Page 59 of Honey Bee Library
I glanced over at Willow as I returned to the waffle maker, which was in the process of burning the waffle I’d started before I got distracted with kissing Willow. Her cheeks were pink, and she was dabbing at her swollen lips as she slipped off the counter and hurried over to Jasper. I couldn’t help my grin of satisfaction as I turned back to the crispy waffle. I grabbed a fork to spear it so I could trash it and start over.
“You’re up,” Willow said. From the corner my eye, I saw her kneel down in front of Jasper before she reached up and attempted to smooth down his hair.
Jasper’s yawn was huge as he moved to evade his mom’s attempts to fix his hair. When that didn’t work, he swatted her hand.
“Come on, let’s go get dressed,” Willow said as she straightened.
My entire body lightened when her gaze met mine. I couldn’t help the smile that emerged, and I loved the fact that her cheeks reddened in response. She held the connection for a moment before she wrapped her hands around Jasper’s shoulders and hurried him out of the room.
I loved that I rattled that woman, especially since all she did all day long was invade my thoughts and confuse me.
Twenty minutes later, I was pulling the last waffle off the iron plate when movement to my left caught my eye. I glanced over to see Jasper coming in dressed in a dinosaur t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. His hair was damp and tamed.
“Hey bud,” I said, shooting him a grin.
Jasper met me with the same enthusiasm. “Can we show Mommy my seashells today?” he asked as he bounded over to me.
In that moment, Willow walked timidly into the room. She was wearing a floral dress that hugged her curves. My heart pounded, and even though I realized I was staring, I couldn’t pull my gaze away. She looked like a goddess.
“Sure, we can show your mom the seashells we found yesterday,” I said as I stood, keeping my gaze locked with Willow’s.
She looked so…lost. It broke me a bit inside. All I wanted was for this woman to tear down the wall she seemed determined to keep up between us. It seemed like when we were together, she liked me. But as soon as she left my presence, everything was cold and distant again.
She was infuriating. But I was stubborn. We were the perfect pair.
“Come on, Jasper, let’s get some food in that tummy,” Willow said as she stepped toward us and waved her hand for Jasper to follow.
He needed little coaxing to find a spot at the kitchen table. After he picked his waffle and drizzled it with copious amounts of maple syrup, he dug in. With Jasper distracted, Willow glanced over at me.
“Sit,” I said, nodding toward the empty chair next to Jasper. She studied me for a moment before she nodded and obeyed. “Coffee?” I asked as I pulled two mugs down from the cabinet above the coffee maker.
“Yes, please,” she said.
Once both mugs were filled, I grabbed their handles and headed over to set one down in front of her. Just as I moved to pull back, I paused right next to her ear.
“You look beautiful this morning,” I whispered.
Willow’s entire body stiffened, but she didn’t look at me. I smiled, loving that I had this effect on her. Today was going to be fun.
After breakfast, Jasper and I showed Willow his shell collection and then walked the beach a bit so he could find more. Willow kept our conversation light as we trailed after him, and I didn’t mind. When she did look at me, I didn’t hold back. I wanted her to know how I felt about her even if her cheeks flushed and she dropped her gaze.
By the time we got back to my house, Jasper was hungry again. After Willow made him a sandwich and got him settled at the table, she joined me in the kitchen, where she leaned against the counter while I loaded the dishwasher.
“What else do you want to do today?” I asked as I slipped the knife she’d used to spread mayo into the utensil holder.
She glanced over at me. “We’ll be okay if you have to work.” She fiddled with the ends of her hair. “I was going to look into flights back to Harmony.”
I paused, staring at the dishes in front of me before I glanced over at her. She was ready to go back…of course she was. I’d spent so much time thinking about my feelings for Willow and how much I loved her being here, that I’d completely forgotten she was going to leave at some point.
Miami wasn’t her home.
“Oh,” I said, wishing I was better at hiding my disappointment. Silence fell between us. When I glanced over at her, I saw Willow studying me. I forced a smile. “I don’t have to go in to Obsidian until later tonight for the gala.” I gave her a wink. “Maddie’s good at her job.”
I wasn’t going to focus on the fact that Willow was going to leave. I was going to focus on making her time here with me unforgettable so she had something to remember when she got back to Harmony.
“I’m sure she is.” A soft smile spread across her lips. It was nice to see that Willow liked Maddie as much as she did.
“You’re still going to come with me tonight, right?” The question was out before I could stop it.
