“Mom, I’m so happy for him. For both of you.” It was certainly news that she hadn’t been expecting, but she couldn’t be prouder of her father. If she could only be half the firefighter he’d been throughout his career.
“You should be receiving an invitation in the mail soon,” Louise went on to say. “The city is planning a big ceremony and you know we want you to be right there alongside us.”
Blayze’s visits back home had been less and less throughout the years and she cringed at the thought of going back to Keebler Hills again. Despite her personal issues with a certain someone—Colton Burns—this was about her father and all of his accomplishments.
“Mom, I can’t wait. I’ll get with the chief first thing and let him know I’m going to need the time off.”
She ended the call with her mom and headed straight to the bathroom to fill the tub. Her heart was bursting with pride for her father, yet she dreaded knowing she’d have to see the same people who’d laughed at her on graduation night. She’d taken it personal—who wouldn’t have—with their snide remarks and whispers behind her back. More importantly, she hoped and prayed she could avoid any kind of confrontations with Colton Burns. His father was still the mayor of Keebler Hills and if memory served her correctly, Colton sat on the city council committee. She was certain that both would have a part in her father’s retirement ceremony.
She poured herself a glass of wine then climbed inside the bubble-filled tub. The citrus and lavender aroma filled her nostrils as she rested her head against the rolled-up towel.
Images of Colton flashed through her head. She’d be ready for him this time if he tried to intimidate her again. Blayze Jenson was coming home and nothing was going to stop her from enjoying her father’s successes.
Chapter Three
Blayze hung her clothes up in the closet then sat down on the comfy, king-size bed. Her mom wasn’t happy that she’d chosen to stay at a nearby hotel on this trip home, but with her aunt and uncle coming into town for her father’s retirement ceremony, it made more sense that they stay with her parents. Aunt Jane had had knee surgery a few months ago and she was still shuffling around, despite being fully cleared from her doctor, and Uncle Huey liked nothing more than sharing a good cup of coffee with her dad first thing in the morning.
Sure, Blayze would’ve enjoyed sleeping in her old room, filled with so many childhood memories, but then again, the reminders of long ago weren’t always some of the greatest. She’d disposed of a lot of stuff when she first moved out, but her mom refused to part with anything she deemed sentimental. “You’ll wish you’d hung onto it,” she recalled her mom saying numerous times.
Louise Jenson was probably right, she might feel that way one day. For now, her old classroom pictures and tarnished Science Club medals were better off tucked away in the plastic storage totes in the bottom of the closet. Alongside her second-hand turnout gear that should’ve been tossed out years ago.
After three hours of being on the road, she was glad to be settled into her room. Thanks to a late-night call for a brush fire on the side of the interstate, it was well into the morning before she’d been able to close her eyes. Her crew had responded quickly, containing the fire in no time, but she wished people were more considerate when it came to tossing cigarette buttsout of their car windows. Which seemed to be the case ninety-nine percent of the time.
She set the alarm on the nightstand and peeled the covers back. Thank goodness the hotel had allowed an early check-in, at no additional cost either. If she could sneak in a nap, she was hopeful she wouldn’t feel so exhausted before meeting her parents for dinner.
The sheets felt cool and crisp against her skin while she maneuvered in the bed trying to get comfortable. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t fall asleep. From the sliver of light peeking through the curtain, reflecting onto the ceiling, to the hum of the air conditioner struggling to maintain a decent temperature inside the room, she fitfully tossed and turned to the point she became miserable. All she needed was an hour nap. One hour. That was it.
Unfortunately, her body didn’t feel the same way.
After thirty minutes of battling insomnia, she crawled out of bed and grabbed her swimsuit from the top drawer of the dresser. Thank goodness she’d tossed it into her bag at the last minute.
Down at the pool, she enjoyed being the only one there. She swam a couple of laps then found a lounger to relax in on the south end of the pool.
The mid-day sun felt warm and relaxing. She closed her eyes and before long, she drifted off to sleep.
She jumped at the sound of a car horn and quickly sat up in her chair. Though the sun was still shining brightly for a late September afternoon, it didn’t take long to realize she’d slept way longer than she’d planned.
Sure enough, one glance at her phone and she knew she was screwed. With less than thirty minutes to shower and get ready, she knew her parents wouldn’t be happy with her late arrival at dinner tonight.
She grabbed her key card from the inside of her shoe and hurried back to her room. After a quick shower, she decided to spend more time on her hair rather than her make-up. Not that she wore much anyways, but the sun had left a rosy glow to her cheeks. With some tinted lip-gloss and a touch of mascara, she surprised herself with how good she looked.
She ran her straightener through her hair, then pinned a few locks back with a beaded barrette on one side. The royal blue cotton maxi dress she’d chosen to wear tonight looked radiant against her skin tone and for once she felt pretty.
With time of the essence, she grabbed he purse and keys and darted out the door.
When she arrived atJake’s on the Hill, her dad’s favorite restaurant, she caught the glances of many patrons while waiting at the hostess’s stand. Hopefully it was due to the way she looked and not because she was running late. As she made her way to the table in the back, she forced herself to look straight ahead rather than at the floor.
Nope. Not tonight. No one is going to make me feel less than stellar.
Louise immediately jumped from her seat and tightly wrapped her arms around her daughter. “It’s so good to see you, sweetheart.”
Her daddy’s eyes beamed with pride as soon as they locked gazes. She loved him so much and she immediately looked away while she struggled to contain her emotions. He’d done so much for the community throughout the years, sacrificing his own family so that others didn’t have to go without. He was quite literally…her hero.
Wayne Jenson reached for his daughter’s hands, cherishing the moment. Aunt Jane and Uncle Huey were already seated on the other side of the table and acknowledged her arrival.
“Sorry, I’m a few minutes late,” she apologized and slid into the seat next to her father. “I went down to the pool and lost track of time.”
Mom and dad immediately jumped in asking all sorts of questions, totally forgetting that the night was all about her father and not her. It was obvious that she was missed, but her father’s once-in-a-lifetime moment deserved to be the focus of their attention. Seeing as to how much they missed her, she realized she needed to come home and visit them more often. Phone calls simply weren’t enough.
