Summer Lovin'

Chapter Twelve

(May 2009)

The obnoxious sound of my phone vibrating against my dresser caused my eyes to squint open. I peaked at the time, only one person would call me so early and she's lucky that I would answer for her no matter how much sleep I had gotten the night before.

I felt Gavin's arm tighten around me and I couldn't help but cringe as I rolled out of his grips.

I answered my phone whispering, "good morning", as I grabbed a sweater and a clean pair of underwear. I padded towards the kitchen needing coffee.

Josie swore loudly, "I completely forgot it was your night to close last night, I'm so sorry."

I laughed it off and responded truthfully, "you are more important than sleep! Plus don't worry, I wouldn't have been able to sleep much longer anyway Gavin snores like a trucker."

"Gavin?" she chuckled, "I thought you were breaking it off with Gavin like a month ago?"

I sighed as I scooped the coffee into the filter, I had tried to do just that. Not because there was anything wrong with Gavin, he was perfect. The problem was that his feelings were way stronger than mine. I felt luke warm... at best, his feelings were set at boiling and I didn't think I would catch up.

About a month ago, we had sat down and I had been stone cold honest about it all. I felt it was important because I knew what it was like to be the one that loved harder in a situation. He didn't deserve that, yet somehow he had convinced me that my feelings would grow and that he was OK with the fact that I didn't feel the exact same way.

He had faith in us. He was without a doubt one of the sweetest guys I'd ever come across and I wished that my feelings could match his, but I knew we were on our last legs.

The more time that passed, the more constricting I found the entire relationship and I knew I needed to end it sooner, rather than later.

Instead of sharing all that with Josie, I changed the subject asking, "how was your first day?"

She groaned, "exactly what they told me it was going to be."

I turned my head to watch the dripping of the coffee considering the mathematics of: at what point I could pour myself a cup and not have it be "demolish my tastebuds" strong.

I decided it'd be safer to wait another minute and asked, "old boys club eh?"

About a week ago, she had been taken out of her policing course and been placed in an actual police unit.

She hadn't shared a whole lot with me but I knew she was being placed in, to try to weed out some of the wrongdoings that were happening. I also knew that she was posing as the niece of the chief of police.

The idea was to make everyone think she was just a pretty face, hired through nepotism but completely useless at her job.

Although she wasn't allowed to talk about much, I knew Josie well enough to read between the lines. She was incredibly overwhelmed with the way her career was starting off and incredibly annoyed that she had to play dumb. She had always hated being misjudged based on her looks.

It appeared that neither of us really wanted to analyze our own lives right now though because she also changed the subject. "I actually am calling to ask a favour, a really big favour."

I poured my coffee and waited for her to keep going, "I'm worried about my dad, and I thought maybe you'd be able to help."

I took a sip dreading where this was going, her dad was in Fenelon. I had avoided going back to Fenelon for years. The entirety of my university career to be exact.

I stayed silent and I could hear her desperation through the phone. "I would head back but I've just started this new job and plus he would see through me in a heart beat."

I couldn't help but laugh at her verbal onslaught, "hey, take a breath and slow down, Tiger. What's going on exactly?"

I could hear her deep inhale and then gritted my teeth at her words, "My dads working himself to death. I'm worried about him Hails."

Fuck, there wasn't a lot that would get me back to Fenelon but Jon needing help, that'd do it. Josie and her dad were more than my friends, they were family.

I took another sip of my coffee, contemplating. I had planned on continuing to bartend here and run my swimming lessons on the side until I knew where I wanted to go next. I needed to find a teaching job, the problem was I didn't know where I wanted to teach. Although I had just finished up teachers college, I hadn't applied anywhere. I was keeping my options open.

I could easily work at Jon's brewery and pick up a lifeguarding job during the day in Fenelon.

My family had enough that I didn't have to work as much as I did, but was adamant that I wanted to take as little of my dad's money as possible.

Josie, mistaking my silence for a negative response started to ramble, "I know why you don't want to go back but it's been long enough don't you think? I was babysitting Avery the other day and Claire said they're going to spend some of the summer back in Fenelon. You know you want to spend some time with your family."

I couldn't help the little spike of jealousy that rocked through me at the fact that Josie got to spend time with Avery without me.

My parents had been blessed with a baby two years ago and she was the light of my life. I wish I had known years ago that she was going to come into my world because I would have chosen Toronto instead of Montreal when I'd gone to school.

At the time I had just wanted out of Fenelon. It hadn't registered, how hard it would be to be so far away from my family.

The nice thing is that my dad travels to Montreal with the Leafs often enough that they get to visit me lots, and the last couple summers I worked in Toronto so that I could be close to them all.

I had been considering staying in Montreal this year knowing that they were planning on spending so much time in Fenelon and I knew that Josie was right. I wanted to be close to my family. Although she wasn't really one to talk.

I said, "alright alright, I hear you. Yes, I'll do it. I'll call your Dad today to get the scoop." Then not able to keep my mouth shut, "F.Y.I. I think it's rich that you're saying it's about time for me to go home. Pot meet kettle."

She gave the awkward laugh of an individual knowing their bullshit had been rightly called out and sadly said, "I know. I'm sorry."

I felt horrible, not really knowing why she had run away so fast but knowing it had to have been really bad. "You know, you can tell me what happened if you want? I would fuck Lincoln up in a second for you."

She sighed and said, "no. I don't want to cause any more damage with you and the Sawyer family. Leave it alone, please?"

I knew where she was coming from but the Sawyer family and I really weren't as close as we once had been. I carefully responded, "I love you and whenever you want to share what happened with you and Lincoln, I'm here."

I could hear the tears in her voice as she responded, "I love you! Thanks for doing this. I've got to go to work but I'll check in tomorrow after you talk to my dad, if you act like you need the job, he'll be really receptive."

I understood what she was leaving out, don't tell Jon that I was back at her request. "I love you too" I mumbled and then hung up the phone, blinking hard at what I had just agreed to.

A/N- okay so if you've read, "A First Love..." you're probably like I didn't know Hailey had a sister or a step mom lol 🤷‍♀️

I didn't either. As this story unfolds, I'm finding more and more out about my "A First Love..." characters and I love it.

I also didn't know that Hailey was going back to help Jon find a work/life balance 🤓

That also just happened. 🤪

Thoughts? Do you like the idea of finding out about Josie's first undercover assignment though Hailey and Gabriel's story?

Are you ready for her to go home?