Chapter Five
Jovie
By the time Bryce finally wraps up his presentation in the arena and dismisses everyone toward the dining hall, my brain is swimming with schedules, safety protocols, student names, staff names, emergency procedures, and about a thousand other things that I absolutely cannot afford to forget.
The second the crowd starts moving toward dinner, relief settles over me, and my stomach begins to rumble, reminding me that I’ve only had a banana and a protein bar today.
I fall into step beside Seth as we follow the stream of students down the wide pathway toward the academy dining hall.
The massive lodge-style building towers against the evening sky. Strings of lights hang across the covered porch, and laughter spills through the open barn-style doors.
“You survived orientation. Are you ready to get started in the morning?” Seth asks.
“Absolutely,” I say confidently while trying to hide how nervous I actually am.
This is the first time I’ll be in charge of my own PT program. Yes, Seth is here to guide me if I need him, but I’ll be assessing and treating patients myself without another therapist giving instruction.
He notices my trepidation. “You’ll do fine.”
“I’m internally panicking,” I admit.
“That’s normal. I was a nervous wreck when I joined the Bradley clinic.
I was just coming off of my three-year residency and turned down a fellowship at Ivinson Memorial Hospital to go into private practice.
I still felt like a medical intern who wasn’t prepared, but as soon as the first patient walked through the door, all the knowledge and training kicked in. It will for you too.”
“Good to know.”
The scent of barbecue hits me before we even reach the entrance.
My stomach growls loudly, and Seth raises an eyebrow.
“I’m starving.”
He chuckles. “You and every teenage boy on this property.”
When we step inside, the dining hall is already buzzing.
Long wooden tables stretch across the room.
Students fill most of the seats.
Staff mingle throughout the crowd.
The entire room feels warm and welcoming, more like a family reunion than the first night of a professional academy.
And honestly?
That’s exactly what Wildhaven does best. It makes everyone feel like family.
The first thing I notice is the buffet line.
The second thing I notice is the smell.
Oh my God. Barbecue. Real barbecue.
Huge trays hold hamburgers, hot dogs, and piles of pulled pork. There are bowls of toppings and fixings everywhere.
Potato salad.
Baked beans.
Coleslaw.
Potato chips.
Pickles.
Onions.
Tomatoes.
And in the middle of it all sits a giant crock of what I already know must be Evelyn Storm’s famous secret barbecue sauce.
“Let’s grab a table before they’re all gone,” Seth says.
We manage to claim one near the front before every available seat disappears.
Deciding to let the line die down a bit, I wander toward the beverage station.
The moment I get close, a familiar voice booms, “Well, if it isn’t my favorite future doctor!”
I laugh. “Imma Jean!”
She sweeps me into a hug before I can even set down the tray I’m carrying.
Imma Jean Ryse owns the Ryse I could eat an entire cow.”
Imma Jean snorts. “How’s that different from any other day?”
Cabe looks offended. “I’m a growing boy.”
She pats his cheek. “Yes, you are.”
I laugh.
Then Cabe gestures toward his brothers. “Remember these two?”
“As if I could forget,” I say.
Royce’s eyes land on me. He blinks, and then his gaze sweeps over me. “Well, damn.”
I groan. “What?”
“Little Jojo. I wouldn’t have known it was you if you’d walked past me on the street.”
My cheeks warm. “Thanks?”
“No, really.” He smiles. “You’re as pretty as ever.”
Imma Jean laughs. “You ol’ flirt,” she muses.
Irene laughs.
Cabe groans.
Royce looks delighted with himself.
Axle simply watches the exchange.
Then he gives me a quiet smile and a small chin lift.
Nothing more.
Very Axle.
Always has been.
I swear, the man has spoken approximately twelve words to me since I’ve known him.
“Hi, Axle.”
“Jovie.”
That’s it.
One word.
Exactly as expected.
I smile. “You three look more alike every year,” I say.
Cabe scoffs. “Please. I’m way prettier than both of them.”
Royce immediately punches him in the shoulder. Hard. “You wish.”
Cabe rubs his arm. “I am undeniably the attractive one,” he quips.
“You keep telling yourself that,” Royce says.
“I don’t need to. Women tell me,” Cabe says, tossing his arm around my shoulders as he grins at his brother.
Royce points at him. “Liar. And Jojo doesn’t count. Her taste has been shit since elementary school.”
“Hey!” I cry.
Royce’s eyes cut to me, and he winks, then clasps Cabe’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, little brother. You’ll fill out one day.”
I burst out laughing.
Cabe scowls at him. “I hate you both,” he grumbles.
Axle quirks a brow. “What’d I do?”
Royce waves him off. “He loves us.”
“I tolerate you,” Cabe says.
“You love us,” Royce repeats.
Their bickering continues as naturally as breathing.
Some things never change.
Finally, Axle glances toward the buffet. “The teenage boys are about to inhale all the food.”
