Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Ashlyn
It’s Thursday afternoon, and I’m wrapping things up at work before heading home.
My students left a while ago, and I’m just trying to finish planning next week’s lessons before I leave.
I haven’t seen Ben outside of work at all this week.
He’s been swamped, getting ready for an out-of-town conference, which he left for this morning and won’t be back from until Saturday night.
We’ve talked on the phone every night, but it’s not the same as seeing him, and I miss him more than I’d like to admit.
“I’m locking up, Miss Brookes. You about ready to head out?” Eddie, the janitor, asks as he pokes his head into my classroom.
“Almost,” I reply, gathering up my laptop and papers. “Give me one second.”
“Sure,” he says, standing in the doorway.
“Any plans tonight?” I ask him as I push my laptop into my bag.
“Um, just a night in front of the TV, I think,” he says quietly. “What about you?”
“The TV and a glass of wine,” I tell him. “I think I’ve earned one this week.”
He nods and waits in the doorway while I pack everything up.
“Have a good evening, Miss Brookes,” he says as he shuts the classroom door behind me.
“You too, Eddie. And you can just call me Ashlyn,” I remind him with a smile.
He gives me a shy smile back, but I know he won’t. Eddie’s only been at the school a couple of months, and for whatever reason, he’s stuck on the formalities. He’s older than me, a little reserved, and keeps mostly to himself. I make an effort to chat whenever I see him, but it’s not always easy.
“Night, Miss Brookes,” he says again, holding open the main entrance for me.
“Night, Eddie,” I reply, stepping out into the early evening air.
I’m almost home when my phone rings over the hands-free. My heart does a little flip when Ben’s name flashes on the screen.
“Hey, you,” I answer with a smile. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you yet. Did the conference wrap early for the day?”
“Ash,” he says, his voice tight. “I’ve got a problem.”
My stomach twists. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Laney. She was driving to Prescott and her car broke down.
I didn’t realize her AAA had expired.” He sighs heavily.
“Ash, I hate to ask, but could you pick her up? She’s pulled into a motel parking lot for now.
The car can stay there until I can get it towed.
I’d ask my parents, but Dad’s not doing great today. ”
“Of course I can get her,” I say without hesitation. “Send me her location. I’m already in the car.”
He breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Sorry for messing up your evening.”
“You’re not messing up anything,” I assure him. “Do you know what’s wrong with her car?”
“From what she told me, it sounds like the engine coolant light came on.”
I nod, even though he can’t see me. “What was she doing going to Prescott? I thought she was grounded.”
“She won’t say. But trust me, she knows she’s in trouble.”
“I’ll get to her as quickly as I can,” I promise.
“Drive safe. She’s inside a Starbucks, so she’s fine for now. I’m sending you her location.”
A moment later, my phone beeps with an incoming message.
“Got it,” I tell him.
“Thank you, baby. I owe you one.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I’ll call you once I’ve got her.”
I end the call and glance at the time. Since I’m so close to home, I swing by and change first. My work clothes, especially my shoes, aren’t exactly ideal for an hour-long round trip.
Once inside my apartment, I quickly swap my slacks for a pair of yoga pants, pull on a sweater, and lace up my sneakers.
As I grab my keys, a wave of nerves hits me.
Laney’s definitely not my biggest fan. Showing up to pick her up probably isn’t going to go over well, and I have no idea what kind of reception I’m going to get.
Then an idea strikes. I pull out my phone and dial, lifting it to my ear as I wait for him to answer.
“Hey, squirt.”
“Don’t call me that, Wyatt,” I snap automatically. “Are you home?”
“Well, hello to you too,” he replies dryly.
“Wyatt! Are you home or not? I need a favor.”
His tone shifts instantly. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I rush to reassure him. “It’s Laney, Ben’s daughter. Her car broke down just outside of Prescott. Ben’s stuck in Phoenix and he asked me to go pick her up. You’re good with cars, and I was hoping you could come with me. Plus… she kind of hates me, and I’d rather not do this alone.”
He chuckles. “Lucky for you, I have absolutely nothing better to do tonight. Which says a lot about my life right now. So, yeah, I’m in.”
I exhale in relief. “Thank you, Wyatt. I’ll be there in five.”
Ten minutes later, Wyatt and I are on our way to Prescott. It's usually a thirty-minute drive, but with traffic so heavy, it might take a little longer than expected.
“So,” Wyatt says, glancing over at me. “Ben's daughter hates you, huh?”
I shoot him a look. “Yeah, you could say that. She thinks I'm coming between Ben and her mom.”
His brow furrows. “I thought her mom was in a coma?”
I let out a deep sigh. “She is. It's... complicated.”
Wyatt raises an eyebrow. “Sounds like it.”
“Does she know you're coming?” Wyatt asks.
“I'm not sure. I assume Ben told her. I'm expecting a cold reception,” I reply with a grin. “That's why I brought you along.”
He frowns. “What do you mean?”
“She's a Wyatt Brookes fan,” I say, trying to hold back a smile.
Wyatt rolls his eyes. “Jesus.”
“I figured it might score me some brownie points,” I say sheepishly.
“Is she one of the crazy ones?” he asks.
I laugh. “No! At least, I don’t think so.”
“Great,” Wyatt mutters.
Our conversation is cut short by my phone ringing through the hands-free. I smile when I see Ben's name.
“Hey,” I answer.
“Hey, baby,” Ben says. “Are you on your way?”
“Yep. Traffic's heavy, though. GPS says twenty-nine minutes.”
