Hold Onto the Stars by Tracy Broemmer

Chapter 6

Peyton slowedhis run to a jog and finally to a walk, holding firmly to June’s leash as they moved down the sidewalk. He hadn’t found anything to dislike about the town of Oak Bend, Michigan—not even the fact that everyone seemed to know everyone else. In fact, he wouldn’t swear to it, but it was almost comforting. The small, blue-collar town was full of friendly faces and people who enjoyed visiting in the middle of the supermarket or sidewalk, as he had learned this morning on his run.

The town was laid out in a grid-like pattern with well-kept sidewalks and streets, making his runs and June’s daily walks enjoyable. Late summer temperatures had sucked the green from the yards he passed, but the many ancient trees that lined the homey streets were green and full. Peyton had gone for a run every morning since he had moved to Oak Bend, and every morning, he saw the same faces out for a morning walk or jog or just enjoying a cup of coffee and reading the paper on front porches.

He waved hello to everyone, and when he met a fellow jogger on the sidewalk, he was always careful to rein Junie in to make plenty of room for passage. The second jogger he ran into slowed and greeted him, asked if she could pet the retriever. Peyton would have said yes, anyway, but Junie being the drama queen she was, edged closer and nudged the woman’s hand with her nose as if granting her permission.

They talked for several minutes, Peyton learning that the woman had been at the bar last night for the live band and was a friend of both Violet and CJ. He had to bite his tongue to hold back questions about CJ; after all, he’d been on a date last night with Violet. It wouldn’t do to broadcast his interest in CJ, would it? Then again, he was pretty sure Violet felt as lukewarm about their date as he did. Ordinarily, that would bother him. Last night and this morning, he’d given it some thought, and he found it odd that even though he and Violet had clicked as friends, it seemed safe to assume neither of them felt any chemistry. In which case, was it kosher for him to be interested in Violet’s best friend?

After the short sidewalk visit, Peyton walked Junie past the vinyl-sided bungalow they now called home and headed up the block. Junie trotted, stopping occasionally to inspect tree trunks and particularly interesting areas of grass, but it didn’t take long to reach Maine Street. With an eye on the quaint storefronts along the pretty, well-tended street, Peyton turned the corner onto the main thoroughfare and kept walking.

The mid-morning sun was hot, but he had foregone his regular coffee this morning when he cracked an eye open just after seven to find Junie lying beside him on his bed, watching him with big, hopeful brown eyes. With a yawn and stretch, Peyton scrubbed Junie’s ears, climbed out of bed, and dressed quickly. Excited when Peyton perched on the edge of the bed to put his running shoes on, Junie had gone in search of her leash and carried it back to him from where he had left it by the door last night.

Seemed like a good time to visit the local coffeehouse. Java by Jackie did a heck of a business, if the number of cars around the square and the people in and out of the place anytime Peyton happened to drive or walk by was any indication. He decided early on that he would give it a shot—the coffee and the atmosphere. Sometimes, he enjoyed taking his work into a coffeehouse, just to do a little people watching, and something told him people watching here in Oak Bend would be more fun and informative than the same in the Chicago suburbs.

A water dish for dogs just outside the door caught Junie’s attention. Peyton chuckled when she dipped her snout into the bowl for a drink. He hooked her leash on the leg of a wrought iron table, promised her he would be right back, and left her in the shade of the awning when he stepped inside. Lively conversation buzzed all around him and in the background, he heard Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” playing.

With a quick glance around, Peyton stepped up to the end of the line, currently three people deep. The girl at the counter looked vaguely familiar, but by now, pretty much everyone here looked a bit familiar to him. She worked with an ease that suggested she had either been serving coffee here for a long time or she loved her job. Maybe both, Peyton decided as he watched her interacting with the first customer in line as she filled the guy’s order.

When that guy walked away with a full cardboard drink carrier, the girl at the counter greeted the next customer with a big grin and a little squeal of excitement. Peyton’s heart did a massive thud when he recognized the ball cap and the long, dark ponytail pulled through it. With CJ’s attention on the barista, Peyton took full advantage of the moment and let his gaze slide over her backside. He took in the full, curly ponytail, the faded Tim McGraw concert shirt, the navy and white leggings—particularly the way they fit her long, lean thighs—and the multi-colored running shoes.

“You see that game last night, man?” The guy between himself and CJ turned to look at him. “Blew a two-run lead in the bottom of the seventh.”

“No,” Peyton answered with a small grin.

“You didn’t watch the game?” The guy drew back like he was shocked, eyes on the ballcap Peyton tugged at now.

“I was out last night,” he answered. “And I’m a Sox fan.”

The guy nodded slowly and tipped his head. “That’s right. You’re the new teacher. From Chicago.”

“The suburbs,” Peyton agreed with a nod.

“How was the date? Violet’s a nice girl.”

Wow. Okay, so not only did people here know each other; they knew each other’s business, too. Peyton filed that away for future consideration.

“It was fun.”

“That band any good? Factory Nine? That what they were called?”

