Chasing Castles (Finding Focus #2) (24 page)

I don’t give up that easy.

But hearing Deacon say that makes me want everything, even things I know I can’t have.

“You’re still planning on coming to the Grand Opening tonight, right?” he asks, changing the subject and I feel the atmosphere shift, allowing me to breathe a little easier.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Cool,” he says, standing from his spot. “Do you need a ride? I’m sure Mom and Dad wouldn’t mind if you ride with them. Unless you’re planning on riding with your dad and Kay.”

“Nah, I don’t want to make people leave early if I need to come home before they’re ready. I’m planning on just driving myself.”

He looks at me for a second. His beautiful face telling me he doesn’t approve of me driving by myself. “Okay. You sure?”

“Positive. I’ll see ya tonight.”

“Okay.”

“Call if you need anything,” he calls back as he walks away.

Like I would call him for anything on a night like tonight, but just the fact that he offers makes my heart flutter, feeling things it shouldn’t.

Later that evening, after a shower and a change of clothes, I pull on a denim dress that does a good job of hiding my bump, and I hit the road to Baton Rouge. It feels good to be out and about. I haven’t done much of anything since the night Deacon drove me home from New Orleans. Two doctor visits and work at the diner has been my extent of fun.

I’m ready to think about something else and get my mind off of things, even if it’s just for a few hours.

Pulling up in front of the rustic building, my stomach flutters. It’s not the baby. It’s excitement.

I couldn’t be happier for Deacon and Micah. They’ve both worked so hard to open this restaurant, putting hours upon hours of blood, sweat, and tears into it. Most people probably think Sam and Annie footed the bill, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Deacon secured the loan by putting up his cottage for collateral. If things go badly, that’s a lot to have at stake, but the good news is that things have been going great.

Deacon said that business has been steady and getting better by the day. Their hopes are that with this grand opening, they’ll be able to bring in new customers and give people a real glance at what they can expect every time they come in the door—a unique atmosphere with great food and great music.

Tucker’s band, Hard Limits, is playing tonight, and I have to admit, I’m almost as excited about seeing my brother and watching his band play than I am the grand opening.

As I walk in, my mouth drops. I haven’t seen this place in a long time, and I’m floored by the transformation. The exposed brick walls give it a vintage feel, and the subtle lighting makes it inviting. The bar is tucked back underneath the second-floor loft, and a good-sized stage is at the other end, leaving a wide open area for tables and a dance floor.

It’s amazing.

“There you are,” Deacon says, catching me off guard.

I whirl around and clutch my chest, partially in shock. That’s twice he’s nearly scared the pee out of me, but I’m going to let it slide this time.

“Deacon,” I say, with praise. “This place is so amazing!”

“You think so?” he asks, looking around at his restaurant.
His
restaurant.

I watch as the proud smile widens on his face, his blue-green eyes sparkling with happiness and his adorable dimples shining through the scruff on his face.

“Yes. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I walked in. It looks so different from when I was here last time.”

“I was hopin’ you’d think so,” he says, still beaming.

“Yeah, I’m so proud of you,” I tell him.

“Thank you.”

“Way to chase your castles,” I say with a wink.

“Learned from the best,” he says pulling me into a side hug.

“Deacon,” a voice calls out from behind him, interrupting our moment.

When Deacon turns, I see Janie walking in the door.

I almost forgot about her. Almost.

“Hey,” Deacon says, bending down to kiss her. “I was wonderin’ when you’d show up.”

I pretend like everything else in the room is so much more interesting than the two of them, but I can’t help eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Sorry,” she says. “I thought I was never going to get out of the lab tonight.”

“It’s fine. I’m just glad you’re here,” Deacon replies.

I look closer around the room, trying to find someone else I know. It seems as though I’m here before everyone. I thought Tucker would at least be here by now.

“Cami,” Deacon says as he touches my arm to get my attention. “You remember Janie, right?”

“Yeah, I do.” I plaster a smile on my face and give her a stiff one-handed wave. “Hello.”

“Hey,” she says, smiling in return, but I don’t miss the way her eyes travel from my head to my toes. And I wonder if she knows . . . about the baby? I’m sure Deacon’s told her and it makes me self-conscious.

A shuffle of people coming through the door is my saving grace, and thankfully, it’s Annie and Sam, followed by my daddy and Kay. A flood of relief rushes through me, and I take sanctuary in one of Annie’s hugs.

“You should’ve waited and rode with us,” she chides.

“I didn’t want to impose,” I tell her, leaning over to accept a kiss on my cheek from Sam.

“We stopped by to check on you, and you were already gone,” Kay adds in.

“I’m fine, guys. Really. I just thought I’d drive myself in case I needed to go home early or stay late,” I say, shrugging. Last time I checked, I’m twenty-two, not twelve. That’s what I want to add, but I don’t, because they’re just their overprotective selves, and they can’t help it.

“Hey, Cam,” my dad says, pulling me into a hug. “How’re you feelin’?” He pulls back and looks at me with the eye of a skilled doctor.

“Feelin’ fine, Daddy,” I assure him.

Deacon shows us to a large booth he has saved for us, and it gives us a great view of the stage.

