here?”
“Yep. You know about my little sister. She is hell on wheels, literally. She races dirt bikes, and gives me a heart attack every single time she goes on one of those tracks. The stunts she pulls — criminy . I don’t think I’ll live to be an old man.”
Misty loved that he was an overprotective big brother. What would her life have been had she been raised with a brother? That is, if Damien really existed other than as a name scribbled on a piece of paper.
“And then I have an older brother. He’s a good man, the fire chief here, actually. He’s done it all, including firefighting in NYC. He finally got sick of the big city and came home a few years ago. My mom and dad, who still live here, were happy to get one of their kids home. I’m in and out, but gone a lot for work. They keep hoping I’ll eventually take a field office job and stay here. I haven’t found a reason to yet,” he said, and then looked into her eyes.
Was he saying she could be a reason? It had to be the alcohol buzz in her head, because there was no way a man would change his plans for her. She just wasn’t the type of woman for whom men would jump through hoops. If only…
“Then there’s my grandmother,” Bryson said with a groan.
“Is she okay?” Misty asked, making both Camden and Bryson laugh. “I don’t get it.”
“Sorry. You’d have to meet the woman. She’s in her late sixties, I think. Well, I can’t get anyone to tell me her actual age, but whatever age she is, it hasn’t slowed her down even the tiniest bit. The poor sheriff has even had to arrest her and her best friend, Bethel, for disturbing the peace.”
“Really?” Misty really, really wanted to meet this woman.
“Yes, really,” Camden said. “The poor sheriff is seventy now, and he gave both ladies a stern lecture, but they didn’t care. They’re recapturing their youth or something.”
“Yeah, I was surprised Cam’s dad wasn’t with them as a partner in crime. The three are pretty close,” Bryson added.
“Your grandma and his dad?” Misty was more confused.
“Yeah, my dad is older,” Cam said, “and Bryson’s grandma had his mom when she was quite young, so they’re close in age.”
“Oh, I wasn’t saying anything bad…”
“Don’t worry. We didn’t take it that way,” Camden reassured her.
“Do your parents get upset when things like that happen? The arrest, I mean.” Misty found it so nice to sit back and hear about their families. Jealousy was sitting there with her, but not the ugly kind. She just wondered what it would have been like to have her own stories like this to tell.
“Hell, no,” Bryson replied. “They think it’s great that grandma is having fun. The more she lives life, the longer she’ll be in this world. I wouldn’t be surprised if my parents join the terrible trio in a few years.”
“I think the sheriff will definitely retire if that happens,” Camden told them.
“Considering he would never be able to draw his weapon in a shootout, that may be his wisest choice,” Bryson said.
“Yeah, I don’t think Big Blue — his gun — has been shot in over twenty years,” Cam said.
“I’m sure there are cobwebs in the barrel, maybe even a few spiders’ nests.”
The men continued to banter back and forth until there was a tapping noise from the microphone. Then someone spoke. “Good evening, everyone. I hope you don’t mind if I play a few songs.”
The fork stopped halfway to Misty’s mouth, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head once she turned and looked up at the stage. Her heart was pounding.
“Uh, Mis…Magnolia, are you okay?”
She heard the words through a tunnel. This couldn’t be happening. Things like this didn’t happen to her. Not her . This kind of thing was for lucky people.
“Are you choking, honey?” Alyssa was patting her back.
“F…fi…fine,” Misty managed to stutter.
“Aw, don’t worry, boys. She’s just a bit starstruck. It happens to
“Yep. You know about my little sister. She is hell on wheels, literally. She races dirt bikes, and gives me a heart attack every single time she goes on one of those tracks. The stunts she pulls — criminy . I don’t think I’ll live to be an old man.”
Misty loved that he was an overprotective big brother. What would her life have been had she been raised with a brother? That is, if Damien really existed other than as a name scribbled on a piece of paper.
“And then I have an older brother. He’s a good man, the fire chief here, actually. He’s done it all, including firefighting in NYC. He finally got sick of the big city and came home a few years ago. My mom and dad, who still live here, were happy to get one of their kids home. I’m in and out, but gone a lot for work. They keep hoping I’ll eventually take a field office job and stay here. I haven’t found a reason to yet,” he said, and then looked into her eyes.
Was he saying she could be a reason? It had to be the alcohol buzz in her head, because there was no way a man would change his plans for her. She just wasn’t the type of woman for whom men would jump through hoops. If only…
“Then there’s my grandmother,” Bryson said with a groan.
“Is she okay?” Misty asked, making both Camden and Bryson laugh. “I don’t get it.”
“Sorry. You’d have to meet the woman. She’s in her late sixties, I think. Well, I can’t get anyone to tell me her actual age, but whatever age she is, it hasn’t slowed her down even the tiniest bit. The poor sheriff has even had to arrest her and her best friend, Bethel, for disturbing the peace.”
“Really?” Misty really, really wanted to meet this woman.
“Yes, really,” Camden said. “The poor sheriff is seventy now, and he gave both ladies a stern lecture, but they didn’t care. They’re recapturing their youth or something.”
“Yeah, I was surprised Cam’s dad wasn’t with them as a partner in crime. The three are pretty close,” Bryson added.
“Your grandma and his dad?” Misty was more confused.
“Yeah, my dad is older,” Cam said, “and Bryson’s grandma had his mom when she was quite young, so they’re close in age.”
“Oh, I wasn’t saying anything bad…”
“Don’t worry. We didn’t take it that way,” Camden reassured her.
“Do your parents get upset when things like that happen? The arrest, I mean.” Misty found it so nice to sit back and hear about their families. Jealousy was sitting there with her, but not the ugly kind. She just wondered what it would have been like to have her own stories like this to tell.
“Hell, no,” Bryson replied. “They think it’s great that grandma is having fun. The more she lives life, the longer she’ll be in this world. I wouldn’t be surprised if my parents join the terrible trio in a few years.”
“I think the sheriff will definitely retire if that happens,” Camden told them.
“Considering he would never be able to draw his weapon in a shootout, that may be his wisest choice,” Bryson said.
“Yeah, I don’t think Big Blue — his gun — has been shot in over twenty years,” Cam said.
“I’m sure there are cobwebs in the barrel, maybe even a few spiders’ nests.”
The men continued to banter back and forth until there was a tapping noise from the microphone. Then someone spoke. “Good evening, everyone. I hope you don’t mind if I play a few songs.”
The fork stopped halfway to Misty’s mouth, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head once she turned and looked up at the stage. Her heart was pounding.
“Uh, Mis…Magnolia, are you okay?”
She heard the words through a tunnel. This couldn’t be happening. Things like this didn’t happen to her. Not her . This kind of thing was for lucky people.
“Are you choking, honey?” Alyssa was patting her back.
“F…fi…fine,” Misty managed to stutter.
“Aw, don’t worry, boys. She’s just a bit starstruck. It happens to
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