“They sounded pretty good,” Peyton told the guy. Violet had even tugged him out to the middle of the dance floor once, but thankfully, it had been a simple slow song. No fast dancing in his genes. The slow dance with her was enjoyable, but there hadn’t been any hip-to-hip or cheek-to-cheek touching. Just a little twirling and more conversation and laughter. Peyton had seen CJ talking and laughing with nearly everyone around the dance floor, so he assumed she’d liked the band too.

“Hey!” CJ stepped out of line and turned only to bump into the guy between them. “Hey, Matthew. How’s Angie?”

“Doing better.” Matthew sounded relieved, but Peyton was more interested in CJ as she turned her eyes to him.

“Good.” CJ glanced at Matthew again. “Tell her hi.”

Peyton eyed the fountain soda and the large paper coffee cup CJ carried and tipped his head.

“Double the caffeine?” He cringed at the thought. For one thing, he hadn’t touched a Mountain Dew since his early twenties.

CJ’s smile revealed straight white teeth, though he noticed a tiny chip in her top right incisor. She held both hands up and eyed the cups for a second before looking back at him with a laugh.

“Coffee’s for my dad,” she answered.

“So, the Dew is yours?”

“Yep.” She nodded. “I think I’ve been addicted for years.”

Peyton frowned and studied her face, trying to memorize as much of her as he could before she slipped by him.

“You’d rather have a cold soda than coffee? Even in the winter?”

“I hate coffee,” she whispered and peeked over her shoulder at the girl behind the counter.

“Heard that!” The girl called as she moved to the espresso machine. Her sleek black hair framed her face, making her eyes pop. “Get outta my place, CJ!”

CJ giggled. “Jackie loves me, Ella,” she called and looked back at Peyton. “Their pastries, on the other hand?”

“Good?”

“Good?” CJ snorted. “Better than sex.”

“Let’s not get crazy.” Matthew threw his two cents in with a wink before ordering.

“Definitely better than sex,” Ella, the barista, said with a dramatic nod.

“Did you and Violet have fun last night?” CJ asked him.

On the spot like that, Peyton couldn’t say no. But he didn’t want to say yes and leave it at that, either. Obviously, this wasn’t going to be a long conversation with CJ if she was leaving with coffee for her dad. If the man was normal, he would want his coffee hot, after all.

“Yeah.” He nodded, wishing they could talk.

“Great.” CJ sounded genuinely excited which made Peyton a little sick with regret. “It’s good to see Violet happy.”

Before he could reply, CJ stepped around him and turned to walk backwards to the door. She lifted her soda in a salute and flashed a smile that stopped his heart.

“I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again soon,” she said to him and then shifted her gaze to the counter. “Ella, see you Tuesday night.”

“You and me and Luke Simon,” Ella called in response. Curious about their exchange, Peyton watched Ella waggle her eyebrows as she threw a thumbs up high enough for CJ to see over himself and the other guy, all the while still concentrating on filling Matthew’s order.

“My wife broke her ankle playing soccer,” Matthew announced to him once the glass door swished to a close behind CJ. Peyton glanced over his shoulder in time to see CJ set her drinks down on the table where he had hooked June’s leash and lean over to scratch the dog’s ears.

“Soccer, huh?” He swung his gaze back to the guy in front of him. “Played in high school. Brutal sport.”

“Only gets harder as we get older,” the guy said with a small chuckle. “Angie tends to forget we’re not teenagers anymore.”

“She’s hardcore, man,” Ella agreed. She drilled an intense look at Peyton. “Competitive at Bingo. Imagine that barreling at you when you’re the goalie.”

“I take it you were the goalie when she broke her ankle?”

Ella nodded, eyes wide and face pale. “She was coming at me like a freakin’ freight train. Took a shot just as Liz Anders swept in for the steal. When they crashed, the earth shook more than it did the last time I had sex.”

“I’m sensing a theme here.” Peyton tipped his head. “Maybe you need to upgrade your partner.”

Ella snorted and took a moment to study him as she pushed a tall black house roast and an espresso over the counter toward Matthew. Peyton appreciated that she didn’t blush; her eyes sparkled at the teasing, but she didn’t seem offended or embarrassed.

“Are you interested?” When she quirked an eyebrow at him, Peyton nearly swallowed his tongue. Hell no, he wasn’t interested! The girl—and up close, he could see she was quite a bit younger than he was—was cute, but he had been on a date last night with one woman, and he was interested in another woman. He sure didn’t need a third one to complicate things.

“Relax.” Ella’s grin was contagious. “I’m kidding. You’re the new teacher, and you’re dating Violet Craine.”

“Well—”

“Matthew, take Angie one of these.” Ella slipped a cream cheese croissant into a white wax bag and folded the top over.

“Great. If she gets this, she won’t need me tonight.”

“Sure, she will.” Ella winked as she tapped the purchase up on an iPad and spun it around for him to sign. “I’m sure there’s laundry you can help her with. Cleaning. Probably even—”

“Maybe I need a pastry, too.”

