Page 11 of Caught in the Axe
After I’d dropped off Father Renee’s blueberry pancakes, I grabbed menus, gestured toward the only open booth in the back, and grabbed the coffeepot off the counter.
The Hebert family was larger than life, literally and figuratively, in this small town. When I was growing up, they werethatfamily. Wealthy, successful, and good at everything.
But since their father had been arrested for all kinds of awful crimes, the tide had turned. Now the gossip mill harped on their notoriety for entirely different reasons. There was nothing a small town loved more than putting people on a pedestal and knocking them off it.
None of this was new to me. My family had alwaysbeen a favorite subject of the town gossips. My mother, the teen mom turned three-time divorcée, and I, her ex–beauty queen daughter, were often whispered about in not so subtle ways.
The snide comments wrote themselves, and I’d learned at an early age to ignore them. Sadly, the Heberts were not as experienced with the judgment, and it had clearly been difficult for all of them.
Years ago, I’d learned to laugh it off and even enjoy the twists and turns the rumors took. These days, the rumors had been refreshed. Now I was known as the evil vixen who dumped poor Cole, the town hockey star, destroying him and his career in one fell swoop. It’s amazing that in these situations, the default position was always to blame the woman. He got the goodwill and the well wishes, and I got the nasty stares for being a harlot.
Oh how far from the truth that narrative about my on-again, off-again eight-year relationship with the youngest Hebert brother was. But sadly, the folks in Lovewell didn’t give a shit about the truth. So here I was, smiling and serving coffee and accepting shitty tips from old biddies who hated me on principle.
I’d learned at a young age that the world always blamed the woman. In the eyes of the citizens of Lovewell, I’d somehow tricked their most beloved hockey star into dating me. Then I’d ruined his life and bled him dry. To them, I was a shameless gold digger. They’d harp on my lack of manners, my morals, or any other value they saw fit to criticize, blaming it on my being raised by a teen mom. Never mind that I was no longer the child they’d looked down at for all those years. I was twenty-eight, and my mother had done a damn good job raising me. But this wasthe kind of stink that was impossible to wash off in this small town.
“Gentlemen,” I said with a smile, holding a fresh pot of coffee high.
Finn, the largest and friendliest of this bunch, gave me a winning smile. “Good morning, Lila,” he boomed, sliding his mug toward the end of the table. It looked like a toy in his massive hand.
Gus and Jude, both on the quieter side, gave me more subdued greetings, though they were still friendly. Gus was the oldest brother, a logger who looked like a stereotypical mountain man. His beard was thick and a little unruly, and it was rare to see him in anything other than a knit hat, a flannel shirt, work boots, and at least one item of clothing with a Carhartt logo. Jude, on the other hand, had more of a hipster vibe going, with his thick glasses and ironic T-shirts.
Finn was something else entirely. Long hair and a beard, with the cocky confidence of a prior-service Navy pilot.
And then there was Owen. His blue eyes were bright as they met mine. The hint of a smile he gave me made my stomach clench. He was wearing one of his crisp dress shirts and jeans. Although he was the only clean-shaven one, the family resemblance was overwhelming. Every one of them had blue eyes, square jaws, and massive shoulders.
But the best thing about the Heberts? Despite my history with their younger half brother, they continued to treat me like family. It was a kindness I’d never take for granted.
“How’s Adele?” I asked Finn.
His whole face lit up. “Amazing. The third trimester is uncomfortable, but she’s managing well. I’m trying toconvince her to stop working so much. She can’t be crawling under trucks while in labor, you know?”
Gus tossed his head back and laughed. “Good luck stopping her.”
Adele was several years older than me, so I didn’t know her well, but she was famously tough. I doubted she’d let any man tell her what she could and could not do.
I stuck around for a moment, chatting like I always did when they stopped in. They asked after my mother, showing nothing but respect for her, as usual, and Finn thanked me again for helping his daughter Merry with fractions.
Each time I interacted with them, it felt surreal. For years, I’d believed that one day, I’d be a Hebert too. That when Cole made it to the NHL, we’d get married, have lots of kids, and come back to Lovewell every year for Christmas to see his family, bringing with us tons of gifts and stories about our blessed, exciting life.
Instead, I’d come back home after cobbling together a degree in my twenties so I could save for a shot at grad school and a fresh start in New York. Money was tight, especially since I’d been helping Mom out, and New York rent was no joke.
Willa would tell me to draw a boundary and firmly insist that I was too busy to help the Heberts. But I didn’t have the energy to fight my pleasing instincts. Not today. Plus, the promise of thirty dollars an hour was too good to pass up. I didn’t need much sleep to function. I could make it work.
The Heberts had been so good to me over the years, so the least I could do was help out while they were struggling. I could file and make Excel spreadsheets with the best ofthem.
I’d dropped off their usual breakfasts, which consisted of enough to feed a family of ten, then made my rounds, refilling coffee, before Finn called me over.
“Thank you for agreeing to help Owen out,” he said, dipping his chin. “We appreciate it.”
Gus and Jude murmured in agreement.
With a smirk, I turned to Owen. When our eyes met, a shiver of excitement flowed through my veins, and the world around us went hazy. “Haven’t agreed to anything yet.”
Those deep blue eyes were the only thing still in focus. They never left mine, almost as if they were challenging me to stay away from him.
“I know he’s a pain in the ass,” Finn said, pulling me from my stupor, “but I know you can keep him in line.”
Jude laughed, and the dimple in his right cheek popped. I’d never say it out loud, but he was my favorite of Cole’s brothers. He was gentle, quiet, and kind, but with a dry sense of humor I appreciated. Though I supposed he now had competition for the top spot. Because Owen was sitting back, calmly sipping coffee, saying nothing but communicating so much.
