Page 31 of Forever To Me

“Yours are great too,” I smile.

“Are you sure you don’t want to be a baker? I think you might have found your calling,” she says.

I already found my passion. I just lost it all. Maybe I can be a baker if I can’t get my crap together with music again.

Chapter 11

Walker

The wind rushes past Ollie and me as we cruise down the highway on our motorcycles, the hum of the engines filling the late afternoon air. We went on a relaxing ride—just two guys clearing our heads before a long night at The Black Dog for me and a shift at the Bridger Falls fire station for Ollie.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. Thinking it could be Mack, and I’d better take it, I signal to Ollie that I’m pulling over. I slowly pull off and pull out my phone and read the screen. “Hold up, Cami’s calling.”

“Cami?” he asks in surprise. “Why is my sister calling you?”

“I don’t know.” I sigh, already knowing this probably means trouble. Cami doesn’t call unless she needs something. I answer on speaker. “Hey, Cam, what’s up?”

Cami’s voice was sharp, impatient. “Have you seen my brother? He’s not answering his phone?”

Ollie pulls his phone out of his pocket and looks at it, cursing.

“Is that him? Are you together?” she asks.

“We’re out on our bikes. What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Violet broke down on the old county road just outside of town. Think one of you can go get her?”

Now I know Cami could go get her, but this is her way of meddling just like Maggie does, trying to get me to go get Violet. And I don’t even mind. I want to be the one to go get her.

My grip tightens on my handlebars. I know I have no claim over Red—hell, we shared one night, and that was it. But the thought of Ollie riding up on his bike, Red climbing onto the back, and wrapping her arms around him? Not happening.

“No way,” I bark before Ollie could even answer. “I got it.”

Ollie shoots me a confused look. “You sure? I don’t mind?—”

I twist the throttle. “I said I got it.”

Ollie huffs out a laugh, shaking his head. “Alright, man. Have fun with that.”

“I got her, Cami,” I clip and disconnect.

Not sticking around for any more commentary, I gun it down the highway, heading straight for Violet. I can’t stand the thought of her being alone out there. We don’t have much crime around these parts, but I don’t want to take any chances.

Violet stands beside her beat-up car, arms crossed, scowling at the engine as if it personally offended her. Her bright red hair is pulled into a messy bun, stray strands blowing in the wind, and the sun sets behind her, casting a golden glow on her hair.

When she hears the rumble of my bike approaching, she looks up, startled. Her expression softens, then shifts to something unreadable.

“You’re not Ollie,” she says as I cut the engine.

“Good observation,” I smirk, swinging a leg over my bike and sauntering toward her. “Cami called Ollie, but I figured I’d save him the trouble. We were on a ride together.”

Red narrows her eyes. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

I shrug nonchalantly, even as my pulse feels like it kicks up a notch. “You got a problem with me helping?”

She studies me for a beat, then shakes her head. “No. Just surprised, that’s all.”

I ignore the way her voice stirs something deep in my chest. I head over to her engine and look at it. I lift a few things and turn to her. “My guess is this won’t be an easy fix. Poppy will have to come get it.”

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