Page 43 of Shifting Gears

“I also think you owe us an apology. What do you think, Dani?”

Dani, watching the proceedings with her mouth agape and a delighted expression, nods. “I’d love that, actually.”

Eleanor puts on her best boardroom smile. Every man she knows besides Ash hates it with a burning passion, hence her struggles with the board at CromTech, but never before has she met one who was so willing to indulge that anger.

“You heard her,” Eleanor says.

Shaun grunts, but as if he can sense that Eleanor is about to squeeze again, he manages to rasp out a few words. “Let me go.”

“I’d like an apology first.”

“Cooper, make her let me go?”

Dani ignores his plea. Shaun appeals to his friends instead, though they don’t seem interested in stepping in.

“Matt?” Shaun whines. “Jenny, come on. Punch her in the tits or something!”

Jenny snorts, folding her arms and leaning against the boards. “This is your fuck-up, man. Take your knocks.”

Even though Eleanor is hardly holding on at this point, the threat of her hand’s position is enough. It takes only a few more seconds for Shaun to crumble.

“Fine. I’m sorry, okay?” he mutters, his bravado utterly deflated.

“Good enough,” Eleanor says. She releases him abruptly, and Shaun falls into a heap at her feet. When she taps his shoulder with the toe of her shoe, he groans again, sounding like an injured puppy.

“Oh, you’re fine,” Eleanor says, rolling her eyes. “Sit on an ice pack and you’ll be good as new. Dani?”

Dani nods rapidly, offering Eleanor her arm. Together they step over Shaun’s body, heading toward the parking lot with the rest of the team.

By the time they get there, Sarah is laughing so hard that she’s bent double, wheezing and leaning on a giggly Mila. Owen is giving them a reverent slow clap. Ryan cups a nervous hand over his own genitals.

“I’ve been trying to get him to leave me alone since we were in high school,” Sarah says, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. “I had no idea all it took was plucking his grapes.”

Eleanor shrugs. “When you can’t threaten them with legal repercussions, sometimes you need to get physical.”

“Damn, Nora,” Dani says. She’s grinning from ear to ear as she pulls her into a side hug. “Next time Matty wants to tussle, I should just let you at him!”

The group dissolves into laughter again. Dani keeps one sweaty arm around her shoulders, and, as a unit, everyone grabs their gear to head to the bar for after-game drinks.

In that moment, she doesn’t feel like Eleanor Cromwell. She feels likeNora. For the first time in as long as she can remember, she doesn’t feel out of place.

Chapter 11

Life in Riverwalk eases intoa natural rhythm as June turns into July.

Nora spends less time in her home office and more time in town, not just visiting Dani for lunch but spending time with the others as well. She’d even say, tentatively, that she’s made more new friends.

More than ever, Nora tries to put her still-unfinished project and imminent move back to the city out of her mind in favour of just enjoying herself. She still has time. Kayla and Ash wanted her to rest and relax, after all.

Though when they next call her to give her the weeks’ worth of updates, their position seems to be reversing.

“When can we expect you back from your little holiday?” Ash asks once the pertinent information is done with. “What’s it been now, two months?”

“Nearly,” Nora says. She has them on speakerphone while she makes a cup of tea, and Ash’s voice is echoing around her kitchen.

“A big achievement for someone I’ve never seen take even a single sick day,” Kayla says. “Were we right?”

“Yes,” Nora concedes. Even their friendly gloating isn’t enough to bring her mood down—she’s meeting Dani for lunch later. “I needed this. And I’m going to stay a bit longer.”

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