AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You good?”
“No.”
“Makes sense,” my little brother muttered under his breath. I shot him a look and then sighed. There would be no point in snapping at him. If anything, August had the most experience when it came to relationships.
He was happily married with two little girls who ran circles around him and his wife, Sandy.
“I messed up,” I shared and watched his eyes soften.
“Yup,” he agreed. “But you can fix it.” August’s faith in me was undeserved.
“I don’t know how.”
“Let me ask you something. What’s your first instinct, right now? Right this second? What does your gut say when it comes to Sunny?”
“Chase her.”
“There ya go.” He patted my back. “She loves you, March. That’s clear as day. Why? I have no idea,” he teased, and I rolled my eyes because it was usually me giving him shit. “But, lucky for your old ass, she does. Now,” he drawled, and something inside of me stilled. I knew Auggie. He was about to impart some kind of wisdom he wasn’t sure how I would take it. “If you don’t feel the same way, don’t go after her. If you do, and she figures out ya’ll aren’t on the same page, that’ll be worse.”
“I love her, Auggie.”
“Good.” He nodded. “I’m taking Mom home.” He pointed at his truck. “When you’re ready, we will have a big family dinner, so she can get to know everyone, and hopefully, we don’t scare her off again.” He winked, and I rolled my eyes.
“Thanks, man.” He waved, but I didn’t wait for him to leave. I hurried to my own truck.
I loved Sunny.
There was no way I would let her walk away without knowing that. I should have told everyone she was mine, shouted it from the rooftops, but fuck me, I had been so wrapped up in her and spending every single moment possible with her, I didn’t really think about the consequences. Never again. I’d never do something so stupid that would ever make her doubt how I felt.
I just needed one more chance.
I needed the courage to share what was in my heart. I just hoped and prayed that would be enough to get one last opportunity to win her over and make her mine forever.
Sunny
Isat on the bench outside of Brewed Grounds and people watched. I could only imagine what they must have thought when they looked at me. I was a mess. A crying stranger.
An outsider.
That wasn’t anything new.
I wasn’t the type of person who connected with people. When I was laid off from the call center, I doubted I knew more than three people’s names. Even then, it was people I only said hi and bye to. And I had worked at a call center that employed over two hundred people.
The only person who had ever really stuck with me was Sadie. Not even my own parents had stuck by me.
I looked down at my phone in my lap. I could call her. I should call her. Ask her for the money to fly back home and figure out my life. I knew she would help me in a heartbeat.
But I wasn’t going to.
The sheriff thankfully had received a call just as we pulled up to the coffee shop, and he hadn’t noticed he’d left me all on my own. He’d been sweet, keeping quiet and not asking what had happened. He’d just told me to remember that no matter what, everything would be okay. Neither of us really knew that would be possible, but the sentiment gave me hope.
Brewed Grounds might have been closed, but I would talk to Maggie. I’d ask her about the room upstairs and keep working there. I liked working at the coffee shop, and I was good. Maggie had said so.
For the last two and a half weeks, March had been dropping me off in the morning and picking me up after his workday was done and my shift was over.
With a day off and his promise of coming home early, I got busy making the place more of a home. I’d been cleaning up a storm and preparing a special dinner when someone had knocked on the door and my life had been shaken up once more.
Isn’t that the way it happens, though?