“Tucker is supposed to set up in about ten minutes,” he says. “I’m gonna go check to see where his ass is at.”

Annie swats at him, telling him to be nice.

I smile at him, loving that some things never change, like Deacon and Tucker getting on each other’s nerves.

Janie didn’t sit with us, and I see her sitting at a pub-style table closer to the stage. I watch her for a minute, wondering what she’s really like. I’ve only ever seen her when she’s with Deacon, and we’ve never talked much. I wonder how serious the two of them are, and when I think about that my chest aches.

She looks around the room until she spots Deacon and then her eyes follow him around. She doesn’t seem clingy, just like she wants to be where he’s at, and I get that. Deacon is like sunshine on a warm summer’s day. Everyone wants to be in his presence. I don’t blame her. But I don’t like her. And I have no idea where that thought just came from.

I clear my throat and sit up a little taller in the booth, trying to listen in on the conversations going on around me and get my mind off the pretty girl across the room.

She’s who Deacon wants.

She’s who Deacon deserves.

She’s a successful student who was accepted to medical school.

She’s beautiful and mature.

She’s everything I’m not.

When my brother’s boisterous voice comes over the sound system, my attention snaps to the stage, and I can’t help the smile on my face. He’s crazy and a little over the top sometimes and the perfect distraction to my downward spiraling thoughts.

I look around the restaurant and notice that the place has filled up since we sat down.

Tucker welcomes everyone and introduces himself, giving Micah and Deacon a hard time in the process, and then the music starts and the dance floor fills up.

I spend the next hour enjoying the atmosphere, the good food, and laughing at the crazy people I call family. It’s exactly what I needed. But by nine o’clock, I’m practically passing out at the table.

Before the party’s even getting started, I start telling everyone goodnight.

My daddy and Kay promise they’ll be right behind me. Annie tries to talk me into waiting on them, but I seriously can’t wait another minute. Lately, when I get tired, I just have to go to bed. There’re no two ways around it.

On my way out of the restaurant, I spot Micah in a back corner, taking in the crowd with a proud smile on his face. As I walk over, he smiles wider.

“I was just getting ready to come over and join the table,” he says, motioning behind me.

“I know. I’m a party pooper,” I tell him, laughing. “But I’m
so
tired.”

“Understandable,” he says, giving me a hug and kissing the top of my head.

“This place is great,” I tell him. “You and Deacon did such a good job.”

“Thanks, Cam.”

“Tell Deacon I said bye, okay?”

“I will. Drive safe and call someone when you get home,” he says with a pointed look.

“Yes, sir,” I reply with a salute. “Oh, tell Tucker I’ll see him tomorrow, or he can always come crash at the cottage with me tonight.”

“I’ll tell him,” he says, smiling. “I’m glad you’re home, Cam.”

“Me too,” I tell him.

It’s under circumstances I never could’ve predicted, but I’m happy. At least, I’m trying to be. I have to be because someone else is counting on me now.

Deacon

Present

“DEACON, DON’T RUSH. YOU DON’T
have to talk right now. You just need to rest and let your throat heal,” my mom tells me.

I shake my head again. I know I need to rest, but I also need to tell them what happened and get this part over with.

Cami, who is sitting in my bed with me, hands me a cup of water. When the nurse walked in a few minutes ago, she wasn’t happy to see Cami in bed with me, but I don’t give a damn. I want her as close to me as possible. The few feet between my bed and the chair is too far right now.

I swallow the water in small sips before giving the cup back to her. As she turns, I catch a glimpse of her solemn, but beautiful, face. I can see the worry still weighing on her. It’s in the way her smile doesn’t reach her cheeks and her eyes aren’t their typical sky blue.

I give her a wink, hoping it will ease her worries and let her know I’m okay.

I don’t want her to know how scared I was when shit got real in the restaurant. I don’t want her to know that the last thing I thought about when I hit the ground was how much I hoped she knows I love her and that she’s my whole fucking world. I don’t want her to know, because then she might realize just how close I came to dying, and I don’t want her to think about that.

All I’ve ever wanted was to make her happy.

This last day and a half wasn’t part of the plan.

“When I got to Pockets, I could smell smoke from outside,” I start. My throat is scratchy from the tube they had down it helping me breathe. “I didn’t realize how bad it was until I went inside. I tried to find a fire extinguisher, but the smoke was so bad I couldn’t see. That’s when a shelf or somethin’ fell on me. The next thing I remember is wakin’ up here.”

Cami lays her head on my shoulder and wraps her arm around my waist, comforting me with her warmth. She’s always been there for me. Her presence has always calmed me and this moment is no different.

I look at my parents when I ask, “Is Pockets gone?”

Mama can’t look me in the eyes, so my dad answers. “It’s not a total loss, but it doesn’t look good either. I’m sorry, son.”

I lay back in the bed and close my eyes. This has to be the most I’ve cried in all my life. I know Pockets is only a restaurant, and we can rebuild, but Micah and I put our hearts and souls into that place, probably even more than we did Grinders, and it fucking hurts that all that hard work went up in flames.

The most important thing is that no one else was hurt. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if someone else got hurt in the fire. My injuries will heal, we’ll build a bigger and better Pockets, and life will go on.