Evers & Afters (Dare With Me #2) - J.H. Croix Page 0,8

personality was blended with a strength and occasionally overwhelming staunch support that made her an incredible friend. “I’ll make it through this. I’m not hung up on him. I just need to stop wishing for something I don’t have,” I assured her.

“It’s been over six months,” she said softly. “You haven’t gone on a single date. Tess even tried to set you up with that guy she met in Anchorage.”

I rolled my eyes. “He was totally not my type. I can’t do the salesman thing.”

“Don’t judge,” Susie protested. “Tess met him because he’s a great fundraiser. He was helping her with that fundraiser for the hospital, and they made a ton of money.

“Okay, okay,” I muttered. “It’s not the salesman thing. It’s just there was absolutely no oomph.”

“Oomph?”

“You know what I mean. Even when you hated Jared, the room practically caught on fire when the two of you were together. There was zero chemistry for me with that guy. I’m not going to waste my time if I can’t even imagine kissing a guy. I need to feel something.”

She sighed. “Fair enough. We’ll plan when we all get together.”

“I’m not a group project,” I warned. I glanced at my watch. “Look, I have to go. I need to pick up some supplies for the coffee truck tomorrow morning. Amy’s covering this afternoon, but I also need to get there and help her close up.”

“Aren’t you about due to close for the season soon?” she asked, referring to the fact I closed my coffee truck for a few months every winter.

I nodded. “Soon, but you know I never have a set date. Business is slowing, but it’s still steady.”

Susie pulled me in for one of her fierce hugs and waved me off.

Chapter Five

Elias

Four months later - March

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, I muttered, as one of my crutches dropped to the ground when I lost my grip.

Diego materialized at my side. “Got it.” He lifted it from the ground and handed it to me.

“Thanks, man.”

I hitched the crutch back under my arm. After adjusting my balance, I crutched along beside him as we got in line at Red Truck Coffee. The moment I looked up and saw Cammi moving swiftly as she took cash in one hand and turned to pull another shot of espresso with the other, my heart gave a swift kick. Something about her coming to visit me in the hospital had knocked me off balance a little. I didn’t like to admit it, definitely not, but she’d feathered along in the edges of my thoughts ever since.

She’d been so sweet to bring me coffee. Not once, but twice. But then, Cammi was sweet.

Right. Exactly why she’ll never give you a real chance. Not if she knows you were hooked on pills once.

I kicked that train of thought to the curb fast. It didn’t matter that my addiction had been short-lived. I couldn’t shake the nagging guilt. Plus, the list of reasons why someone who reminded me of sunshine and flowers wasn’t suited for me was a hell of a lot longer than that.

“Bet you’re itching to fly again,” Diego commented from my side.

“Course I am. I fucking hate being grounded. I thought I was in the clear, but then they had to fix the pin,” I replied. My healing had been dragged beyond the initial eight weeks after the pin didn’t stay in place in my repaired ankle. Now, I was looking ahead and hoping I’d finally get my freedom back.

I crutched my way forward when the line moved, thinking I had a doctor’s appointment soon and wondering when I’d get my cast off. A gust of salty air blew across the parking area, sending a stack of napkins in a swirl through the air. I started to move reflexively and came up short right before I landed the heel of my supportive cast on the ground.

Diego was already ahead of me. In two quick strides, he caught most of the napkins, with only one or two blowing loose. A seagull swept by, actually catching one of the loose napkins in its beak before shaking it free as soon as it discovered the napkin definitely wasn’t food.

Diego held the napkins in his hand when he returned by my side. “Cammi’s opened early this year,” he commented.

“It’s March,” I replied.

“Yeah, but it’s still cold. Climate change may be coming, but we still have some cold days in March in Alaska.” He chuckled when he cast me a quick look.

It