I paused before speaking. She’d never told me why she left the city. I’d assumed she and Mary wanted a change of pace—snail’s pace wasn’t possible in San Francisco or Los Angeles unless you were stuck in traffic. “Thank you for your sacrifice.”
She most likely felt about the city, the way I felt about Frazier Falls.
She breathed deeply several times. “You’re the most important person in the world to me. Who else would I make a decision like that for? Sometimes, you have to make the big decisions for love.”
"I moved to the city because you weren’t going to get the opportunities I knew you deserved back in Ardmore. You needed a fresh start way more than I did. Once I knew you’d be all right, I thought of me. Frazier Falls is exactly where I want to stay.”
My eyes stung with the threat of tears. I didn’t look at her. Instead, I focused on setting the table for lunch. “I understand.”
She made a sound of discontent. “Do you?”
“What do you mean?” My insides twisted with tension.
“Sometimes you have to look further ahead, beyond the next paycheck. What about other opportunities? What about love?”
A quick glance told me she was dreaming of white dresses and buttercream frosted cakes.
“I have love. I love you … and shoes.”
“Shoes, don’t rub your feet at night.”
I turned my back and rolled my eyes. Ma was still spry enough to chuck me upside the head for being disrespectful.
“You haven’t broken in a pair of Jimmy Choos. Those will rub your feet raw night or day.”
She let out a growl that turned into a coughing fit.
I got her a glass of water, and as soon as she took a drink, she blurted out the name, “Eli.”
My heart raced. “What about him?”
“I’d say that’s a pretty great opportunity.”
“I’m not following you,” I lied.
“Yes, you are. You’re just being stubborn.”
“Wonder who I got that from?”
“Emily.”
I gave my mom a level stare. “He’s a guy, Ma. Another guy who lives in a town that doesn’t offer what I need. What you need.”
Her hazel eyes dimmed as if I’d flipped the switch to her internal light off. “I feel sorry for you if you genuinely think that, honey. Not every man struggles through a snowstorm to make sure you’re doing okay.”
“One good deed doesn’t make him the right man for me. It just means he was nice that one time.”
She rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Emily, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look at a man the way you looked at Eli the other night when he came around. When he was outside picking you up for coffee, you absolutely glowed. You like him. You’d do well to admit that to yourself.”
I stared at the floor. “Don’t make things harder for me than they already are.”
“If it’s making your decision to leave Frazier Falls harder, then that’s only because you have feelings for him and know that I’m speaking the truth. Otherwise, there would be nothing to debate. You’d be able to head back to Los Angeles with a clear head.”
“Ma—”
She held up a hand. “There’s no point in discussing this any further. The casserole must be ready by now.” She stared past me to the oven.
Mom’s tone said it all. She’d made her point, and my defense had been weak and futile.
What was all this angst over a sarcastic construction worker who lived in a tiny town?
While that barely scratched the surface of who or what Eli Cooper was, at his core, it was true. I was a city girl who went out for cocktails on a Wednesday evening and likely knew more people by name than there were people in Frazier Falls.
And regardless of what made Eli who he was, he was the reason I was faltering. The reason I was happy and excited to be stuck here longer. The reason going back to Los Angeles might be painful, although necessary.
So much for the headstrong woman I was. Right now, I felt like a chew toy for two dogs. On one side was a loyal lab who loved me unconditionally, and wanted the best for me, it didn’t hurt that in my head he had Eli’s eyes and his strength of presence. On the other side, tugging in equal measure was my job, which snarled and snapped, making sure it got its fair share of flesh.
Yes, I was torn, but given the situation, there was only one option. Fall for Eli today, and leave him when I had too. Who said a girl couldn’t have everything? I might not be able to keep it, but wasn’t a taste better than none at all?
Chapter Thirteen
Eli
I was out of milk again. By that, I meant out of everything. I had to stop waiting until my kitchen was barren before buying food.
Considering the weather, I suppose I could forgive myself. Nobody in their right mind would go outside in a blizzard for milk but leave it to me to wait until things were dire.
Owen and Rich were still in New York. I was beginning to worry about my older brother. It was fine feeling claustrophobic from being inside all day in Frazier Falls; it was another thing entirely for Owen to feel trapped in New York where his panic attacks began.
Heaving a heavy sigh, I laced up my boots and threw on my jacket, grateful that the Cooper Construction truck was in my driveway. With Owen gone, and the weather still miserable, it was all but impossible to fulfill the orders we were supposed to start in February.
Thankfully, our clients were all affected by the weather, and understanding when it came to the delay.
I was getting restless and impatient, and I wanted to get back to work simply to keep busy. With a low laugh, I thought of Emily, who’d been desperately trying to get back to work for weeks.
A sudden flash of empathy overtook me for a moment. Here I was going crazy, and my job was practically on my doorstep, while hers was a thousand miles away.
I shivered as I ran out to the truck, brushing snow off my shoulders when I opened the door and sat down. Even though the journey would only take me a couple of minutes, I cranked up the heat, intending to keep the engine running when I went into Wilkes Corner Store. I thought longingly of the large supermarket in Idaho Springs, or the one in Indian Springs. If I’d been able to drive there to buy my groceries, then I wouldn’t keep running out of everything week after week. Sadly, it would take too long to get out there, with no guarantee the roads were safe enough to do so.
