9. Zoe

9

ZOE

"Can you believe Miles Ford is here?" Sandy Williams whispered, peering down at us below her white and red Slice of Heaven visor as she set down our large half pepperoni, half cheese thick crust pizza. Her ample cleavage spilled out of her low V-neck tee as she leaned across the table.

Miles had walked in when I was in line, but he was intercepted by Harlan, so I hadn't had to speak to him. I'd heard Harlan invite him to the traditional post-pizza game ritual. Thankfully, another part of the ritual was that the girls and boys sat on opposite sides of the pizza parlor. It was like a middle school dance. Although I'd never stood on the sidelines during the middle school dances, Austin made sure of that.

"The entire town is talking about him, and he's here ," Sandy's breaths were choppy, "in Slice of Heaven."

"Yes, he is," Nadia agreed emphatically.

"Do you think he'll take a picture with me?" Sandy ran her hand down her ponytail.

"He's been taking pictures with everyone else. I don't see why not." Daphne pointed out.

"Is it true that he's going to play your Austin in the movie?" Sandy placed both her hands over her chest as she stared down at me with a combination of pity and curiosity.

That was another reason I didn't want this movie made. People had just stopped saying poor before my name. Poor Zoe. Maybe they didn't say it to my face, but I heard them. I didn't need their pity. I didn't want their pity. Their pity didn't bring Austin back.

"I think so."

"Wow, that's…you must be over the moon. Miles Ford. And Austin, he must be lookin' down just as happy as a clam in high water." She turned her attention back across the room. "Alright, ladies, wish me luck; I'm goin' in."

"Good luck," Daphne and Nadia chorused.

"So that's probably something you're gonna have to get used to," Nadia pointed out as she reached across the table, picked up a piece of pizza, placed it on a paper plate, and put it in front of me.

"Is that why you don't want the movie to happen?" Daphne asked. "Sorry if that's insensitive."

Daphne was the newest member of our group. She'd only lived in town for about six months. Nadia and I were born and raised in Firefly Island and had been besties since grade school. Ashley moved to town a year or so ago from California to be closer to her niece and sister, Skylar. Technically, the group extended to Reagan, who was Nadia's college roommate and married to Billy Comfort. Cheyenne, who was the youngest sister of the Comfort brothers but was raised by her grandparents in New York. Skylar (Ashley's sister), who was married to the oldest Comfort brother Hank. And Isabella, who was also from up North and was now married to the youngest Comfort brother, Jimmy. But those ladies were always loved up with their hubbies, so it ended up being the four single ladies more often than not. However, Daphne was no longer a single lady since she was now rocking a large diamond on her left ring finger.

"No, it's fine." I was aware that the bottom of all my friends' feet had to be sore from all of the eggshells they'd walked on regarding this movie, but since it seemed as though it was actually happening, it was time to rip the Band-Aid off and discuss it. This seemed as good a time as any. "I just…I know that there is no way they will be able to encapsulate who Austin was in ninety minutes. And then there will be…however many people see the movie, thousands or more people who t hink they know him who have no clue who he actually was. I mean, there's all that controversy over The Blind Side movie. And the subject of that movie is still alive. Austin's not here to defend himself if they get it wrong."

"Wait, is that why you don't want it made?" Nadia questioned.

"Yeah. Why did you think I didn't?"

"I just thought it was because it was too painful for you to talk about him, so having a movie about him would be too much to handle."

That was part of it, but no. That wouldn't be fair, especially since Walter and AJ both wanted the movie to happen.

"Well, then, I mean, if that's the problem, I can solve that problem tout de suite." Nadia snapped her fingers twice.

"Tout de suite?" I parroted.

"I'm learning French."

"Ahh." I nodded.

Nadia "learned" a new language every year, which was lovely in theory, but in practice ended up with her spending a few weeks training on Babble and then usually losing interest.

"What was our favorite movie growing up?" she asked.

"Elf," I replied.

She waved her hand back and forth. "Favorite non-holiday movie."

"Hoodwinked."

"Favorite non-holiday, non-cartoon movie," Nadia clarified.

My mind was blank for a second, and then it dawned on me, and I knew exactly where she was going with this.

" Selena ." I could not count the number of times Nadia and I had watched the movie, Selena . It had to be in the hundreds.

"Yes. How many people discovered Selena and her music after that movie? We had never heard of her before we watched it, and we became huge fans. I'm not saying that it will be the same for Austin. Obviously, it's totally different. But people should know what he did for this country, the sacrifice he made, the sacrifice you made, AJ made, and thousands of other families make every day. And, I mean, the reason the movie Selena worked was because Selena was so charismatic, and talented, and people were drawn to her, and Jennifer Lopez really captured that essence. Austin was charismatic; he had a presence and charm about him, but he was also a badass with a huge heart, and I think that Miles Happy Trails Hottie Ford can capture that; he can capture what made Austin so magnetic and such a badass. The other reason it was so successful was because Selena's family was so involved in the making of it. They made sure that they got it right. So, if you want them to get it right, you need to get involved."

I knew Nadia was right, but what would getting involved mean exactly? What did that look like? Before I could even begin to process that information, my phone rang. I checked and saw a number I recognized.

