Page 84 of Heartstrings & Horizons
“Happy to do it, my girl. Now, what can I get ya’ll to drink?”
We all place our drink orders and Rosie disappears back through the swinging doors to the kitchen. Paige leans over to where Rylin is perched on Ivy’s lap coloring the kids menu.
“Auntie Paige color?” The word comes out like “kuh-wer” in her adorable little toddler voice and Paige picks up the yellow crayon to color in the egg yolk beside the bacon thatRy is scribbling over. Watching Paige interacting with Ivy’s daughter has an unfamiliar warmth spreading through me. Paige’s nose crinkles as Rylin whispers something in her ear and my heart leaps in my chest. That smile could bring a grown man to his knees.
“Cade? Did you hear me?” I glance across the table at Liam, who is looking at me with a knowing smirk. “You’re so fucked, dude.”
Yeah. I am.
“Sorry, what were you saying?” I ask.
“Did Connor tell you he’s coming into town soon? He said he wanted to talk to us about the bar.” A sense of dread washes over me at the revelation.
“He’s not closing it, is he?”
“No, I don’t see that happening.” I’m relieved but curious about what he could possibly need to talk to us about. Liam and I have been practically running the place since Connor moved out to Lexington last year, so we can’t really take on any more work. Unless he’s planning to hire a manager.
Before I can get too deep into my thoughts, Rosie comes back with Lisa in tow and they deliver all of our drinks. Lisa takes over our table so Rosie can get back to the kitchen, and we all place our breakfast orders. It’s not long before the conversation is drowned out by the sound of silverware on plates as we all devour our meals. Sneaking my fork over to Paige’s plate, I snatch a bite of her favorite pancakes.
“Hey!” she huffs, “I saw that, Cowboy!”
“Just doing some quality control, Sunshine.” Paige rolls her eyes in response as I rake a finger through the whipped cream before sucking it off, not once breaking eye contact. Her gaze turns heated as I lean in for a kiss, my tongue skating over her bottom lip, tasting the sweetness there.
“Mmmm,” she lets out a barely audible moan, and I’m suddenly very aware that we’re in public, surrounded by all of our friends.
“Ugh, they’re so in love, it's disgusting,” Mags says from the head of the table.
Paige giggles then says, “It’s your fault, Mags, so you aren’t allowed to complain.”
“Actually, I don't think Cade has thanked me enough for that particular service.”
“Thank you, Mags,” I say. “I’m eternally in your debt.”
Paige squeezes my thigh under the table and lays her head on my shoulder as the bell chimes, signaling a new customer. Paige stiffens beside me, and I glance towards the door to find Diane Brooks-Walker — my mother — heading straight for our table. I place a lingering kiss on Paige’s temple before intertwining our fingers as she fidgets in her seat.
“Mom,” I say, keeping my voice deliberately neutral.
Her eyes flick to Paige, then back to me. “Cade, can we talk?”
The table falls silent; the tension reaching a boiling point. I stand, gesturing to a quiet corner in the diner. “Mom, can we do this later? We’re trying to have breakfast with our friends.”
“And I suppose all of the “friends” attended the wedding I was shut out of?” She crosses her arms, her voice dripping with disdain.
“We didn’t shut you out. You were invited and you chose not to come. That’s on you.”
“Because you didn’t give me enough time to prepare! You rushed into this like it was some sort of game, and for some girl you hardly know!”
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Mom.” My agitation at the whole situation is reaching a fever pitch. “I love Paige and I wish you would give her a chance.”
Paige approaches my side then, wrapping her trembling hand around mine. Just her presence eases the tension in mybody.
“I think you should leave,” she says. “You’ve made your disapproval abundantly clear, and we don’t need to have this out in a public place when we’re trying to have a nice meal with our friends.”
“I wasn’t speaking to you,” Mom bites back at my wife and I see red.
The diner’s patrons are starting to take notice, their murmurs adding to the tension. Rylin appears at our side, tugging on Paige’s hand, eyes wide in confusion. She kneels down, giving Ry a reassuring smile before carrying her back to Ivy.
“I can’t do this anymore, Mom. This was my choice. You either accept it or you won’t be in our life. It’s that simple. I’m sorry it has to be this way.”
