The large oak trees signaled the turn into the trailer park Beau had lived in all his life. The rich beauty of the southern landscape as you pulled onto the gravel road was deceiving. Once I drove past the large trees, the scenery drastically changed. Weathered trailers with old cars up on blocks and battered toys scattered the yards. More than one window was covered by wood or plastic. I didn’t gawk at my surroundings. Even the man sitting on his porch steps in nothing but his underwear and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth didn’t surprise me. I knew this trailer park well. It was a part of my childhood. I came to a stop in front of Beau’s trailer.
I took a deep breath then turned to look at Beau. “I never talk in class. Not to anyone but the teacher. You never talk to me at lunch so I have no reason to look your way. Attracting your attention leads to you making fun of me. And, at the field, I’m not looking at you with disgust. I’m looking at Nicole with disgust. You could really do much better than her.” I stopped myself before I said anything stupid.
He tilted his head to the side as if studying me. “You don’t like Nicole much, do you? You don’t have to worry about her hang up with Sawyer. He knows what he’s got and he isn’t going to mess it up. Nicole can’t compete with you.”
Nicole had a thing for Sawyer? She was normally mauling Beau. I’d never picked up on her liking Sawyer. I knew they’d been an item in seventh grade for like a couple of weeks but that was junior high school. It didn’t really count. Besides, she was with Beau. Why would she be interested in anyone else?
“I didn’t know she liked Sawyer,” I replied, still not sure I believed him. Sawyer was so not her type.
“You sound surprised,” Beau replied.
“Well, I am actually. I mean, she has you. Why does she want Sawyer?”
A pleased smile touched his lips, making his hazel eyes light up. I hadn’t meant to say anything he could misconstrue the way he was obviously doing.
He reached for the door handle before pausing and glancing back at me. “I didn’t know my teasing bothered you, Ash. I’ll stop.”
That hadn’t been what I was expecting him to say. Unable to think of a response I sat there holding his gaze.
“I’ll get your car switched back before your parents see my truck at your house in the morning.” He stepped out of the truck and I watched him walk toward the door of his trailer with one of the sexiest swaggers known to man. Beau and I had needed to have this talk. Even if it meant my imagination was going to go wild for a while where he was concerned. My secret attraction to the town’s bad boy had to remain a secret.
The next morning I found my car parked in the driveway as promised, with a note wedged under the windshield wipers. I reached for it and a small smile touched my lips.
Thanks for last night. I’ve missed you. He had simply signed it ‘B’.
Chapter 2
Ashton,
Hey baby. I’m sorry I am just now responding to your email. Our internet here’s not real dependable and 3G is non-existent so my phone is no help. I miss you like crazy. I think about you all day and wonder what you’re doing. We’re spending most of our days hiking. The trail we took yesterday led to an amazing waterfall. After five miles uphill in the heat the ice-cold water at the falls felt great. I kept wishing you were here.
It is safe to say my future is not in fishing. I suck at it. Cade is kicking my tail in catches. He told me yesterday I needed to stick with football. LOL. I am enjoying my time with him. Thanks for understanding how much I needed to do this. He needs me right now. His big brother will be leaving in a year and I’ll be a phone call away but I won’t be there to watch his football practice or help him with his first crush. I’m trying to share all my wisdom with him now.
I love you, Ashton Sutley Gray, so very much. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.
Sawyer
Sawyer,
I figured your delayed response had to do with internet issues. The connection up in the mountains can’t be that great. At least not up in a secluded cabin like y’all are in. I miss you too. I’m glad you’re getting in some big brother time with Cade. I know it means so much to him.
As for me, I am working at the church a good bit. Nothing much to do with you gone. I haven’t been going to the field on the weekends. I clean the church mostly then rent a movie. Leann and Noah are together officially now. When she isn’t working she is with him. So, that leaves me without anyone. I’m so used to spending all my time with you. Give Cade and Catherine a hug from me.
I am counting down the days until I see your face again.
Love u Bunches,
Ashton
I stared at the computer screen after I clicked send. The fact I hadn’t mentioned Beau bothered me a little. I started to tell him about giving Beau and Nicole a drive home. We never really talked about Beau anymore. Sawyer does sometimes when he’s worried about him. Most of Sawyer’s life he’s taken care of Beau.
Beau was the son of the Vincent brother who had lived a wild life up until the day he crashed his motorcycle into an eighteen-wheeler. Beau had been in first grade when it happened. I remember his eyes being bloodshot from crying for months. He would sneak out of his trailer and come to my house in the middle of the night. I’d slip outside my window and we would sit on my roof for hours thinking of things we could do to make him feel better. Normally those ideas would lead to serious mischief that Sawyer had to bail us out of.
Sawyer was the son of the good Vincent brother, the oldest of the two. He had gone to law school and made a fortune defending the average Joe against insurance companies. The town loved Harris Vincent and his beautiful church-going, junior-league-member, tennis-playing wife, Samantha Vincent, and of course their talented all-American oldest son.
This town wasn’t big and, like any small southern town, we all knew everyone’s business. Their past was common knowledge. Their parents’ past was no secret. You didn’t have secrets in Grove, Alabama. It wasn’t possible—well, except maybe at the field. In the dark shadows of the pecan grove that surrounded the large open field where the Mason boys held their famous parties I’m sure were many secrets. It was the only place the little ol’ ladies couldn’t watch you from their front porch swing and the only eyes around were too busy with their own mischief to notice yours.
Reaching over, I picked up the picture Sawyer had framed and given to me of us at a field party last month. His kind smile and bright green eyes made me feel guilty. I hadn’t done anything wrong really. I’d just left out the fact I had helped Beau get home safe last night. I should have told him. Setting the picture back down on the desk, I stood up and walked over to the closet to find something to wear. I needed to get out of the house. This summer was going to go by at a snail’s pace if I didn’t find something to do. My Grana was back home from visiting her sister up in Savannah. I could go volunteer at the nursing home, then go visit Grana. That way, when I emailed Sawyer tomorrow, I could tell him I’d gone to the nursing home to see his grandmother. He’d like that.