“I’d think it was going to be a big one, but I recall-”
“Holy shit!” I bellow feeling proud.
Zach slaps me on the back. “Hell, that’s a beauty. A far cry from his little sister you caught last time. Not bad,” Zach continues as I take care of the fish and prepare my line again. “Well, I say go for it. Life’s short.”
“What?” Staring at him, I’m speechless. This self-proclaimed bachelor isn’t the type to encourage a relationship with any woman.
“Yeah, yeah. Not for me, for you. I’ve been there, done that. I don’t need any more drama in my life. But I have no problem walking away from a good piece of ass because I know better. You’re young and have a better chance at a decent future.” He reels his line in before recasting in a different direction, an almost pained look on his face. “This life ain’t for everyone. Take a chance before you end up a hard-hearted loner like me.”
“I don’t know. This could be opening a big can of worms with this girl. It feels like she has a bigger pull on me than Ashley did. And I haven’t even taken her out once.” The very thought is scary as shit. But I have to face it. I probably do need to take a chance. Or constantly being around her might drive me insane. “At least there’s one good thing.”
“What’s that?”
“At least she’s not another model. I won’t have to see her face plastered everywhere if it doesn’t work out.”
Chapter15
Trevor
“Trevor Laurence. It’s about time you called your mother. It’s been over a week,” Mom chastises before bothering to say hello.
“I know, Mom. I’m sorry. I’ll do better. Are you doing okay? Noah said you had a doctor’s appointment. What’s that about?”
“It’s nothing. Just routine testing for old people. I’m fine. When are you coming home for a visit?”
“I’d been planning to come this past weekend, but Zach came to Sycamore, and we went fishing. It was good to see someone from back home. As soon as I have another three-day break, I’ll come. I promise.”
“Oh, I understand. How’s school going?”
“It’s okay. I have a lot of downtime at work. We don’t get nearly as many fire calls here. We do a lot of sitting around and cooking at the station.”
“Well, I’ll expect you to cook when you come home.”
“You’ll be really hungry then.” I laugh. “If I come home, I’m hoping you’ll make pot roast. The guys are good cooks, but it’s not the same,” I say, stirring a pot of canned beef stew on the stove. If I were at my mom’s, I’d have fresh crusty bread and some homemade dessert like banana pudding to go with this.
“You haven’t met a nice girl who can cook?”
“Mom.”I’ve met a girl who smells like cupcakes and can bake like nobody’s business. But that’s the last thing I’m telling my mother.
“Oh, well. I was hoping maybe someone had managed to break through your forcefield.”
“On that note, I have to go. Tell Noah, Becca, and the boys I said hi. I’ll call you as soon as I can confirm when I’m headed home.”
“Okay. Just don’t forget about me. I miss you, Trevor.”
“I miss you too. Love you, Mom.”
Grabbing the ladle, I spoon out a serving of stew and sit at my kitchen island to dig in when my cell phone starts dancing across the marble countertop.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Trevor. It’s Michael. I was just talking to Zach about his weekend visit. He said the place is like a little piece of heaven, tucked in the mountains.”
“Yeah. It was great seeing him.” I’d met Michael back in Hanover only a few months before leaving for Sycamore. Zach had grown up next door to him, and although there was at least a decade between them, he treated Michael like a little brother. “Ava and I would love to come for a visit sometime.”
“That’d be great. I need to pay my mom a visit, but I’ll text you my schedule.”
“Well, call us when you come to town. We’ll take you out for dinner.”
