Page 3 of No Bed Of Roses

Even the thought had him feeling guilty. For generations, his family had lived and worked in Kansas. Why was he turning his back on generations of tradition when that tradition had kept his family fed and employed for decades?

Now he was the last one. The last of his family’s line. A traitor thinking about ignoring their history and traditions and moving to another state.

Still, he kept driving.

Every sign he passed had him closer to Phail. To failure?

When had he become such a depressing man? His lips curled up as he realized Epic would have a smart-ass response to that.

He followed the GPS instructions and drove into the town. And had driven right through it less than a minute later. Grinning, he turned the corner onto a side street so he could turn around. Not that there was a lot of traffic he’d be holding up if he executed a three-point turn.

Before turning to head back to town, he pulled over to the side of the road and drew his first easy breath in a long time.

Barns and farmhouses spread out on the fields as far as he could see. Weathered, comfortable buildings built to last.

Maybe Vermont wasn’t Oz, after all.

Which had him grimacing. Being a farmer from Kansas meant his team used Oz from the Wizard of Oz movie as his call sign. It drove him nuts, and he didn’t need to start making his own Oz references.

Epic, Falcon, Slick, Scooby, Arrow, and Oz. It made him roll his eyes every single time. This time, he was grinning because no one was there to see it.

Another minute later, he pulled his old truck into a parking lot near his buddy’s store. Phail General. Because, of course, Epic used his family name to identify his business.

Levi found he was still grinning as he spotted the No Fail Diner, Phail Phoods, Doc’s, and The Saloon. Nothing uptight about this place.

A bell sounded above the door when he walked into Phail General. The door had barely closed behind him when a loud whoop sounded from behind the shelving units crowding the space. “Oz! You made it.”

His buddy engulfed him in a hug, and then Arrow joined them. Marcus Ramirez had been their military team leader, and he was now the deputy here in Phail. His call sign was accurate. Arrow had led them straight into danger and straight out the other side more times than he could count. Levi had never met a steadier man.

Troy slapped him on the shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell us you were heading up? Man, I’m so glad you’re here.”

The welcome had some part of Levi settling. While the farm in Kansas had been home, being with his team had always been a close second.

Arrow grinned at him. “We’ve got a big old farmhouse just north of town where you can stay. Sean and his Branna are the only ones living there. They’re renovating, but there’s at least one free bedroom that’s fixed up and ready for you.”

Troy nodded. “Let’s go see Falcon at The Saloon. He’s probably working on something there or at the farmhouse.”

On the way out of the store, Troy flipped the sign to closed. “Perks of being the boss.” But Levi noticed the closed sign also told any customers in need how to get a hold of Epic if they needed something.

A small town where people had your back. Maybe coming to Phail wasn’t the worst decision he could have made. And that sentence sounded ridiculous in his own head. “You ever think of changing the town’s name to something less terrible?”

Marcus laughed, and Troy rolled his eyes. “Not a chance. It’s a name with character. Just like yours, Oz.”

At least he hadn’t committed to moving just yet.

CHAPTER 2

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Levi couldn’t contain the smile as he walked into The Saloon. It had a big main room like you saw in old Westerns. A huge bar ran along the back of the space with doorways leading to the back on both sides. A staircase along the righthand wall led to the second floor. A balcony ran the width of the building, with rooms leading to the back. “This place could be a movie set.”

Falcon rose with a grin from where he’d been working on a door and strode across the room. “That’s what I like to hear. Good to see you, Oz. Damn glad you made it up here.”

He could correct his friend and insist he call him Levi, but he didn’t bother. It wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference to any of them. They’d used call signs for too many years to protect their identities, and the habit was hard to break.

Plus, the more they knew it irritated him, the more they used it.

A gorgeous auburn-haired woman emerged from one of the doors leading to the space behind the bar with a soft smile. As if attuned to her presence, Falcon turned and held out his hand. “Branna.”

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