“I’m sure, in some obscure section of the Ultimate Frisbee world—yes.”
I laugh softly and try to cover it with a cough. However, Everett sees through it and just smiles at me. “I’m sorry, I’m just really shocked. You went from being really good in baseball to this. It’s just a little jarring, that’s all.”
“I’m good at a lot of things,” Everett says, his voice low.
Killian drains his drink and then places the bottle down. “I just remembered that I have a meeting tomorrow morning, and I need to run some reports. Will you guys be okay if I dip out now?”
Everett looks over, disbelief on his face. “You have a meeting?”
“Yes.”
“That youforgotabout?”
“Yup,” Killian says with a grin and turns to me. “It was wonderful meeting you, Violet. I’m sure I’ll see you around, and hopefully you’ll come to one of our tournaments so you can really see Everett in all his Frisbee glory.”
Everett glares at him and I fight back a laugh. “Thank you. It was nice to meet you.”
Killian nods and then leaves me alone with Everett. That whole plan I had about avoiding him is clearly not going to happen now.
“Did that feel weird to you?” I ask.
“Yes, subtlety is clearly not Killian’s strong suit. Honestly, I’d be surprised if anyone in this town could even spell it.”
I grin. “At least you know they’re always coming at it from a place of kindness. Unlike where I lived, where it was all about schemes and malice.”
“I couldn’t do it,” he admits. “As much as Ember Falls has a lot of problems or things that make life difficult, we mean what we say and we do what we promise. I never understood it until ... a few years ago. How lucky I was. How much a community matters more than money or what you have. It’s more about who you are.”
The idea of that causes me to smile. “It’s why I wanted to come here. I can remember Granny talking about how lucky she was. She would tell me about having a family here, even though not a single person shared her blood.”
“You’re a part of that too, Violet.”
My chest grows tighter as I let those words walk over me. How beautiful of a thought that is. “I don’t know about that.”
“I do.”
“How so?”
Everett reaches his hand out to rest over mine. “I get to decide who is a part of it. I’m one of the head decision-makers of all town matters, didn’t you know?”
“I didn’t. You’re so important.”
“That I am.”
I laugh and then sigh heavily. “I don’t know why I’m even upset about it—the engagement. They deserve each other, and I don’t even want him. Not once have I missed him or thought,Wouldn’t it be great to talk to him?Our marriage ended years ago, but we were just unwilling to do anything.”
“Because no matter what, you were married to him.”
I shrug. “I guess maybe it’s more that this is how I found out. It’s only been a little over a month, and already he’s engaged? We aren’t even officially divorced! How does anyone think this is so okay? I don’t know, I mean, whatever.”
Everett drains his beer and then sits, watching me. “Come on.”
I blink in confusion. “Where?”
“Take my hand. Trust me.”
Trust.What a funny word. Five letters and yet it means so much. To give trust to another that they won’t hurt you is a difficult thing.
But this is Everett.
