Chapter One
Miles
“You’re late,” Eloise says as she opens the door, hand resting on her swollen stomach.
“And hello to you too, my beautiful twin sister.”
She ignores me and lifts her hand. “I’m tired, seventy-six months pregnant, and my husband decided to play hockey with my idiot brother two weeks ago and break his leg. You’re late is all you’re getting.”
“I didn’t know one could be pregnant for that long,” I try to focus on that fact instead of the injury that was totally my fault. I mean, maybe not completely my fault, since I didn’t break his leg, but the reason he was playing is because of me.
She glares. “You broke my husband.”
“Not on purpose. And where is the patient?”
“In the living room—with a bell.”
Oh, my sister must love that.
“Who gave him a bell?” I ask.
“Your nephew.”
Of course he did, because he’s a little shit stirrer, just like his mother was.
“To be fair, it’s something you would’ve done,” I remind her.
Eloise is the quintessential little—she’s three minutes younger—sister. She was annoying throughout my childhood, but she also had a devious side. My grandmother never knew what to do with her, because she was too smart for her own good. I was able to use my excess energy toward hockey, but since Eloise doesn’t have an athletic bone in her body, she used it to cause a lot of trouble.
She huffs. “I know, that’s why I can’t even hate him. Anything to annoy Gran was my goal; it seems my son has picked up the same thought process.”
Our mother died when Eloise and I were only four days old. She had a complication that went unnoticed, and our maternal grandma took us in, since our father didn’t want to raise two babies on his own. I blame the doctors and the hospital. Someone should’ve known, should’ve seen it. Instead, my sister and I lost a mother we never even got to know.
“Where is our young Ethan?”
“Out back, probably spray-painting the barn or some other awful thing that will make me want to rip out my hair.” My sister sits on the kitchen chair and releases a heavy sigh, blowing her bangs up in the air. “I can’t do this, Miles. I’m at my absolute limit. Between Ethan and his antics, Doug having major surgery on his leg, and I’m about to pop . . . I’m going to lose it.”
When Eloise was pregnant with Ethan, it was not an easy time. She was convinced at one point that she would die like our mother did. Thankfully, she didn’t even have a single issue. It was a textbook birth, according to her. Today, though, that stress and worry is prevalent in her gaze.
I step closer and sit beside her, my hand resting on her forearm. “I’m here.”
She glares. “Yeah, that’s not exactly a comfort.”
I do my best to remember she’s moody and not take offense to that one. “Well, it should be. I’m the responsible adult in this family.”
Eloise laughs and pushes my hand away. “You’re the one who made him play, and now I have to handle this alone.”
“To be fair, no one made your husband do a damn thing, but I’ll take the blame if it’ll make you feel better.”
“It would.”
“Then you’re right, it’s my fault.”
“It always is,” she says as she rubs her stomach.
Then the bell rings, and I swear I see the steam start to exit her ears. Deciding that Eloise is at that point where she might actually kill Doug, I take pity and step in. “I’ll go see what he wants.”
The tension in her shoulders releases a bit. “Remove that fucking bell from his hands or I’m going to shove it so far up his—”
“Uncle Miles!” Ethan bounds into the room, practically knocking me off my feet as he barrels into me.
I give him a tight hug and then turn my best authoritative principal look on him. “Were you spray-painting the barn?”
“No.”
“Doing anything that might send your mother into labor?”
He glances at her and shrugs. “I don’t think so.”
“Okay, then. Carry on.”
Eloise rolls her eyes. “You’re so helpful.”
“I do what I can.”
“Well, go see what the jackass with the bell wants.”
I kiss her cheek and then head in to see what the hell my brother-in-law is trying to accomplish, other than making my sister homicidal.
“Yo, asshole,” I say as I walk in.
Doug is lying on the couch, his leg resting on a series of pillows, with a side table full of medication, water, and empty plates.
“I’m the asshole? That’s funny coming from you. You have tried to get me killed, forced me to marry a psychopath, and now you broke my leg.”
“Glad to see you’re dramatic as ever, douchebag.” I sit on the couch opposite him. “I didn’t force you to marry a psychopath. She’s my sister, and I’d like to think I bestowed a great gift upon you.”
He snorts. “You’ve met her, right?”
