Page 45 of When We Are Falling

Ruby wraps the bracelet in delicate tissue paper, places it in a box, and starts gift wrapping it, glancing up at me. “You know, I’m glad you’ve met someone special. You deserve it, and love just makes everything so much brighter.” She hands me the neatly wrapped package and I grin like a fool.

“Thanks. Have a great day.” With the bracelet in hand, I head back to the truck.

Later that day, after dropping Bandit at home, and as the sun starts to dip toward the horizon, I pull up to the Tidal Tavern for a Valiant Hearts meeting. There are plenty of parking spots on Main Street, probably the only perk of all the tourists being gone. Stepping inside, the Tavern is quiet, the usual hum of activity replaced by a subdued calm. It’s become the new normal, but the sight is still a little jarring.

Blake is behind the bar, her movements fluid as she serves the two guys perched on bar stools. There’s only one runner helping her tonight, darting between tables, and her uncle sits at a table near the kitchen, looking bored with not much to do.

I head straight for the bar, and Blake looks up as I approach, a smile tugging at her lips. “You’re here again? I’m going to start charging you rent.”

Leaning against the bar. “You’d make a fortune off me. I practically live here.” And it’s true. I’ve been at the Tavern every night, keeping an eye out for David, but I keep that part to myself.

Her gaze lingers on me, eyes deep and green like the middle of the harbor around mid-morning, when the angle of the sun turns the water into liquid emeralds, her lips moist from the sweep of her tongue. The air crackles between us, undeniable and electric. I pull out the small gift-wrapped box from my jacket pocket and slide it across the bar to her.

“What’s this?” She raises an eyebrow as she picks it up.

“Just a little something I thought you’d like.”

She opens the gift, revealing the delicate silver bracelet. “It’s beautiful,” she says, holding it up to the light to admire the sea glass. “Thank you.”

I nod, but inside, there’s a pang of disappointment. She likes it, but I want to do something that would really knock her socks off. Something that would show her how much I care about her, how much she means to me. “You’re welcome, princess. Anything for you.”

“You’re sweet. Really. I love it.”

Forcing a smile. I don’t want to be sweet. I want to blow her mind, show her I’m the kind of guy she wants to be in a relationship with. The only guy. “Are the others already here?”

“Yep. Just upstairs.” She pauses and stares at me, appraising. “I don’t get it. You’re so organized in every aspect of your life, but you come late to every Valiant Hearts meeting. It’s almost like you’re trying to get under Patrick’s skin.”

“I plead the fifth.”

We exchange grins and I take my beer and head up to the terrace, the evening air a little cooler now. The terrace offers a sweeping view over the marina, and the boys—Patrick, Liam, Jake, Antonio, and Mike—are in the corner already seated around a table, their beers in hand, Patrick with a planner and pen in front of him.

“Hey, guys,” I say, pulling up a chair and joining them.

A chorus of voices in reply, glasses raised.

“Hey,” Patrick’s blue eyes are fixed on me. “We just got started. The mayor wants a status update on the volunteer efforts by tonight. Liam’s already updated us, and Jake was just filling us in.”

“Yeah,” Jake says. “It’s been rough, but we’re making progress. My team is on the skimmers this week, and they’re working better than we expected. I reckon another few weeks,maybe a month, and the worst of the spill on the water should be sorted.”

Antonio nods. He’s still wearing his paramedic uniform. “My group is on beach cleanup, and the groups before us already cleared a good portion of the beaches around the lighthouse in the last few weeks. I’d say we’re about fifty percent of the way there.”

Patrick makes some notes in the planner. “That’s good news. Mike?”

“We’ve got all the barriers set up around the wetlands north of Harbor’s Edge,” Mike says. “We’ve put booms all around it so the oil on the water won’t get in there. So at least that’s one thing taken care of.” He takes a sip of his beer and Patrick jots more notes. Mike’s a big guy who works at his Uncle Jimmy’s garage. With his lumberjack beard and broad frame, he’s intimidating to anyone who doesn’t know him.

“Just make sure someone’s checking on that,” I say, looking at Patrick until he makes a note. “We don’t want the booms shifting and oil getting into the wetlands while we’re busy with other things.

“Got it” Patrick looks up at me. “What about your team?”

“We’ve been working at the wildlife rehabilitation center this week. The wildlife rescue is going well, but the center is filling up. We could do with some more cleaning supplies and cages for the groups on the beach.”

“Thanks.” Patrick leans forward, his expression serious. “Keep up the good work, everyone. This is a tough situation, but we’re making a difference. Danny would be proud.”

We chat for a while, sharing stories and updates about the cleanup efforts. We’ve all known each other since we were kids, and it’s always good to see the boys. One by one, they finish their beers and head out, leaving just Patrick and me on the terrace.

I can tell by the way he’s lingering that Patrick wants to talk. We’ve had an uneasy friendship since Danny died and Liam started working with me, but things have been better lately. After meeting Emmy, he’s chilled out a bit, although he’s always going to be a little uptight. It’s just the way he’s built. He takes a long sip of his beer, eyes fixed on the horizon. It’s almost fully dark now.

“I heard from Emmy that you and Blake are dating.”

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