Every small town has establishments that the townspeople frequent. The fictional small town of Boundary is no exception.
Each of these notable establishments are featured throughout the three part Boundary series. They’re where friends work, gather, and gossip. There are wanted and unwanted run-ins, tears shed, and a lot of laughter.
Tank’s Tavern
Boundary’s watering hole is where there are both good times and bad times. One character doesn’t hold her alcohol quite as well as the others only to find herself in precarious situations more than once. Past demons are confronted and new memories are made over at Tank’s Tavern.
A snippet from Hometown Heartstrings:
Sipping on my drink, I turned on my barstool and took a look around. A group of men surrounded one of the pool tables in the middle of a cutthroat game. Most of the bar seating was filled, but a few tables remained open. My eyes zeroed in on one table in particular. A strawberry blonde woman around my age sat scrolling through her phone. She looked so familiar…
At that moment, she looked up and caught my eye. I looked away quickly, but not quickly enough.
“MacKenzie Wallace! Holy smokes, how long has it been!” I heard the scrape of a chair and within seconds she slid into the vacant barstool next to me.
Cora’s Cafe
This small town cafe keeps the citizens of Boundary well caffeinated and is well-known for its scrumptious scones. With a mention or three in each of the books, the sweet owner also gets caught in a secret of her own later in the series.
A snippet from 3 Reasons to Stay:
“Fundraiser?” I heard a deep, familiar voice behind me.
I cursed under my breath, regretting that I didn’t put more effort into my appearance today. Rushing to get the kids ready and out the door, I had dressed in a loose fitting Boundary Fire Department t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Definitely unsexy. At least I had taken the time to apply a bit of concealer to my tired eyes.
“Hi Danny,” I said, turning to face him. Danny of course looked gorgeous in his dark jeans, t-shirt, and leather jacket. His sunglasses were folded at the neck of his shirt. “Every year the fire department hosts a fundraiser to give back to the community. This year we’re putting on a talent show.”
“What Tara here is leaving out is that she is responsible for coordinating the fundraiser each year. This will be the third one she’s planned,” Cora said, looking pleased with herself. I shook my head at her and her smile only widened.
“Where do I sign up?” Danny asked.
“It probably wouldn’t interest you. It’s a lot of setup and planning with little action. You’d probably be bored,” I said.
“What makes you say that?”
“I’m sure you have more interesting things to do with your photography.” I turned back to Cora. “Could I get a medium latte and one of your amazing scones? I am in desperate need of some liquid energy.”
“You got it,” she said. Prying her eyes away from Danny and me, she turned to busy herself with the coffee machine.
Boundary Fire Department
Three main characters from the Boundary Series work at Boundary’s fire department. It has several mentions in 3 Reasons to Stay and is predominantly featured in A Grudge to Love.
A Snippet from A Grudge to Love:
The last weekend of September came with the fire department’s annual fall BBQ potluck. The entire team gathered at the station with their families or plus ones. We barbecued burgers, hot dogs, and several people brought a side dish.
My partner in crime, Tara, couldn’t make it because both of her kids plus her boyfriend Danny were all sick. I had made small talk with a few of the firefighters and EMS before settling in on a stool just inside the garage doors, away from the crowd. I saw Colt chatting with Blaine and Blaine’s wife. Blaine’s two kids zipped around, zig zagging through the crowd. I took a sip of my beer just as Colt looked over at me. Our eyes locked. He said something to Blaine who glanced over in my direction. Colt began to make his way over to me. My heart was pitter pattering loudly in my chest when he stopped next to me.
“What are you doing over here by yourself?”
“Just taking it all in.” I gestured toward the crowd. “It’s great people watching.”
“Enlighten me.”
I nodded in the direction of Chief Bandon who was manning the grill. “After he’s had a few beers he gets overly enthusiastic with the grill.” Right on cue, Chief Bandon flipped a burger high in the air with terrible form. The burger slapped down to the pavement. Someone’s dog came over and gobbled it up. The chief looked around quickly to make sure no one was watching. Colt and I quickly looked away.
“Look over there,” I continued, gesturing toward Clay who had gotten himself cornered by Cassie Ann. “He’ll end up going home with her, just like last year and two years before that.” Colt snorted into his drink.
Spill the Tea
Spill the Tea is a one stop shop for gossip. They serve up tea, both literally and figuratively, along with something a little stronger to keep lips loose. The women of Boundary often gather here to stay up to date on the latest news and even stage an intervention or two when it comes to a broken heart.
A snippet from A Grudge to Love:
“I can’t believe you’re dragging me here,” I grumbled.
“You used to love coming here,” Tara said.
“That was before -.”
“Before you were the subject of their gossip?” MacKenzie interrupted.
“Well, yes.”
We were standing outside of Spill the Tea, Boundary’s one stop gossip shop. Many of the ladies spent weekend afternoons here catching up on the local “news.” Over this past week I had been the breaking news story.
I had iced Colt out all week, but that didn’t stop him from trying. He brought me coffee one day and I came into the office to find flowers on my desk later in the week. He sent me a daily text throughout the week that, despite my best efforts, I couldn’t help stop myself from reading.
Sunday - Colt: I’m sorry that I keep messing things up with us. I’m going to give you space, but please don’t let me wait in misery too long.
Monday - Colt: Good morning, gorgeous. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Tuesday - Colt: Heading to the station for my shift. I’m bringing you coffee.
Wednesday - Colt: Good night, baby. I’m thinking about you.
Thursday - Colt: I’ve been missing you on morning runs. I hope you liked the flowers.
Friday - Colt: It’s taken all of my resistance to not show up at your house. I miss you. I even miss Chance.
I was still waiting for today’s text that Saturday afternoon as the three of us were about to head into the gauntlet, also known as Spill the Tea.
Sal’s Steakhouse
Boundary has limited options when it comes to date nights. Sal’s Steakhouse is a popular spot for dates. Two take place throughout the series, one with a happy ending and another that almost becomes a disaster.
A snippet from Hometown Heartstrings:
He was quiet as he pulled into the small parking lot next to Sal’s. Sal’s Steakhouse was in a small standalone brick building. The neon side above the entrance flickered slightly. Through the front windows, I saw other patrons enjoying their meal or sipping on drinks. We walked inside and were seated in a corner.
“You look beautiful tonight,” Cade blurted out.
“Thank you. Would it be silly if I told you I felt nervous about tonight?”
“No, and I’d be lying if I told you I wasn't nervous,” he confessed.
“Well, look at that. Two adults well into their 30s, still getting nervous on a date. You’d think we’d have it down by now.” I took a sip of my wine.
“I’m not much of a dater.”
“Really? I had you pegged as a bit of a serial dater,” I joked.
“Oh yeah, that’s me. A regular ol’ Don Juan,” he said dryly.
I laughed as the waiter placed our food in front of us. “So, tell me. When was the last time you went on a date?”
“About 6 years or so,” he said with a straight face.
- Hometown Heartstrings
- 3 Reasons to Stay
- A Grudge to Love
Thank you for stopping by!