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“It will be,” I assured him. “It will be a big deal because he’s a pillar of the community and one of the few true influentials of Silver Ranch, but it will die down.”
All the scandals through history had a way of being forgotten. Rhys wasn’t the one in the scandal. He just needed some time for people to move on to the next big story.
Or we needed to leave Colorado and go where his name wasn’t as recognizable. Just when I half convinced myself there was a chance to stay in Denver…
During a subdued lunch, I did what I did best. I ran through different scenarios of how our lives could play out if we did move to another state, whether that be Michigan or somewhere completely fresh for all of us.
Tuition would be tough on top of house bills. Astrid and I would most likely have to attend community college until we could have in-state tuition. Beck, Astrid, and Thatcher could offset our cost with their art. Rhys could teach hockey or ice-skating classes.
Me though? I didn’t have any skills to throw down like that. I’d be working at the local Home Depot or some equally mind-numbing retail job. While we’re going to school, it wouldn’t bother me, but if they were all pursuing their dreams and actually contributing to our lives with it, I’d feel like a piece of shit.
I pulled in a long breath through my nose, working out how to keep my pride in such a scenario.
“What are you thinking about?” Astrid asked, and I realized I’d gone quiet on them. Had they asked a question and I just ignored it?
Her expression was washed in concern as tendrils dark hair framed her sweet face. I both loved and hated that I was the case of it.
“I’m thinking of contingency plans for after graduation. I do have one already built out.” I told them about my conversation with Angel and how it could work.
“I think that’s a great idea. You think they could employ all of us? Now that Dad’s accounts are frozen, I should get a job too.” Rhys tapped his fingers on the robin egg tabletop. Both he and Astrid seemed way more excited about the prospect than Beck had.
I…was afraid to hope he’d want to stay in Colorado when it would be so much easier for him to leave this place behind. “You really think you’d want to live under your father’s shadow? Everyone in Colorado who doesn’t know him will soon.”
The excitement physically drained from his body as he slouched back against the crinkly booth. The perky notes of Frankie and the Teenagers conflicted with the sudden defeat leveled on his shoulders.
“I think I won’t be able to outrun him no matter where I am. Here might be worse than somewhere else, but this is Silver Ranch. Denver is a little more anonymous than this.”
“True,” I agreed. If he could handle it, this would be the best possible scenario. He wouldn’t be on his own, and we’d all do our best to shield him. He was right. Denver was a good thirty or so minutes from Silver Ranch and unless reporters were camped out on our sidewalk, we wouldn’t run in the same circles as his dad.
It might just work.
Astrid changed the subject to softer things as we finished eating. We laughed, tossed fries, and shared a chocolate malt. It wasn’t a date by any means, but I had Astrid on my side of the booth and with my arm around her shoulders, so I could pretend.
The excitement building in my stomach would only get worse until we took advantage of our date tickets. With everything going on with Beck and the fallout of Rhys’ dad getting arrested, I purposefully hadn’t brought them up. It hadn’t seemed like the right time. When we used them, I wanted her attention to be focused solely on me.
But now…I wanted to do all the things with her, and my patience was running thin.
“Ready to head back?” I asked the pair.
After paying for our food, we piled back into my car. Most of our lunch conversation had been heavy, but I was glad we’d gained back some of our easy comradery before pulling into the school parking lot.
We had about five minutes before the bell rang and like all the other students, we were milking it for everything we could. I reached over for Astrid’s hand and brought to my lips, brushing a soft kiss over her knuckles.
“When do you want to cash in on that helicopter ride?” I murmured. It didn’t even bother me Rhys was in the backseat. Like all the guys, I was falling into the comfort of the group in scarily short order.
“Hmm.” She tapped her fingers of her free hand against the bow of her mouth. “Since this weekend is with Rhys, how about one day after school next week? Tuesday maybe?”
“I’d love that.”
Rhys popped opened his door. “Two minutes. Let’s go ahead and head in.” Then he opened Astrid’s, reaching in to help her out. As soon as she stood in front of him, he tilted her face up for a brief kiss.
A sound that I’d loved until recently knocked us out of our haze of happiness.
The shutter of a camera, too loud and coming too frequently, spurred us into action. Rhys and I crowded Astrid, trying to block her from the photographers, but I couldn’t find the source.
Fucking hell, we were on school grounds! How could they take pictures here?
“Over there,” Growled Rhys as he nodded toward a row of bushes on the other side of the street. The shutter went off again, probably capturing a great shot of Rhys’ anger.
