Chapter 15
Trevor
“Trevor Laurence. It’s about time you called your mother. It’s been over a week,” Mom chastises before bothering to say hello.
“I know, Mom. I’m sorry. I’ll do better. Are you doing okay? Noah said you had a doctor’s appointment. What’s that about?”
“It’s nothing. Just routine testing for old people. I’m fine. When are you coming home for a visit?”
“I’d been planning to come this past weekend, but Zach came to Sycamore, and we went fishing. It was good to see someone from back home. As soon as I have another three-day break, I’ll come. I promise.”
“Oh, I understand. How’s school going?”
“It’s okay. I have a lot of downtime at work. We don’t get nearly as many fire calls here. We do a lot of sitting around and cooking at the station.”
“Well, I’ll expect you to cook when you come home.”
“You’ll be really hungry then.” I laugh. “If I come home, I’m hoping you’ll make pot roast. The guys are good cooks, but it’s not the same,” I say, stirring a pot of canned beef stew on the stove. If I were at my mom’s, I’d have fresh crusty bread and some homemade dessert like banana pudding to go with this.
“You haven’t met a nice girl who can cook?”
“Mom.” I’ve met a girl who smells like cupcakes and can bake like nobody’s business . But that’s the last thing I’m telling my mother.
“Oh, well. I was hoping maybe someone had managed to break through your forcefield.”
“On that note, I have to go. Tell Noah, Becca, and the boys I said hi. I’ll call you as soon as I can confirm when I’m headed home.”
“Okay. Just don’t forget about me. I miss you, Trevor.”
“I miss you too. Love you, Mom.”
Grabbing the ladle, I spoon out a serving of stew and sit at my kitchen island to dig in when my cell phone starts dancing across the marble countertop.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Trevor. It’s Michael. I was just talking to Zach about his weekend visit. He said the place is like a little piece of heaven, tucked in the mountains.”
“Yeah. It was great seeing him.” I’d met Michael back in Hanover only a few months before leaving for Sycamore. Zach had grown up next door to him, and although there was at least a decade between them, he treated Michael like a little brother. “Ava and I would love to come for a visit sometime.”
“That’d be great. I need to pay my mom a visit, but I’ll text you my schedule.”
“Well, call us when you come to town. We’ll take you out for dinner.”
“That’d be great. Look forward to seeing you guys.” Placing the phone on the counter, I lift my spoon to my mouth and wince, realizing my sad bowl of stew has grown cold. I grumble to myself. I really wanted a burger anyway .
Reaching for my keys and cell phone, I head for the burger stand in town before they close, when again, my phone vibrates with an incoming call. When have I ever been this popular? Jason’s number flashes on the screen.
“Hey, man. What’s up?”
“Trev. You interested in a drink? A few of us are here at the bar.”
“Pour Decisions?”
“You know any other bar in this town?”
“The Cellar Bar.”
“That’s where you go if you’re trying to impress someone. None of us frequent there often.” He chuckles. “You doing anything?”
“No. I was actually going to run out and get a burger when you called.”
“I’ll order one for you. See you in a bit.”
“Thanks, man.” Well, what do you know about that?
Arriving at the bar, I find Jason and Dave seated by the front entrance. They’re laughing and talking to the bartender as I approach.
“Hey, you made it. Tim, can you bring his burger out now?”
“Sure. What can I get you to drink?”
“I’ll have whatever they’re having.” I point toward the amber bottles sitting in front of my friends. “You guys been here long?”
“Nah. About forty minutes. Dave’s girl was nagging him about a ring, so he text me needing an escape plan.”
“Nice.” I laugh. I tip my head in thanks to the bartender as he slides my burger, fries, and cold beer across the bar top. “God, this looks good.” I lift the burger to my mouth and start to take a large bite when I suddenly notice Addison in the bar mirror’s reflection. And she’s not alone. Lowering my food to the plate, I study them momentarily. He seems awfully close to her to simply be a casual acquaintance. His hand slides over to rest on her hip before pulling her into him.
“What’s up? The burger isn’t any good?”
“No. It’s fine.”
I think I just lost my appetite.