Page 21 of Who the Heart Chooses

This is one of those times.

“The last time we saw each other, you barely looked at me,” she says, an edge to her words.

“I must have gone temporarily blind then.”

The corner of her mouth lifts, which I take as a win. Any glimmer of relief I can bring to her feels productive, even if I’m lying. I could never go blind when it comes to this woman.

“Easton? Is that you?” Ava finally lifts her head and walks over to us.

“Mrs. Riley.”

“Come on, Easton. You know you can call me Ava.”

I take her hand in mine, giving it a small squeeze. “He’s going to be okay, Ava. It’s going to take a lot more than a heart attack to take down Bruce Riley.”

Ava laughs as a tear slips free. “From your lips to God’s ears, sweetie.”

Bruce is not only the chief of the fire department in Garnet Valley, but also a man I truly admire. Losing him would be a loss that not just the Riley family would feel.

“It’s gotta be all that damn pork,” Ava continues. “The man never could turn down bacon. But guess what? If he gets out of here, he’s going to form a much more intimate relationship with chicken and turkey.”

“Not if. When,” I correct her. “When he gets out of here.”

She sucks in a shaky breath and pulls me in for a hug. “Thank you for being here.”

I look over to Lennon as I hug her mom. “No place else I’d rather be.”

***

“I’m fine,” Bruce grumbles as Ava holds his hand, leading him into their house. I spent all afternoon tidying up and going grocery shopping to make sure that Ava wouldn’t have to leave once they got Bruce home.

It’s been a week since Bruce underwent surgery, but today he finally gets to sit in his favorite recliner and sleep in his own bed—the only two things he kept complaining about during his stay in the hospital.

Lennon follows closely behind with Bruce’s things, smiling at me when we make eye contact. Her eyes dip down my torso. “Pink is a good color on you. You should wear it more often.”

The apron I found in the kitchen adorns my chest and stomach because I was making a low-fat version of lasagna, since it’s one of the only things I know how to make, it’s also my favorite food, and I knew it could feed a crowd, or at least Ava and Bruce for a few days.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I arch a brow at her. “If you think I won’t make pink my thing just to prove a point, you’ve got another thing coming.”

Lennon chuckles. “I don’t doubt that you’d rise to the challenge, Easton. But seriously, an apron?”

“I didn’t want to get sauce on my shirt.”

“Okay, that’s valid.”

The past seven days have felt like slipping back into another time—before prom, before I opened my mouth and said words I couldn’t take back, before I made avoiding Lennon one of my top priorities—which wasn’t hard once I left for lineman school and haven’t really stopped working since.

My boss wasn’t happy when I told him I needed more time, but I know I’m needed more here.

My bank account won’t be full this week, but my heart sure has been.

After showing up to the hospital, I made taking care of the Riley siblings my only task. I contacted the athletics department to let them know what was happening so Hudson could be present with his dad. I also delivered practice plans to the facility on his behalf, and looked after his son, James, while Hudson visited his dad in the hospital. The little dude is six now and a ball of energy.

Sloane, the second oldest, had to return to California after only three days because of her teaching job and her husband apparently wasn’t equipped to handle their daughter on his own, but she thanked me for being here when she couldn’t be.

I still haven’t told my brother that she was here though. On some level, I’m sure he knew, but better not to confirm his suspicions since her presence always puts him on edge.

Blair kept the fire station running, which I know she enjoyed thoroughly. When the middle child of the five Riley siblings told her father she wanted to be a firefighter like him, you would have thought she told them she wanted to skydive without a parachute.