“I just didn’t have it in me today, you know? I’m assuming that Justice closed the place and left for her grandmother’s ranch?” Torren nodded, and she felt bad that she couldn’t seem to get her shit together. The bakery was closed more days than it had been open this past month, and her regulars were getting fed up.
“I’m sorry, I’ll be in first thing in the morning.” She made her way into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. Torren wrapped his big arms around her and pulled her in for a hug.
“How are you doing, Sunny?” She didn’t answer at first, not trusting that she wouldn’t burst into tears again. Torren didn’t do well with crying women.
“I’m—horrible.” She decided to go for honesty, knowing that her friend could usually tell when she was lying. “Aaron came to get the baby, and I had to see him for the first time in a month.” Torren whistled above her head, still holding her against his chest.
“You’ve managed to go the whole month without seeing him? That’s a pretty good run, considering that you two have a kid inthe mix. I usually see my exes all over town.” Sunny pulled free and finished making her coffee.
“Well, that’s because you have dated just about everyone from town, including yours truly. You’d have to become a hermit to avoid seeing someone you dated. Hell, you probably go to your mailbox and pass at least five ex-girlfriends.” She chuckled to herself, but Torren didn’t find her as funny.
“Yeah, fair point. But I’m looking to change all that. I’ve decided to give up dating for a bit.” Sunny doubled over, holding her stomach, laughing. She didn’t sober up until she looked up to see that Torren wasn’t laughing. Heck, he wasn’t even smiling.
“Wait—you’re serious?” She never knew Torren not to “date,” as he liked to call it. What he did was more like having one-night stands, often with more than one woman. That’s one of the reasons they only hooked up a few times, not that she was looking for a serious relationship at the time. But when he asked her to bring two other women into the bedroom with them, she knew that they would never work out.
“I am. You laughing at me isn’t very nice, Sun.” He finished making his giant sandwich and took a bite as if trying to avoid eye contact. She felt bad for hurting his feelings, but in her defense, she didn’t know that Torren had any.
“I’m sorry, Tor. I get it, though. Everyone around us is settling down and having families, and here we are. You’re a confirmed bachelor, and I’m a heartbroken single mom. How did we get here?” Torren shook his head and took a seat at the counter barstool.
“Nope, we are not the same, you and me. You have a man who is crazy in love with you. I just saw him on my way up here, and he looked completely fucking miserable, Sunny. He told me that he’s been begging you to take him back, but you’re too stubborn to listen.” She started to protest, but Torren held up one big hand. “My words, not his, princess. But I’m just tellingyou what I see. Why are you still pushing him away?” Sunny shrugged, not knowing how to answer Torren’s question. He was right—she was holding herself back from happiness and being with the only man that she ever loved. Aaron was the first person that she could see a future with, and she was throwing it all away out of fear that he might leave.
“Listen, just think about what I’ve said. Don’t throw away your happiness because you fear what the future will be. Give Aaron a chance to prove that he’s sticking around. Fuck, maybe you’ll even be happy. Wouldn’t that be something?” He smiled at her, and she sat down next to him, pushing her coffee away and grabbing his beer.
“I’ll think about it, thanks.” He nodded and took his beer away from her, causing her to laugh. “What about you, Tor? When do you get to be happy?” she asked. He stared at his half-empty bottle before he chugged the rest of the ale, standing to clean up his mess.
“I’m working on it,” he finally said. “I just bought a house and I’m going to fix it up. It needs a lot of work, but I like doing that sort of thing. I helped Tag with this cabin after our grandfather left it to us. I figure I’ll work on making myself a home, and then I’ll worry about finding some happiness. Who knows, maybe it’s out there waiting for me, too.” Sunny pulled Torren in for a hug.
“Thanks, Tor.” She piled their dishes into the dishwasher, pulled on her coat, and grabbed her purse.
“So, do I need to ask where you are headed?” Torren grabbed his jacket to follow her out.
“I’m going to find my happiness,” she smiled up at him. “I’m pretty sure he’s hanging out with my daughter right now.” Torren nodded. “Wish me luck?” Sunny asked.
