Page 19 of Happy Trails & Honey Pots

Dawson sighed. “I know she’s not too happy about the movie, but I think it’s just painful for her. You didn’t know what they were like together. They were…”

I waited, but Dawson didn’t continue, as if he couldn’t put what they shared into words.

“I wish I could have seen them together.” I glanced over at Zoe.

“Actually, I have a ton of videos of Austin and Zoe, and Austin and the guys. Just stupid stuff I shot on my phone when we were kids and teenagers. Do you want me to send them to you?” Harlan offered.

“Would you?” I’d wanted to ask Zoe and Walter if they had any videos, but it hadn’t felt like the right time.

“Yeah. No problem,” Harlan easily agreed.

“Thanks.”

As I watched Zoe across the room, laughing and talking with her friends. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she had wispy hair at the base of her neck. My hands were itching to touch her there. To run my fingers along the fine strands, brushing them to the side before pressing my lips to her soft skin.

Harlan laughed at something, snapping me out of my lust haze. I blinked and turned my attention back to the table. When I did, I realized I had a half-chub. This woman could get me semi-hard from one look at the back of her neck across the room. I was in trouble. Serious trouble.

9

ZOE

“Canyou believeMiles Fordis here?” Sandy Williams whispered, peering down at us below her white and red Slice of Heaven visor as she set down our large half pepperoni, half cheese thick crust pizza. Her ample cleavage spilled out of her low V-neck tee as she leaned across the table.

Miles had walked in when I was in line, but he was intercepted by Harlan, so I hadn’t had to speak to him. I’d heard Harlan invite him to the traditional post-pizza game ritual. Thankfully, another part of the ritual was that the girls and boys sat on opposite sides of the pizza parlor. It was like a middle school dance. Although I’d never stood on the sidelines during the middle school dances, Austin made sure of that.

“The entire town is talking about him, and he’shere,” Sandy’s breaths were choppy, “in Slice of Heaven.”

“Yes, he is,” Nadia agreed emphatically.

“Do you think he’ll take a picture with me?” Sandy ran her hand down her ponytail.

“He’s been taking pictures with everyone else. I don’t see why not.” Daphne pointed out.

“Is it true that he’s going to play your Austin in the movie?” Sandy placed both her hands over her chest as she stared down at me with a combination of pity and curiosity.

That was another reason I didn’t want this movie made. People had just stopped saying poor before my name. Poor Zoe. Maybe they didn’t say it to my face, but I heard them. I didn’t need their pity. I didn’t want their pity. Their pity didn’t bring Austin back.

“I think so.”

“Wow, that’s…you must be over the moon. Miles Ford. And Austin, he must be lookin’ down just as happy as a clam in high water.” She turned her attention back across the room. “Alright, ladies, wish me luck; I’m goin’ in.”

“Good luck,” Daphne and Nadia chorused.

“So that’s probably something you’re gonna have to get used to,” Nadia pointed out as she reached across the table, picked up a piece of pizza, placed it on a paper plate, and put it in front of me.

“Is that why you don’t want the movie to happen?” Daphne asked. “Sorry if that’s insensitive.”

Daphne was the newest member of our group. She’d only lived in town for about six months. Nadia and I were born and raised in Firefly Island and had been besties since grade school. Ashley moved to town a year or so ago from California to be closer to her niece and sister, Skylar. Technically, the group extended to Reagan, who was Nadia’s college roommate and married to Billy Comfort. Cheyenne, who was the youngest sister of the Comfort brothers but was raised by her grandparents in New York. Skylar (Ashley’s sister), who was married to the oldest Comfort brother Hank. And Isabella, who was also from up North and was now married to the youngest Comfort brother, Jimmy. But those ladies were always loved up with their hubbies, so it ended up being the four single ladies more oftenthan not. However, Daphne was no longer a single lady since she was now rocking a large diamond on her left ring finger.

“No, it’s fine.” I was aware that the bottom of all my friends’ feet had to be sore from all of the eggshells they’d walked on regarding this movie, but since it seemed as though it was actually happening, it was time to rip the Band-Aid off and discuss it. This seemed as good a time as any. “I just…I know that there is no way they will be able to encapsulate who Austin was in ninety minutes. And then there will be…however many people see the movie, thousands or more people who thinkthey know him who have no clue who he actually was. I mean, there’s all that controversy overThe Blind Sidemovie. And the subject of that movie is still alive. Austin’s not here to defend himself if they get it wrong.”

“Wait, isthatwhy you don’t want it made?” Nadia questioned.

“Yeah. Why did you think I didn’t?”

“I just thought it was because it was too painful for you to talk about him, so having a movie about him would be too much to handle.”

That was part of it, but no. That wouldn’t be fair, especially since Walter and AJ both wanted the movie to happen.

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