I never wanted wealth, power, or the responsibility that goes with it. Making a difference by fighting fires was my dream. That and a pretty girl to love at night. But life didn't ask me. After struggling through the business world, I finally have a chance to return home to chase my dreams. The girl next door, my best friend's little sister, was there waiting. And she's all grown up. But she's not too thrilled to see me back. But I'll change that. I can't help but fight for what I know we could be, no matter what it costs me. When I finally start to melt her heart, life calls me back to the city, back to the grind thanks to tragedy. It's her or my future, and I have no choice in the matter. My father's company is my only legacy, or is it? A little life is growing inside of her, and that changes the game. My self sacrifice doesn't seem so damn important anymore. I might have been forced into becoming a billion dollar man, but I'll always be a small town guy at heart. And that pretty girl that stole my heart all those years ago? She's gonna be mine. Like she always has been.
Ben
"Don't look so down," Uncle Dean said. We were at the airport. I had already checked my bags, and my flight was leaving in less than an hour.
"I feel like I'm letting him down," I said.
Uncle Dean shook his head. "You're not. It's not a crime to live your own dream. Even if that dream looks different than what your father would have wanted for you. He would have been proud of what you've done for the company."
I nodded. My dad would have been proud. And it wasn't like I hadn't given it my all for the past six years. I had done everything my late father would have wanted me to do. But I hadn't been happy. I hadn't grown up dreaming I would be the CEO of a billion-dollar company.
"And he would have been even prouder of you for taking your life into your own hands and deciding where you want to go with it."
I looked at Uncle Dean. He had been my dad's business partner, owner of half of the company I had inherited when my dad and my stepmom had died in a plane crash. He had been there for me from day one, taking me under his wing and showing me the ropes.
And he had bought me out when he realized how miserable I had become away from home. He had become like family to me, and I was sad to leave him behind, but I wanted to go back to my friends and family. I wanted to get back on the track I had been on before my father died.
"That's your boarding call," Uncle Dean said when they made the announcement. He pulled me into a hug.
"Remember," he said. "No regrets. That's the one thing I know your dad would have wanted for you, more than any fancy company and business title. If you regret the choices you've made, it doesn't matter what they were or where they got you in life."
"Thanks, Uncle Dean," I said. "For everything."
He smiled, and I thought I could almost see him get emotional, but it was gone as quickly as it had come, and he was the composed, collected gentleman he had always been. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked to the gate. I looked over my shoulder and lifted my hand in one last wave before stepping into the rest of my life.
On the plane, the sadness that I was leaving and the worry about leaving the company behind left me. I was headed back home. I hadn't seen my friends in seven years. I had only seen my mom twice when she had come to visit in New York, and I was glad to be going back to Oregon. No matter how long I had lived in New York, it would never really be home.
It was weird to think I was a billionaire now. When I had helped Uncle Dean run the company, I'd had a taste of the lavish life my dad had lived, but I had never had as much money as he had. He'd left me the company, but his money had gone to charities. Now that I had sold the business to Uncle Dean, I had so much money, I could drown in it.
I wasn't planning on living a different life than I'd always had in Portland, though. I was still going to pursue my dream of being a firefighter. It was what I had always wanted. Before I had gone to New York to step into my father's shoes, I had studied fire engineering to give myself a leg up in my career, and I had completed the six-month training and certification courses. I had sent my information to the fire station I had worked through before I'd left, and they had been more than happy to take me back.
All I needed to do was a quick refresher for the next week and a fitness test to be sure I was up to standard. If I passed-which I was sure I would-I started work in a week.
Perfect.
Chapter 1 New Beginnings
31/01/2024
Chapter 2 Gold Digger
31/01/2024
Chapter 3 Ben Is Back
31/01/2024
Chapter 4 Hero Complex
31/01/2024
Chapter 5 First Day
31/01/2024
Chapter 6 Alarm
31/01/2024
Chapter 7 ICU
31/01/2024
Chapter 8 Emergency
31/01/2024
Chapter 9 It's A Date
31/01/2024
Chapter 10 Best Friend's Sister
31/01/2024
Chapter 11 Awake
31/01/2024
Chapter 12 Rough Day
05/02/2024
Chapter 13 My Girl
05/02/2024
Chapter 14 Take Care of Her
05/02/2024
Chapter 15 Hungover
05/02/2024
Chapter 16 Danger Zone
05/02/2024
Chapter 17 Warehouse Fire
05/02/2024
Chapter 18 Our Guys
05/02/2024
Chapter 19 Should've Been Me
05/02/2024
Chapter 20 Friend on the Inside
05/02/2024
Chapter 21 Visiting Them
05/02/2024
Chapter 22 Another Tragedy
05/02/2024
Chapter 23 Blame
05/02/2024
Chapter 24 Kiss And Tell
05/02/2024
Chapter 25 Back And Home
05/02/2024
Chapter 26 Wet
05/02/2024
Chapter 27 Switch Turned Off
05/02/2024
Chapter 28 Do It Myself
05/02/2024
Chapter 29 Timing
05/02/2024
Chapter 30 Leaving Again
05/02/2024
Chapter 31 MIA
05/02/2024
Chapter 32 Two And Two
05/02/2024
Chapter 33 The Company You Keep
05/02/2024
Chapter 34 Is It a Sign
05/02/2024
Chapter 35 Nothing Happened
05/02/2024
Chapter 36 No Return Call
05/02/2024
Chapter 37 Back To Leave
05/02/2024
Chapter 38 Cowardly
05/02/2024
Chapter 39 Awkward
05/02/2024
Chapter 40 Coincidence
05/02/2024
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