“Minnie, are you sure you and Owen can handle things next week?” I know the answer. It’s a stupid question. Minnie runs my business better than I do. And Owen? Since she came into his life he’s a completely different person. He’s always been one of my best friends but settling down with her? It’s made him more reliable.
“Whoever said there are no stupid questions was a liar. Yes, Jameson, I’m sure. This is a huge thing for Ashton, and I know how special you want to make the week. Go, enjoy. Make her dreams happen.”
I flop into my chair dramatically. Some days I have no idea if I’m doing the right thing. I’ve been tossing around the idea of booking a recording studio for Ashton since she started singing again. I talked to her parents and, although they had reservations at first, both agreed this may be exactly what she needs. But, they haven’t seen her over the last few weeks. The idea of singing at the wedding, an event that will only be attended by the people she’s closest to, has put stress on her and she is not handling it very well.
Not to mention, I may have talked to her dad about a very important question I plan on asking her. But, seeing as how she’s been crying at the drop of a hat for the last month or so, I can’t see any of this going well.
“Maybe I should cancel.” I should. I need Minnie, who has quickly become one of Ashton’s best friends, to tell me to do it.
“You’re an idiot. You should not cancel.” Minnie looks at me like I’ve completely lost my mind. “You are going to take your girlfriend, the one you’ve asked her father for permission to ask a very important question, on a trip where you’ll smother her with love and make two of her biggest dreams a reality. Stop being a ninny.”
“A ninny? And what two? The studio time is a given. She’s wanted to sing a Dolly Parton song and have it on CD since she was a kid. But, what’s the other?”
“Marrying you,” she scoffs. “Seriously, how do you run this successful business?”
“Umm, Min, you run my business at this point.”
“Excellent point. I should give myself a raise.”
We both laugh, and the tension I was feeling earlier dissipates. Our days rarely vary, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s a blessing. When I started this company, I had no idea what I was doing. But, over time, Strauss Construction has become quite successful and we’ve built an excellent reputation. In the past year, I’ve hired and promoted Owen to foreman and brought Minnie on to run the office. It’s freed my time to build community relationships and work toward larger projects, away from the smaller remodels we’ve been doing.
This past weekend at my lake property with the guys for Ben’s bachelor party really solidified that I’m moving my life in the right direction. A year ago, we were all single and not nearly as successful or happy as we are now. What a difference a year makes. Hell, last summer I would have been at my cabin with a different girl every weekend. Sure, I was trying to screw a certain brunette out of my mind and my memories, but regardless, it’s how I would have been spending my time.
Instead, the four of us packed up our trucks and headed for a weekend of fishing, whiskey, and razzing the groom-to-be. Ben makes picking on him easy since he is so in touch with his feminine side and has no problem talking about his love for Piper. I, on the other hand, hold back a little. I mean, the woman I love is his little sister. The last thing he wants to hear is about how she prefers reverse cowgirl on any given night. Boundaries and what not.
Monday nights are still guys’ night. We meet up at Country Road for the football game, beers, and wings. It’s a bonus for me because my girl works there, and I get extra special attention. Except tonight, instead of working as usual, Ashton is with Piper and Minnie, working on last minute wedding stuff. Well, Ash and Minnie are working on stuff. Piper’s been sick since her bachelorette party at our house.
I pull up to Country Road and see Taylor’s Harley parked under the lights. Taylor’s a cool guy and, even though he’s technically Ashton’s boss, they work side-by-side like equals and share a brother-sister friendship that is like the actual brother-sister relationship Ashton has with Ben. When Ash and I were dancing around each other for years, stupid stubbornness on both our parts, I was a little jealous of how close Taylor and Ashton were. But, now I’m grateful someone is keeping an eye on her when I’m not. Plus it helps to have an ally when I’m trying to pull a surprise trip off and need to get my girl some time off from work.
Country Road isn’t a dive bar or the honky-tonk it was twenty years ago. But, it’s still a bar, and the idea of my girl working here late at night doesn’t always sit well with me. Tonight, it’s not rowdy or full of a bunch of people looking to get wasted and hookup. Nope, tonight it’s football fans decked out in their favorite team jerseys and over the top accessories, drinking beer and giving each other a hard time.
As I open the door, I’m greeted with a roar of cheers and a few jeers. One of the teams must have scored, and if the level of sound is an indicator, it must be the home team. That’ll make Landon happy. I spot the man himself high-fiving a group of guys at the table next to our usual as I approach.
“There you are; we thought you were bailing on us.” Owen is already pouring me a pint of beer before he finishes his statement. I lift it to my mouth and instead of responding with words, I flip him off. That about covers it.
“What’s the score?”
“The Pack just ran it back to make it ten nothing.” Landon is beaming with so much pride, you’d think he actually played for Green Bay.
“Looks like we need another pitcher. Should I put in for a few orders of wings?” I ask but don’t bother waiting for an answer. I make my way across the room, acknowledging a few guys I know and high-fiving some of my employees sitting at the bar. I need to talk with Taylor and make sure he is still good with me taking Ashton out of town next week.
“Hey man,” I say to a waiting Taylor as I push the now empty pitcher toward him.
“What’s up? Another?”
“Yeah, thanks. Oh, and a couple orders of wings and a large basket of fries.”
After a few minutes, Taylor returns with a fresh pitcher and four icy pint glasses. “You still okay with Ash having next week off?” I ask as I take the handle of the pitcher in my hand.
“Yeah, it’s no problem. I knew these two weeks with the wedding and your trip would be chaotic so I planned ahead. Of course, when she gets back I’m going to need her help. Beth put in her notice today.”
“Beth? Really? Where’s she going?” Beth’s a cool girl, and we’re friends. Well, before Ashton and I were together, we hung out a bit. In the biblical sense. But, it was never more than a friends-with-benefits situation. She was a welcome distraction with no strings, and we both kept each other company when necessary. Honestly, if it wasn’t for Beth I’m not sure if Ashton and I would have taken the next step. Her open flirtation with me in front of Ash really catapulted our relationship.
“No clue. But, it sucks for me. She’s one of our best waitresses.”
“Bummer. Hopefully you’ll find someone soon. You haven’t mentioned next week to Ash, have you? I was still hoping to surprise her after the wedding.”
“Not a word. I even put up a fake schedule for next week. She asked why we were doubled up a few days, but I played it off like there was extra inventory and shit to do. She looked relieved. What’s up with her lately?”
“I have no idea.” I sigh. “She says it’s stress. I hope this surprise isn’t the catalyst to send her over the edge.”
I hang out at the bar, talking to Taylor about the wedding on Saturday. He offered to order the beer and wine we’ll have at the reception, so I’m making sure it’s still set to be delivered to the house later this week. He may not be one of our childhood friends, but Taylor has been an easy addition to our group even if he hasn’t offered much about his past.
By halftime, I’ve eaten half my weight in wings and fries, had a few beers, and watched Landon dance around like the Packers fan he is. His team takes a twenty-one nothing lead, and I figure I can catch the end of the game at home. I remind Owen of the early start we both have tomorrow before leaving.
One of the upsides to small-town living, other than the low housing prices, is how quickly I’m able to make it across town and home. When I pull up to our house, I park behind Ashton’s little green car and sit in the dark for a few minutes. It’s hard to believe just a few months ago, Ashton was just my best friend’s sister, and the girl I shared two secret encounters with. Now, she’s the woman I come home to every night. The woman I hope next week will be wearing a little something on her left hand.
Ashton Sullivan is my future.