"It's work. I need to take this." I grabbed my purse and headed out onto the back deck.

As soon as I was alone, I answered. "Dr. Russell, hi, what can I do for you?"

"Zoe, um, this isn't, you don't… I wasn't calling for work. I was actually calling to see if you'd like to have dinner."

Say yes , I told myself. Elias was the perfect solution to my problem. I was clearly sexually frustrated, which was why my reaction to Miles had been so off the charts. Elias and I were compatible. It wasn't fireworks, but the sex was good. It was fine.

He was everything I should want in a partner. So why would I rather separate salt from sugar than say yes to dinner with him?

"Um, you know I'm not really in the right headspace for that right now."

"It's just dinner?—"

"No, I know it's just dinner, but I'm really not interested in a relationship of any kind."

Elias was quiet. So quiet; in fact, I checked the screen to see if the call had dropped. It hadn't.

I put the phone back up to my ear, and he finally spoke. "So, nothing has changed in three years, then?"

"No, I guess not."

"Okay, well, let me know if it does."

"I will, and Elias, I'm…sorry."

"Don't be. You don't have anything to apologize for. Bye."

"Bye." I hung up the call and stood at the railing when I felt the tiny hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. It was the exact same feeling I'd had when Miles sat next to me at dinner, except then it had been the hairs on my arms. I turned around, and sure enough, he was there, standing behind me.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked.

"A minute."

"Were you listening to my conversation?"

"Sorry, I would have gone back inside, but I was able to sneak out without anyone noticing, and I was scared if I went back in, I wouldn't be so lucky a second time."

Before I could respond, the door opened, and AJ walked out. "Mom, can you Zelle me ten bucks for the arcade?"

"What happened to your allowance?"

He glanced down at his feet. "I spent it."

"On what?" I asked, then noticed his cheeks turning red.

Kendall. He'd clearly spent his allowance on Kendall.

I pulled my phone out of my purse and opened the app. "Car wash interior and exterior."

AJ nodded.

My finger hovered over the transfer button. "That means cleaning out the trash that you stuff in the door and vacuuming the crumbs from the seat."

"I will. I promise."

I hit send, and AJ's phone dinged, indicating the money had been transferred.

"Thanks, Mom." He smiled and ran back inside.

"He gets an allowance," Miles observed when the door shut.

"Yep."

"How much? If you don't mind me asking."

"Ten dollars a week."

"You're a good mom."

"Because I give him an allowance." I chuckled.

"No, just… because of what everyone has said about you and what I've seen. And what a good kid AJ is. You're doing a really good job with him. I saw him out on the field tonight. He's a good teammate. And in there with the games, he's a good friend. He asked for that ten bucks because he gave his money to his friend Stevie so he could have lunch money this week. I heard them talking on my way out."

I'd heard that Stevie's mom lost her job. And here I thought AJ had spent it on Kendall. Miles had known what was going on with AJ, and I hadn't. This movie, all of it, had made me take my eye off the ball. I needed to get my priorities straight and make sure I knew what was going on with my kid and his friends. If Stevie needed lunches, that shouldn't fall on AJ.

"I better get back." I started to walk around Miles.

"Actually, I came out to speak to you if you have a second."

I stopped and looked up. We were only about a foot away from one another. The same distance we were in the kitchen.

Soft music played through the outdoor speakers, and string lights hung above our heads as the ocean waves crashed against the shores down below the deck, giving the atmosphere a very romantic vibe.

"What?" Even though we were outside, I was finding it difficult to breathe.

"I just wanted you to know that I bought the rights to Fallen Hero ."

My brow furrowed. "You did?"

"Yes. And I've decided that unless I have your blessing, I'm not going to move forward with the project."

"What?" I asked, not sure I understood what he was saying. "What does that mean?"

"The only way the movie is going to get made is if you say yes."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I knew that he didn't have to do that legally. Last year, when I was contacted about contributing to the film, I reached out to a lawyer who said the production company had every legal right to go ahead with the film and did not need my permission.

"Why?" I asked as I shook my head, which was swimming in confusion.

"Everyone I've spoken to said that you were Austin's entire world. That you were his everything. You were his why. How could I ever make a film honoring him if his world, his everything, his why, doesn't want it made?"

"Are you asking…do you need to know right now?"

"No. I understand if you need time. There are a lot of people working on this, so if you could let me know by the end of the week, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course." I nodded. "Yes, I will."

Miles stared down at me, and I waited for him to say more. I felt like he was going to say more, but he just exhaled. "Goodnight, Zoe."

"Goodnight, Miles."

He turned and walked down the steps to the parking lot.

"Thank you!" I called out after him.

He glanced over his shoulder and smiled, and my knees buckled. His full-watt smile should be registered as a lethal weapon. I lowered down onto a bench next to one of the picnic tables, feeling a little lightheaded.

I wasn't sure if it was due to the smile, or the close encounter of the Miles Ford kind, or the responsibility I'd just been given. He'd left the decision up to me. All this time, it was something that I had no control over, but now, I did.

The only thing I needed to ask myself was, What would Austin want? That was all that mattered.