The pastor didn’t pressure him, but instead took a seat at his desk and gave Leif all the time he needed to decide for himself whether to come in. That little bit of control over the decision was enough to persuade him to move forward instead of retreating. One deep breath and he took that next step.
• • •
As Leif pulled out of the church parking lot, he waved back at several of the men who had been at the meeting. It had been a pleasant surprise to find out that he already had at least a nodding acquaintance with several of the members before the meeting.
Running into Clarence Reed had come as a bit of a surprise. Although Clarence’s sweater vest, neatly ironed shirt, and bow tie didn’t exactly fit the usual image of a marine, that’s what he’d been. Then there were the two guys who’d vouched for Leif and Mitch’s story after the fight at the bar. Leif had known they were former military but hadn’t even considered the possibility that they’d be part of the group.
All in all, the experience wasn’t nearly as painful as he’d expected. No one put any pressure on him to talk about his deployments other than to ask where he’d served. He’d gotten quite a kick out of listening to two old codgers who’d served in World War II. Despite some good-natured bickering over which one had seen more action, it was obvious the two shared a strong bond, forged in the hell they’d both lived through. He knew just how they felt. He’d enjoyed the same kind of ironclad connection with Nick. Well, and with Spence.
There’d been a moment when one of the old warriors had mentioned a friend who’d died in the war. He’d paused to look around at the group with his faded blue eyes and a sad smile. “Damned if I don’t miss his laugh even after all these years. Old Will was one helluva marine and a good friend. That’s why I come here week after week. No one else understands, not like all of you do.”
For a minute, the room had gone silent. Leif had no doubt that every man and woman in the place was thinking about someone in their own lives like Old Will. As sad as thinking about Spence made him feel, sharing that moment with the others had somehow lifted a little of the weight off of Leif’s heart and let him smile at the memory of his lost friend.
As he drove down Main Street on his way back to the house, he recognized several people, who waved as he passed by. Bridey was standing outside her shop talking to a couple of older women, and Frannie was changing the list of specials on the chalkboard that hung outside the Creek Café. It occurred to him that, adding in the men at the meeting, somehow he’d started forging the kinds of personal connections that definitely made Snowberry Creek feel a bit like home. It had been years since he’d had any strong sense of belonging to any place or anyone outside of the military. He’d always kept his visits to his parents and their families blessedly brief. Other than them, there was very little that tied him to his hometown.
But when it came time to leave Snowberry Creek, he would miss both the town and the friends he’d made there. Speaking of whom, Callie would be waiting for him. He’d also forgotten all about Austin. He should probably invite the kid to tag along. He made a quick call and told Austin to wait for him at Callie’s. He didn’t know where Callie was thinking about going, but he’d have to remember to mention to Nick how much fun they’d had the next time he talked to him. Yeah, maybe that would be mean of him, but then what were friends for if not to give each other a hard time?
Past the outskirts of town, he gunned the big engine and hauled ass for the house. He found himself singing along with the song on the radio. As the song wound down, his smile faded a bit. He’d gone into the meeting expecting to hate it. There had definitely been some tough moments, like when a couple of the members had shared memories or the problems they were having coping with civilian life. But there was comfort in knowing there were others like him, especially ones who had made the journey and come out on the other side relatively whole. Hope was a precious gift.
Granted, it would be stupid to think that a single meeting would have a long-term effect on the problems he was having. He glanced at himself in the rearview mirror. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to hit a few more of them as long as he was around.
At least it was worth a shot. Maybe.
• • •
Zoe reluctantly followed Brandi into the crowded dining room at the Trillium Creek Lodge Although she had tried hard to come up with a believable reason that she needed to stay home alone on a Saturday night, her brain had fired nothing but blanks.
Clearly Brandi had been confident that she’d be able to coax her into going because she’d issued the invitation from the parking lot of Zoe’s apartment complex. At least she’d given Zoe time to change clothes and put on a little makeup. An hour later, here they were, standing in a long line waiting for a table. Obviously, they weren’t the only ones who hadn’t wanted to cook tonight.
While they waited, Brandi indulged in her favorite hobby of people watching and making snide comments that kept Zoe laughing. They’d been there only a few minutes when Brandi went on point. Zoe looked around to see who had captured her attention. She had her answer when a deep voice said, “Hey, Brandi. How’s it going?”
“Much better now that you’re here, Corporal Brevik. Don’t you think so, Zoe?”
God, she wanted to kill the woman. “Hi, Leif.”
Brandi’s enthusiasm faded a bit when she realized that he wasn’t alone and that his companion was female. It was tempting to let her matchmaking friend think Leif was on a date, but that would be mean. “Hey, Callie, I don’t believe you’ve met Brandi. She and I work together.”
The two women shook hands. “It’s nice to meet you, Brandi. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”
Before her friend could respond, Zoe asked, “So, have you heard from Nick? How is that handsome guy of yours doing?”
Callie’s smile faded just a bit. “Fine. The army is keeping him really busy, but at least he’ll be back home to stay soon.”
“That’s really great. I know you’re both counting the days.”