Torren barked out a laugh. “Honey, you don’t need luck. You got your hot little body back.” She giggled and smacked his arm. “Good luck anyway, Sunny.” They waved goodbye, and she madeher way down the mountain to Aaron’s. She just hoped that he would be willing to accept her back with open arms again. Torren was right—she couldn’t keep running from the only man who could ever make her happy.
Aaron needed to run back to the station to pick up his house key. He left it in his locker, and by the time he found it and let the guys all coo at Sadie, he couldn’t wait to get home. He was exhausted from his earlier shift and drained from seeing Sunny for the first time in weeks. Four weeks to be exact, four of the longest weeks of his life.
The first time he left, after their one-night stand, he thought that he had made a clean break. He didn’t know about the baby, and he tried to do the right thing and leave town. He was broken inside from the devastation of losing so many friends in that fire five years before. But now, with everything behind them and the threat of Travis Reid extinguished, he was ready to move forward. Sunny and Sadie became his life, but he fucked that up by going after Reid. He knew that he and Sunny belonged together; he just wished that he could figure out a way to prove that to her. Before going to the station, he stopped at the grocery store where he ran into Torren and then passed Sunny’s Buns bakery on his way back home. The place was dark, and the closed sign was in the window again. It killed him that he was affecting Sunny’s business. He wanted to help her, but he also knew that the only way he could do that was if Sunny let him into her life. She wasn’t about to let that happen if today was any indication of where he stood with her.
When he finally got back to his condo, he pulled into his spot, grabbed Sadie’s car seat, and lugged up her stuff with her andhis groceries in one load. He unloaded his arms onto the kitchen table and froze at the sight of Sunny sitting on the sofa. She stood and walked across the room, taking Sadie’s car seat from him.
“Hey.” He tried for casual, but the rasp in his voice gave him away.
“Hey, yourself,” she squeaked. She set Sadie’s car seat down on the table and got their daughter out when she began to fuss. He was afraid to move, to breathe, to hope because if he did, Sunny could destroy him with just one word.
“Why are you here, honey?” Sunny sat down with Sadie and started to feed her, effectively stopping the baby’s crying.
“Well, I was talking to Torren.” The thought of Sunny with Torren still drove him a little crazy. He knew that the two weren’t together in years, but knowing that Torren touched her made him want to tear him apart, and that would be no easy feat. “He told me that he ran into you and Sadie at the store this morning after you left the cabin.” Aaron nodded, waiting Sunny out. She looked down at Sadie and smiled, letting the baby grasp her finger as she ate. Sunny always seemed so calm and in control around their daughter, as if she were in her natural element. He usually felt like he was trapped in a tornado when it came to taking care of Sadie. Aaron felt like he was doing everything wrong, especially in the last month when Sunny’s calming force wasn’t around to help him navigate their infant daughter. Watching Sunny nurse Sadie now only drilled home the idea that they worked best together. Without her, he was just spinning out of control.
“I need you, Sunny. I’m lost without you.” He sat down next to her and kissed Sadie’s soft head.
“I was getting to all of that,” she whispered. Her smile stole his breath away, and there was that damn hope wearing a hole in his heart. “You see, Torren convinced me that I was beinga stubborn ass, letting you go and not fighting for you and our family.” Her voice cracked, and she looked down at their daughter again, a tear sliding down her cheek. He pulled her closer, loving the way her body molded against his like she was made for him.
“Sunny, don’t cry. I can’t stand it when you cry, baby.” She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.
“I’m not crying because I’m sad, Aaron. I’m crying because I’m happy. For the first time in a month, I feel like I’m home. I was so busy worrying about the possibility that you might leave us, that I couldn’t focus on the fact that you are here now and that’s all that matters.” Aaron kissed Sunny’s forehead, and she leaned into him, seeming to need the connection.
“Honey, I’m not going anywhere, I swear. You and Sadie are my life now. It has been hell, waking up every day and not seeing your beautiful faces. Tell me that you’re coming home, that we can be a family again.” Sunny nodded, and he felt as though his heart was going to explode.
