Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
I pulled off my sunglasses and asked, “What do you recommend?” just as Beau’s mom came from the back.
“What are you yelling about? Oh, hi, Ash. Look at you! All grown up!” She offered a genuine smile, and I realized it was the same as Kenny’s…the same as Beau’s, on those rare occasions he sent one my way.
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied. “I still prefer acting like a kid, though. It’s a lot more fun.”
Mrs. Campbell laughed, and I could tell it was the real kind, not just something she thought she had to do because she was talking to Ashton Carmichael. “Some things never change, I see. Such a charmer like always.” She came around the counter and gave me a hug. I closed my eyes, savored it because she reminded me of my mom—the one who’d raised me, not the one who’d given me away.
“I try hard,” I told her.
“Oh, don’t you go pretending it doesn’t come natural to you,” she replied, and I thought maybe I’d like to sit in the bakery all day with them. I wasn’t a pro football player in that building. Hell, I wasn’t even a disgraced ex-football-player there. I was just Ash…the guy who’d grown up friends with her son. “Now, did I hear you asking for a recommendation out here? Unless Los Angeles did something to the boy I know, you love my chocolate éclairs.”
My stomach rumbled just at the name. Her chocolate éclairs had always been my favorite, and somehow I’d forgotten that too. “I’ll take two…and a coffee, please. To go.”
Kenny rang up my order as Mrs. Campbell pulled two fluffy éclairs from the case and put them in a bag. She just finished with my coffee after I paid, and I asked, “I’m looking for Beau. I ran into him last night, and he helped me out with something. I’d like to thank him, but I don’t have his phone number…or know where he works or anything.”
“Beau is a hero!” Kenny said, and Mrs. Campbell smiled. I could see that…Beau being a hero.
“Beau’s a firefighter. He’s actually right down the street at the firehouse. He works an early shift today.”
Holy shit. First of all, thinking of Beau as a firefighter made my stomach flip strangely. Second of all…he worked today, yet he’d slept on my uncomfortable beanbag chair all night? Then managed to get my car to my house, which was still a feat I wasn’t sure how he’d pulled off.
“You saw Beau?” Kenny asked. “He used to watch all your games. He wouldn’t even let us talk if your game was on.”
Well…that was an interesting development. My stomach flipped again, but I figured it was just because I was so damn hungry. “Does he still watch all my games?”
“Yep, the same Ash I remember. Don’t you go fishing for compliments,” Mrs. Campbell teased, then turned to Kenny. “Your brother just wanted to support Ash. He was one of Beau’s very best friends.”
This time my stomach dropped, and I felt slightly woozy. Had I been? I wasn’t so sure about that. Yeah, we’d always hung out and had mutual friends, but I’d always known Beau didn’t like me much. Which is also why you gave him so much shit…to make it worse.
I’d always tried to get under Beau’s skin, though I didn’t know the exact reason, other than Beau had needed to lighten up. “He was one of my best friends too.” I cleared my throat. “Thanks. I’ll see if I can find him. I don’t want to interrupt him at work.” But I absolutely was going to walk by the fire station. Where was the harm in that? Free country and all.
“It was good to see you again, Ash,” Beau’s mom said.
“Thanks. You too, Mrs. Campbell.”
I made it halfway to the door when Mrs. Campbell’s voice stopped me. “Beth. You can call me Beth, and I hope I’m not overstepping, but…they would be proud of you, Ash…your mama and daddy…they would be proud of you and all you’ve accomplished, just like I am. You remember that, okay?”
I inhaled a sharp breath, closed my eyes, hoped she was right about my parents. That despite all the ways I’d fucked up, they would be proud. I was honored Beth was proud, even though I wasn’t sure I deserved it. “Thank you, Beth. I appreciate that. And bye, Kenny. It was good to see you too.”
I walked out of Campbell’s Confections with my stomach feeling uneasy. Beth’s words settled into my skin, comforted me, yet at the same time made me feel like I’d screwed up even more. She was proud of me and she thought my parents would be too, but again, the truth was, I’d fucked up. A lot.
Pushing on, I continued up Cypress Lane toward the fire station.
Beau Campbell was a firefighter. Back in school, he’d loved football as much as I had. Hell, probably more, and he’d been damn good…maybe even better than I was. I knew he hadn’t gone anywhere with it, but I also knew Beau well enough to know it had been his dream, that he’d wanted football to be his life but had chosen his family instead.