Page 26 of Meant To Be

“I’m great at following instructions,” I offered.

I was glad Alice and I had stayed in touch ever since she moved back to Willow Brook. It made it easy to slip back into our friendship. I already felt comfortable with Tiffany and Farrah. It was a breath of fresh air to realize I would be working in a vet clinic staffed entirely by women.

Someone came in with their cat for a scheduled appointment with Alice. Just after that, a family showed up with a limping dog. Tiffany glanced my way, arching a brow in question. “On it.”

It felt good to instantly swing into action. Farrah was quick and efficient as a vet tech. It was nothing more than an achy joint for an elderly dog. Beyond the best part of giving the dog lots of love, I made a few suggestions for medication to ease the pain for now and some supplements to help with arthritis.

After the family left, Farrah grinned at me. “You’re a perfect fit.”

I shadowed Alice for the rest of the afternoon, mostly to get comfortable with the flow of the computer system and get up to speed on where they kept supplies and things along those lines.

We were tidying up at the end of the day when Tiffany smiled at me before glancing between Alice and Farrah. “I think we should go to Wildlands. We can get some burgers, and Piper can see the town.”

“What do you think?” Farrah asked.

“I think I’ll do whatever y’all want. I’m new to town, I need food, and my apartment is pretty empty,” I offered.

Alice had connected me with Farrah to take over an apartment in her building. Farrah was directly across the hallway with her boyfriend.

“You can ask me if you need anything.” Farrah waggled her brows.

“From you and Cooper?” I prompted.

In my afternoon here, I was already filled in on everyone’s love life. They were all paired up—coincidentally or not—with firefighters.

I had yet to share any info about Dylan. It felt too fresh. Even though we had shared our feelings with each other, that one night in Stolen Hearts Valley hadn’t been enough for me to feel confident in us. Doubts were the way I rolled when it came to relationships.

I had told them that my brother’s friend, also a firefighter, was moving out here next week. That seemed safe enough.

Tiffany chimed in, “By the way, I asked Wes about Dylan. Wes said he’s joining their crew. One of the other guys moved away.”

“How many people are on those crews anyway?” I asked, purely out of curiosity.

“Twenty-five,” Alice replied. “But Willow Brook houses three crews, so there are firefighters everywhere. I think Wildlands is the perfect plan tonight. The guys are meeting there anyway.”

Farrah caught my eye. “I’ll give you a ride. We can swing by the grocery store afterward so you can get a few things for your apartment. I’ll give you rides wherever you need to go until you get a car.”

“Is that the plan? To get a car?” Tiffany asked as she slid her arms into a fluffy down jacket.

“That’s the plan. But you don’t have to give me rides everywhere.” I glanced at Farrah. “I can walk. That’s one of the convenient things about the apartment. It’s right downtown.”

“I know,” Farrah said as we began walking out together. “But it’s winter, and it’s cold.”

Chapter Twenty

PIPER

Wildlands Restaurant & Bar was decorated with holiday lights, reflecting in a blurry shimmer on the icy lake behind the lodge.

We walked in together, and I glanced around. Aside from this being a hotel, there was a large restaurant and bar. The restaurant area had hardwood flooring and exposed wooden beams. The ceiling was high, creating a sense of space.

Alice walked beside me, and I followed them to a table where some people were already seated. After a round of introductions, I sat down, and Jonah, who I’d already met since he was married to Alice, smiled at me.

“I hear a friend of yours is joining our crew?” he prompted.

“I believe so. I guess—” I paused just as someone tapped my shoulder. I glanced up to see Rowan Cole. “Rowan!” I stood and gave him a quick hug.

“Hey there, Piper. I can now officially text your brother and tell him I’ve seen you, and you’re here safe and sound,” Rowan teased.

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