Page 34 of Worth the Risk
“I’m good, much better than last night.” She peers around me to the waffle iron on the counter and stovetop. “What are you making?”
“I hope you still like waffles. You used to help my mom make them for us on weekends.” I flip two onto a new plate and top them with chopped strawberries then put a couple pieces of bacon beside them. I hold it out to her but notice she’s staring at me, specifically my bare torso. I grin. She’s looked at me like this more than once but having her look at me and see the heat in her eyes doesn’t ever get old.
“Winnie? Do you still like waffles?” I stare at her and she has a sweet dreamy look on her face. My grin widens as she shakes her head a little.
“Oh uh, yeah, this looks great. Thanks.” She’s blushing and I can’t help but tease her.
“My eyes are up here, Parker.” She snaps her head up and meets my gaze, the pink spots on her facing deepening to a light red. I lift my eyebrows and hold out the plate again. She takes it and sits at the round dining table. She turns her attention to the bacon on her plate and takes a bite. I may not be a chef but I would cook for Winnie every morning if she would let me.Thinking about having mornings like this reminds me of why I came here last night. I’m thinking about how to bring it up when she clears her throat again.
“You know, you didn’t have to stay the night, I would have been fine. I called Mare earlier in the day and was following doctors orders…but thank you for taking care of me. It was really sweet of you.” She’s frazzled this morning, I love listening to her ramble when she’s nervous, it’s adorable so I mess with her again.
“I didn’t mind. It was a very eye opening night.” I wink and she chokes a little, coughing.
“What do you mean eye opening?” I grab a glass from the cabinet I found them in last night and get the orange juice out of the fridge to pour her a glass before answering.
“You talked in your sleep, said some really interesting things…”
“No, I didn’t! Did I?” She looks way more worried than I would have thought and that makes me incredibly curious. What could she possibly think she said? “What did you hear? I was in a lot of pain last night, so I doubt it was even coherent.”
“Mmm …I don’t know, Winnie. Sounded like you’d been thinking about these things for awhile.” I smirk and she loses it.
“Barrett Holloway, tell me what I said right now.”
“Easy, Win.” I’m chuckling at her stern approach. “Take a breath. You didn’t say anything I didn’t already know.” Her eyes flash.
“…and that would be?…”
“You only said that you think I’m the hottest man you have ever laid eyes on, that you were hopelessly in love with me, I was actually at the top of your Fantasy Hockey Player list and something about wishing you could have my babies…I think there was more, let me think for a second.” A towel hits me in the face and I laugh.
“That isn’t funny, you idiot!” She’s laughing too, but the relief is evident.
“Sure it was. As much as I would have enjoyed you saying those things… you didn’t, but you did ask me to stay…and some other things that I couldn’t make sense of, something about having to move…?” Her face is now tomato red. I have no idea why it would be, but I really want to know. “What are you hiding from me? What did you really think you said?”
“Nothing....like you said, nothing you didn’t already know.”
I sit in the chair next to her and put my hand on her forehead. “Your color looks better now, so that’s a good sign.” I want to slide my hand to her cheek. She’s too beautiful for words.
“I’m fine now. I think the worst has passed. Thank you again for staying…and for breakfast, but you can get going if you have other things to do today.”
“Are you kicking me out the morning after, Winnie? Is that how it is?”
“No! Not that…no. I…I’m not. We didn't…That’s not even…” She takes a deep breath.
“You are so adorable when you’re flustered, Winnie Parker.” She winces a little but tries to hide it by looking away. Maybe I’ve read this whole thing wrong and I’m making her uncomfortable, but she doesn’t look uncomfortable. She looks mad.
“What’s wrong? What did I say?”
“Nothing. It’s just that’s the word you used when you told me you didn't want to see me a couple years ago.” She stands and takes her plate to the kitchen counter. I’m not sure what she’s talking about. I’ve called her adorable many times before, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to see her. I’d give anything to understand what just happened. Anything to go back to a few minutes ago when we were laughing in her kitchen together.
“When did I say?—”
“It’s fine.” She cuts me off and gives me her fake smile, but looks like she may be about to cry. What the hell did I say? “It’s really fine, Rhett. Thank you for coming to check on me last night and staying to help me out. You’re a good friend.”Friend.That is not a strong enough word I want to use for her anymore and I’m about to tell her that but she continues before I can. “I’m sorry I asked you to stay.” Her eyes are filled with unshed tears and it’s killing me. “I should probably get ready and head to the bakery since I left early yesterday and I need to start getting things ready for a few special orders we have coming next week.” She sniffs and moves to the entry so I have no choice but to follow her. I grab my shirt on the way and slip it over my head.
“Hang on for just a minute. I’m not sorry you asked me to stay. I wanted to be here and take care if you. What’s got you so upset? Winnie, talk to me.” She swipes at her beautiful face and I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut.
“God, I’m so embarrassed. It was a long time ago. I should be over it. I guess it just hurt because I wasn’t over you then and you— well you were moving on all over the place.” She trails off and I am confused…she opens the front door and I shut it again.
“Rhett. Please don’t make this a thing. I’m fine. I think I’m just tired because I was sick last night.”
