Page 15

“ H e kissed you again ?” Indie gasped.

Clara poured hot water into two mugs. “Yep. And it was better than the first.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope.” She stirred dandelion tea into the water. “But then he did the same thing he always does. He put this distance between us and acted like it was a mistake. Like touching me was the worst thing he could have done.”

“Oh no. Why’s he so scared to explore this thing between you? It’s so clear there’s something there.”

“Mom thinks it’s something about him being hurt. Not that I told her it was Holden I was talking about. It’s confusing and frustrating and…it hurts me, Indie.”

“Of course it does. He makes you think there’s hope, then he rips it away from you.”

That’s exactly what it was. “You know what I need? Some space from him. I’m going to text him and let him know that I’m not going on any runs for the next couple of weeks, and then I’m just going to keep my distance.”

“You know that won’t be easy. Not in this town, which is the size of a shoebox, and not when he’s basically part of the family.”

She lifted her mug. “Well, lucky for me, I’m great at being a hermit.” She wasn’t even kidding—she loved being home. Seeing her acupuncture clients and drinking tea was what she lived for. She absolutely could stay away from him…at least, she was pretty sure. “How are you ?”

“Well, I have a photography client this morning. An engagement couple.”

Didn’t really answer her question. “So business is picking back up?”

Indie scoffed. “No. It’s one of two bookings this week. I really don’t know what’s going on this past year. I used to be so busy.”

“You’re the only family photographer in town. If people aren’t going to you, where are they going?”

“I don’t know. I ran into Betty Hopper, who used to get yearly photos of her and her husband with me, and she was so strange.”

“Strange how?”

“Cold and distant, and when I mentioned that she missed her yearly photo, she just mumbled something about forgetting to book it, then left.”

Clara frowned. “Betty Hopper never forgets anything.”

“Exactly. She’s sixty years old with the best memory around.”

“You don’t think Colt’s mother has anything to do with it, do you?”

There was a small pause. “I mean…it’s crossed my mind. But no, Sylvia wouldn’t do that. She says things that annoy me a lot, but she wouldn’t directly try to sabotage my business…would she?”

“I’m not sure.” She nibbled her bottom lip before asking the next question. “If you’re not getting many bookings, money must be tight. Do you need—”

“Don’t say it.”

“Indie, you’re family and you’re my best friend. If you need help—”

“I don’t need help. Things will pick up. I know they will.” She cleared her throat. “Do you have your first client soon?”

Clara sighed and lifted her cell from the counter to check the time. “Yeah, in ten minutes. It’s actually Helen, from our running club. I was really surprised when she booked it.”

“She didn’t tell you she was?”

“No. She made the booking online yesterday.”

“Is that strange?”

“No. I think she needs it. From what I can see, she hasn’t been herself since the incident at the bar.”

“Well, lucky you’re the magic needle lady.”

Clara chuckled. “I feel far from magic at the moment.”

Indie checked her watch. “All right. I need to go to the shoot.”

“You haven’t drunk your tea.”

Indie cringed. “Sorry.” Then she leaned over and kissed Clara’s cheek. “Chat soon.”

The second her cousin stepped out, Clara glanced at her phone. Should she text Holden now? But what would she write?

Her fingers tapped across the screen.

Clara: Hey. Just letting you know I won’t be at running club for the next week.

Send. Done.

The three dots popped up immediately, and her dang heart gave a little thump when his text came through.

Holden: Is everything okay?

Did he really need to ask that?

Clara: I’m not injured or sick, if that’s what you mean. Have a great week.

The three dots popped up again, then disappeared. A second later, his text came through.

Holden: You too, Clara. Call if you need anything.

She absolutely would not be doing that. She’d made herself vulnerable twice with him, and both times he’d basically run from her. Kissed her and run, that was.

She lifted her tea and moved to her acupuncture studio, where she turned on the music before setting up her diffuser. Lavender, bergamot, and ylang-ylang. The perfect essential oil blend to turn her morning around. The moment the scents hit the air, Clara’s nerves calmed.

This was why she did what she did…to create peace and alignment. It was more powerful than a lot of people realized. A person’s nervous system could wreak such havoc on health.

A knock came at the door to the studio, and Clara opened it with a smile to see Helen on the other side. “Hi.”

Helen returned her smile. “Hi, Clara.”

“Come in.”

Clara stepped back and indicated the seat. “Please, sit. How are you today?”

“I’m okay.”

Not at all convincing. “I noticed on your form that this is your first time trying acupuncture?”

“Yeah. It’s supposed to be good for stress, right?”

“ Great for stress. You didn’t write much else on your form though.”

Helen lifted a shoulder. “That’s all I’m really here for.”

Clara nodded slowly. “Okay. So what my clients usually do is—”

“Could I use your bathroom first?”

“Oh, um…sure. It’s just inside the house. I’ll take you through.”

Helen followed her into the living room and down the hall, where they stopped at the bathroom door. “Here you go. Would you like me to wait here?”

“It’s okay. I can make my way back.”

“Okay. See you back in the room.”

Clara returned to her studio. Luckily, Scarlett had left early that morning, something Clara only knew because her car was gone. It wouldn’t matter a whole lot if the two women bumped into each other, but Clara preferred to keep her clients separate from her home life during appointments.

