21. Axel
21
AXEL
A xel sat at a table at the Barrel later that evening, feeling grateful all over again that he’d gotten here before the others.
He’d been surprised to see a group of old-timers were still coming here to hang out at their favorite table by the jukebox after all these years— eating hamburgers and arguing good-naturedly about high school football as they took turns putting on Beatles tunes.
Of course they had all gotten up when they saw him, thanked him for his service, and brought up that long-ago championship game.
While Axel enjoyed sharing a happy memory with people, he also knew his buddies would have to hassle him a little for it, so he was glad to get all the slaps on the back and well wishes before the others arrived.
“Saw you in town with that sweet young lady and her boy,” one of the old guys had said, giving him a wink. “You couldn’t keep better company. She’s my granddaughter’s teacher and I hear she’s got those children wrapped around her little finger.”
“She’ll have more than that wrapped around her finger soon,” another one of the old men teased. “If this rascal has his way. Isn’t that right, son?”
Axel had grinned and rolled his eyes, but the idea didn’t actually bother him as much as maybe it should.
We’ve been on three dates, and one she didn’t exactly agree to on purpose. Why do I feel like this?
But Beau Wilson came in and gave him a wave, so there was no time to worry about it.
Now they were sitting with Wolf Cassidy, watching Grayson Ward and Dalton Tyler play pool.
He almost felt like a teenager again.
“It’s weird, right?” Beau asked.
“What’s weird?” Axel asked.
“Being back here again,” Beau said, then turned to Wolf. “You probably don’t have time to notice, what with the baby and all.”
“I’ve noticed,” Wolf said tightly. “But the baby helps.”
The two went quiet, and Axel knew instinctively that they felt the same restless undercurrent he did. Coming home was difficult—not because he’d had a particularly tough time serving, but because old habits die hard.
His eyes went to the two at the pool table, as he thought about those who had suffered while serving.
“It’s good of Dalton to be here,” he heard himself say out loud.
Dalton had been in with their high school buddy, Andy, who had died while serving. From what Axel knew, Dalton had promised Andy back then that he would make sure his family was okay. And sure enough, now that he was out, he had come here to help Andy’s family with the farm.
“So, you and Miss Green are a thing, huh?” Beau asked Wolf.
Axel turned to Wolf to gauge his reaction. He’d seen the two of them at the celebration in town today, and even helped Wolf buy a tree for Sam and her sister.
But the situation troubled him. Wolf was a good guy, but Axel didn’t like the idea that the man might be toying with that young girl’s heart, or taking advantage of her just to help him with the baby he was now raising on his own.
Axel had taken a liking to Sam, not the least because she had so brilliantly known exactly where to send him to volunteer. He often stopped in to say hello at the center these days, on his way through town. Sam always had a friendly smile for everyone, and she was constantly emailing Axel with a string of ideas about what he might want to do next. And learning about how she cared for her little sister made him feel more protective of her than he had at first. Getting to know Eden was showing him what a difficult road single caregivers faced.
Wolf Cassidy was one of the guys, but he was driven, practically a loner. Axel was pretty sure he’d only hung out with the rest of them back in school because football was a team sport, and he’d only dated Angela because they were both so ambitious. He just couldn’t picture his old friend in a serious relationship with a selfless, outgoing young woman like Samantha Green—not long term .
“Nah,” Wolf said. “We’re just friends. She helped me out with Ezra for the first few days.”
But Axel could tell by the look on Wolf’s face that wasn’t true. Wolf kept arguing for a moment and Axel finally felt his patience break.
“It’s clear from the way she looks at you that she thinks you’re more than friends,” he heard himself say suddenly. “She’s a sweet girl and she’s doing a lot of good here. You’d better not think about hurting her.”
He could tell he’d surprised both Wolf and Beau. He was honestly sort of surprised himself. Normally, he kept pretty buttoned up when it came to other people’s business, even with his friends.
Scowling, he admonished himself for being so intense. This was just supposed to be burgers and catching up.
Is this because of Eden and Jack?
Wolf and Beau were continuing their conversation, but all Axel could think about was whether he was angry at Wolf because he was actually worried about his own intentions in a similar situation.
“You’re a single parent,” Wolf said to Beau. “What was it like to date someone?”
Axel found himself unable to help looking up at Beau with naked interest.
“Oh,” Beau said, shrugging. “Quinn is great with Zandy.”
“ Who’s going to challenge the winner? ” Grayson yelled out victoriously, as he and Dalton came up to the table.
But no one wanted to challenge the winner, and Wolf left after that .
They all passed the rest of the evening peacefully, laughing about the old times and telling Dalton a couple of their favorite funny stories.
Before we know it, we’ll be just like those old-timers by the juke box, Axel found himself thinking. And what will I have to show for it?
He felt a pang of guilt for the way he had spoken to Wolf earlier—maybe his friend would do right by Samantha.
It was clear that Axel was working through his own emotions and facing the truth about what he really wanted. And what was the right thing for him to do in his own situation.
Of all the things Axel thought he’d do as soon as he got home again, getting married and starting a family hadn’t even been on the list.
But it was what he wanted now. Not because it checked off some box for his future, but because he adored Eden and Jack, and he didn’t want to miss a single moment with them. It felt like they were already his family, and every day he spent without making it official was a treasure lost to him forever.
I’ll never convince her, though, he thought desperately to himself. We’ve barely dated at all. She would never risk Jack’s happiness on an impulsive proposal.
The best thing he could do was show her that he knew how to put Jack first too.
Maybe it was only because he was here with his boyhood friends, or because he had just been thinking about Samantha Green’s emails, but a big idea landed on him as suddenly as an anvil on that cartoon coyote .
“I’ve got to go,” he said, practically shooting out of his chair.
The others looked up at him in surprise, but he just threw a couple of bills on the table and jogged out the door into the frosty night.