their hometown recover and how amazing you women are, taking charge and leading the way, and how you’ve all teamed up to pull us through this. I am sure that you can find things to appreciate about each other,” Shelby said, her tone indicating that they would find things to appreciate about each other.
“Yeah, for, like, an hour at a time,” Dillon said.
“More like fifteen minutes,” Kit muttered.
Dillon looked over at her. “Really? That’s how you remember it?”
She looked down at her nails. “I barely remember it at all.”
What was Kit talking about? Kit wasn’t looking at her friends, and Bree only shrugged when Avery looked at her questioningly.
“I’d rather have them speculating about you and Dillon in the hospital storeroom during the tornado than wondering if their insurance is going to cover,” Shelby said to Kit.
“What happened with you and Dillon in the storeroom?” Bree asked, swinging to look at Kit.
“Nothing,” Kit said with a bit too much emphasis to be believed.
Dillon just ran his hand over his face. Max and Jake grinned widely.
In an attempt to save her friend—fully intending to get the whole story later—Avery jumped in.
“But we have a ton of positive things going on already,” Avery pointed out. “People helping one another, people supporting one another, the celebration of no lost life. This morning Mrs. Miller found the Garrisons’ family Bible under her porch and returned it to them. That’s positive.”
“Yes, it is. And so is six of the most well-liked and well-respected citizens of Chance making a team of pseudo-superheroes who are going to save their town. You’re like Chance’s very own Avengers,” Shelby said with zeal.
Dillon started to speak again. “Shelby, I—”
She turned to him. “Dillon, if I want you to dress up like a clown and juggle flaming batons in the town square to make Aunt Gigi smile, you will do it and thank me afterward for the opportunity.”
Dillon raised an eyebrow. “I was just going to say that I’m happy to help.”
Shelby nodded, pulled her purse strap up on her shoulder, kissed her husband on the cheek, and started for the door. “I know” were her parting words.
There was a moment of silence. Then the door shut behind her with a resolute thud.
“What just happened?” Kit asked.
There was a chuckle behind them.
“You think an EF4 packs a wallop?” Frank asked. “You’ve been hit by a storm otherwise known as Shelby.”
“We didn’t stand a chance, did we?” Avery asked.
“Nope,” Frank said cheerfully.
Jake didn’t mind this turn of events one bit. Working with Avery for the next two weeks? Yeah, he was definitely okay with that.
When Avery said she had to get back to work and started for Frank’s office door, Jake gave in to the urge to follow her out.
“I’ll find you later,” he said to Max and Dillon. “I’ll call you,” he said to Frank. By the time he got into the hallway, he had to jog to catch up with Avery.
“Hey, hang on.” They needed to talk about this, didn’t they? Or talk about something? The last time he’d seen her—okay, he’d been seeing her here and there around town—but the last time they’d talked, she’d told him he was “pretty far down” her priority list.
Well, that had now changed. They were working together now.
For a moment he remembered the unreturned e-mails on his computer and the three missed phone calls. Those were work, too. If he was staying in Chance for another two weeks, he was also going to need to reschedule the DC meeting.
He should go. He could go to DC and then come back. He could go to the interview and miss only a day of work in Chance.
But he didn’t want to miss a day.
He could put off the interview for another two weeks. If they really wanted him, the job would still be there.
“I’ve got stuff to do.” She didn’t stop walking.
She also pulled her hand away when he tried to grab it.
Oh, really?
He glanced around and located an open door to an empty room. He reached out and grabbed Avery’s belt and pulled her to stop.
“Hey!”
He turned her and pushed her into the room, stepped in behind her, and kicked the door shut.
“Jake!”
It was an empty conference room from the looks of it. He still turned her so her back was against the door so no one would come barging in.
Then he braced a hand on the door beside her ear.
“We’re supposed to like each other and get along.”
“So?”
“So running away from me doesn’t