Page 17

“How goodyouare,” I said, trying hard not to sound like a crushing fanboy. “With moves like that, you could be famous.”

She chuckled, a light little laugh that lifted the corners of my mouth.

“I’m nothing special.” She turned on me, poking a finger into my shoulder with a grin. “Butyouare. You made the paper!”

That was nothing new. There weren’t many weeks when I didn’t make some or other sports sections. “Which one?”

“The only one that matters.” Ro’s sing-song voice had me on high alert. She dug a hand into the pocket of her shorts. My eyes followed the long indent of her thigh muscle, and I chewed on my bottom lip. After a beat, she pulled out a folded piece of paper and then spread it against her leg, running her hands over its surface. It took all my strength not to reach out and help.

Once smoothed, she held it up. The words “The Nosey Pecker” ran across the top. I’d forgotten about Tuft Swallow’s popular gossip rag. It came out intermittently, and nobody knew who printed it. But if you wanted to know any of the town gossip, you could find it there.

Ro cleared her throat theatrically and read it out loud.

“Small town hero returns! Form an orderly queue, ladies. Brody ‘Flock’ Flockhart is back in town and will surely break a few hearts. Watch this space for updates.”

I laughed. “What the hell? I can’t believe the whole Pecker thing is still going. It’s been years. Has anyone worked out who writes it yet?”

Ro shook her head, refolding the paper. “My mum used to read these to me for my bedtime stories. Better than fairy tales, she’d say.”

“You still miss her?” The ridiculous question didn’t even deserve a response, but Ro sucked in a heavy breath and hung her head a little. My gut twisted at the tiny furrow that appeared on her brow.

“Every single day.”

I frowned, wanting to kiss her trembling lips. Pull her into my arms and take some of the sadness away. Instead, I fumbled for conversation.

“She skated professionally, right?”

Her mouth lifted a little, and she brought her eyes to mine. “State dance champion 1989.”

I ran my fingertips over the gritty stone seat. “You could do something with your skating, too.”

A scoff left her lips. ”I teach roller dance to the local kids on a Sunday. It’s hardly the same thing.”

“Really?” I grinned, thinking of her surrounded by a gaggle of out-of-control kids on skates. “I hate to tell you, teaching roller skating and crocheting won’t make your fortune.”

Again, her brow furrowed a little. “Does that matter? Why do I need to be rich?”

“Okay, so you don’t want to be rich. But whatdoyou want to do with your life? Pulling gas pumps isn’t going to get you out of Tuft Swallow, either.”

Ro shrugged as if to shake off my questions. “I have no clue. I know I should be full of ideas. Full of dreams. But I love this little town. I don’t wanna leave. It’s weird. It's ridiculous sometimes. But I can’t imagine living anywhere else. In Tuft Swallow, the little things make a difference.”

“So, no grand plans at all?” Like moving nearer to Denver?

“Not currently. I love working at the Plume. I get free rein over the slushie machine and plenty of crochet time. Besides, why does everyone have to want something bigger and better?”

I pulled my lips together and brought a hand to the back of my neck. “Like me, you mean?”

Her mouth dropped a little, and she sucked in some air as if realizing how her words might have stung. Countless news articles described me as laser-focused, verging on obsessive. Flock Flockhart went after what he wanted. And he got it.

“I didn’t mean that. You have a talent. Worked hard. You followed your dreams.”

“Yeah, and now look at me.” The bitter edge in my voice grated on my ears.

Ro shifted on the seat, threading her ponytail around her fingers. “Eve told me about your leg being worse than everyone thinks. How bad is it?”

A slow burn crept up my chest. “How does Eve know about my leg?” As far as I knew, there’d been nothing in the press outside official statements. No leaks from the rehab care staff or the doctor’s office.

“She read about it online somewhere. Eve hero worships you. Everyone does around here.”