Page 36 of Honey Bee Library
“Did you say something?” I asked, turning to face him.
He was standing next to the sink. There were some darker water spots on his shirt. His hair was tousled, and his eyebrows were drawn together like he was confused about something.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
I blinked, not expecting for him to ask that. What was I supposed to say? Yes? That would be a lie. The truth was, no, I wasn’t okay. I was confused and hurt, and I hated that I felt that way toward him.
I wasn’t supposed to care about this man. I’d spent the first few days hating him. I liked hating him. It was easier. But now, things had gotten complicated. I’d let this man into my life. I’d let my son get attached to him, knowing full well that at some point Cole was going to walk away.
Just like Harold did.
I needed to get my head on straight. I needed to put boundaries in place to mitigate the pain Jasper would feel when Cole left and never came back. I needed to speak these boundaries into existence so we both knew how our relationship was going to go from now on.
“Everything is fine,” I said as I mustered as much confidence as I could. “I’m just...” My voice drifted off as I tried to gather my thoughts enough to get across what I wanted to say in a nonabrasive way. I didn’t need Cole to wonder if there was deeper meaning behind my words like Breia had done.
Cole’s eyebrows were raised as he waited for me to finish. I blinked when I realized how much time had passed. I needed to say something quick. “What’s your plan?” Good. Toss the ball into his court.
He frowned. “Plan?”
I nodded. “Your plan for the diner. For Harmony. For…your time here.” I almost asked him what his plan was for us, Jasper and me, but I stopped myself. It was presumptuous to think that he had any plans for us that didn’t involve the diner.
He studied me for a moment before he reached over and flipped off the faucet. He paused before he turned back around. “I, um…” The silence between us felt heavy with unspoken words. He studied me before he dropped his gaze. “I have a few things to get settled here, and then I’m returning to Miami.”
A few things to get settled? What did that mean? The diner was flourishing. I was determined to make this place successful. Did he not trust that I could do a good job managing it? My skin pricked with annoyance at that thought. I knew more about Sunny Side Up Diner than he did. I would have thought my twelve-hour days here would have proved that to him.
I hated that I was reacting this way. Him wanting to head back to his home in Miami shouldn’t bother me. He had a life there. He had a girlfriend there. Even though I didn’t know much about him, I knew that Harmony was not his home. Leaving was inevitable.
So why did it feel like he was betraying me when he spoke those words?
“Okay,” I whispered, not sure what else I wanted to say. All I wanted to do was run away.
Our relationship had changed over the last few days. I didn’t want to admit it, but I felt closer to Cole in a way I hadn’t expected. Maybe it was because he’d rescued Jasper and me. Maybe it was because he took care of me like I’d never been taken care of in the past. Or maybe…maybe I was beginning to like Cole. More than a normal business relationship would allow.
And I hated that.
I didn’t wait for Cole to respond. I just turned and left him to do the dishes alone. I needed a break from that man. I needed space so I could think. So I could sufficiently flog myself for allowing feelings to grow for a man who was not only taken, but also leaving. I always fell for the wrong man, and this time, I’d allowed my son to get attached as well.
I was really mother of the year over here.
I managed to avoid Cole the rest of the evening. It was easy because Cole seemed determined to avoid me as well. He must have sensed that I wasn’t interested in talking to him. When I would walk past him, I could feel his gaze, but he never moved to stop me. I wondered if he could feel the strange tension between us or if it was just me and my overactive imagination.
I celebrated when Zoey dropped off Jasper. An overactive little boy was the perfect antidote for my confusing feelings. There was never a dull moment with him around, and I needed that distraction.
Dinner was busy, but the cleanup went fast. After the doors were locked, we all buckled down to get the diner prepped for the next day. I was sitting at my desk, checking on what deliveries we were expecting tomorrow, when Cole walked in. The sleeves of his button-down shirt were rolled up, exposing his tanned forearms. I tried not to stare, but I couldn’t help it.
He leaned against the doorframe, his gaze sweeping the room. He stopped first on Jasper, who was lying on my couch, before he slowly brought it over to me. I dropped my gaze as fast as I could, hoping he didn’t notice me staring.
“You ready?” he asked.
His tone was deep and gentle and sent ripples of pleasure throughout my body. I silently hushed it. What was wrong with me?
I cleared my throat and pushed away from my desk. “Yep,” I said in the most normal voice I could muster. I hoped he hadn’t noticed my reaction as I walked over to Jasper. “Come on, buddy,” I said, tapping his leg.
He whined but, thankfully, rolled off the couch and stood. I gathered my purse and slung the strap up onto my shoulder as I walked toward my office door. When I was inches away, Cole straightened and stepped out of my office so I could pass by. I waited for Jasper to leave before I turned off the light.
Cole led the way, and I brought up the rear as we walked through the kitchen, out the back door, and across the parking lot. Once we were all inside the car, and I made sure that Jasper had his seatbelt buckled, Cole put his car into reverse and backed out of his spot. The only sound that filled the silence was the soft hum of voices mixed with music from Jasper’s tablet.
I stared out the window, wanting to speak to Cole, but I didn’t know what to say. Our relationship had gotten complicated, but I feared it had only gotten complicated for me. I was probably the only one reading into our interactions, and I feared what I might say if I parted my lips and spoke.
