Page 44 of A Hard Habit to Break

Rachel found what she wanted, and Noah had the order processed and loaded. The yellow birch wood, with its natural metallic-like shine, would serve as a nice contrast with the rustic decor. He gave a quick tug to the bungee cords securing the wood beams in the truck bed.

Rachel recounted them and then hopped down from the tailgate, brushing sawdust from her jeans. “That’s everything for the arch.”

He paused, glancing at her. “Don’t trust me?”

Rachel felt heat creep across her chest before spreading up her neck. “Hard habit to break.”

“Don’t I know it. Wanna carve our initials into a beam for old times’ sake?”

She grinned. “That would be childish.”

“True.”

He opened the passenger door. “Let’s do it once the arch is done.”

“You’re a bad influence, Noah Calvary.”

“Guilty.” He winked. “Hop in. Next stop, Main Street, and your date with Benji.”

Rachel released a long sigh. “And here I thought we were pretending to be on our best behavior.”

Noah turned the key and reversed the engine. “Too much work.”

“You don’t have to—drop me at the Bear. I don’t mind walking back from the farm.”

“I’m sure you don’t, Six. But I like spending time with you. We used to have fun… building together.” Rachel’s mind flashed to a bare-chested Noah lifting, pinning, nailing beams in place. Pinning her against the sweat-drenched planes of his body. The two of them plunging into the cooling water of the falls, bursting through the current in a twisting of limbs. She shivered against a heated awareness of his proximity. “I only get two weeks, right?”

Her eyes shot up to his. Noah’s tan face broke into a toothy grin. He knew. Knew last night had gnawed its way into her brain. That charming grin collapsed another beam, closing the divide, and narrowing the distance that time and teenaged angst had built.

She sent him a withering look. “You’re toying with me. The song. This drive.”

“I’m doing no such thing. I like having you around. If this is the best I can get, I’ll tell anybody who asks I’m a lucky man to get this much of your time.”

Rachel hid her smile because, just for today, she allowed herself to be happy in Noah’s company. Happy, but on guard. Noah eased his truck across Cattail Creek, taking the narrow road into downtown Service. Main Street bustled with people. They rolled past the green awnings painted with the shops’ names in bold white letters, careful to avoid the mothers pushing strollers over cobblestone streets and clusters of kids racing between storefronts with melting ice cream cones from the Yoga and Yogurt Place.

Twenty minutes later, they piled out of the truck on foot to assess a few empty storefronts and unused spaces. Before long,folks gathered on the sidewalk watching Rachel snap photos while Noah fielded questions about the upcoming redevelopment meeting. Several passersby waved at Rachel, their curious glances directed at a vacant building.

“Rachel, that you and the Calvary boy?” Old Man Wanakee called from his perch on the bench outside the barbershop. Her father had his hair trimmed once every few months in his barber’s chair.

“In the flesh, Mr. Wanakee,” Rachel answered before Noah could give the elderly man more information than she was willing to share about their outing.

“Well, I’ll be. Heard our big-city architect was back. Gonna make our town look like one of them California glass beehives?”

Rachel laughed, genuinely and unguarded. “No, sir. Wanna help highlight what’s already special about Service.”

“Noah, my grandson and his classmates enjoyed their ride on the fire engine. You might have a new recruit on your hands,” Mr. Wanakee joked.

Rachel watched as a blush stole across Noah’s face. Of course, he’d make a dozen mini-mes who wanted to be brave heroes who gave back to the community.

“Well, my PawPaw trained me early, sir. Just paying it forward.” He looked at her and cleared his throat. “We done here?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “The structure looks sound.”

Noah studied the entrance and the windows, no doubt considering fire suppression material updates, fire behavior, and exits. “What are you thinking, Six?”

“Maybe Mrs. Rosa Mae’s historical society and the library could share the space. The layout and resources are similar. They could support each other.”

Noah nodded his approval. “The glass fronts are great for displays. And the interior renovation could be minimal.”