Page 21 of Honey Bee Library
Willow’s stare felt like it was melting me, so I hurriedly took another swig.
She wasn’t saying anything. Why wasn’t she saying anything?
I cleared my throat. “I hope that’s okay.” I gave her an earnest smile.
“You bought toys for my son?” Her voice was low, and she was speaking slowly like she was trying to process what I’d said.
“Yes.”
She frowned. “Why? Why would you do that?”
There was a bite to her tone that surprised me. Surely this wasn’t the first time someone had bought Jasper toys? He had a dad. Didn’t he take care of him?
“I…um…” This wasn’t the reaction I’d hoped for. I just wanted to lessen her stress. Maybe there was a part of me that wanted her to trust me. Hell, I’d settle for her not hating me. Willow was frustrating and confusing all at the same time. And for some asinine reason, I wanted to figure her out more than any woman I’d ever met.
“Come on, Jasper, let’s get ready for bed,” she said as she hurried over and grabbed his hand.
He protested, but Willow didn’t give in. She practically dragged him into the hallway. I watched her walk toward the room they’d stayed in last night and shut the door. Knowing that she’d most likely want their duffle bags, I set my water bottle on the kitchen counter and headed to the foyer to grab them. When I got back to her bedroom door, I knocked.
“Yes?” she called from inside.
“I’ve got your bags.”
“Just leave them. I’ll grab them in a second.”
I studied the shut door, wondering why she was acting this way, but then shrugged and let the duffle bag straps slide off my shoulder. I set the bags next to the door and then turned and made my way back to the kitchen. Maddie was there, sipping on a steaming hot mug of tea.
“Hey,” I said as I picked up my water bottle and leaned against the counter. My mind was reeling from what had just happened. I needed to think about something else right now. “Did Liam get settled?”
Maddie nodded. “Yes. I got him a room at Harmony Island Inn. He said he’ll be around in the morning to chat.”
“Great.” Liam had showed up at the diner during the beginning of the dinner rush. I felt bad for brushing him off, but things were busy and I couldn’t get away. “Thanks for taking care of him, Maddie,” I said.
She gave me a soft smile. “Of course.
Silence fell around us as, once again, my thoughts turned to Willow’s reaction. I needed to talk to someone about it. My gaze drifted over to Maddie. Maybe she could explain it to me. After all, she was a woman.
She must have noticed my staring because her eyebrows went up. “Everything okay?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah.” I opened my half-empty water bottle and finished it off. I crumpled the bottle and tossed it into the nearby garbage. “Actually, no. I don’t understand what just happened with Willow.”
I’d been nothing but nice to her since I got to Harmony. Besides exercising my rights according to the contract that her great uncle had signed, I’d done nothing to warrant her cool attitude toward me. Maybe getting another woman’s perspective on this would help.
“Why would she be so offended that I got toys for her son?” I leaned against the counter, stretched my feet out in front of me, and folded my arms across my chest.
Maddie was taking a sip of her drink as she studied me over her mug. Then she lowered it and sighed. “Girl’s a single mom. She’s probably been doing things by herself for a long time now. In my experience, the stress doesn’t start when the marriage ends. Most times, it started a long time before.” She shrugged. “Don’t take offense. If you want to get her to trust you, you first have to show her that you’re not going anywhere.”
I studied her, chewing on her words. What she was saying made sense, but how did I do that?
“She’ll let you know,” Maddie said as if she’d read my mind. “Just keep doing what you’re doing. Single moms, they’re a protective breed. They’ve been forced to be tough even if they don’t want to be. You need to be patient.”
I nodded. “Okay. I can do that.”
Maddie yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. “I’m exhausted and heading to bed. I’ll see you in the morning?”
“Yeah.” My mind was reeling from what she’d said.
“Great.” She started walking past me but then stopped. “Night, Cole.”
