Page 7 of Off the Post

My mom tuts on the other end of the line. To say Ernie isn’t a huge fan of the male population is an understatement. And who knows how he’s going to react to a large, loud-mouthed man who has only one speed.

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough how that’s going to go.” I strum my fingers over my eyebrow, as I often do when I’m anxious or nervous. I wasn’t sure what I would’ve done if Tanner hadn’t agreed to allow me to bring Ernie. I rescued him from a shelter just over a year ago, and I couldn’t possibly fathom the possibility of rehoming him back in California. But Tanner said he was excited for the opportunity to have a pet in the house. We’ll see if his sentiment holds true the first time Ernie tries to rip him to shreds.

But knowing Tanner, he’ll win over Ernest Hemingway with ease.

“Are you excited for your first day of work, sweetie?”

“Of course, I am.”

My mom automatically picks up on my hesitancy. “But you’re nervous. That’s to be expected, you know. There’s nothing wrong with you for feeling that way.”

I pick at the edge of my pillowcase and roll to my back, lifting my legs to wiggle my toes at the ceiling. My back muscles are screaming for a dip in the hot tub after this.

“Yeah, my anxiety isn’t doing me any favors right now. I just worry I’ll make another stupid mistake, and they’ll all be disappointed in me.”

“Sweetie,” she coos, the same tone I’ve heard any time she soothed my scraped knees and broken heart. “There’s a reason the backup camera is smaller than the car windshield.”

I furrow my brows. “Huh? What does that have to do with anything?”

She chuckles, and the warmth spreads across my heart. “It means that we shouldn’t put the emphasis on looking back at our past. Our only focus should be forward.”

Tears well in the corners of my eyes. I swipe away the moisture with the pad of my thumb and sniffle.

“Gah,” I cry, slapping my bare feet against the mattress and scaring poor Ernie, who jumps from the bed to the floor with a hiss. “I miss you, Mom.”

“Not as much as I miss and love you, Alison.” I can hear the smile in her voice. “You’re going to do great. Just promise me you’ll only look forward, not back.”

“I’ll do my best.”

My heart brims with love for my mom. She’s my one constant in this uncertain world, and I know she always has my back, along with my goofball of a brother.

When we end our conversation, I’m left feeling a little lonely and slightly homesick, even though I’ve lived away from my mom since I moved to California. But I’m also tingling with excitement over this new adventure I’m about to embark on and can’t wait to get settled in and started in this new life of mine in Vancouver.

I’m excited to see what the future holds.

4

Soren

“Nice drive, bro,” calls out Thorny, who happens to be my partner today.

“Thanks.”

I offer a somewhat satisfied shrug, give a brief head nod to Thorny—who teed off before me—and pick up the broken tee that flew in the air the minute my golf club connected with the ball. When I stand back up, I check out the fairway, which dog-ears a little to the left, to see if I can find where the ball landed. All I know is it went straight.

I locate the ball about five hundred yards or so in front of the tee box. A perfect shot and within chipping distance of the green.

Rossy slaps me on the back and then nudges me hard against my shoulder as I pass him on the way to the golf cart.

“We all know The Wolf can drive his balls deep.”

The group chuckles at the innuendo, and I shake my head at the idiocy that is Rossy sometimes.

“Should I take that as a compliment?”

I shove my driver into the empty golf bag slot and take the seat that Rossy just vacated, next to Cannfield. Canners holds out a can of ice-cold beer to me and I gratefully accept.

He, Thorny, Rossy, and I are currently in front, and the other group, consisting of Shaw Benning, aka Benny, Case Lyons, Ax, and Ballas the Beast, is just finishing up the front nine. I’m surprised that Lyons has time to play today. He and his fiancée, Katie, are getting married this summer, and while I don’t know the exact date of the wedding, it must be coming up soon.