“Okay. I told Laney you're coming.”
“How'd she take it?”
There's a pause. “She's grateful you're coming to her rescue.”
Wyatt chuckles in the background.
“Who's that?” Ben asks.
“It's Wyatt.”
“Hey, Ben,” Wyatt says.
“Hi.”
“Wyatt's pretty good with cars, so I asked him to come with me,” I explain.
“Apparently, that’s not the only reason she asked me,” Wyatt chimes in.
“Shush,” I say to Wyatt, swatting his shoulder lightly.
Ben laughs. “Laney’s going to freak when you show up.”
“Ash is hoping I’ll earn her some popularity points,” Wyatt says with a chuckle.
“Having a famous brother has to have its perks, right?” I tease.
Ben laughs again. “Call me when you're heading home, okay?”
“Will do.”
“Thanks, baby. You too, Wyatt.”
“No problem,” Wyatt replies.
“Love you, Ash,” Ben says.
Wyatt’s head whips toward me, his eyes wide.
I grin. “Love you too. Bye.”
I hang up, and Wyatt is still staring at me.
“Love?” he asks. “Isn’t it a bit soon for that?”
I shrug. “When you know, you know,” I tell him.
We drive in silence for a few miles, and I glance over at Wyatt, who’s staring out the window.
“How’s your love life?” I ask him.
He lets out a dry laugh. “What love life?”
I raise an eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right? Aren’t there always women throwing themselves at you?”
Wyatt turns to look at me. “Yeah, but no one that means anything,” he says, his voice tinged with sadness. “They’re just groupies looking for a night with Wyatt Brookes, the NFL player. They don’t care about me.”
I frown. “They can't all be like that, can they?”
He shrugs. “Maybe not, but how am I supposed to tell who actually wants me and who just wants the football player?”
I furrow my brows and reach across the car, squeezing his hand. “I’m sorry, Wyatt. I didn’t know you felt like that.”
He sighs. “I didn’t always feel this way. And don’t get me wrong, having women who only want a one-night thing has its perks, but after a while, it gets old, you know?”
I’m at a loss for words. Wyatt’s always had women vying for his attention, just like the rest of my brothers.
He’s always acted like he was fine with keeping things casual, but living in Hope Creek, we don’t see how intense things can get with his fans.
I can understand why he feels the way he does.
He lets out a heavy sigh. “I guess with everyone settling down, it just makes it more obvious that I’m alone and nowhere close to changing that.”
My heart aches for him. I’ve been in his shoes, and I know how hollow that feeling can be. I could tell him all the usual clichés, it’ll happen when you least expect it, or the right girl is out there, but I know that’s not what he needs to hear right now, even if there’s truth in it.
“It sucks, doesn’t it?” I say softly.
He gives me a faint, sad smile. “Yeah. It really does. And to top it all off, my publicist has signed me up for a charity auction. One of the prizes is… well, a night with me.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “A night with you?”
He lets out a heavy sigh. “Not like that,” he says, though his tone hints he’s not entirely convinced. “It’s supposed to be dinner and drinks, but I’m pretty sure some of the women bidding will expect it to end with more than just dessert.”
“Can’t you get out of it?” I ask. “Tell them you’re not comfortable with it?”
“I’ve tried,” he says, shaking his head. “Even offered to write a big check to the charity instead, but they’re insistent. They want me there.”
I grin. “Well then, I’ll just have to show up and bid on you. You can take me out for dinner in Phoenix.”
His eyes widen a little in surprise. “You’d actually do that?”
“Of course,” I say without hesitation. “When is it?”
“In a couple of months. You can stay the night at my place. There’ll be media coverage,” he warns. “Are you okay with that?”
I nod. “Sure.”
Relief floods his expression, softening his features. “Thank you, Ash. You have no idea how much easier that makes things.”
I smile. “It’s no trouble at all. I’m always up for a night out. You’ll just have to let me know what my bidding limit is.”
He chuckles. “There isn’t one. Whatever it takes to win.”
I nod with a grin. “Perfect. I’ve got no problem spending your money,” I say with a wink.
A few minutes later, the GPS directs me off the highway and into the parking lot of a rundown motel. Wyatt glances around as I slow to a stop.
“Do you know which car is hers?” he asks.
I shake my head, easing the car into park. “No idea. Ben just said she’s waiting inside the Starbucks.”
I turn off the engine and sit there for a second, taking a deep breath to steady myself. Wyatt’s already out of the car, and before I can move, he’s at my door, opening it for me.
“What are you doing?” I ask, raising an eyebrow at him.
He smirks. “Waiting for you to get out. What’s taking so long?”
I glance up at him. “I’m psyching myself up.”
He chuckles, offering his hand. “It’s going to be fine, Ash. Girls love you.”
I huff a laugh and shake my head. “Not this one.”
He gives me a look like he thinks I’m crazy. “Give her time. Once she gets to know you, she’s going to realize how lucky she is to have you in her corner.”
His words make my chest tighten in the best way, and I slip my hand into his. He helps me out of the car, and without thinking, I pull him into a quick hug.
“Thank you,” I whisper against his shoulder.
He squeezes me gently before stepping back. “Come on,” he says with a grin. “Let’s go find my number one fan.”
I laugh, looping my arm through his as we cross the parking lot toward Starbucks. I’m still nervous, but Wyatt’s easy confidence gives me a little bit of mine back. Normally, I’m good at holding my own, but this whole situation with Laney has me questioning everything.