Page 5 of Axe Backwards
The woman currently scowling at me and clinging to my forearm?
She was different.
Mature. Beautiful. Intimidating.
And furious.
“Who are you? Where is the fire department?”
Before I could respond, Raeanna pushed past me and gripped her by the upper arms.
“Oh my God, Vic. Are you okay?” She pulled her into a hug. “That door is probably a million years old. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m okay,” Victoria said slowly, staring at me as I took a step back, then another.
Raeanna hummed, unconvinced. “Thank God Noah was here and had an axe in his truck.”
“Noah Hebert?” Victoria’s eyes widened as if she’d only now realized who I was.
“At your service,” I replied with a smirk.
We assessed one another for what seemed like an eternity while my mind spun wildly, cataloging every detail I knew about her.
Her glossy dark hair fell past her shoulders, and she was dressed in black. Dressy black. Businesslike.
Her lips were glossy and a deep red.
She looked completely different and yet somehow the same as she had in high school.
I was still memorizing her features when she looked away, her cheeks going pink.
“I’m so sorry,” she said to Rae. “I’ll pay for the damage. But I’ve got to run to this meeting.” She checked her watch, ignoring me completely.
“That door has been a pain in my ass since I opened the shop. No need to pay for damages. Where are you headed?”
“Across the square. I have a meeting with Huxley.”
I didn’t know who Huxley was, but by the way Rae herded her down the hall, it was clear she understood the gravity.
“You better run. We’ll clean up here. When your meeting is over, come back for lunch. It’s on me, okay?”
With a nod, Victoria shuffled for the exit. Frozen to the spot, I watched her as she weaved her way through the crowd of gawking townsfolk and out the door before taking off at a sprint down the sidewalk.
Rae put a hand on my arm, breaking the spell.
“Thank you,” she said, her tone sincere. “I can’t believe that happened.”
I smiled down at her. She was a tiny woman in her forties with curly auburn hair tied back with a bandanna. I’d only mether a few days ago, but Tess and I had been here every day since, so we’d become friendly.
Her kids were school-aged, but she’d already brought over a few toys and board books for Tess. She was one of the most thoughtful people I’d encountered in a long time.
“Let me clean up and help you fix it,” I said.
“No, no. I’ll do it. I’ll call Mark and have him hit the hardware store after the field trip. He’s chaperoning the fourth-grade visit to Baxter State Park. It’s days like this I’m glad I married someone handy.”
She was already picking up scraps of wood, and one of the staff members, a young guy with spiked blue hair and a nose ring, produced a large black trash bag.
I ignored her refusal of help and took the broom the guy brought with him as well.
