Page 86 of Small Town Sizzle

How is Garrett going to react when I tell him?

Chapter Thirty-One

Garrett

Ethan and I are out behind the youth center, unloading some supplies for the outdoor picnic area. It’s a rhythm we’ve fallen into lately, one that keeps me grounded. But as the sun creeps higher in the sky, there’s a tension in Ethan’s body language that I can’t ignore.

“All right,” I say, setting a box down on the table. “What’s on your mind? You’ve been weirdly quiet all morning.”

He wipes his hands on his jeans, his brow furrowed. “I was going to ask you the same thing. Who was the guy in Maya’s office earlier?”

I glance up at him, confused. “What guy?”

He gives me a skeptical look, crossing his arms. “There was a guy in her office when I came by earlier. Tall, clean-shaven, well-dressed. Said his name was TJ or something. Works with an environmental agency.”

I give him a curious look. “Douchey looking guy?”

Ethan’s expression hardens, and he takes a step closer. “I overheard him asking her to lunch, saying that he wanted herto meet someone who was trying to get their property protected like the grounds here. He wasn’t taking no for an answer.”

“You didn’t ask more questions?”

“I don’t really have the right to. You, on the other hand…” he chuckles.

“She’s a social worker. I’m certain she can handle herself. That guy is just a douche who asks a lot of questions. She’s not interested.”

“I don’t have a good feeling about it.” He shrugs. “And, if it has anything to do with the protected status, the grounds, or the wetlands, he should be talking to us. That was Mom’s thing.”

I let out a long sigh and nod slowly. “You’re right. I’ll go ask her.”

He smiles and nods slowly back.

I roll my eyes as I jog back inside the building and make my way inside, heading straight for Maya’s office, only to find the door open and her not there.

I turn back down the hall and find Leti at her desk, scrolling through something on her computer.

“Leti,” I call, stepping closer. “Where’s Maya?”

She looks up, startled. “Oh, she had to leave for a house call. She probably won’t be back today.”

“All right,” I say, trying to keep my tone casual. “Ethan mentioned that TJ guy was here again. Do you know much about him?”

“Oh, yeah. He was here for about twenty minutes, tops. He’s been in a few times. He works for a company called Northridge—some kind of environmental group. I didn’t get all the details, but he seemed polite enough. I guess they’re doing work on the wetlands and had some questions.”

“Northridge,” I repeat, my frown deepening. “Was he getting pushy with her?”

“I don’t know. He snuck in and out without me realizing it. He’s popped in and brought her coffee before.”

I nod, forcing a smile. “Thanks, Leti. I’ll check in with her later.”

As I head back to find Ethan, I pull out my phone and do a quick search for Northridge. The results are… odd. There’s a website, sure, but it looks generic—like a template someone threw together in a hurry. There’s no real information, no specifics about their projects or staff, just vague language about conservation and environmental protection. Red flags wave in the back of my mind.

There’s a picture of TJ at the bottom of the website. TJ Turner. I do a quick search of him and don’t really find anything.

I walk back through the youth center and find Ethan crouched by one of the supply crates, sorting through tools.

“Find anything out?” he asks without looking up.

“Not much,” I admit, crouching beside him. “The guy’s name is TJ, and he works for a company called Northridge. But Northridge doesn’t look legit. Their website’s a joke, and there’s no real info about them.”