Page 6 of Finding Home (Willow Valley #1)

SIX

CHLOE

I push through the week, reminding myself that I can’t start something with the parent of a student.

Not only is it bad form, but Everett Lawson feels very much like a man who isn’t going to settle down with someone, at least not right now.

As much as the night with him was a fun time, I’m not getting myself wrapped in the small town drama that would come with having a fling with the new fire chief.

I don’t have the energy for that. If I want unattached sex, I’ll drive the twenty minutes to West Bridgejaw before starting small town gossip.

My family has been at the centre of enough drama in this town to last me a lifetime; I don’t need any more.

I grab my house keys and phone and lock up before making the fifteen-minute walk to Incahoots.

It’s still light out, and plenty of people are milling about, many on their way to Incahoots, the go-to place to hang out in the evenings and the same bar I met Everett.

My best friend, Brinley, is crashing at my place tonight, so we’ll walk home together, because despite it being a small town, we still abide by the buddy system.

When I push open the door to the bar, loud music filters out.

Chatter fills the air as people fill the tables and seats at the bar.

I easily spot Brinley and our friends, Aspen, her boyfriend Jason, and Lennon, at our usual table in the corner.

Boyd makes sure to save it for us, knowing we’ll be in.

She already has a margarita for me at the table, and I grin my thanks, taking a seat and settling in.

I take a sip of my drink, allowing the bite of the tequila to hit me. “No James tonight?” I ask Lennon, referring to her husband and high school sweetheart.

She shakes her head, her attention focused on her drink. “No. He’s at the office working on some project.”

Normally, I’d push her for more after hearing the touch of sadness and defeat in her voice, but with Jason here, I don’t.

Aspen and Jason have been dating for just over two years now, and as much as he may try to engrain himself in our friend group, none of us have taken to him in the way he probably hoped.

When they started dating, we all questioned Aspen about why she was dating him, but she always brushed off the questions.

It’s almost as though she’s given up on believing she deserves something good and has settled for Jason.

As we place our food order with Boyd, Colton, another friend who works at the fire station, slides into the seat beside Brinley, rattling off his usual order to Boyd. I shake my head at him, and he grins.

“Glad you could finally join us,” I say.

His smile grows, and he leans forward on the table. “You don’t think I’d miss the chance to spend the evening with you, did you, Chloe?”

I chuckle and sip my margarita as Brinley asks, “So how is it working with the new chief?”

I keep my face hidden in my drink to avoid anyone seeing how my cheeks warm at just the mention of Everett. I haven’t told anyone about that night three weeks ago. Something about it felt more intimate than a one-night stand, and sharing it feels almost wrong somehow.

“He’s fine,” is all Colton says.

“You can’t give us more than that?” Aspen asks as she leans into Jason’s side.

Avoiding wanting to hear or talk about Everett, I focus on them and how unnatural they look together.

How out of place Jason looks, not only in Incahoots but Willow Valley.

The man is sitting in this small town bar in dress slacks and a button-down shirt, flashing his expensive watch whenever he gets the chance.

He has city boy written all over him, and I don’t know what Aspen sees in him.

She’s mentioned in passing that he’s brought up her moving to the city so they can spend more time together.

They’re doing the whole long-distance thing right now.

He comes to town on weekends to see her, but he often cancels those trips because he’s too busy with work .

I call bullshit, but I never say anything to her.

She doesn’t need me in her ear about her relationship; she’ll figure him out on her own.

“Haven’t talked to him much,” Colton says, breaking me from my thoughts. “He did a whole welcome talk when he first got to the station, otherwise he hides in his office for the most part. Don’t know anything about him.”

“Chlo, do you know anything?” Brinley asks, and I spot that slight mischievous glint in her eyes.

I shake my head. “Why would I know anything about the new chief?”

Brinley slowly takes a sip of her drink, allowing my question to hang in the air before she finally says, “Because I may have heard his daughter is in your class and he seemed particularly interested in you.”

