Page 51 of Honey Bee Library
Ninety-nine percent of me wanted to say no. Ninety-nine percent of me wanted to head straight to Cole’s house, grab Jasper, and get on the first flight out of here. Ninety-nine percent of me was certain that the last person I should let into my life was Cole Watkins.
But there was one percent that wanted to see where things could go with Cole. And in that moment, the one percent won out.
“Okay,” I said as I headed into the dressing room to get changed.
16
COLE
Jasper keptme busy all evening. After we looked at the fish tank and talked fish facts for an hour, we packed up the few plastic shovels and buckets I had in the garage and headed out to the beach to look for seashells. When we finally made it back to the house, I built a campfire in the sand while Jasper laid out his favorite seashells in a line on the ground. We roasted hotdogs for dinner and marshmallows for s’mores.
Once our stomachs were full and the fire was out, we spent the rest of the evening sitting on the outdoor couch, watching a football game. Willow had texted that she was still out with Maddie and now they were grabbing a bite to eat.
After I set down my phone, I glanced over to see that Jasper had passed out next to me. I chuckled, thinking about what kind of credit card bill I was going to have next month—Maddie had expensive taste—before I pushed that thought from my mind.
Willow deserved to be spoiled. She worked harder than any woman I’d ever known. I wanted to take care of her, and if I needed to go through my assistant to make it happen, that wasn’t beneath me. I knew that Willow would never accept help directly from me, so if I was going to take care of her, I needed my cavalry.
I just hoped that she was enjoying herself with Maddie.
Not wanting Jasper to get a crick in his neck from the way he was lying on the couch, I slowly stood and then turned to pick him up. I slid my hands underneath his body and hoisted him up to my chest. He twisted for a moment before he stilled. I walked him through the house and to the room I’d taken Willow to earlier.
I felt bad that Jasper was still a bit sandy from the beach, so after I laid him on the comforter, I grabbed a towel from the bathroom and tried my best to brush him off. He giggled when I got to his feet, so I made sure to be quick. Just as I let go of his foot, he scooted and wiggled until he was basically buried in the pillows on the bed.
After covering him with a nearby blanket, I took the towel with me as I tiptoed out of the room and shut the door behind me. Now in the hallway, I sighed.
It was so strange to me that Jasper’s father was nowhere to be found. I’d only known that kid for a short period of time, and he’d already become one of my best friends. It boggled my mind that a father could just walk out on his son like that. Especially when his son was as cool as Jasper.
“Idiot,” I muttered under my breath as I twisted the towel in my hands and made my way down the hall to the laundry room.
Once I’d dropped the towel in the utility sink, I headed into the living room to settle down on my leather armchair. I flipped open the book I’d been reading before Gran had to go to the memory care unit and I’d driven to Harmony Island. That felt like ages ago, when in fact it had only been a month.
So much of my life had changed in such a short amount of time. I knew I could never go back to who I was before I went to Harmony, and with how I was feeling about Willow and Jasper, I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
I liked who I was when I was with Willow and Jasper. Before them, I was just a lonely bachelor who looked to his career for satisfaction. Now, I wanted to be a better person for the two of them. I wanted to be a better man for Willow.
It was strange that I was entertaining these thoughts. Especially since I knew, eventually, I was going to walk away from Sunny Side Up Diner. But I didn’t want to. And a part of me—one that I was trying to keep hidden—desperately wanted Willow to feel the same.
I must have nodded off. I was suddenly jolted awake by the laughter of two women. I glanced up to see Willow and Maddie standing in the foyer, both holding bags with various names on them. They were deep in conversation, and for the first time in a long time, Willow looked at peace. Her smile was wide and it lit up the entire room.
My heart pounded at the sight.
“Thank you so much,” Willow said as she moved to take Maddie’s bags from her. “I had a really good time.”
Maddie returned the smile. “Of course. I’m glad we got to know each other better.”
I set my book on the shelf next to me and stood. “Did you ladies have a good time?”
Was it wrong that I wanted Willow to smile at me the way she was smiling at Maddie? She’d basically hated me the entire time I’d known her. Just once, I wanted to feel what it was like to bask in Willow’s praise.
“I had a very good time,” Willow said, turning her attention to me. Her smile softened. Where it had been bold with Maddie, it turned shy and hesitant. Like she wasn’t sure what to think, but was trying to be brave.
That smile caused my chest to swell. That smile made all the previous interactions I’d had with her worth it. Willow was starting to trust me. She was breaking down her wall and letting me in, and I wanted to prove to her that I was a man she could trust.
“Jasper do good for you?” she asked as she broke her gaze away from mine and glanced around the room.
It was only then that I realized I had been staring at her. I cleared my throat. “He’s in bed. I think I wore him out.”
Willow laughed. It was soft and genuine and all I wanted to hear. “I’m surprised it wasn’t the other way around.” She glanced back at me.