Royce follows his gaze.
Several students are loading alarming amounts of meat onto their plates.
“Damn. We’d better get some before they start going back for seconds,” Royce mumbles.
The brothers exchange a look.
Then promptly abandon us.
Smart men.
I watch them disappear toward the buffet line.
“They’re probably right,” I say.
Cabe nods. “Absolutely.”
He grabs several mason jars from Imma Jean, and we carry the drinks back to the table before getting into the food line, which is moving surprisingly quickly.
Soon, we’re standing among dozens of hungry students, waiting for our turn.
I build a cheeseburger that probably violates several nutritional guidelines, which I’ll be drilling into the students later this week.
Then I add potato salad. Baked beans. Chips. Pickle. More chips. A second pickle.
Balance.
By the time we get back to the table, most of the remaining seats are filled. Seth. Me. Cabe. Then Bryce. Charli. Shelby. Royce. And Axle.
Conversation flows easily.
Mostly because Charli and Shelby refuse to allow silence.
They ask about my parents, Delmar and Jana Asbury, and my older brother, Devon.
“Dev still working for your dad?” Shelby asks.
I nod. “At Asbury Timber.”
“Your parents were wonderful during our construction,” Charli says. “We loved working with them.”
That makes me smile. “My dad was thrilled when Harleigh called for estimates on the guest ranch project.”
“We told her to contact him,” Charli says.
“He’ll be happy to hear that.”
The conversation continues through bites of food and bursts of laughter.
Then, somehow, the subject lands on me.
Which is unfortunate.
Because I hate being the center of attention.
Cabe, however, has never cared about that.
“My Jojo here is graduating a year early.”
I close my eyes. “Cabe.”
“Doctorate in physical therapy.”
“Cabe.”
“A whole year early.”
“Cabe.”
Everyone looks impressed.
Which only makes it worse.
Then Axle finally speaks—the first time he’s contributed to the conversation in several minutes. “Dr. Chaz is excited.”
I glance up.
His eyes are on me.
“He was talking about the possibility of you joining the Pbr Sports Medicine Team.”
My stomach does a weird little flip. “He was?”
“Yep.”
Axle takes a bite of his burger. Then adds casually, “Better do a good job this summer.”
I narrow my eyes. “I intend to.”
“Good.”
He chews.
Swallows.
Then a grin tugs at one corner of his mouth.
“I’ve been sent to spy on you.”
The table erupts with laughter.
I point at him. “Axle Trust, you’ll do no such thing.” I try to sound serious.
His grin widens. “Oh, I plan to give him a full report.”
His eyes stay on mine.
“So you better work extra hard to impress me.”
I exhale dramatically.
“Yes, sir.” The words leave my mouth before my brain can stop them. The second I say it, I realize how it sounded.
Oh my God.
No.
No, no, no.
My face catches fire.
Did that sound flirty?
It sounded flirty.
My friends at school are constantly accusing me of flirting without realizing it.
I never mean to.
It’s just how I talk.
But now I’m sitting across from Axle Trust.
And—
Oh no.
His eyes flash.
Just briefly.
Like he finds me amusing.
Then his mouth lifts into a half grin.
And I want to crawl directly beneath the table.
Cabe saves me.
Literally.
He launches a pickle slice across the table.
It bounces off Axle’s forehead.
“Leave her alone, asshat. She’s gonna do a phenomenal job.”
Axle looks down at the pickle.
Then at Cabe.
“You threw a pickle at me.”
“Yep. Got another one locked and loaded right here,” Cabe says, picking up another slice.
The table laughs again.
My embarrassment slowly fades.
Especially when Cabe reaches over and squeezes my hand.
“You’ll be great,” he whispers.
I lean lightly against his shoulder. Grateful beyond words that he’s here. Because he has always had this gift. The ability to calm every storm in my head. No matter how nervous or how overwhelmed I feel. Somehow, Cabe Trust always makes things easier.
I glance around the dining hall.
Students laughing.
Staff talking.
Families visiting.
The entire place is buzzing with energy and excitement.
Tomorrow, the real work begins.
Tomorrow, I’ll face responsibilities, expectations, and pressure.
But tonight?
Tonight feels good. It feels like coming home.
I pick up my cheeseburger. Take a gigantic bite. And immediately moan. “Oh my God.”
Charli points at me. “You just had a foodgasm, didn’t you?”
I nod. “It’s incredible.”
I take another bite.
Then another.
The burger disappears in four bites.
Around me, everyone is equally focused on eating.
I glance toward the dessert station, where homemade ice cream waits for later.
Then back at my overflowing plate.
Hmm, a difficult decision.
Finally, I sigh.
“If all the food coming out of this dining hall tastes this good …”
“What?” Charli asks.
“I’m going to have to double my workouts this summer.”
Shelby laughs.
But judging by the second helping, Royce is already carrying back toward his seat, I have a feeling I’m not going to be the only one.