Because there was nothing I wanted more.
I looked down at Celine, her red hair pulled back in a ponytail, her eyes gleaming. And I thought about dropping to one knee right then and there.
It was a frequent urge that I was getting better at controlling.
“How was school today?” I asked instead.
“Nutty. Doing a unit on volcanoes, and the kids got a little too excited about mixing baking soda and vinegar.”
I pulled her close and gave her ass a squeeze. “So that explains the smell.”
She hip checked me and rolled her eyes. “I showered, though I think the sweater I was wearing needs to be incinerated.”
“Are you gonna take me to practice this weekend?” Ellie asked, appearing in the doorway. She had recently started playing hockey again. The Maplewood peewee team was small and coed, but she was loving it. And I may have been forced into volunteering as an assistant coach.
“Course,” I replied. “You gonna work on your grip for that slap shot?”
She looked up and rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
“Find your fleece,” Celine said, giving her a look. “And make sure Julian’s got thick socks on.”
“Missed you today,” Celine said once Ellie had slunk off. I held my arm out, and she nestled up under it. “I’m worried.”
“Don’t be. It’s just a quick town meeting and then the bonfire. It will be fun.”
“People are so upset about that article.”
I sighed. The article. We thought WanderBetch was bad for the town, but she had nothing on theBoston Globe, who sent up a team of reporters and published a multi-part article titled “The Fall of America’s Most Charming Small Town.” It made national news and set off a chain reaction. The internet was flooded with social media posts shaming Maplewood, and people, many who had never even been here, hadbeen giving quotes left and right. Blaming all kinds of stuff on our “unsafe” town.
Nolan was under fire, led by all the conspiracy theories flying around social media and people were questioning why Gabe had hired him as police chief.
It was a mess. But we needed to put it behind us.
“Gabe has great instincts and he cares about the town. This meeting is a way to help people get things off their chests. The more transparent everything is, the better.”
“I guess. The rumors have been getting out of control.”
I rubbed her shoulders. “It’s going to be a fun night.” The Christmas tree bonfire had been a blast since I was a kid. “Once the meeting is over, everyone will come together. Nate is bringing kegs of the seasonal ale, and trust me, it will all blow over.”
“Okay. I trust you. But I don’t trust these kids to wear enough layers.”
It was a long-time town tradition.The second Saturday in January, the entire town brought their Christmas trees to town hall, and the firefighters had the time of their lives building them into a bonfire and then lighting it up.
People brought camping chairs, food, and drinks, turning it into an outdoor tailgate in the freezing cold. After surviving endless festivals, leaf peeper season and the holidays, it was nice to be involved with a more laid-back event that was just for the town and its citizens.
But first, we had a town meeting to getthrough.
While Celine headed inside with the kids, I headed toward Gabe, who was standing at the edge of the parking lot. He was wearing a thick wool coat instead of layers of down like the rest of us, and a dark green scarf. He looked thinner, paler and more jittery than usual.
“You look like you lost a bar fight.”
He was rocking several days of stubble and his hair was sticking up in all directions, like he’d been tugging on it.
As I got closer and noted the dark shadows under his eyes, my stomach sank. Shit. He was in worse shape than I’d realized.
“Really bad night,” he replied.
“You okay?”