“You know she’ll kill you if she hears this.”
“I’ll take death at this point.”
We both laugh. “Also, when did I try to get you killed?”
“Oh, let’s see . . . maybe when we were in Europe, and you had me do shots until I puked for so long I thought I’d lost an organ in the process.”
“Ahh, the good ole days.”
Doug and I served in the US Marines for four years together in the same unit. I joined right out of high school to get college paid for—Doug wanted to see the world. We became best friends then, he followed me back to Virginia, met my sister, and now he’s literally my brother.
“Yes, nothing like that one time I almost got shot.”
“Almost,” I remind him. “You didn’t.”
He rolls his eyes and winces. “I would’ve preferred it to this.”
“Is the pain bad?”
Doug groans as he tries to shift. “Horrific. I have physical therapy tomorrow, and I honestly don’t know how I’m going to handle any of it.”
That says something because Doug is a tough son of a bitch. He’s never one to complain and usually takes things on the chin.
“Sorry, dude.”
“It’s fine. I was the asshat who thought I should go full fucking force on the ice. I’m not twenty anymore.”
“No, you’re not,” I agree.
He flips me off. “You’re one to talk.”
“Yes, but I didn’t break my leg and require surgery. Still, I’m sorry you got hurt. It sucks, especially with the baby coming.”
“The baby is part of it. I know how to procrastinate like no one else, so all I’ve heard is how I said I’d get shit done and didn’t do it, so El is pissed. The crib, the painting, fixing the solar panel out back . . . all of it hasn’t been touched. Also, she broke down yesterday crying that she’s afraid about having a baby again.”
“I get that. She’s the same age as Mom was, and I think that’s probably a mindfuck.”
It’s why having kids isn’t high up on my list. I’m happy being the fun uncle and a school principal. I get my fill with other people’s kids.
Doug sighs. “I keep trying to comfort her about it, but it’s just something we have to endure, you know?”
“Yeah.”
“But one of the things I feel the worst about is that I promised her I’d keep Ethan busy this summer. As you can imagine, he’s a little . . . bored and reckless during the summer.”
“What were you planning to do with him?” I ask.
Last summer, I actually got a call from my sister asking if I could get the school to go year-round because she wasn’t sure she was going to make it. That was a fun one, explaining that while I may be the school principal, I don’t exactly set the school calendar, the board of education does, and she’s welcome to run to be a member of it anytime she likes.
I don’t think I got the sentence out before she hung up on me.
Doug shifts. “Well, this is actually why I wanted you to stop by.”
Oh fuck my life.
“No,” I say immediately.
“No what?”
“No to whatever you’re going to ask me to do. No.”
School ended two weeks ago. I have one month where I actually get a little downtime before I have to start preparing the school before the next year starts, and I have a feeling my brother-in-law is about to ruin that. I look forward to this every year. It’s the only time I have a chance to reset, breathe, and prepare for the chaos that happens when we get ready for back-to-school.
I need this time.
It has been the one thing I do for myself, no matter what, because it makes me a better principal and human.
“I need you to coach his hockey clinic.”
I laugh once. “Absolutely not.”
Doug tries to sit up but grabs his leg, grunting and gasping as he does. I get up and walk over as though I can help, but he waves me away. “Sit down, you’ll make it worse.”
I go back to my seat and wait for him to get control. “You all right?”
He lets out a long breath. “I’m fine. My point is, I can’t do it.”
“What about one of the other fantastic fathers in the town?”
“We can’t even get them to fill out the forms properly, let alone step in to coach the kids. They’re just a bunch of six-year-olds; it won’t be that hard.”
Right, because the young ones are easier with sports? No, they aren’t. They don’t pay attention, they don’t know the basics, and they ask a million questions. Not much downtime there.
“Well, as bad as I feel for you, I’m not doing it.”
“You owe me,” Doug says with a brow raised.
I shake my head. “I don’t. I have plans.”
“Cancel them.”
I scoff. “The hell I will. I rented a cabin in Michigan. I’m going to fish and boat and enjoy the absolute silence and complete lack of children.”
