Page 60 of Legacy

“Mr. Ashford does scare me,” Keely whispered.

I stiffened. “Wait. You’ve met him?”

“A couple of times. He just looms around.” She shrugged. “Your brother was actually the one who told me about him, considering I was walking down the street alone when the guy came out of nowhere to be a jerk. But your brother and the fire captain, Thatcher, they physically pushed the guy away.”

“Keely! When did this happen?”

She waved me off. “A couple of days ago. It’s really not a big deal. I promise. The guy was just drunk. I can deal with drunks. I’m in food service, after all.”

“Keely.”

“No, it’s fine. I promise. Anyway, Callum? He is grumpy for a reason.”

I wasn’t okay with what she’d said, but clearly, she didn’t want to speak about it. For now. “Yes, he is grumpy. Family things, and I don’t know. When the town gets in a mood, those that aren’t the greatest usually decide to pick on the fact that he used to play in the NFL and then was forced out early.”

“Wait. He was in the NFL? Did I know this?”

“Yes, I think. No. Well, he was a tight end and played for the LA Ruins for a while. Then he got hurt. He came back and opened up Ashford Brews. But the old biddies and drunks like to remind him that he failed in their eyes.”

“Well, fuck them. Getting into any professional sport is difficult and unheard of for most people. The fact that your brother and Callum did it, that’s fantastic.”

“And Gray is in the NHL too.” At her confused look, I continued. “He’s a friend of Sterling and Finnian. And I guess, well, the others. The Ashfords all have a big friend group that they slowly collect people in. Like my brothers. And then I sort of latched on.”

“And that’s how you and Callum come into the picture?”

“I don’t think there is a me and Callum. I mean, I don’t think there can be. Which sucks, but anyway, two years ago, the four LS came, we were all dancing, having fun, got a little drunk, and Callum did nothing.”

“And now I’m disappointed.”

I shook my head. “The next day, I was planning on staying home and just relaxing, you know, old fuddy-duddy.”

“There’s nothing old and fuddy-duddy about you,” Keely said with a laugh.

“Well, sometimes it feels like it. Anyway, I ended up being dragged out somewhat willingly to a cinco date.” I rolled my eyes at the memory. “It just means that the girls met some guys, and there was a free one, and to make the numbers even, I showed up.”

“That’s always fun. Being the eighth wheel. Or fifteenth wheel.”

“I don’t know what I was expecting, but I thought maybe I would have a nice time, meet a couple friendly faces, and go home. Only it wasn’t like that.”

“You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to,” Keely whispered as she gripped my hand. “I know that face.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s just, well, the guy got a little handsy and a little violent, and when I needed help, I called Callum.”

“Felicity,” she mouthed.

“I’m really okay. I promise. It didn’t go far. He didn’t even really hurt me. I ended up breaking his nose.”

“Damn, girl. I’m proud of that.”

“Me too. It scared me, and the first person I called was Callum. Which, in hindsight, was ridiculous because Bodhi lived closer, or I could have even called my parents. My parents would walk through fire for any one of their kids.”

“I love your parents.”

“I really do too. But I didn’t call any of them. I called Callum. And then he rescued me.”

“It sounds like you rescued yourself too,” Keely reminded me. “Never forget that.”

“You’re right. I did. And Callum was there, and he beat the shit out of Bradley.”