Page 49 of Steeped In Problems

Erica tapped her perfectly manicured fingernails on the counter. “You’re going to need to convince Tanner to take the offer. You can’t let him quit out of pride.”

A flush crept up Kristy’s neck. “I’ll talk to him. I just...I don’t know what to say.”

“Tell him that it’s worth it. That Clear Mountain needs the Brave Badge. And maybe, finally, tell him how you feel.”

Kristy almost dropped her mug. “It’s not like that.”

Erica laughed, but it was warm. “Sure it isn’t. But in case it is, don’t wait until the last minute.”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kristy insisted.

Erica smirked. “You two are disgustingly cute. Have you noticed?”

Kristy blushed hard. “There’s nothing to notice.”

“Oh, please.” Erica rolled her eyes. “Even the twins know. And they think kissing is gross.”

Kristy made a face. “It’s not… I mean, we’re not…”

“Save it for the after party,” Erica teased, but her grin was kind. She reached over and pulled out a checkbook, wrote a check for twice what the coffee shop needed, and handed it over. “But seriously, you need to go and deliver this to Tanner without another moment’s delay.”

Kristy stood, legs shaky but heart lighter. She hugged her friend tight. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“I know,” Erica said, hugging back just as hard. “Now get out there and save your hero.”

Kristy laughed, waved goodbye, and drove toward the Brave Badge with her heart lighter than it had been in weeks. She had a plan. She had a partner. And if she was lucky, she’d have a second chance.

Kristy stood outside the Brave Badge for a solid minute rehearsing what she was going to say. She could see Tanner at the bar, hunched over a tangle of papers, head down and still. If he noticed her standing there, he didn’t give any sign.

She pushed the door open, but Tanner didn’t look up. He was wearing an old Clear Mountain Search & Rescue hoodie, and the way his shoulders slumped made Kristy’s throat hurt.

She crossed the floor, every step loud in the empty shop. “Hey,” she said, voice small.

He grunted, just barely. She slid onto the stool next to him and waited. He kept writing, like maybe if he just ignored her, she’d vanish and take the problems with her.

Kristy looked at his hands, at the mess of numbers and red ink. “You ever going to talk to me again, or is this the silent treatment phase?”

He didn’t answer, just scribbled another line, then finally dropped the pen. It rolled away, slow and sad, and stopped against her wrist.

She nudged it back to him, then took the check out of her pocket and slid it toward him. “I brought you something.”

He didn’t look at it, just mumbled, “If it’s a bill, I can’t pay it.”

“It’s not a bill.” She tapped it, hands shaking. “It’s a solution. The real kind. Not a bake sale or a car wash. Something that actually will work.”

Tanner glanced at the check finally, quick and sharp, like he wanted to argue but didn’t have the energy. She took a deep breath. His eyes widened as he realized what was in front of him.

“Erica is going to partner with us.” The rest of the details came spilling out before he could interrupt her.

“I don’t want charity,” Tanner snapped. “It was bad enough running fundraisers, but taking money for nothing isn’t something I’m willing to do.”

“Erica doesn’t see it that way. She views it as making an investment to cover what we owe on rent and payroll, plus additional revenue to help propel us forward. Not a loan. An investment.” Kristy’s heart hammered, but she kept going. “It’s not charity. It’s a real shot. All we have to do is hold on.”

Tanner’s mouth tightened. He stared at the check, lips pressed so thin they nearly vanished. “An investment?”

Kristy nodded. “It’s not complicated. Sometimes, people just...want to help. Erica believes in the Brave Badge, and she believes in you, Tanner.” Kristy kept going, words tumbling out faster, like maybe she could break through his wall of stubbornness by sheer velocity. “You told me once that being a cop was the only thing you were ever good at and that when youlost it, you lost yourself. But you built this. You built something that matters. Even if you don’t see it, I do. Erica does. The whole town does.”

He was silent for so long Kristy thought maybe she’d broken him for good. Finally, he exhaled, slow and rough. “Doesn’t feel like enough.”

---