Don’t get me wrong, I like kids. I work with them all day. However, my job as a high school principal requires me to be around teenagers. Teenagers are not children. They’re not adults either. They’re pretty much not even humans most days of the week. They’re little shells of people who have a never-ending supply of assholeness that’s just itching to get out. Some are better at containing it than others. However, it almost always seeps out, and I need to spend the next month without any kids.
None.
Zero.
Zilch.
No traces of little humans who make me question my life choices.
Each July is my happy place. For eleven months out of the year, I’m not allowed vacations or time off. This is truly the only time I can decompress.
“Okay, then you can tell Ethan why he can’t do it this year because you begged me to play a game.”
“Low blow, Doug. Low blow.”
He knows I’m not going to tell Ethan that.
He shrugs. “I can’t do it. I can’t put skates on, let alone coach kids while my leg is like this.”
“Just put one skate on, and the other you can put on the crutches,” I say, half joking.
It would at least be semi-entertaining—for me.
“Fuck right off.”
Apparently Doug doesn’t find that funny.
“Anyway, you and Eloise decided to procreate, this is your issue.”
Doug nods once. “All right then. Fair enough.”
There are those moments when I know that what’s being said isn’t what is meant, and this is one of those. Before I can go back at Doug, he bellows for my nephew. Since I’m visiting, it means Ethan is relatively close, because he’s always hoping I’ll help him cause my sister a few more gray hairs.
He enters faster than I can get up and get the hell away from these absolute pains in my ass.
“Yes, Dad?”
“I have to tell you that since I broke my leg, I can’t do the hockey clinic. I know you were looking forward to it, and that I promised I would coach because none of the other dads could, but I just can’t. I asked Uncle Miles, since he was almost a famous hockey player, and thought that maybe he’d be able to fill in, but he’s going to sit in a cabin on a lake and pray for fish.”
I roll my eyes. “Not exactly what I said, but . . .”
“He’s just too busy and can’t manage it.”
“Laying it on a little thick there, Doug,” I say under my breath.
Ethan rushes over. “Uncle Miles, you’d be the best coach ever! Please, you’re so much better than Dad. Please can you coach? Please? I don’t want to be stuck at home all summer with the baby.”
I glare at my once best friend and then look at Ethan. The idyllic views, fresh air, and days sitting with my lure in the water start to disappear as my nephew stares at me with pleading eyes.
I let out a heavy sigh, knowing that no matter how much my child-free summer was needed, I won’t say no to him.
Because I’m a good uncle.
Damn it, I should’ve stayed home and not come to check on the big asshole.
“How long is the clinic?” I ask with resignation. Already knowing I’ll do it anyway.
“Just the whole month of July,” Doug says as though he didn’t just ruin my entire summer.
“Just?”
He nods. “It’s four weeks and only three days a week.”
“Oh, only. And let me guess, it’s some random day in the middle of the week I’m off?”
Doug grins. “Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
Of course. Why make it so that I could go up to the lake house for a long weekend at least? Let’s just ruin it all.
“I’ll call the rink and fix that,” I say.
“You’ll do it?” Ethan asks, nearly vibrating like a tuning fork.
“I’ll help out since your dad is unable to do anything without getting hurt.”
Ethan whoops. “I have to go tell my friends!” Then he runs out of the room, and Eloise enters.
“What is he so happy about?”
Doug looks at his wife with a shit-eating grin. “Your brother is going to do the hockey clinic and keep Ethan out of your hair.”
Eloise’s eyes fill with moisture, and as much as I hate that this is going to be my one month off, seeing her overcome with joy makes it all worth it. “You’re truly the best, Miles Anderson. The best. I’m so lucky to have you as a brother.”
I wave her off. “Yeah, yeah, you can pay me back by hiding your husband’s painkillers.”
She grins. “Deal.”
***
“Hazel! I need tea! And maybe a scone. Or a cupcake. Hell, give me all of them,” I yell as I enter the doors to Prose & Perk. While I don’t normally bellow, it’s week one of my should-be-at-the-lake-but-I’m-here-instead vacation.
And I have to head to the rink in an hour.
To deal with kids.
Lots of kids.
“I know you’re not yelling at me.” She pops out from behind the counter, hands on her hips and a scowl mean enough to make my balls shrink up.
“I’m not.”
“Because I’m your only source of caffeine in this town, and I know you wouldn’t want to piss me off.”
