Forcing You Away (Archer & Everleigh 1)

“Sure! I’ll grind the beans, then change.”

Everleigh finds Sassy at the door, waiting to go out. I watch her ass as she sashays away. Once she’s out of view, I find some joggers and use the bathroom. I brush my teeth, then meet Everleigh in the kitchen. She’s pouring two cups of coffee, then dumps a good amount of creamer in one.

“Here ya go.” She gently slides mine across the breakfast bar with a smile.

“Thanks. Smells good.”

“Tastes even better. I’m pretty serious about my coffee and wine.”

Her tone makes me crack a smile. “So I’ve discovered.”

“Do you think my bed is salvageable, or should I just skip the headache and buy another one?” she asks when I go to the fridge. I’m not a chef by any means, but I can whip up some cheesy scrambled eggs.

“I think we can make it work. If you have some tools, we can easily cut some wood to size.”

“Hmm…well I don’t, but Noah does. He’s a professional fixer.”

I snort at her choice of words. “I heard he helped with Katie’s house. Is he a builder?”

“Kinda, but he fixes things too. Like a contractor. People hire him to do renovations but also fix random things around the house. A jack-of-all-trades, I guess you could say.”

“Well…” I crack some eggs into a bowl while she continues to stare at my bare back as if I can’t see her reflection in the microwave. “I might not have his skill level, but if you have a measuring tape, I’ll get the size of your frame before we go.”

“Oh, I do! Great idea. Then we can stop at Katie’s on the way back if we need to.”

“Sounds good.”

I finish making breakfast and put some bread in the toaster. Once they’re done, I butter them and serve Everleigh.

“This looks awesome. You’re becoming quite the little homemaker.”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“Oh come on, don’t be offended. You can be a good cook and still be a manly man. I mean, you box all day long. You can’t get much tougher than that.” She takes a large bite of her eggs, then releases a loud moan. “Oh my God, so delicious. I’m keeping you forever.”

I hold back a laugh. Everleigh talks nonstop, but I love it. There’s never awkward silence when she’s around and keeps things fun and interesting.

“Since you made the best breakfast ever, I’ll load the dishwasher. Then we can go!” Everleigh jumps up. I tell her I’m going to change.

By the time I’m dressed and leave my room, Everleigh’s on the couch petting Sassy. Though it’s been an adjustment living with a dog, I’ve grown to like her a lot, and she’s gotten used to me now. She’s like her owner and disregards personal space. Sassy likes to jump on the furniture and sit right on me.

“The measuring tape is on the counter!” She points at it, and I grab it, then go to her room. After I’ve put the length and width into my phone, I go back to where she is.

“Ready?” she asks.

I give her a nod as she stands. “I texted Katie and gave her a heads-up that we might stop by. She said it was fine.”

“Okay, great.”

I follow Everleigh out the door and to her car. Ever since she mentioned seeing that black SUV around, I always look for it when I’m out. Luxury vehicles don’t really exist in Lawton Ridge.

It only takes five minutes to drive to the hardware store. When we walk in, I notice how universal these small-town shops are. There’s the typical tools and necessities, but also stacks of wood, lawn care equipment, work boots, a paint section, grills and fireplaces, and a random aisle of kitchen utensils. Honestly, it’s kinda cool. Come for a gallon of paint, but leave with a new frying pan and a pair of shoes.

“Everleigh. How are ya?” a man finally comes from the back and greets us.

“Hey, Tim! I’m great. This is my roommate, Archer. Not sure if you’ve met him yet.”

She introduces us, and he gives me a curious little look, but I ignore it.

Everleigh explains what happened and what she needs. He points out the lumber, wood glue, and clamps. As he’s cutting the wood to our exact measurements, the front door chimes. Over the sounds of the saw, Tim shouts that he’ll be right there. I glance over my shoulder and see a silhouette, but I don’t get a good look before they disappear down another aisle.

Tim leads us around, and it feels like someone’s watching us. Perhaps I’m paranoid, but my gut is hardly wrong.

While Tim rings up Everleigh’s items, I stay guarded in place while looking around the store. I hear footsteps but don’t see who they belong to.

“I’m leaving here in thirty minutes if you want me to come over and help.”