Page 37 of Fall or Nothing

CARTER

The Forest Grovegrocery store had exactly three checkout lanes and a cart with a wheel that screamed for mercy. I laughed about it to myself, after the day I’d had assisting with the birth of Flurry.

In fact, I was in a pretty damn good mood. The best I’d been in since arriving in Montana.

Might have everything to do with seeing Sage tonight.

Back at the bunkhouse, I’d showered twice. Scrubbed under my nails until the last of the birth fluid and straw dust and anything else gave up and went down the drain, and still I felt half-wild walking these aisles.

The guys had been all chatter about the day, slapping me on the back as I dressed. Even Trig. Jake, too, wished me well on my dinner date tonight.

I assured him it was not a date. Just hanging out. I even invited him along, but he refused, tossing me the keys to his truck. Took some doing, but I tried not to feel bad that he was letting me keep Sage for myself. For now.

I also failed to mention that I didn’t have a license todrive right now with my wallet missing. But these were Montana back roads. Safe for me to drive. Probably wouldn’t see a cop car ever.

I stopped at the onions, putting way too much thought into this recipe for dinner. Bolognese was a specialty of mine. Was I desperate to impress her or something? I’d gone to greater lengths in the past to do so for other women, including cars, diamonds, designer shoes and bags… There was something so satisfying just hoping she’d be impressed with me, without the money getting in the way.

I rounded the end-cap into the next aisle and stopped cold.

Red Amos stood not ten feet away, examining a bag of chips, his brother nowhere in sight.

My stomach plummeted somewhere around my boots. I swiveled on my heel and rushed around the corner, but almost slammed into a woman in a wheelchair.

“Oh, young man, would you be so kind as to hand me that box of pasta shells on the top shelf?” Her voice came across soft-spoken, dressed in a cardigan the color of a robin’s egg. She smiled at me as if I were the nicest stranger she’d met all week.

“Yes, ma’am. Here you go.” I placed it in her cart.

“Thank you. Truly.” She paused and stuck out her hand with the social reflex of someone who’d been taught proper introductions. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you around town before. I’m Beverly. Beverly Amos.”

My mouth dropped open.

“There you are, sweetheart. Are you okay?” A male voice I knew all too well came up behind me. The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

I stepped aside, coming face to face with the dark eyes of a man I’d hoped never to see again. Ever.

“Oh, this nice young man was so helpful. Er, what’s your name?” She asked.

I cleared my throat. “Carter.”

Red shifted uneasily, eyeing me, shaking his head slightly as if there was some message in it. I took a gamble that he wouldn’t hurt me with her around. “Wasn’t a problem at all. You folks have a nice day.” I tipped my hat to them and rushed off.

“Thanks again, Carter,” she called after me.

I made it two aisles over before my hands shook on the cart handle. Not out of fear, more like rage with nowhere to put it.

I immediately abandoned my cart and left. No way would I linger a moment longer in the store. I’d find somewhere to buy a pizza for dinner with Sage or something. Not as impressive. But arriving with my head still intact was better.

Only as I approached Jake’s truck, heavy footsteps pounded the pavement behind me.

“What the fuck are you still doing in town?” Red’s eyes shot daggers at me when I turned.

I checked all around us. Plenty of people were parking, entering, and exiting the store. And with his wife inside? Surely he wouldn’t touch me. His scowling face was enough to deal with.

“I don’t answer to you,” I shot back.

“Thought I told you to leave.”

“Don’t worry. I will be gone soon.” I scoffed. “Where’s your wife? She seemed to rather like havingme around.”