Page 2 of Against All Odds (Ember Falls #3)

two

Everett

O h look, another day in paradise.

And by paradise, I mean—purgatory.

Today is the same fucking thing, just wash, lather, repeat. Also, why the hell do we repeat? Like, shouldn’t it work the first time?

Whatever.

“Oh, look who’s here for free coffee!” My best friend Hazel says as I enter the door of Prose & Perk.

Like I do every morning.

Why? Because my life is literally the same shit on a different day.

So, here I am again, world, doing the same thing.

Wake up at five a.m., like clockwork, go see my mother and get her set for the day, get coffee and see the same patrons who come at the same time, before I leave to spend the day with animals.

“Jesus, you’re hostile today,” I say with a sigh, leaning against the counter.

“Sorry, I’m just exhausted. I went on another date last night that ended with me getting fast food on the way home because he told me that I should eat salad only.”

“Fuck him,” I say quickly. “No one should ever tell you what to eat. What’s his number? The guys and I will pay him a visit.”

Hazel and I have been best friends since we were kids. She’s like a sister to me, and I’ll kick anyone’s ass who hurts her.

“That’s very sweet, but I handled it.” She grins.

I’m a little afraid for him then. Hazel’s fucking vicious when she wants to be. One of my teammates on my Frisbee league, Miles, pissed her off once, and she put a laxative in his breakfast. Poor guy was running to the shitter all day.

I’ll be honest, I really didn’t feel bad for him, but I pretended.

“I’m glad you’re so mean sometimes, just not when you’re mean to me. Now, can I please have some coffee? I have to get up to the Joneses’ farm and check on the foal that was born. The mom is a little lethargic, and I want to make sure everything is fine.”

Being the town veterinarian is honestly more than I could’ve ever dreamed of. When I chose to walk away from baseball, there really was only one other option for me, and it was this.

“Aww,” Hazel says in a singsong voice. “She had the baby? Didn’t she lose her foal two years ago?”

“Yes, and I promised I’d be there early.”

We both look at the wall clock. “This is early?”

I let out a long sigh. “Mom had a rough start to the morning, so ...”

She gives me a soft smile. “I’m sure they’ll understand and have no fear—I have coffee.”

The owners do understand and thank God for the coffee.

“I called, explained, and they said both animals appear to be okay, but both the mare and the foal need to be examined to ease their minds, I think.”

“But you don’t think they’re okay, though?”

I shrug, not sure what I think until I get there. “Jones said the foal was still a bit sluggish but had improved, so I didn’t need to rush. I also think after the way they lost the last one, they’re a bit shaken up.” Understandably so. It was traumatic for everyone.

She turns and starts pouring coffee into a cup. “Well, it’s a happy day for the Jones farm and you, since I’m going to give you this cup”—she holds the cup in her hand and her voice becomes stern—“and only this cup, for free, because you had a bad morning and I’m a wonderful friend.”

I know better than to make my normal sarcastic remark about her friendship since she cut me off from my daily coffee the last time I did it. Plus, she’s being kind, so I’ll just wait until she’s back to being her ungiving self.

“Thank you. I appreciate it. Truly.” And I do. Hazel always is there for me.

“You’re welcome. What’s going on with your mom?”

Hazel knows all about my mom’s condition, but I don’t want to get into it. It’s hard being the sole caretaker, and today was just one of those days. Couple that with the monotonous tone of my life and I’m grumpy.

“It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before,” I say, pushing it off. There’s nothing anyone can say or change about it. I just had to accept my life and make the best of it.

“Everett,” she says softly. “Talk to me. You can’t keep all this built up. You need someone to lean on as well.”

I shrug. “Then I better go find that someone.”

She rolls her eyes, knowing my tactics all too well. “Yes, what a lucky human they will be. I’ll be sure to provide them with free coffee. She’ll need it after one day with you.”

“You wouldn’t.”

One brow lifts. “Wouldn’t I?”

Yeah, she totally would.

I start to make a remark back to her but opt to take a sip of the coffee instead, and the door chimes.

And on cue will be Ainsley, who is engaged to my Frisbee teammate, Lachlan West.

Because . . . it’s Ember Falls where life is on repeat.

I turn to see my buddy, but when I see the person entering, my heart stops.

It’s like one of those movie scenes where the camera zooms in on the guy who is completely dumbfounded as he sees the girl.

That girl.

The girl who wrecked your fucking life and you never thought you’d see her again.

Only that damn girl is standing in the coffee shop, looking back at you.

Yeah, that fucking moment.