Ella snorted again. “There’s enough to share, I promise.”

“Thanks, Ella.” Matthew pushed the cups into the cardboard drink carrier and snagged the pastry bag. “Nice to meet you, man.” The guy nodded at Peyton. “Be good to Violet. She’s a catch.”

The last bit caught Peyton off-guard. Again, he didn’t have time to argue, to remind anyone that he and Violet weren’t necessarily a thing, that they had simply gone on a blind date. Matthew headed to the door with a friendly smile. Peyton had time for a nod and a mumbled sure, take care, and then he found himself face-to-face with the barista. Rather than order immediately, he peeked over his shoulder at June again, surprised to find Matthew talking to her now.

Friendly town.

Nosy, maybe. But friendly. Even with his dog.

“Your dog?”

“Yeah.”

“She’s gorgeous. What’s her name?”

“June Carter Cash,” he told her.

Ella nodded. “I know. You’re looking at me assuming I’m too young to get the reference, but I know who June Carter Cash is.” Ella wiped the counter down and then met his eyes as her hands stilled. “I’m Ella.”

“Peyton Quinn,” he told her, though he suspected she already knew his name. “Who is June Carter Cash?”

“Johnny Cash’s wife.” She rolled her eyes at him. “What can I get you?”

“You’re a Johnny Cash fan?”

“Nope.” She drummed her fingers on the counter and smiled. “But CJ? The chick that just left?”

As if Peyton needed to be reminded of who CJ was. He nodded, though, and ground his teeth together to keep from saying something stupid.

“Country music crazy, and Johnny Cash, in particular.”

“Huh.” He folded his arms over his chest. “She was wearing a Tim McGraw shirt.”

“Well, I suppose it would be difficult to see Johnny Cash in concert these days.”

Peyton chuckled at the clipped response. He liked this kid.

“I’ll take a tall house roast to go,” he told her.

Ella grabbed a cup in one hand and the pot from the burner in the other. “CJ actually had a dog named Jackson. After Johnny Cash’s song with his wife.”

Peyton pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and peeled off a ten to hand her. Violet had mentioned that before he’d realized she was talking about CJ. “Really?”

“Golden retriever.” Ella put a white lid on the maroon cup and eased it toward him. “He died several years ago, but I’ve seen pictures of him.”

Peyton’s brain spun in a circle, looking for something to say, to ask about CJ without sounding too interested. Even though he was particularly interested in who Luke Simon was and what he and Ella and CJ would be doing Tuesday night.

“So. Matthew and Angie.” He took his change back, dropped a bill in the tip cup, and pocketed the rest. “So many people to remember.”

“But you’re from Chicago. How many people did you know there?”

“The suburbs, and sure, you have a lot of acquaintances in a big city. But somewhere like Oak Bend, you meet people, and you want to remember them, ya know?”

Ella nodded and nibbled on her lip. “I get that. I’m from Des Moines. Moved here a few years back to live with my aunt and help her out here.”

“So, your aunt is Jackie of Java by Jackie?”

“Yep.”

“And who’s Luke Simon?”

Ella frowned and shook her head. “What?”

“You and CJ and Luke Simon have a date Tuesday? Is he your boyfriend? Because, seriously, you might need to level up.”

Ella tipped her head back and laughed out loud. “I said that, didn’t I? Aunt Jackie would probably kick my ass for talking about orgasms in her coffee house.”

Peyton sipped the coffee and watched her over his cup.

“Actually, CJ and I have a date with about four other women Tuesday night. It’s a book club. And Luke Simon is the main character in this month’s book.”

“Ah.” Peyton nodded, hoping his whole body hadn’t slumped visibly with relief. “So, is he one of those alpha males in the dark romances that are all the rage right now?”

“Nope.” Ella folded her arms over her chest. “Actually, we’re reading a thriller this month. And Luke Simon is a good bad guy who doles out vigilante justice.”

“So, you like bad guys?”

“You bet I do, Peyton Quinn.” She wagged her eyebrows and then turned to grab what looked like a cookie jar from the back counter. “Give June Carter Cash a cookie. And when you see Violet later, tell her book club’s moved. We have to do it at my place because Donna’s dishwasher flooded her kitchen, and the house is wrecked.”

Peyton opened his mouth to argue, even as he took the dog biscuit from Ella. He had no plans to see Violet today. In fact, they hadn’t made any plans to see each other again or even to call.

But he heard the air pressure change as the door opened behind him, and Ella looked over his shoulder and called a greeting to the new customer.

“Thanks, Ella.”

“You’re welcome.” Her smile was friendly, but she was already attuned to her new customer and finished talking to Peyton. When he stepped outside, Junie lumbered to her feet and nudged his leg with her nose.

“Good girl.” He held up the biscuit and waited for her to sit. When she did, he gave her the treat and smoothed his hand over her big head. “You ready to go home, Junie?”

Probably time to go home and work on unpacking more boxes. Besides, the quicker he got home, the less chance he had of running into more people who assumed he and Violet were now a thing.