Page 5 of Pain in the Axe
I’d left this place and faced the world head-on. Made it my bitch. Now, I was battle-hardened. Though it was necessary to put on this armor and lock it into place, I couldn’t deny I missed the girl I used to be.
“Can we focus on work, please?” I begged, scanning Main Street for a parking spot.
Jaw clenched tight, I pulled into a spot in front of an adorable rustic coffee shop.
Karl and JJ were bickering in surround sound, but their chatter disappeared when I caught sight of the man on the sidewalk in front of the coffee shop.
Panic shot through me, my body jolting, and when I slammed on the brakes, my heel got caught in the floor mat. The truck lurched forward and hopped the curb. I yanked my foot loose and stomped the brake pedal, finally pulling the behemoth of a vehicle to a stop.
“Fuck,” I yelled, gasping for breath as I turned the engine off. “Is everyone okay?”
Karl clutched my arm, wide-eyed. “What just happened?”
“My heel got stuck,” I explained, looking down at my broken shoe. “I couldn’t brake.”
“Um,” JJ hedged, her head stuck between my seat and Karl’s. “I think you almost killed that guy.”
I opened my eyes, afraid of what I might see.
And there he was. Standing on the sidewalk. A thick wall of lumberjack. Several people had crowded around him, making sure he was okay.
And there I was, in my giant-ass car, up on the sidewalk, looking like a homicidal idiot.
Hands shaking, I jumped out and hobbled over on my one heel.
“You trying to kill me?” he asked, his voice gruff and his brows pulled low.
“No. My shoe.” I lifted my foot and pointed at the broken heel. “It got stuck, so I couldn’t brake in time. I’m so sorry.”
He eyed me warily, that cruel glare he wore so well on full display.
“Should I call the police?” an older woman with a gray bob asked Gus.
He shook his head. “Nothing to worry about, Mrs. Spencer. Sounds like it was just a shoe mishap.”
He regarded my feet, looking down his nose at them. In that moment, I felt two feet tall. Not just because he was so massive, but because it was really sinking in that this was his town. Histurf. It didn’t matter that I’d bought the biggest house in town and his family’s lumber company. This place would never be for me. I was the outsider here.
“I’m truly sorry,” I said, ducking my head and studying my hands. And I was. I wanted him to suffer, to lose his company and regret the way he’d treated me. And he couldn’t do all that if he was dead.
JJ and Karl had flanked me at some point, clearly in a show of solidarity. God, I loved them.
“It was an accident,” JJ deadpanned. “She wasn’t trying to kill you.”
“Yeah,” Karl added, taking a single step closer. “She’s ruthless and very organized. Hit and run is not her murder style. She’d lie in wait.”
“Karl,” I hissed, elbowing him hard and almost falling over on my broken shoe.
Gus nodded, his scowl still firmly in place. He was clearly not remotely intimidated by me or my giant car. “You should wear more practical shoes. This is Maine.”
Scoffing, I gave him a once-over, ignoring how good he looked. “Thanks for the unsolicited fashion advice.”
We stood like that for what seemed like an hour but was likely just one or two excruciating minutes.
“I should go,” he finally said, “before the entire town hears about this and shows up wanting a crime scene re-creation.” With a nod, he gave me a parting frown. “See you at the office, boss.”
Chapter 2
Chloe