She got the needles ready, then waited. When five minutes passed and Helen still wasn’t back, Clara frowned and looked at the door.

Should she check on her?

She waited another minute, and when Helen still didn’t return, she moved back into the house. In the hall, she stopped at the bathroom door. It was open.

She poked her head in to see an empty bathroom.

What the heck?

Suddenly, Helen stepped out of Scarlett’s room.

Clara straightened. “Helen, what are you—”

“I’m so sorry. I noticed the records in this room and I’m a sucker for a good Bob Marley record.”

Clara crossed over to Scarlett’s room and ducked her head in. Nothing looked out of place.

She closed the door. “Come on. Let’s get back.” But the entire walk, she kept flicking her gaze toward Helen, wondering what she’d really been doing in Scarlett’s bedroom.

Holden cut a piece of foam weather stripping to fit the length of Deb’s new doorframe. The adhesive back was sticky, but he worked quickly, pressing it firmly into place along the bottom of the door, just where the frame met the threshold.

He’d been here all morning. Deb was home and had popped out a dozen times to offer him water and coffee and cookies.

She’d also spent a fair chunk of the morning talking to him about anything and everything.

He was pretty sure he knew her entire life story, had the name of every family member, and was up to date on the full schedule of her week.

It was a good distraction from Clara and their kiss. Second kiss. And the second damn time he’d run afterward.

He tried to focus on what he was doing. On making sure the weather stripping was flush, tight, and clean. After this, he’d apply the doorknobs, then he’d go home and work on Briar’s kitchen cabinetry.

Maybe if he could exhaust his body enough, he could get Clara out of his head.

When the weather stripping was done, he went to his truck and got the knobs and the tools to install them. The door had already been pre-drilled, so it wouldn’t take long.

He’d just returned to the door when footsteps sounded in the hall, then Deb’s voice.

“Oh my, look at that door. You, Holden Forbes, are so good with your hands.”

His lips twitched. The woman had been complimenting him on anything and everything all morning. His ego certainly enjoyed being here. “Thanks. I’m almost done.”

“And so efficient. Amber Ridge really hit the jackpot when you decided to move to town.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

Deb threw back her head and laughed. “Oh God, please, no ma’am. I already feel old being around all these young-gun doctors and nurses. Even Malcolm’s a good couple decades younger than me, and look at all he’s achieved.”

His fingers tightened around the baseplate as he aligned it with the holes, making sure it sat level and straight. “Do you know him well?”

“He’s been at our hospital for three years. He’s humble, but also proud of his work. And he should be after this whole sepsis treatment plan. Although…”

Holden stopped before putting the screws into place. “Although what?”

“I mean…he had a lot of help on the treatment plan and didn’t really give anyone else any recognition. But he’s young.”

So the doctor was selfish. Good. Another reason to dislike him. “Is there anything else going on at the hospital?”

Deb’s eyes widened, and she probably didn’t realize it, but she’d just given away the answer—there was .

“There’s always stuff going on,” she rushed out with a nervous laugh. “I think you get that at every workplace.”

He wasn’t sure that was true.

He used his screwdriver to insert the screws into place, making sure the knobs were secure. Deb watched as he finished the last bit of the door installation.

“All finished,” he said at the end.

“Oh, you are an angel.” Her phone rang, and she withdrew it from her pocket and frowned. “Sorry. I have to answer this.”

“All good. I’ll pack up my tools.”

She moved down the hall to answer the call, and he began taking things back to his truck. He was just packing the back of his truck when his phone vibrated with a text.

Clara: Hey. Just letting you know I won’t be at running club for the next week.

What the hell? Why? Because of him ? Or was it her health?

An uncomfortable pit formed in his stomach.

Holden: Is everything okay?

Clara: I’m not injured or sick, if that’s what you mean. Have a great week.

It was him. He started writing that she didn’t need to miss it on his account but stopped. If she was going, so was he…and she was clearly trying to avoid him.

And he couldn’t blame her for that. He’d kissed her twice, then pushed her away.

He didn’t know what the hell to write, so he went with something simple that didn’t even begin to fix anything.

Holden: You too, Clara. Call if you need anything.

He cursed and shoved the cell into his pocket.

Once everything was clean and his tools were in the truck, he stepped back into the house. Deb still wasn’t back. He started down the hall, only to stop when he heard a shouted whisper.

“Stop! You’re blowing everything out of proportion. You need to let it go. I need to go.”

Holden was just turning when a door swung open.

Deb’s brows rose. “Holden.”

He cleared his throat. “Hey. Just came to find you to tell you that I’ve finished.”

“Good. Great. Thank you.”

“Is everything okay?”

Her gaze flicked to her phone, then back to him. “Yeah. Like I said, every workplace is complicated.”

So, she’d been talking to someone from work.

“Thank you again for your help,” Deb hurried to add. “I’ll pay the rest of the invoice today.”

“Call if you have any issues.”

He turned and headed back to his truck. Once inside, he didn’t leave right away but kept his eyes on the house.

What was going on at that hospital? And why did it feel like a bigger deal than everyone was letting on?