The world around me is fuzzy, and I’m staring into the rich amber-colored eyes of Violet Stewart.

She blinks a few times, her eyes widening, and then there’s a shriek behind me, breaking the moment completely.

“Violet! Oh my God! Violet!” Hazel yells and rushes around, bumping my shoulder as she goes past me.

Violet’s gaze snaps to hers, and she smiles. “Hazel!”

They hug and Hazel rocks her back and forth, over and over like she’s a long-lost friend, which I guess she is.

However, she’s more than that to me. She’s the only girl I’ve ever loved. She’s the one I was going to marry.

Until I wasn’t.

“My God, how are you? You’re in Ember Falls? When did you get here?” Hazel fires off the questions and then turns to me. “Did you know she was back? Why didn’t you tell me?”

I’m still standing here, like an idiot, unable to form words.

Dear Universe, when I said that life was the same and I was bored, I didn’t mean you should throw the one person in my life who could upend it all.

Violet glances at me and then back to Hazel. “I just got in late last night, actually. I ... I haven’t seen anyone, well, until now.”

Hazel grips both of her wrists, shaking her head in amazement. “I can’t believe you’re here. I’ve missed you! I haven’t heard from you in so long. How are you?”

Violet tenses a little. “I’m okay.” Only it doesn’t look like she’s okay. Finally her eyes come to stay on mine. “Hey, Everett.”

Her voice is exactly like I remember, like silk against the skin. The way she said my name used to be my favorite thing, and hearing it again, after so long, fucking hurts in a place I thought had died.

“Violet, hi,” I say. My throat feels as though it’s closing, but I play it cool and manage to walk to her. I rest my hand on her arm and kiss her cheek. “It’s good to see you. It’s been a long time.”

She pulls her lips between her teeth and then pushes out a deep breath. “It has. How have you been?”

Bored as fuck, but it seems that’s done now.

“He’s the same, as always, other than the fact that he’s a veterinarian and a mooch.” Hazel slaps my chest. “But I can’t seem to get rid of him, not for lack of trying.”

I roll my eyes. “And she’s still as annoying as ever.”

Violet laughs softly. “That’s so great that you guys are all still friends.”

I clear my throat, trying to get the lump out. “What brings you back to town?”

I thought for sure, nine years ago, that Violet would come back and we’d find a way to work through all the obstacles.

When that didn’t happen, I waited, thinking she would sell her grandmother’s house after it was left to her.

That was the opening I was desperate for.

However, Violet didn’t come back. Instead, she hired a property manager who comes and checks on things, and that was that.

Violet Stewart was never coming back to Ember Falls.

“I’m here for a year, actually.”

“For just a year?”

She nods. “I just took a job in town.”

Hazel squeals. “That’s amazing! God, it’s like the band just got back together!”

A whole year of being near her while she’s married to that douchebag actor in Los Angeles. A whole year of having to pretend I don’t dream about her still and imagine the life we could’ve had. Yeah, this is going to be so amazing. I internally groan and ... wait, she took a job?

“What job did you take?” I ask. I’m not sure what the hell she could be doing here.

“I’m going to be teaching at the high school.”

“Ember Falls High School?” I ask, because surely she wouldn’t be coming here to teach, not without me knowing, since my best fucking friend is the principal and would know this as well.

She nods. “Yes, I interviewed a week ago. I wanted to come say hi, but I had to get back to LA for a meeting with my lawyer, and anyway, I didn’t have the job for sure, at least I didn’t have a contract from Miles yet.”

“Miles? As in Miles Anderson?” I ask for a little clarification. I’d like to know who I need to murder and in what order.

“Yeah, I saw him for the interview. Obviously, he was surprised when I walked in, but then he offered me the job and sent the contract a day later. I packed my shit and here I am,” she says with a smile. “Are you guys still friends?”

We were—until now.

Hazel jumps in. “Yes, we’re all still friends. And wow! A year! God, we have so much to catch up on! Hey, Ev?”

I turn to look at Hazel. “Yes?”

“Don’t you have to get to the farm? Check on the foal?” Hazel asks, giving me the out I so desperately need.

“Yes. It was great seeing you, Violet. I’ll ... see you around.”

I wonder whether she’s staying at her grandmother’s place, because it’s literally next door to me.

Hazel’s eyes are warm, and there’s a level of understanding filtering behind them. I give her a wink and then get out the door. I manage to keep myself together until I’m out of view, and then I lean against my truck, feeling the weight of what just happened settle around me.

Violet is back.

Violet is here for an entire year.

I can’t let Violet derail me after I’ve worked so hard to close that chapter of my life.