Page 28 of The Beat of her Heart

“Sure thing,” Giselle said. “I’ll carpool with Addie.”

Josephine smiled. “See you around, ladies.” She walked off.

“Going home?” Addie asked.

Giselle turned, suddenly reminded that she was just a breath away from Addie. It was the closest she’d been to Addie since she’d massaged her ankle.

“I have to go through a couple of files in my office before I’m done with my shift,” Giselle replied.

“Sounds good,” Addie replied. “I’m going to spend some time with the new kid in the West Wing before heading home.”

Giselle almost rolled her eyes, but Addie’s genuine sweetness stopped her. She stood there for a moment, dreading the idea of socializing with the hospital staff outside of work.

“How about I text you my address so you can pick me up?” Addie asked.

“Right.” Giselle nodded.

Giselle waited as Addie reached for her phone and handed it over. She punched in her contact information and handed it back.

“There,” she said.

“Thank you.”

“Okay,” Giselle said, turning around before she said anything else.

Addie didn’t stop her. She got to her office, reviewed the files as quickly as possible, and then grabbed her bag and headed out. Unless there was an emergency, her shift was done for the day.

The streets in Phoenix Ridge were littered with smiling faces.

Giselle preferred the view in front of her, beyond the sprawling road disappearing into the distance. The mountains were clothed with lush green vegetation. She could almost hear the rush of wind through the trees.

Then, she saw a hint of smoke drifting up into the sky. She blinked, but it was gone. Itmust be a trick of the light. Either that or she needed to rehydrate.

A large sign by the side of the road caught her eye: Jeanette’s Café.

A hot latte sounded like a small comfort in a day that had gone off the rails. She stepped inside the café, where the warm smell of coffee hit her immediately. The café wasn’t too crowded. There were just a few people scattered around, quietly sipping their drinks or typing on laptops.

Giselle walked over to the counter and ordered a latte. The barista, a petite woman wearing an oversized apron, smiled broadly, just like everyone else in the town.

Giselle simply took her drink and walked away, picking a seat next to the window.

As she stared outside, a bright red truck gleaming in the afternoon light speeded past. Then another followed. Soon, five trucks were heading in the same direction.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” a soft voice said beside her.

She turned to find the petite woman from behind the counter smiling at her. The nametag on the apron read Jeannette. She must own this place.

Giselle blinked. “What?”

“The fire department,” the barista said, nodding toward the window. “It’s one of the gems of Phoenix Ridge. Always ready, always doing something amazing.”

Giselle gave a clipped nod, not interested in making small talk. “Yeah.”

The barista didn’t seem to notice her lack of enthusiasm. “You’re new to town, right? You should take some time to look around. There’s a lot to love here.”

“Sorry. Not interested,” Giselle said, taking a sip of her latte and hoping the conversation would end there.

The barista smiled, undeterred. “You work at the hospital, right?”

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