AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Want to catch some dinner?” Hudson Fox asked.
I hesitated because I didn’t know if Tish would reply to my text. But then, I could always dip out if she did.
“Sure.”
Hudson flashed a smile. “Excellent.” He ran a hand through his shaggy dark hair, his green eyes bright in contrast. “You’ve been to Wildlands before, right?”
“Sure have. I’ve stayed there when I visited family before.”
I fell into step beside Hudson as we began walking down the hallway.
“You’ve probably been to Willow Brook a lot, huh?” He stepped through the door into the parking lot before me, holding it open as I walked through.
“We’ve certainly visited plenty,” I began.
My brother Chase chimed in, “Hey there.”
“Hey, hey,” I returned as we exchanged a quick hug.
Chase had been a firefighter for years. He had a baby at home now and had shifted over to the local crew so he wasn’t traveling as much.
“Thought I’d try to catch you. Figured you’d be walking over to Wildlands,” Chase said.
“Good guess,” Hudson commented.
Not much later, I was enjoying a beer and a burger with a few fellow firefighters and Chase. “Not on toddler duty tonight?” I asked after I finished the last bite of my burger.
My brother chuckled as he shook his head. “I will be tomorrow though. Hallie’s got an event at the gallery tomorrow.” His wife was a professional photographer. He leaned back in his chair. “So, what’s the plan for you long-term? You think you’ll stay in Willow Brook after you’re done firefighting? Can’t do that forever, you know.”
“That’s the plan. I signed a two-year contract for this position. I’ll see how I feel at the end of that. Rhys and Blake are hoping I’ll take the same role here that Wyatt has at the brewery in Fireweed Harbor,” I explained.
Chase took a swallow of his beer as he nodded. “It’s a good plan. You can do like me. Settle down, get married and get your adrenaline fix by filling in when they need extra help.”
I chuckled, just as I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Slipping it out, I glanced down to see a text from Tish. Chase was replying to something Hudson said from his other side, and I tapped to open the text.
Tish: It would be good to see you. If you haven’t heard, I have a baby now.
I noted the time on my phone. It was still fairly early. Maybe I was showing my cards too soon, but I was impatient to see her.
Me: How about tonight? I can stop by. With a few nieces and nephews, I’ve got skills at putting a baby to sleep.
As soon as I sent the text, I forced myself to put my phone back in my pocket. Maybe I didn’t know Tish all that well, but I sensed she wouldn’t reply immediately.
When Hudson stood from the table, I followed suit, clapping Chase on the shoulder, and leaning down to say, “I’m gonna head out for the night. I’ll see you soon.”
Chase glanced up with a nod. “Absolutely. Glad to have you here in town now.”
Just as I reached my truck, I felt my phone vibrate again.
Tish: Ok, if you don’t mind. I don’t have dinner or anything.
I was surprised she didn’t dissuade me, but we were definitely overdue for a conversation. It wasn’t that I thought Tish owed me the story of her life, but I was curious about what happened. I knew a little bit from Rhys, but I tried not to ask too much because I didn’t want to pique his curiosity about my questions and wonder what the hell was up.
When I eventually began working at the brewery here, I knew I’d see her often. Even though it didn’t make sense that I was sort of hung up on her after all this time, I was. Something about her had slipped through the cracks of my defenses.
After she texted me her address, I tapped it into my GPS, arriving there a short drive later. The days were getting shorter, but it was still light when I rolled to a stop at the end of her driveway. Although her house wasn’t too far out of town, the area was largely surrounded by trees.
Moments later, I knocked lightly on the door. My heart felt squeezed tight by a fist when I met Tish’s eyes.