Zoe hadn’t noticed that there was a third member in their party until Callie completed the introductions. “Gosh, where are my manners? Zoe and Brandi, this is Austin Locke. He’s recently hired on to work for Nick’s new remodeling business.”
The younger man nodded in Zoe’s direction, but his focus was totally on Brandi. His interest was clearly not one-sided, either; her smile had brightened about two hundred percent. “Hey, why don’t we see if we can’t get a table big enough for all of us?”
Zoe knew all kinds of reasons why that wouldn’t be a good idea, but Brandi didn’t wait for anyone to express an opinion. She grabbed Austin’s hand and dragged him with her to tell the hostess that they’d be needing a bigger table.
While Zoe chatted with Callie, she could feel Leif watching her every move. When their names were finally called, he followed close on her heels to the large circular booth in the distant corner of the restaurant. He stood back to let her slide in first, but then sat down right next to her, blocking the way for the others.
He gave everyone an apologetic look. “Sorry, but I need to be on this end to have room to stretch my leg out.”
Callie had already entered the booth from the other end of the curved bench, effectively trapping Zoe next to Leif. Brandi sat on Callie’s other side, and Austin took the other end position. Well, weren’t they all one big happy family? With a barrage of conflicting emotions battling in her head, Zoe clutched the menu in her hands like a shield in the hope that no one, especially Leif, sensed how upset she was by this chance encounter.
How badly was he hurting? Had he had any further problems with his leg after last night? This wasn’t the time or the place to be asking, but she couldn’t help but worry. She certainly hadn’t expected to run into him again so soon, especially when she still felt raw over everything that had happened between them.
Finally, she forced herself to concentrate on what to order, knowing the waiter would be back soon. She’d tell him what sh
e wanted. He’d bring it. They’d all eat, and then they’d all go their separate ways. Step by step, she would get through this. Trying to sound more normal than she felt, she announced to no one in particular, “The halibut looks good.”
There, one item off her list and closer to escaping this hyperawareness of the man sitting next to her.
• • •
Zoe clearly wasn’t happy about their seating arrangement, but Leif hadn’t lied. Well, not exactly. If she’d scooted to the middle of the booth, he would’ve followed right after her and not said a word about his leg. They’d agreed to stay away from each other, but it wasn’t as if he’d planned this. Did she think he was any happier about this situation than she was? For her sake, he hoped that none of the others picked up on the thick layer of tension thrumming between the two of them. If Callie suspected, she hid it well.
Brandi had blindsided all of them with her suggestion that they share a table. At least right now most of her focus was on Austin. The poor guy probably didn’t know what had hit him. Spiky white hair tipped in green wasn’t Leif’s taste as far as hair colors went, but he had to guess Austin had a different opinion on the subject since the kid kept sneaking peeks at Brandi and smiling. Good for him.
Zoe had finally laid her menu down. He leaned in closer than necessary to ask, “Want to split an appetizer? Callie says the crab cakes are great.”
She swallowed hard and nodded. “Sure, why not?”
While everyone else was still studying the menus, he squeezed her hand and said, “I’m sorry. I know this is awkward, but we can handle it.”
His mood improved considerably when she squeezed his hand in return. “Yeah, we can. Just wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon.”
Despite their agreement that right now he needed her medical expertise more than he needed her as a romantic partner, that didn’t mean he didn’t want more of what they’d shared last night. It took a helluva lot of effort just to look away from her. When he did, Callie was watching them, her expression worried as her gaze bounced back and forth between him and Zoe. So much for nobody noticing. When she realized he was aware of her scrutiny, she arched an eyebrow as if asking if he was all right.
He shrugged his shoulders and forced himself to relax against the back of the booth. In a town the size of Snowberry Creek, he and Zoe were bound to run into each other sooner or later. At least this way, they had the cushion of the others to help smooth over the initial awkwardness.
“Okay, so what’s everyone having? Zoe and I are going to split an order of crab cakes, but I’d be glad to order more if anyone else is interested.” On impulse, he announced, “Dinner’s my treat, so order whatever you want.”
• • •
As the food courses came and went, conversation became easier. Austin and Brandi discovered they knew some of the same people. Callie and Zoe talked about getting together at Something’s Brewing. And then Austin got into a good-natured argument with all three women over the chances of the Seahawks to go all the way. Leif had no particular attachment to any of the local teams, but he added his own opinion to the mix just because.
When the waiter cleared away the last of the dinner plates, he asked about dessert. Predictably, all three women hemmed and hawed over whether they could risk the calories. Leif looked at Austin and rolled his eyes.
“I don’t know about you, Austin, but I’m not leaving until I’ve had a huge helping of strawberry shortcake.”
The kid’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”
“We’ll have two orders of the shortcake.” Then Leif gave the women a hard look before adding, “And to be clear about it, we won’t be sharing. Order your own or go without.”
Callie looked at Brandi and then Zoe. “Either of you want to split an order?”
Brandi immediately accepted the offer. “I’d love to.”
Zoe sighed dramatically. “Fine, I’ll have the bread pudding, even if I’ll hate myself in the morning.”
