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for relationship failures with their strict rules and regulations. Knowing how the Sentry loved their protocols, Jacquelyn didn’t expect anything to change any time soon.
    “How can anyone stomach a pumpkin latté?” she asked as she finished up the seasonal-flavor order sheet.
    “Don’t know and don’t fucking care,” Bree replied. “We just get paid to make ‘em.”
    When the clock finally made it to three, Jacquelyn sighed in relief.
    “I’m outta here,” she announced to the room at large. “See ya tomorrow, Bree.”
    “Hey!” Jacquelyn stopped and turned to face Bree. “Can you try to wake up on time and come in a little fuckin’ earlier tomorrow?”
    How did Bree even still have a job with that filthy mouth? She shrugged, giving a wan smile in response and crept out the back door. With her mountain bike in tow, she crossed the alley and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The epicenter of downtown McCall happened to be nothing more than a single street lined with businesses, but it had a quaint small town charm. Weeping crab apple and birch trees were planted every few feet, jutting up out of holes cut in the concrete. In a week or so, the leaves would start to turn, but for now they remained green and supple. During the winter months, they’d be adorned with twinkling white lights wound all the way down the trunk, transforming downtown into a glistening frost-like wonderland.
    She’d been transferred to McCall after a three year stint in Portland, Oregon. Jacquelyn liked the small town charm, the familiar faces, and the quiet pace. It was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of the bigger city. But now that she and Finn weren’t exactly working well together, she wondered if the life she’d carved out for herself here would come to an end. The Sentry wasn’t forgiving of hunters who couldn’t effectively do their jobs. The inquiry into Ryan’s death and her subsequent probation had been proof enough of that. They’d transferred her before she even had an opportunity to pack what meager belongings she possessed. Jacquelyn just had to hope that she could pick up the shattered pieces of her love life before anyone got wind of it.

Chapter 5
    “JACK-LYN! JACK-LYN!” A voice called out from behind her.
    The rhythmic way he pronounced her name was like a drum beat tapping against her skull. Jacquelyn couldn’t help the groan that made its way up her throat. She was tired, beat up, and ready for a nap. After eight hours of forced conversation and pleasant customer service smiles, all she wanted was to zone out and be anti-social. She stopped and waited for him to catch up. If she didn’t, he’d chase her all the way down the street and she didn’t feel like making a scene.
    “Hey Pete,” she said in greeting. “What’s up?”
    “Nothing much,” he said through panting breaths. “I tried to catch you at work, but you’d already left.”
    “Oh,” she remarked, not sure what else to say. Overeager had nothing on Pete Koskella. Possessing all the intensity of a teenage boy, you’d never guess he was well into his late-twenties. But he was sweet, harmless really. And since Jacquelyn was one of only a few people in town who treated the awkward loner with kindness, he’d sort of appointed himself as her honorary helpful hand. He was always offering her a ride home, help with getting firewood, he’d even brought a Christmas tree to her house one year when she’d mentioned she wasn’t going to get one. She felt bad for him, really. Pete got teased a lot. People could be such assholes.
    Jacquelyn tried not to seem overly observant as he chatted her up about nothing in particular. As always, his clothes were a little on the worn and dirty side. Just like him. Not filthy or anything, but maybe like he’d missed a couple of showers. His dull gray eyes did little for his equally dull brown hair and sallow skin. And though he wasn’t soft, his body lacked the filled-out appearance of men his