When I entered, I was surprised to see Rachel behind the register, hovering close to a space heater as she read a magazine.
She smiled when she saw me.
“Hello there, Eli. Another horrible evening, it seems.”
“Definitely. I thought my brother might have been helping you out, given the weather.” I returned her smile.
“I’m right over here,” Pax called out from the far aisle, startling me. “I’m helping Lucy with her grocery shopping; then I’m going to take Rachel home.”
“You came by to shop just in time,” Rachel said. “I’m about to close up for the night.”
“Perfect timing.” I moved down the aisle, pushing a small cart in front of me. “Evening, Lucy,” I murmured when I spied her behind Pax.
Lucy was in her fifties, with a full face of makeup and peroxide-blond hair that was always kept tied back in an immaculate up-do, even when she wasn’t going anywhere. Her winter jacket seemed more fashionable than practical with its white fur collar.
Her husband had passed away a few years ago, and ever since then, Pax had helped her with all the chores Burt used to do.
Though she definitely abused his help. She had him replace her generator when the old one was perfectly fine. We assumed it was to ogle Pax, but he didn’t seem to mind. After all, he helped everyone.
Lucy always cooked for him, which was something Pax professed to be terrible at. I was fairly certain it was because he never had a good enough reason to learn, given how many of the older ladies in Frazier Falls fed him.
I had to admit it was a pretty good deal. He never ha
d to buy food. On the other hand, he was in the grocery store more often than anybody else, which seemed somewhat ironic.
“Good evening, Eli,” Lucy crooned as she threw some bags of rice and pasta into the shopping cart Pax was pushing along. “You don’t look like you’re in such a great mood.”
I tried to smile, but it fell flat. “It’s this weather. It’s gone on for too long. I live two minutes from here, and I still had to drive.”
Lucy laughed. “I’d have thought you’d be feeling better, what with all the time you’ve been spending with Judy’s girl.”
Pax hid a smirk behind his hand at the comment.
I threw a disgruntled look his way.
“Seems like someone’s been gossiping about his brother’s business,” I bit out.
“Oh, don’t be so defensive,” Lucy said with a wave of her hand. “It’s good for you boys to be settling down. First Owen, now you. Although, what will I do when my dear Paxton finds a woman? I’ll have nobody to mow my lawn or help around the house.”
“I can’t see anyone being able to put up with him, so I’m sure you don’t have to worry.”
“Charming,” Pax pretended to lob a bag of beans my way but dropped them into the cart instead.
Lucy sighed. “And here I was hoping Paxton would fall for my Rose.” She patted his arm. “To have you as a son-in-law … now that would be ideal.”
Pax turned away so Lucy couldn’t see the horrified expression on his face. It confused me for a moment, but then I vaguely recalled how Rose Rogers had picked on Pax when they were in middle school, back when he was mostly silent.
No wonder he didn’t like the idea of marrying her.
“I’m happy being single, Lucy,” Pax said quietly, reaching over for some canned corn as he spoke.
“Oh, nonsense. Nobody is happy being single. What I wouldn’t give to have my Burt back.” She pinned me with a look. “Eli, help me out. You feel much better now that you’re with Emily, right?”
I was with Emily, but I wasn’t with Emily. There was no doubt that she’d trade me for a plane ticket as soon as the weather cleared. That realization felt like a fist to my chest.
“I think you’re getting ahead of yourself,” I interrupted, laughing awkwardly. “Emily and I aren’t going out. She’ll be heading back to Los Angeles any day now. We’re spending some time together so that we don’t die of boredom.”
Lucy raised a knowing eyebrow. “That’s how it always starts. Everyone makes excuses when they like someone, then, before you know it, you’re in love, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Pax let out a deep belly laugh. “Trust you to fall for a woman who’ll end up running away from you.”
My scowl made the space between my eyebrows ache. “We’re just friends.”
“It didn’t seem that way when you ran out to help her during the power outage.”
Lucy’s eyes widened, as did Rachel’s over by the register. Clearly, she was eavesdropping on the whole conversation. I couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t as if there was anything else interesting happening in town. Was there a bet at the knitting club or the on-hiatus walking club about us? Anyone who bet on the longevity of our “relationship” would go away a loser.
“I was worried about Judy,” I explained, which was half of the truth. “Her house isn’t equipped for a winter this bad.”
“I’ve been telling her for years now that she needs to get a backup generator, and those windows need updating, too.” Lucy pulled her cart down the aisle, dragging Pax along with her. “She needs to look after herself. Her health isn’t getting any better, and she’s not getting any younger. Thank you for looking out for her, Eli.”
I smiled. “Not a problem.”
“He stayed for dinner when he went over,” Pax said, reveling in stirring the gossip pot further. “I’m surprised he didn’t spend the night, considering the weather.”
I growled in exasperation. Pax had found his voice today, and that made him impossible to deal with. I glanced at the time. “As wonderful as this conversation is, I need to get on with my shopping before Rachel closes up the store. I’ll see you in the office tomorrow, Pax.”
