Page 115 of All I Need

IT’S BEEN A WEEK SINCE I found out that Michael is Mick. I went to work and stayed at Walker’s. Every day was the same. Rinse. Repeat. I wasn’t ready to face Willow knowing that she was part of the reason why so much of my life was changed. I didn’t want to face Grayson because I’m part of the reason why his dad wasn’t around all this time. His guilt over cheating on me in the first place is part of why he was only as good of a father as he was. Not his lack of desire to be more.

Or, at least, that’s what he told Willow who told Walker who told me in a childish game of telephone.

Polly has been coming to Walker’s at night to check on me but since Michael has been staying at her house, she didn’t expect me to be staying there also. It was an easy decision for me. Grayson was in no way ready for his mom and dad to be sharing a home and Willow wasn’t ready to be living under the same roof as Michael—or Mick.

But there was also no way I was going to do that, either. I might have moved on from Michael, but I’m not really looking to be best friends with the man, either.

Willow called me the night that I found out who Mick is. She was weeping and could hardly speak. She felt horrible for everything she’d learned. Between finding out that I couldn’t have children and that she was unknowingly a key factor in my past, it was too much for all of us to take.

So we made a plan.

I asked her for a week and then we’d meet on neutral ground.

I’m sitting outside of Dreamin’ Beans, the coffee shop in town that I’ve been wanting to try for a while, waiting to go in. I see Willow inside, sitting in a booth. A beautiful dark haired woman a few years older than me stops at her table, sets down a cup of what I assume is coffee and a plate. They talk briefly then she turns to leave.

Gaining the courage, I get out of my car and head inside.

The stupid bell above me chimes, alerting my presence.

Willow looks up and smiles hesitantly in my direction.

I point to the register, letting her know I’m just going to order something then I’d be over and she nods her head in understanding.

“Hey, welcome to Dreamin’ Beans. You’re Ellie, right?” the beautiful woman says in greeting.

“Uh, yeah. I am. How’d you know?”

“Small town,” she says, waving a hand. “And I saw you smile at Willow. She mentioned you were coming in. You’re Walker’s girl, yeah?”

“I am.”

“I’m Christine. I own the shop.”

I look around at the adorable coffee shop and smile. It’s a place I can see myself hanging out in. It’s warm and inviting. Then my eyes widen when a hot as sin man comes walking out of the back room, tool belt hanging from his waist.

“Got it fixed,” he says, voice gravelly, leaning over to kiss Christine on the cheek.

“Thanks, babe. Andy, this is Ellie. She’s new in town, Walker’s girlfriend. Ellie, this is my husband Andy.”

He turns to me and I’m pretty sure I melt into a puddle of goo when he smiles.

His eyes are an intense shade of yum and I’ve never thought longer hair on men was attractive but damn, on him it just fits. Then, as if he wasn’t already hot enough, a little girl comes around the corner and he effortlessly lifts her up onto his hip. She looks to be around eight but it appears he’s not above carrying her around. “Nice to meet you, Ellie. Welcome to Liberty.”

“Uhh, thanks.”

“He’s quite something, isn’t he?” Christine says, love evident in the look she gives him.

“Daddy, who’s this?” the little girl asks.

“This is Ellie. Ellie, meet our baby girl, Hazel.”

“Daddy,” she admonishes him with an adorable scowl on her face. “I’m not a baby. Hi Ellie!”

“Hi Hazel.”

“I’ve never seen you before.”

“Nope,” I chuckle. “You haven’t. I’m kind of still new here.”

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