The idea of two different desserts brought back memories of the night he and Zoe first met. A lot had happened since then, but he couldn’t resist reminding her of when they’d shared dessert. When the waiter was gone, Leif gave her a nudge with his shoulder. “I love bread pudding, too. Want to go halvsies on both?”
Zoe’s mouth quirked up in a teasing smile. “But with one condition. This time, the last bites are mine.”
He would’ve agreed to almost anything to see the shadows in her eyes disappear for even a few minutes. “It’s a deal.”
The waiter came back all too soon with their orders. It wouldn’t be long before they ran out of excuses to linger in the restaurant. He and Zoe took turns taking bites from each other’s plate, their time together disappearing along with the strawberry shortcake and bread pudding. When the bill came, Leif handed over his credit card despite the protests from both Callie and Zoe that they would pay their fair share.
He smiled at the waiter. “Ignore them.”
After signing off on the bill, Leif twisted in the seat so that he could push up out of the booth without putting all his weight on his sore leg. He was uncomfortably aware of Zoe watching his every move, but he managed to stand up and walk without a problem. Out in the parking lot, Austin walked Brandi over to her car while Callie stopped to talk to Zoe. “I’ll give you a call about meeting Bridey at her coffee shop. Maybe I can get Melanie Wolfe to join us while she’s town to help with her father’s estate.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
After the two women exchanged a quick hug, Callie walked away, leaving Leif alone with Zoe. He tugged her around the corner and out of sight of the others. There should be something he could say, but damned if he could think of a single thing that made sense. He settled for, “I guess I’ll see you around.”
She flinched as if his words hurt her, but what did she expect? They’d both agreed that seeing each other outside of her office was a bad idea. “My next appointment is two weeks out.”
Zoe nodded. “I know.”
And speaking of bad ideas, sometimes you just had to throw the dice and live with the consequences. He gathered her into his arms and kissed her quickly, keeping it short and sweet. As they broke apart, caught between hunger and regret, he brushed a lock of hair back from her face. “Take care, Zoe.”
“You, too, Leif.”
As she walked away, he had to wonder how a simple kiss could taste so damn sad.
Chapter 22
After a surprisingly good night’s sleep, Leif spent most of the morning lounging on the couch and reading the Sunday paper. After an early lunch, his downtime came to an end. He and Mitch had both gotten a call from the mayor’s office inviting them to be part of a work crew assigned to spruce up an elderly woman’s yard. It didn’t promise to be much fun, but it was better than hanging around the house and moping over Zoe.
He had been spending more time out of his boot lately, but he’d need it to get through the afternoon. After buckling it on, he grabbed his ball cap and sunglasses and headed outside to wait for Mitch. Austin was hanging out with Mooch on the front porch.
“I’ll be back for dinner. I put out steaks to thaw, and the makings for a salad are in the fridge. I’ll call you before I head back so you can get the coals started.”
He half expected the kid to protest Leif’s assumption that he would wait around for a call from him. But to his surprise Austin just said, “Okay.”
When the roar of an engine signaled Mitch’s arrival, Leif started down the steps. “Thanks for taking care of Mooch for me. I hate leaving him locked in the house all day.”
“No problem. It’s not like I have anything better to do.”
Okay, it was nice to know the kid hadn’t lost all of his attitude. Leif gave him back a little of his own. “Well, if you’re that bored, you could always strip more of the wallpaper on the third floor. I just thought you might like an afternoon off.”
Austin followed Leif down to the drivewa
y. “Maybe Mooch and I will take a walk into town and grab some ice cream.” He shuffled his feet and stared at the ground. “You know, with Brandi.”
Good for him. “Have fun. Tell her hi for me.”
Mitch pulled up in his convertible with the top down. He didn’t look happy. “You could have warned me that your driveway was one gigantic rut!”
“Sorry,” Leif said, even if he wasn’t. “I thought I’d drive, assuming you wouldn’t want a pile of dirty yard tools in the backseat of your car.”
“Thanks for that.”
“And you’re welcome to stay for dinner when we get back. We’re going to grill steaks. My man Austin here will have the grill all heated up and the beer chilled.”
Mitch waved at the kid as the two of them climbed into the cab of the truck. “Sounds like a deal. Let’s go pull these weeds I’ve been hearing so much about so we can move on to the good stuff.”
It didn’t take long to find the house where they were going to be working. He and Mitch grabbed the tools out of the truck and joined the cluster of people gathered in the front yard. It was a relief to see Gage was there. As soon as the police chief spotted them, he smiled and waved them over to where he was standing with a woman Leif hadn’t seen before.
“Glad you could make it.” Turning to his companion, he said, “Mayor McKay, you probably know Mitch Calder, and this is Leif Brevik. He’s here in Snowberry Creek helping Callie Redding restore the old Lang place.”
The mayor smiled at each of them in turn. “Nice to meet you, Leif. And Mitch, it’s been a while. I’d love for you to meet my son if you have the time.”
Mitch shook her hand. “Coach asked me to stop by and help out at practice this next week. I’ve sure heard great things about your son and how well the team is doing this year.”
His comments clearly pleased her. “I’ll tell Colby you’ll be by. He’ll be excited.”
More Than a Touch: A Snowberry Creek Novel Page 21