to consider that. “Okay,” she finally conceded. “You’re not inaccurate. But, to be fair, you hate talking on the phone, so I’m actually being considerate.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Work with me here, Sutton.”

  “As if I didn’t already agree to lead your guided hike on Saturday?”

  “Yeah… about that.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “What now?”

  “This is easy, I promise. The group you’ll be leading has arrived in town, and when I told them there’d been a change of plans, they asked if they could meet you. It’s a reasonable request, considering they’re a group of women and you’re a strange, unvetted man –”

  “Unvetted? You seriously did not just say that.”

  “You know what I mean. They’re staying at the Black Walnut Inn, which is right around the corner from you, and they’re having their cocktail hour right now. You could just pop in and introduce yourself so that they feel comfortable that I’m not somehow screwing them over and sending them into the woods with an incompetent or an axe murderer.”

  Sutton grimaced. If they were already this paranoid, it did not bode well for the rest of the excursion. “They do realize this isn’t Disney World, right? And that mountain hikes – even guided ones – entail a certain amount of risk? It’s nature, for God’s sake.”

  “It’ll be fine. They’re just excited. And maybe a little OCD. But honestly, you dropping by will go a long way toward helping them relax. Ten, fifteen minutes, tops.”

  Sutton looked up the road toward the inn in question, which, along with Veteran’s Park, anchored one corner of Main Street. He shaded his eyes, as the sun was beginning its downward slide behind the mountains, bathing the town in a warm autumn glow.

  He guessed one drink and some chitchat wouldn’t hurt him.

  “What am I supposed to do with Colonel Mustard?” he said, glancing down at the carrier that sat at his feet.

  “Leave him at the clinic for a few more minutes.”

  “Yeah, except that I was planning on dropping him off at Mom and Dad’s, and if I do this thing, I won’t have time. I have plans this evening.”

  “Really?”

  The innocent tone of her voice didn’t fool Sutton for a minute. “No, I’m not telling you what, or where, or who. Miss Nosy Britches.”

  “You are no fun whatsoever. I’ll come get the cat,” she said, with a decided lack of enthusiasm. “Just make sure he’s in his carrier.”

  “He is, but he’s going to be extra pissed off if he has to wait there very long.”

  “I’ll be there in five minutes. And you gave me a key, so don’t worry about hanging around until I get there. I wouldn’t want you to be late for your date.”

  “It’s not a date.”

  Exactly.

  “Whatever you say.”

  Sutton sighed and glanced at his watch. It was only a few minutes after five. He’d been planning to shower when he dropped off Colonel Mustard, but he guessed it wasn’t a necessity. He’d work up a sweat splitting the wood, anyway. And it wasn’t like this was a date.

  Exactly.

  “Fine,” he said, because the inn was just up the street. “But you owe me.”

  “You are the best brother.”

  “I’m going to have that put on a T-shirt, along with my picture, and make you wear it to Thanksgiving dinner.”

  She laughed, obviously thinking he was kidding. Little did she know.

  “I’m hanging up now so that I can do your bidding. If you call me again tonight, I’m blocking your number.”

  She made a kissing sound, and Sutton rolled his eyes before ending the call. He really was a sucker.

  “Okay dude, I’m afraid you’re going back inside for a few minutes.” He picked up the carrier, met the cat’s unamused stare. “I will double check to make sure she doesn’t leave you, all right? Maybe if you’d try not to be such an asshole to everyone except Mom, and occasionally me, people wouldn’t have to be bribed into looking after you.”

  After sitting the carrier inside, next to the door, Sutton locked up and started down the street. The Black Walnut Inn was a new addition to the town since he’d left here, a boutique hotel housed in a renovated hundred-year-old building tha
t butted up against a small park. Sutton hadn’t been inside yet, but he’d heard that the owners hired designers out of Atlanta to create the more upscale vibe for which certain local movers and shakers had been angling.

  Movers and shakers including Beckett Caldwell, apparently.

  Sutton felt his face settle into a scowl. He wondered if Adeline knew that it was Beckett himself who’d bought her grandparents’ inn and gutted it – information he’d gotten from Ethan after he’d left Adeline at the restaurant. Somehow, he imagined that particular tidbit might have been omitted from the conversation. Beckett had a gift for manipulating situations – and people – so that he came out smelling like a rose.

  Sutton sighed, because he hated giving the asshole headspace. And while it was true that their beef with one another was old news, and that Beckett hadn’t done anything outright pathological – or at least been caught doing so – in the years since Sutton left town, he found that he was having a difficult time letting go of his animosity. For one, bumping into Shannon today let him know that Beckett must have screwed her over in the divorce. Granted, they hadn’t been married long – less than five years, from what Sutton heard, and those years had been tumultuous. But the Caldwells were loaded, and despite her flippant remark, Shannon wasn’t working at Clancy’s because it gave her something to do. She was waitressing because she needed to earn a living. There wasn’t a thing wrong with the service industry, but he knew it wasn’t what she’d had her sights set on. They’d gotten to know one another because they were both in the same advanced placement chemistry class. Shannon was smart, and she’d once had a promising future, including a scholarship to UGA, until Beckett got his hands on her.

  Literally.

  The very thought of it made him feel sick. He’d never forget Shannon calling him during his first semester of college – pregnant, scared, alone. Despite how badly things had ended between them, he’d been halfway home when he stopped to call his dad to ask his advice. That’s when he’d learned that there’d been an altercation between Shannon’s dad and Beckett’s sometime in the interim, and that in fact there was going to be a wedding, albeit of the shotgun variety. Abandoning his half-baked plan to marry Shannon if he had to, he’d turned the car around and never looked back.