Page 24

Sloane clutched the ultrasound picture in her hands as Annie led her toward the Eagle’s Nest. She traced the glossy surface of the image with her thumb, marveling at the tiny shape that looked more like a peanut than a baby.

It didn’t matter. Not to Sloane.

She’d heard the heartbeat, strong and steady, and it had undone her. Again . Tears had spilled down her cheeks, and Annie, ever steady, had reassured her that everything appeared to be perfect.

“Everything looks great,” Annie had said, her voice warm and confident. “Counts are all right where they should be.”

Now, as they reached the entrance of the Eagle’s Nest, Sloane hesitated, staring up at the sign hanging over the door depicting an eagle midflight. She could hear the faint hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses from inside.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked Annie, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

“Yes,” Annie replied, looping an arm through hers and giving a reassuring squeeze. “This is my treat. You’ve had a big day, and this is the perfect place to celebrate.”

Sloane shoved the ultrasound photo into her bag and followed Annie inside. The scent of beer and grilled food wafted over her, catching her off guard for a minute and making her feel a little ill. It was the oddest things that turned her stomach these days. But fortunately, it passed quickly without her actually getting sick.

Hudson waved to them from behind the bar, the tall man with a ruggedly handsome face and dark hair nodding in their direction. “Hey, Doc Annie. Good to see you again, Sloane.”

“Hi, Hudson.” Annie smiled. “We’re going to get some lunch.”

“Sounds great. Sit anywhere. I’ll bring you some menus.”

The door opened, and a petite brunette entered the pub. Annie’s face lit up. “Here’s someone you should meet. Eva Lindstrom. Her husband is Theo.” Sloane smiled.

“Eva,” Annie called, waving her over. “Are you eating? Come join us.”

Eva Lindstrom’s smile was radiant as she approached their table, her long coat swishing around her ankles.

“Hi, Annie! I’d love to,” she said warmly, then turned her attention to Sloane. “You must be Sloane. I heard you were in town. I’m Eva, Theo’s wife.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Annie and Eva slid into the booth across from Sloane.

“Theo told me a little about Moldova. Although, less about the country itself and more about trying to get your sister out of it.”

Sloane grimaced. “Yeah. Marissa can be a handful.”

Eva laughed. “Theo’s a pretty level-headed guy, but he did mention your sister was a little…difficult.”

Sloane snorted, surprising herself. “ Difficult is probably the kindest word you could use for her.”

Eva grinned, clearly delighted by Sloane’s candor. “That’s what Theo said too. I’m glad to see you have a sense of humor about it.”

The conversation flowed easily after that, covering everything from Theo’s work at Linear Tactical to Eva’s role as a veterinarian for their therapy animals. Hudson delivered them menus, and Sloane found herself relaxing, drawn in by Eva’s warmth and Annie’s steady presence.

“Hey, ladies!”

Sloane did a double take as someone slid in next to her in the booth, knocking her hip to scoot her over. A young blonde woman about her age.

Eva and Annie both laughed and shook their heads.

“Hi, Joy,” Eva said. “This is Sloane.”

Joy turned to Sloane with a huge smile. “Hey, Sloane. You’re Callum’s friend, right? Bear and Hudson were talking about you. I was sad I didn’t get to meet you on my shift yesterday, but yay that you’re here again today!”

Sloane wasn’t even able to get a word in edgewise as Joy grabbed her hand and gave it a big squeeze, like they were old friends. “I’m just going to sit for a second until Hudson reads me the riot act, okay? Then I’ll take your order.”

Sloane couldn’t help but smile. “Okay.”

“So, what brings you to Oak Creek?” Joy asked. “Tell us your life story. Don’t leave anything out.”

Sloane opened her mouth then shut it again. Was Joy serious? Surely not, right? She looked over at Annie, who shrugged.

“Joy has never met a stranger.”

Joy beamed. “It’s true. I can’t help it. I just love talking to people and getting to know them. So, tell me how you got here.”

“I met Callum a couple of months ago. He had good things to say about the town, so I thought I’d check it out.”

Joy’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “And? Are you staying?”

“I think I’d like to. Oak Creek feels…different from anywhere I’ve been before.” She peeked over at Annie again to see if the woman disapproved of Sloane leaving out hugely important details, but Annie just nodded with a smile.

Joy let out an excited squeal, bouncing slightly in the seat. “Oh, you have to stay! We could totally be besties. I grew up here, so I always love it when someone new comes around. I was just thinking that a couple days ago, and here you are now. It must be fate.”

Despite herself, Sloane laughed, the sound light and unfamiliar. “I would like a friend. Thank you.”

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d really had a friend. In high school, all her time had gone to helping her mother through bouts of depression and anxiety and just trying to make sure they had food on the table. Then after Mom had died, she’d been working for the Getty family—never given time for any sort of social life.

She wasn’t sure that Joy was serious about wanting to be friends—and especially didn’t know how Joy would feel once she found out Sloane was pregnant—but the thought of having a buddy here brought a smile to her face.

“Yay!” Joy clapped again. “It’s settled. You have to stay now.”

“I do think you’d like it here,” Annie said softly. “It’s a good town. Good people.”

“I’m not paying you to sit on your ass, Joy.” Hudson walked by on his way to run food to a different table. “You know we’re short-staffed. Mind doing your job?”