I raise both hands. “I wouldn’t dare. I’m eternally sorry.”
She smirks. “Damn right you are.”
Hazel is a constant in my life. She grew up in Ember Falls, like I did, and even though she’s three years younger than me, she was a good friend of mine when we were kids.
“Can I please have some tea with honey, a cupcake, and maybe a name change?” I ask.
“Isn’t today the first day of the hockey clinic?”
“How did you know?”
She shrugs. “I heard around town.”
“Yeah, I’m sure everyone is just going on and on about it.”
Hazel dips back under the counter, heading to the coffee machine. “Let’s not forget, a barista is like a therapist. People tell me the most random shit.”
“Do tell me all the secrets . . . especially if it’s about my sister.”
“Not on your life, buddy. Actually, I heard about the clinic from Penelope.”
“Your new barista?”
Hazel brings over the cup of tea and leans against the counter. “The same one. Her son, who you met, he’s really into hockey and is apparently on your team.”
“His name is Kai, right?”
“Yup.”
He seemed like a sweet kid. A little shy and definitely nervous when I met him at the elementary school on a day I was helping there. He was incredibly polite, which is a nice change.
Of course I had an incredibly hard time focusing on him when I couldn’t take my eyes off his mother. Penelope is stunning. She’s short with reddish-brown hair and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. A man could easily get lost in that gaze.
I’ve been so busy with the end of school that I haven’t been able to come in for a drink and breakfast, which is probably for the best since I’d just ogle the gorgeous woman as she made me tea and a muffin.
Sometimes being a bumbling idiot around pretty girls is a curse.
“Good, what’s their story anyway?” I ask, trying to seem nonchalant.
However, by the look on Hazel’s face—I failed.
“Honestly, I don’t know. She hasn’t told me how she ended up in Ember Falls, but she’s a great employee who shows up on time, works hard, and doesn’t complain. To me, she’s been a godsend and doesn’t cause any issues at all.”
Don’t I wish I had more people like that around me. I love my job. Being a principal of the high school has brought me a lot of happiness. Kids, while being some of the most frustrating humans known to man, are also amazing. They’re funny, and each day I learn something new.
However, my staff is challenging. Teachers are underpaid and overworked. It’s a shame, and as much as I wish I could do something to change it—I can’t. I have to spend half my days trying to keep them all from walking out.
Not that I’d blame them.
“I’m glad it’s working out,” I tell her with a smile.
“Me too. I’m surprised you haven’t seen her since she lives close to you.”
I shake my head. “Haven’t seen her around at all.”
I live in the north section of Ember Falls. My house is situated at the base of the mountain, whereas the majority of the town is more to the west, where the falls are. The town was really built around them, but I bought a lot of land away from everyone and built my house. I like that I come into town when I need to but have a sanctuary that’s away from it all.
There are only two other people who live close to me, Mr. Kipland, who has been there since the dawn of time, and some guy from California who just bought the one property a little up the road from me, which is the house Penelope is renting.
“Well, I know I feel better that she’s got you as a semi-neighbor.”
I smile. “Yes, I’m known for being social and kind.”
Hazel laughs. “Yeah, you’re definitely one of the good ones. So how’s Eloise doing?”
“She’s good. The baby is due soon, and I’m not sure if she’s killed Doug yet.”
“Would you blame her?” Hazel asks as she hands me a cupcake.
“Not in the least. I’d help her bury the body at this point.”
“Considering he’s one of your best friends, I’m kind of surprised you’d turn on him so easily.”
I shrug. “I should be at the lake. It’s his fault I’m not.”
Hazel chuckles. “All right then. Well, you better get to the rink.”
“Yes, I wouldn’t want to be late.”
“Listen, Kai is really excited about this. Maybe if you could introduce him to some kids and . . .”
I lift my hand. “I got it.”
“All the other kids have their dads or could-be-famous uncle coaching. He doesn’t have that.”
“I’m a good fill-in,” I say with a smile. “I’m pretty good at seeing the kids who need something.”
“I know.”
“Careful, Hazel, you’ll warm the cockles of my heart with your kindness.”
She rolls her eyes. “Go away and enjoy your new summer fun!”
Yeah, I can’t wait. Coaching kids hockey instead of fishing—so much fun.
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