My cheeks heat. I can’t fucking help it. I do everything to forget that night and remind myself he’s completely off limits, because not only am I his daughter’s teacher, but I will do everything I can to avoid being small town gossip.

“He was just telling me his grandmother would be picking up Lila. We’ve barely talked.”

Brinley seems to want to push more, but Jason clears his throat, and we all turn to face him.

He adjusts the sleeves of his button-down, the light above our table catching on his watch, and a posh energy radiates off him.

He slides out and turns to face Aspen. My stomach turns, because I know exactly what he’s about to do, and I instinctively look around the room to see if anyone’s paying attention to our group.

“Aspen, we’ve been together a while,” he starts, and I roll my eyes because is that really how he’s starting this?

I can’t believe of all the places he could be doing this, he’s doing it here.

“You know I love you and you love me.” He takes her hand and helps her to her feet.

He looks at the ground, a look of slight disgust crosses his face before he wipes it away and gets down on one knee while pulling out a black velvet box.

When he opens it, there’s a collective gasp around the table at the sheer size of the rock in there.

The front door opens, pulling my attention, and my jaw drops because standing in the entrance to the bar is Beau Thomas. The man’s been gone for years, enlisting as soon as he turned eighteen and leaving Willow Valley and everyone in it in his rearview mirror.

He looks like he’s been through hell and back, but with his eyes locked on the scene beside me, he looks haunted. I’m equally pissed and relieved to see him here with that expression.

A sob leaves Aspen, pulling my attention again, and her hand covers her mouth as tears run down her cheeks and Jason is sliding the ring on her finger.

I hear the front door slam and look back to see Beau is gone.

I quietly excuse myself as everyone fusses over Aspen and make my way out of the bar to look for Beau.

He’s a block away when I finally make it out of the busy bar and to the sidewalk. I start running after him, calling his name. He stiffens but makes no effort to stop. I’m panting by the time I catch up to him, grabbing his arm and forcing him to stop.

“These boots are not for running,” I say, and Beau winces slightly.

“Sorry.”

“So, you weren’t going to come in and say hi to everyone? You were just going to leave?” I ask.

He runs his hand through his short hair. “It’s too much. That room with…all those people.”

I know that’s not what he meant. He means seeing Aspen. I cross my arms over my chest. “You’ve been gone for nearly a decade; did you really think time would just stop here? Did you think she would be frozen as that seventeen-year-old you left behind?”

He heaves a breath. “No,” he practically yells, his chest heaving. “I didn’t expect her to be frozen as the Aspen I knew before I left, but I didn’t expect the first thing I saw when I went looking for her to be her getting engaged.”

Hurt, pain, and frustration fill his voice. I sigh. I can’t blame him for that.

“You need to figure your shit out before you see her. I’m not sure we can put her back together if you break her again.

You didn’t see her after you left. In fact, the only people who saw her, the real her, after you left were Brinley, Lennon, and I.

She hid that part of herself from everyone, including Forest.”

“Please don’t tell her you saw me. I need some time.”

I shake my head. “Sorry, I can’t. You’re back in Willow Valley. You now get to deal with small town gossip again, and I’m not going to let some other busybody be the one to tell her. I’ll do it. I’ll keep it to you just being in town.”

He nods.

“I’m not sure how she’s going to take it. She guarded herself a bit when she first heard you were coming home.”

He flinches. He’s highly trained to hide his reactions, so I know he wasn’t expecting that comment. Aspen always seemed to be his soft spot, even if he left her.

“Thanks, Chloe.”

I nod. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re home. We’re all glad you made it home safe.”

I go up on my tiptoes and wrap my arms around his neck and hug him. It takes a second, but his arms wrap around me, too. I pull back and kiss his cheek.

“Stay safe,” I say.

He nods before turning and walking away. When I turn around, I see Everett standing outside the bar staring at me. He gives his head a shake before forcefully pulling open the door and walking inside.

I roll my eyes and scoff, following behind him.