Sloane glanced over at the other woman, concerned they’d gotten her into trouble, but she just rolled her eyes.

“I keep telling him we need to hire more people. He’s such a fuddy-duddy.” She slid off the booth seat and stood. “But I guess I should get back to work. What do you guys want to eat?”

She took their orders and headed back to the kitchen.

Eva grinned at her. “Don’t let Joy overwhelm you. She means well, but she can be a lot.”

Sloane shook her head. “No, it’s nice. I’m not very outgoing, so maybe I need someone like her.”

A few minutes later, their food arrived, and the conversation shifted to other topics. Eva regaled them with a story about Callum’s brief stint swimming with skinny-dipping senior citizens to avoid writing them tickets for trespassing. How he’d gotten a cramp and nearly drowned—the older people had to drag him out of the water.

Sloane giggled behind her hand, utterly charmed by the thought of the man who’d rescued her with such self-reliance all waterlogged and spluttering amid the retirees. She found herself hungry for any little glimpse into his life, a story like that painting him in colors beyond just the stalwart man she knew.

It made him feel more real, more human. Flawed and funny and achingly relatable.

“What about his wife?” she asked tentatively, between bites. “Amelia. Did you know her at all?”

She probably shouldn’t even bring Amelia up, but ever since she’d found out she was pregnant, Sloane hadn’t been able to get the other woman out of her mind.

Annie and Eva exchanged a surprised glance, clearly taken aback that Sloane was privy to that history.

“No, she passed before Callum moved here,” Annie said carefully. “From what little he’s shared, it was a difficult time. Losing her, especially so quickly, changed him. But coming to Oak Creek…I think it helped him heal, in a way. Gave him a new purpose.”

Sloane nodded, trying to imagine the weight of that grief. How it must have shaped him, the scars it had left behind.

What would finding out he was going to be a father do to Callum? Knowing it would never be Amelia he had a child with. Would he always feel about their child the way William felt about Sloane—that she was never truly good enough? Never really part of the family?

The thought made the food Sloane was eating turn to sawdust in her mouth. She set down her fork, unable to eat another bite.

Annie couldn’t possibly know what Sloane was thinking, but the older woman reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Callum is a good man. And yes, he loved Amelia, but her death was a long time ago. Give him a chance. Give it all some time.”

Eva didn’t know what they were talking about, but she still nodded encouragingly.

“Okay,” Sloane whispered.

“And in the meanwhile, you focus on you ,” Annie continued. “Seeing to your needs.”

She was right. Sloane picked up the fork and took another bite of the chicken she’d ordered. She needed to keep calories in her system for the baby.

The three of them talked some more, but Sloane found herself keeping an eye on Joy as she rushed from table to table. Sloane’s brain kept coming back to something Joy had said. After they finished eating and the talkative woman came back and cleared their plates, Sloane finally got up the nerve to ask.

“Do you think Hudson might be hiring?”

Joy’s face lit up. “Oh my God, yes! Why? Are you interested?”

Sloane shrugged. “Yeah. I don’t have any experience waiting tables. But I worked as a grocery store cashier in high school and have spent the past several years as a…personal assistant. So, I think I could handle it.”

She looked over at Annie to make sure the doctor thought that was a good idea and found her nodding enthusiastically. Good, so this was safe for the pregnancy.

“Definitely!” Joy beamed. “I know for a fact Hudson would hire you. He’s sometimes a grump, but working here is pretty great. And we really do need help. I’m working way more shifts than I want.”

“Joy has dreamed of opening her own food truck for years,” Annie explained.

Joy bounced from foot to foot. “Ever since I was in high school! I’ve got the truck, just need to get everything planned out. So, you working would mean I wouldn’t need to take quite so many shifts.”

Sloane smiled. A job here, surrounded by these people, felt like a step toward building a life she could be proud of. “Okay, I’ll talk to Hudson soon.”

“Perfect! I’ll let him know you’re interested and that you’ll be coming by.” The other woman half danced, half walked the dishes back to the kitchen.

Eva shook her head. “That woman is a riot. And more power to you if you can work with her day in and day out. It would be too much for me.”

“I don’t mind at all, to be honest.” It was so much better than what her life had been like for the past five years of working for her family.

They finished and left. Eva hugged them both then headed off in the opposite direction, while Annie walked Sloane to the car.

“You’re sure working here would be okay? With…everything?” Sloane asked, her hand resting on her stomach.

Annie’s gaze softened. “Absolutely. Waiting tables won’t hurt the baby. And speaking of things that won’t hurt the baby…” She paused, a sly smile playing at her lips. “You should go back to Callum’s. Spend some time with him. You know, reconnect through those other things you were asking me about.”

Sloane’s cheeks flushed. “I’ll think about it.”

Annie grabbed her hand. “I once was the quiet girl arriving in Oak Creek half in love with a hero widower I wasn’t sure felt the same way about me as I did about him.”

“Really?” That seemed hard to believe.

“God’s honest truth.”

“And did it work out for you?”

“I’ve been married to him now for over thirty years, we have a beautiful daughter together, who’s now married, and we have a grandbaby on the way. So yeah, I’d say it worked out.” She smiled. “And I have a feeling it’s going to work out for you too.”