After We Fall (Take the Fall, #3)(9)

“There you are.” Scooping up her cat, she scolds her gently before turning her attention to me. “She used the force to escape and I’ve been looking for her for the past ten minutes.”

“Pretty sure she was leading the rebel army away from stormtroopers. So, go easy on her.”

The brunette regards me for a minute as if she’s not sure if I’m making fun of her. “Possibly she thinks I’m Vader since I tricked her into taking a bath this morning.”

I nod solemnly. “You’re a dead ringer for him, for sure.”

Pushing her eyeglasses back up her nose, a beautiful smile appears on her face. “I’m Saylor Dean. Sorry, I haven’t been very neighborly by forgetting to welcome you to Rose Haven.” She bites her lip. “Welcome!”

“Thanks,” I say with a grin. “I’m Evangeline Ambrose. I live in apartment C.”

“Oh, then you’re neighbors with Hunter. He’s so nice,” she says conversationally.

“Really?”

“Yup. He rescued Padme from the oak tree in the back.”

Of course he did. “That was nice of him. I really haven’t had a chance to get to know him—I’m new to the area and I’m still trying to figure everything out.” And I don’t plan on getting to know him.

She blinks at me, her pretty brown eyes taking everything in, it seems. “I don’t get out much, either.”

“Maybe…maybe you and I can get together,” I blurt, terrified she will say yes. And equally as terrified she will say no. Gah. I’m awful at this.

“That would be awesome,” she nearly shouts, then blushes as she winces. Tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear, she continues. “Sorry. I work with animals five days a week at Forrestville Animal Shelter and don’t interact with people much. But now I have to work six days a week because we’re short an employee, which means I’m there all the time, and Empress gets mad at me for the lack of attention she’s receiving and runs away to spite me.” Her lips smash together for a second. “So…yeah, I’m sure you didn’t need to know all that.”

Although I technically don’t need a job, I so need a job. I need to be productive. I need to focus on something other than myself and my past. “Is the shelter hiring?”

Saylor nods. “Yes. The application is online. You can put my name down for a reference, since you saved me from being late for work.”

“You’re welcome, but I really didn’t do anything but pet and talk to her,” I confess. I don’t want to get a reference I didn’t earn.

“Which is why she stayed instead of bolting and making me spend another ten minutes, or longer, looking for her,” Saylor points out.

“I guess you have me there.” I rock back on my heels.

Saylor nuzzles Empress Padme’s soft head. “If you have time, you can fill out the application online and then come by the shelter for an interview today.”

“Really?” It’s almost too good to be true, but sometimes good things actually happen when you need them to the most.

“Truly, Padawan,” she replies in a serious voice, then blushes. “Ah…I did it again. Sorry. I—”

Clasping my hands together as if in prayer, I bow slightly and say in my best Yoda voice, “Be there before four, I will.”

She stares at me for so long that I finally shrug and say, “I have four older brothers. All of them fans. My sister, too…even my parents. Growing up, we had lots of movie-night marathons. It was, like, a rule that you had to be there.” Warmth suffuses me as those memories bubble up. For once, my past is nice, comforting. The laughter of my siblings fills me with bittersweet emotions. I miss them so much.

A strange look covers her face, one that I can’t quite read. “That sounds very nice” is all she says before abruptly walking away.

“See you this afternoon,” I call out.

Over one shoulder, Saylor waves at me, but she doesn’t reply. Maybe she regrets telling me about the opening. Maybe she was just being nice. Maybe none of that matters because I’m tired of doing nothing now that I can do something.

Pivoting, I make my way to my apartment. In no time at all, I have my laptop open and Google is pulling up the Web page for Forrestville Animal Shelter. To my thankful surprise, it’s a no-kill shelter that’s growing faster than they have room or money. But apparently, they’ve been allocated enough money to hire a tech. Pretty sure “tech” is code for “new girl to clean up poop and take out the trash.”

Of course, I click on the link to apply for the job. I’m a farmer’s daughter, after all, and I can muck up crap with the best of them. Although it has been years since I’ve gotten my hands dirty. Years since I’ve held baby chicks and lambs.

Everything was years ago. Everything better about my life took place years ago.

My throat tightens and tears prick at my eyes, but I refuse to cry. I’ve cried enough because of that bastard Penn, and he won’t get another tear out of me.

—

“You came,” Saylor says as soon as I walk inside the front office. Her voice is filled with disbelief, but the look on her face is something very close to happy.

“Said I would.” I sit down in the chair directly in front of the desk, taking in the room. It smells of animals, mostly dogs…but it’s not off-putting—more like a barn after a good rainstorm.