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And now, it seems I’ll be facing that level of scrutiny again. The email sitting open on my computer is further proof that I’ll need to work doubly hard as any of my colleagues. I have to secure that funding. The job I came here to do depends on it.

And besides the job, I like it here. After moving several times since finishing my doctorate and following the jobs as they came up, it feels good to find a place where I could stay.

Where I want to stay.

The town is welcoming, beautiful, and unique. The opportunities for my research are endless.

Having a couple of familiar faces makes it all the better. For a second, I let myself picture Denver and Griffin. I may feel awkward and off-kilter around them, thanks to how ridiculously handsome they both are, but there’s also a comfort in their familiarity. Their friendliness.

The realization flickers and fades just as quickly. Wanting to stay for a place is one thing. Wanting to stay because of two men I’m attracted to is something else entirely. And it’s something I can’t afford to dwell on right now, not with the grant issue looming overhead.

I turn back to my desk and open the draft of my grant proposal. Once I go on my research trip, I’ll be ready to finalize it. It’s time to show why I deserve to be here. If they want measurable impact, then I’ll give them measurable impact.

They can call my work niche. They can make the funding competitive. They can weigh economic integration against ecological survival. It doesn’t matter, I’m in for the long haul.

Old growth doesn’t rush to prove its worth.

It stands long enough that everything else has to reckon with it.

I glance down at my clothes and cringe. I’d hoped to be able to change before coming for lunch, but as often happens, I was so absorbed in my work, I lost track of time. Now I’m already five minutes late to meet Juniper and her friend Isla, so they’re getting me in these ill-fitting, stiff clothes.

Clothes that are now wet, thanks to me forgetting my umbrella at the lab and the near-constant rain the West Coast is famous for in early spring.

I adjust my blouse needlessly, then brace myself, pushing open the door to Dot’s Diner. Inside, it’s a cacophony to the senses. Colourful, vibrant, and very much on theme, from the checkerboard floor, to the chrome-legged booths and stools, to the jukebox in the corner.

“Wow.” I whisper to myself as I scan the crowded diner, impressed with the commitment to the theme. I spot Juniper with a redheaded woman, sitting in a booth by the window. She sees me and partially stands, waving enthusiastically. I lift my hand in return and make my way over to them.

“Olivia, you made it!” Juniper pulls me in for a hug that catches me off guard somewhat.

“Yes, sorry I’m late, I got held up at my lab.” I take a seat next to her and look at the woman across from me. “Hi, I’m Olivia.”

A welcoming smile is ready on her beautiful face. “Isla. It’s nice to meet you. I’m glad Juni invited you to join us. How are you liking Cedar Creek?”

“So far, I love it,” I answer honestly. But before I can say anything more, an older woman wearing a turquoise poodle skirt and cat-eye shaped purple glasses walks up.

“Hi there, honeys, who’ve you brought in for me today?”

“This is Olivia, she’s new in town, working at the university. Oh, and she knows Griff and Foxxy,” Juniper answers for me. It’s bizarre to hear her rattle those facts off about me, but I can’t deny the truth of them.

“Well, welcome. I’m Dottie. First meal’s on the house, especially for a friend of double trouble.”

Isla snorts. “I love that you call them that, Dot.” She shakes her head. “It fits them so well.”

“I mean, not Griff, though, not really.” Juniper tilts her head to the side and looks at me. “What do you think? You knew them when they were younger. Was Griff as crazy as Foxxy?”

It takes me a second to adjust to hearing them called by their nicknames when I’ve only ever called them Denver and Griffin. That and my heart skips a beat as I picture the two ridiculously handsome men. So different, yet so similar to the younger versions I knew before.

Clearing my throat, I give a bland reply. “Griffin has always been the quieter one, but yes, they were close friends with my brother Kyle in university. The three of them were certainly known around campus for having fun wherever they were.”

“That’s a nice way of saying Foxxy caused chaos and dragged Griff along with him, isn’t it?” Juniper giggles. “Those two are like a platonic Bert and Ernie.”

Isla leans forward, placing her elbows on the table and frowning in confusion. “Who says Bert and Ernie weren’t platonic?”

Juniper simply raises one eyebrow. “Girl. Please.”

“Alright, enough Muppet talk. What can I get you ladies to eat?” Dot interrupts, laughter evident in her voice.

The others order quickly as I scan the menu. “I’ll get the chicken club please, with fries.”