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Ansley


Iwalk back to the café on shaky legs and get lost in the memories of my first encounter with Garrett Tuttle. It was in our seventh-grade physical education class. The instructor had us out walking laps on the track that surrounds the football field when Toby Ballard started tugging at my ponytail and teasing me. He wasn’t the first boy to do it, but he was the last.


“Hey, what’s your problem?” I screeched.

He dropped his hand from my hair and grinned a slimy grin.

“I don’t have a problem. I was just wondering if it was true?” he asked.

“If what is true?”

“If you live up to your name,” he said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Humphries. Are your humps free? Because if they are, I’d like a turn under the bleachers with …”

He didn’t get the opportunity to finish his sentence because a fist came flying from the right and caught him hard.

His head snapped back and his hands flew to his nose. Bright red blood gushed between his fingers as he steadied himself.

“What the hell was that, Tuttle?” he mumbled.

Garrett Tuttle shoved him back as we were suddenly encompassed by every student in the class.

“That was for being an asshole. You don’t talk to a girl that way. Now apologize,” he demanded.

Toby looked from Garrett to me.

“I’m sorry,” he spit.

“Nicer,” Garrett growled, as he shoved him again.

“Okay, I was just playing around. I’m sorry, Ansley.”

The gym teacher came running up from behind the crowd.

“What is going on here? What happened to your face?” she asked when she caught sight of Toby.

“I fell and landed face-first on the track,” he lied.

“Oh my goodness, let’s get you to the nurse’s office to get cleaned up,” she said before addressing the rest of us.

“Stop gawking and continue laps until the bell rings.” Everyone dispersed and Garrett turned to me.

“Are you alright?”

I shrugged, embarrassed by the entire thing.

“I’m fine. Toby’s a jerk. You didn’t have to hit him,” I whispered.

“A boy has no right to put his hands on or talk to a girl that way and he’ll think twice before he does it to anyone else,” he insisted.

I looked up at him.

Oh my, he was beautiful.

I felt myself blush from head to toe.

“Thank you.”

That’s the moment I fell in love with a green-eyed boy.


I shake myself from the memory. I haven’t let myself think about him in a long time.

Why?

Why is he able to affect me like this? I told myself if I ever saw him again, I would take the opportunity to call him out for being the worthless piece of shit I know he is. But instead of saying my piece, I ran away.

I’m going to have to grow a backbone or make an effort to avoid him for the remainder of his hopefully short stay.

Avoidance is preferable.

I push all thoughts of him out of my mind as soon as the truck pulls up to unload the old shipping pallets I purchased from a trucking company in Oak Ridge.

As the driver unloads the shipment, the front door opens, and in walks Kevin Crispen, a deputy at the Balsam Ridge Sheriff’s Department.

“Hi, Kevin,” I greet.

He joins me at the counter, his eyes taking in all the changes since his last visit. “Wow, Ansley. This place is turning out great,” he praises.

“Thank you.” I beam.

He rests his elbows on the pine and grins up at me. He’s an attractive man. Tall and lean but with broad shoulders to fill out his uniform. His honey-colored hair is cut short, and his deep brown eyes are intense but kind.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” I ask as I take a seat in front of him.

“I was next door and just thought I’d drop in to see your progress and offer my services if you need any heavy lifting,” he replies.

I shake my head. “I’m all good right now. The girls are coming this evening to assist with a little DIY project, load the bookshelves, and help pick out the furniture. That, and the tables will be delivered next week. The automatic drip coffeemakers and the espresso machine should be here in two weeks, and once they are installed, I’ll have my new baristas in for a week of training on the machines and the new POS system.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Sounds like your doors will be open in no time.”

“Right? All that will be left is for Graham to get the security system installed, the final health department inspection, our website to go live, and then I will be ready for the grand opening,” I prattle off excitedly.

“Congratulations, Ansley. All your hard work is paying off,” he commends.

“Thank you. I wish I had something to offer you. I haven’t stocked the coolers yet. I might have a few muffin samples leftover if you’re interested.”

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