A frown slipped across his face. “Why do we need to go in?”
“We need to work out an alternative plan of action for the rest of February, given the weather. Owen and Rich still aren’t back, so I could do with everyone who works with me and is in Frazier Falls to be present. Which means you.”
He nodded in understanding. “Got it. See you in the morning, then.”
I smiled at Lucy. “Have a lovely evening.”
“I will. Rose is going to video-call me, so here’s hoping the storm doesn’t affect the connection.”
I left the pair of them in order to venture over to the picked-through produce aisle. This weather needed to get better. Longingly, I thought of ripe tomatoes, potatoes with smooth, unblemished skin, fresh lettuce, and spring onions.
“So much for asking Emily around to make dinner,” I muttered under my breath. I’d been hoping to invite her over the following evening, but I felt as if anything I tried to cook would be disappointing. With the weight of resignation weighing me down, I slogged through the rest of my shopping in a worse mood than I’d started.
When I got back to my truck, I was welcomed by a hug of heat. By the time I reached my driveway, I didn’t want to leave the cab. I was content to sit there with the engine off until the heat in the car dissipated. Eventually, the interior grew cold enough that I found the willpower to grab my meager supplies, get out of the truck, and make my way through the gusting wind and snow to my front door.
My boots were tossed aside in the entryway before I tucked my groceries away and headed straight for the couch, not caring about the snow on my clothes, which rapidly melted into the leather. Sleepiness overtook me.
Had I known I was going to feel like this, I’d have put off shopping until tomorrow in favor of an early night.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, yawning, and checked if any of the restaurants in Frazier Falls were planning to open this week, but all of them stated that they were closed until the weather cleared.
“I can’t even take Emily out,” I grumbled.
Here I was, trying to organize one semi-decent date for the two of us before she left, and Frazier Falls seemed to be conspiring against me.
This wouldn’t happen if I’d stayed in a city. For the first time, I felt dissatisfied with where I lived. Feeling that way was stupid and pointless. Colorado was considered high desert, and this type of prolonged weather was an anomaly. For ninety-nine percent of my life, I’d never had a complaint about Frazier Falls. If I hadn’t met Emily, I wouldn’t be pissed off now. But I had met her, and that changed everything.
I glanced at my phone. Emily and I had been texting back and forth for the past few days about nothing in particular. The communication was comforting and fun despite the lack of real content. Maybe it was because it wasn’t about anything important. We were merely talking to each other for the sake of talking—the way a person did when they were getting to know someone.
Lucy’s and Paxton’s jibes still rung in my ears. I did like Emily—a lot—but what could I do about it? I’d only be making things more difficult if I announced that I liked her too much for her to go back to California.
Even if she liked me as much as I did her, Emily loved her job more. She loved California. I didn’t blame her. At the end of the day, I’d never leave Frazier Falls or my job for anyone. I couldn’t expect her to choose me.
It was unfair and wildly unfortunate for the two of us to have met when we did. If the weather hadn’t been as bad as it was, none of this would have even happened in the first place.
Regret filled my thoughts. Could I honestly say that never meeting Emily would be better than having met her and half fallen for her?
Shaking my head in frustration, I rolled from my sofa, took off my jacket, and headed for the kitchen.
>
“Time for another frozen pizza,” I mumbled. What I needed was to get over Emily Flanagan; for her benefit and mine.
Chapter Fourteen
Emily
Shopping at Wilkes’ had reached its limit long ago in terms of variety. A trip to the nearest supermarket had been exactly what I needed to get out of my mom’s house and Frazier Falls for an afternoon.
I’d never enjoyed walking the aisles so much.
The weather hadn’t gotten better, per se, but there had been a break in the storm long enough for me to drive the hour or so out to the store in Indian Springs, spend another hour shopping, then make it back to town. When I was fifteen miles away, snowflakes as big as cotton balls fell from the sky, and the wind picked up again.
“Oh, great,” I said sarcastically. “Just what I need. Couldn’t wait fifteen bloody miles, could you?” I glared up through the sunroof of my mom’s car with an accusatory stare meant for the storm.
I hoped against hope I would make it back okay. I had food in the car that needed to be put away. At least with the cold, stuff would be fine given that the temperature outside was like a freezer, but that was beside the point. The shopping wouldn’t get back to my mom’s if I didn’t.
I thought of everything I’d bought and wondered if Eli would be up for helping me cook again. That way, I could make something plain for my mom, and we could eat something spicy. Mexican food, maybe. Or Italian, or Indian.
My mouth watered at the mere thought, but in order to cook anything, I had to get home, which was steadily becoming more difficult as the snow covered the road thick and fast.
Twenty minutes later, I’d made it to the edge of town. As I began to breathe a sigh of relief, the car made an unsettling, spluttering noise.
“Oh, no, that can’t be good.” I willed it to last a few more minutes. The noise grew more guttural, the engine struggled, and the car moved slower and slower with every curse that escaped my lips. “Without bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.”
Shelter Me: A Frazier Falls Novel Page 9