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“Chief? Come on. You can’t believe I had anything to do with this!”
He looked ready to say something and then reconsidered. “We’ll be in touch, Ashlynn. Take care.” And he walked out the door, leaving her with more questions than answers.
She wanted to call Reid and ask him what he thought of the whole thing, but he was working a double shift and there was no way she could possibly go down to the station to get him alone. And calling probably wouldn’t work any better. Muttering a curse, she opted to send a text to her mother asking for help finding an attorney before telling her she’d stop by after her lunch with Avery.
It was weird but she was oddly calm. All this time, Ashlynn figured she’d be panicky and freaking out when things finally got to this point, but right now she was just more curious than anything.
Which is why she managed to go and calmly do her hair and makeup, and then went online to do a little research on arson and how the inspectors could figure out how a fire was started and by whom.
Before she knew it, it was time to leave to meet Avery. She quickly changed into a pair of faded jeans, an oversized sweater, and a pair of boots. Grabbing her purse, phone, and keys, she was out the door in under ten minutes.
As usual, the drive into town was short and she spotted her friend pacing outside the café.
“Well that can’t be good,” she murmured, climbing from her car. Waving to Avery, she took a moment to mentally prepare herself for whatever drama was plaguing her. “Hey!”
“Oh, thank God you finally got here,” Avery said with a nervous laugh as she pulled Ashlynn in for a hug. “I wanted to call you last night, but…” she sighed. “Leo was over and I couldn’t get a moment to myself.”
“It’s okay. Really. Whatever’s going on, we’ll get through it together.”
They stepped into the café, and Avery hugged her again. “You’re so brave. So, so brave.”
Brave? What the…?
Ashlynn was about to question that as soon as they were seated, but Avery was talking again.
“Okay, let me start by saying that I’m here for you. I can’t believe you’ve had all this craziness going on and didn’t say a word! I mean…we were all out together the other night and you didn’t say anything!”
Ah. The fire.
“Um…”
“And now all this with Reid!” Avery said with a dramatic sigh. “I mean…you think you know a person and then he goes and does this!”
“Um…what?”
“Leo told me about their conversation and while I understand that Reid’s been working toward this whole fire career for his entire life—and he did just technically meet you—it just sucks that it all had to work out like this!”
“Avery, what are you…?”
“Hey, ladies!” their server Marcy said as she placed two glasses of water on the table. “What can I get you today?”
“Ooh…I have been craving a turkey club all morning,” Avery said cheerily. “And can I get that with fries on the side?”
“Of course! And what can I get for you, Ashlynn?”
Everyone in Sweetbriar knew each other so it wasn’t unusual for Marcy to know her name. “Uh…the same,” she murmured. “Thanks.”
Once Marcy was gone, Ashlynn didn’t give her friend a chance to say anything. “What on earth are you talking about? What has Reid done?”
“Oh, sweetie,” Avery said, reaching across the table and resting her hand on top of Ash’s. “You don’t have to pretend with me. I think it’s kind of crappy too that Reid is choosing his job over you.” She shook her head. “He and Leo talked about it the other night while they were getting popcorn and Reid said he needs to start putting some distance between the two of you. Apparently this craziness with Becky is affecting his job, and…”
“Wait, what? Reid hasn’t mentioned any of this,” she firmly interrupted. “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Frowning, Avery leaned back in her seat. “Look, all I know is that Leo and Reid have been friends for a really long time and Leo feels like they’re more like brothers. He knows Reid, Ashlynn. If he hasn’t started distancing himself yet, you need to be prepared because it’s coming.”
This was all a bit shocking for her—and that was saying a lot considering the morning she’d just had.
“You’re my best friend and I worry about you,” Avery went on. “And even though this is a really bizarre situation, Reid should be fighting for you to prove your innocence.”
