Page 83 of Walkoff Wedding

It’s the first time I’ve ever been the one to initiate a kiss. It’s the first time that I’ve been so overcome by emotion that I physically restrain myself from pressing my lips to his. His arms tighten around my waist as he tilts his head, deepening the kiss, sweeping his tongue along the seam of my lips.

He pulls away with a small smile. “What was that for? Not that I’m complaining, but…”

“Thank you. Thank you for coming as soon as I called, for calling your teammates to come help clean up the bakery an—” I feel hot, fresh tears wetting my cheeks as my words tumble out in a frenzied rush, my exhaustion and emotion finally bubbling over.

“Hey. Hey,” he whispers as he reaches for my face, smoothing his thumb tenderly over my cheeks and wiping the tears away. “You don’t ever have to thank me, Addie. I will always come, no matter where you are. No matter what happens, I’ll come, okay?”

I nod. His gaze lingers on mine, searching almost. I wish I could tell him what I’m feeling. That I could be brave enough to put it all out there, despite the fact that there’s a huge chance he might not feel the way that I do. That this is just an arrangement to him with some attraction involved, and I’m just the foolish girl who fell in love.

“I promise you, Addie, I’m not going anywhere. And I know that promises are just words, but I’ll prove it to you. I’ll prove it with my actions.”

Nodding, I sniffle, nearly swaying on my feet again. “O-okay.”

“Now that we’ve got the bakery taken care of, at least for now… why don’t you let me take you away for the weekend and get away from everything? I know that you’re worried about everything going on here, but the guys have it under control. They’ll get things cleaned up in no time. I can see how exhausted you are, and I know being here and stressing isn’t what you need right now.”

Even though there are a hundred reasons why I want to say yes, there are even more reasons why I can’t.

I can’t leave this mess for Earl and Amos. This is my bakery to look after.

“I—”

Amos interjects, cutting me off. “Don’t say no, cher, because I already know you were about to. I think your beau is right. He’s got a whole slew of strong, capable boys coming up here to get this place cleaned up, and you look far too exhausted to be helpful. The police report is done, and once I make the call to the insurance company… there’s not much more we can do until we get the windows and cases fixed. We’ll have to be closed for a few days while we wait. There’s no better time for you to get away. To take a break for the first time… maybe ever?”

I chew my lip nervously, trying to cipher through the thoughts in my head. All of that may be true, but it still doesn’t mean that I can just up and leave the bakery.

“Amos, I just… I can’t leave. There’s so much that I need to be doing. I can’t leave you with this mess. And then there’s Auggie.”

Amos places a hand on his hip and shakes his head, his long ponytail swaying. “All I hear is you making excuses. You know that nothing makes Earl happier than getting to spend time with Auggie.” He pauses, arching a bushy brow. “There’s nothing you can do right now, cher. As much as I know you’ll worry, I think you should go and give yourself the weekend. Rest and recover.”

My gaze flits between the two of them as I mull over what he’s saying.

It seems so easy… to take off for the weekend and not worry about what I’m leaving behind, but it’s not a luxury that I’ve ever had. I’ve fought so hard for Ever After, and I’m struggling with the thought of leaving it this way. It physically hurts.

But there is a huge, overwhelming part of me that wants to go with Grant. To have an entire weekend of uninterrupted time with him, away from all of this. Because I have a feeling whoever did this, Brent or otherwise, did this to hurt me.

I’m not just angry and hurt… I’m scared.

If he was willing to do something as underhanded as this, how much further would he go to hurt me?

The thought terrifies me, and a shiver racks my body as I start to tremble. Pure exhaustion settles over me in a wave so strong that if it wasn’t for Grant’s arms tight around my body, I’d probably end up on the ground. As weary and afraid as I feel, I still feel safe and secure in his arms.

I guess… if there’s nothing I can do while we’re waiting on repairs, then I could go with him.

“Are you sure, Amos?”

Amos nods. “Absolutely. I’ve got everything under control. Go, enjoy a little quiet.”

I drag my attention back to Grant, a beat passing between us before I speak. “Okay. I’ll go away with you. But… where are we going?”

“Home.”

chapter twenty-three

Grant

The house I grew up in is only about thirty minutes outside of New Orleans, in a tiny town called Belle Chasse that sits right along the West Bank of the Mississippi River.

When I told Addie I was taking her home, she didn’t realize that I meant the place where I grew up. And that she’d be meeting my mama for the first time. It’s pretty ironic that my wife hasn’t met my mom, but then again, we did everything ass-backwards, beginning with a marriage that started as fake but now feels more real than anything I’ve ever experienced.

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