Grady shook his head madly. “Hell no. Serves him right after Becca. He deserves to be cheated on.”
He hated even thinking that of Claire. Maybe he didn’t know her as well as he thought, to consider she would be so forward with someone when she was with someone else?
But, fuck, he was a little fuzzy on the details. He’d replayed their pathetic excuse for a conversation over and over last night, trying to make sense of things, and he could swear she said they were never even engaged. But when he’d left for work this morning, Patricia had been on the phone with wedding venues.
Claire was floatingon her way back from the interview. The temperature had dropped to well below freezing, but the skies remained clear. Too bad; she really wanted to see snow. Then she might be able to call the trip a win. If she could stay in town, doing exactly what she wanted, she might be able to convince Grady that she wasn’t a slut that bounced from one brother to another. If she could first convince herself.
They had offered her the job before the interview was even over, pending reference checks and successful completion of her boards, of course. And she already liked her new boss. Parsons let her shadow him for most of the morning and even let her jump in on a few procedures. It was clear he wanted to see her in action as much as she wanted to get a feel for his style before she signed the dotted line. The clinic was exactly what she was hoping for. She would get to spend half the time in the clinic, and the other half going out to tend to the larger animals. With three other vets in the clinic, she would have tons of support while she got her boots wet.
The sun was getting low in the sky, so she stopped off to eat a late lunch at the local diner. Alone. And, more to the point, she wasn’t ready to face Grady. She shot a quick text to Ryder that she’d be back late.
Inside Larissa’s Diner, an adorable place with décor a few decades out of date, the scent of fresh-baked pie and cozy atmosphere warmed her more than the radiant heat. A bubbly server met her at the door and guided her to an empty booth. The place was hopping; must be good food to be so popular, with all the other options she’d seen on the main drive through town.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” A woman with a thick southern accent inquired as she approached the table with a menu.
“I’d love a cup of tea. Whatever you have that’s hot and decaf.” Her toes were still numb from the few steps in from the car. It would take time to acclimate from Phoenix. And thicker wool socks.
“Coming right up. If you’re hungry, the lasagna will warm you straight down to your bones.” The woman winked at her. Larissa herself, according to the nametag.
“That sounds perfect. Thanks.”
“You’re not from around here, are you?”
Claire suspected her violent shivering gave her away. “I’m from Phoenix.”
Larissa threw her head back in joyous laughter and slapped her thigh in delight. “That would explain why you look like a popsicle. It took me a decade to get used to Washington weather. This is about as chilly as it gets, but not unusual for January at this elevation.”
“A decade, huh? That’s not reassuring,” Claire joked. Mostly. She may as well invest in fleece-lined pants for the winter days she’d be spending in barns and pastures.
“What brings you to Foothills?” Rather friendly, the woman may as well have a seat in the bench opposite.
“I actually just interviewed with Parson Veterinary Hospital. I’ll be starting in a few weeks.” She already liked saying it. Her parents would freak, but they were ready to get out of the heat and would happily follow. The real challenge would be in convincing her brothers to move, as Cole had only recently moved home.
“Doc Parsons was in here this morning telling me all about the new grad he was interviewing today. I’m glad to hear it’s you.” Larissa disappeared and returned a few minutes later with her tea. And a spare mug.
Larissa poured a cup for them both and sat across the booth. Big change from Phoenix. Apparently small towns were as friendly and casual as many a TV show had implied. “Claire, right?”
She nodded.
“I can’t believe Ryder agreed to move back to town. Every so often, we raise a few hot shots that are too big for our little town.” Larissa bobbed the chamomile tea bag in the steaming mug.
This woman seemed a little too intuitive and would see right through Claire. “He, uh... it’s complicated.”
She grinned knowingly. “Honey, it always is. I left Alabama, many years ago, to come to Foothills with an ex-boyfriend. He that hated it here and didn’t stay long. I fell in love with this town, and a local man, and have spent the last few decades happily married in the most beautiful place in the world.”
Claire tested the hot tea, blowing the steam across her mug. It was risky, but she sipped safely and without a tongue burn. “Was that your daughter that seated me?”
Larissa nodded. “That’s her. Good kid.” Funny, she looked to be the same age as Claire. At thirty, Claire no longer considered herself a kid.
“Grady was in for lunch earlier, sporting a heck of a shiner, but he didn’t say anything about Ryder and your visit. You see much of him over there at the Mallory place?”
Claire gulped a sip of tea too quickly at the mention of Grady and burned the back of her throat. “A bit,” she coughed.
Larissa smiled knowingly. “That Grady is too good for his own good, if you know what I mean. Raised in a pretty rigid household, he struggles between doing the right thing and doing what he needs to for himself. Needs a little TLC, that boy.” She subtly nodded at Claire as she stood. “That lasagna should be out in a minute.”
Maybe he wasn’t the player Ryder had insisted. He’d been teased about his innocence at that stupid party game, and this diner owner—who seemed to know everything about everyone—thought well of him. Clearly, the slutty billiard game had not been her best approach.
Tonight, she’d hash things out with him.
