Page 28 of Broken Boundaries

He sighs, not liking that answer. “Alright. Will you just… will you just tell her I love her?”

“No, I won’t do that. I’m not sure that you do love her after tonight.”

“Fine. Whatever. Just bring her back in the morning. ”

He hangs up quickly, and I’m left wondering if I made the right decision. Maybe a better father would be on his son’s side. Maybe I should knock on her door and let her know what Zach said. But cheating is not something I tolerate. I’ll be damned if my own son doesn’t learn the consequences of his actions.

I clean up our wine glasses and make my way down the hall to my room. I pause in front of Aspen’s room for a moment. I hope she’s ok in there. The look on her face when she saw Zach kissing Melinda is one I won’t forget anytime soon. It’s like I could see her heart breaking, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I shake the thought from my head and continue to my room, shutting the door behind me.

I’m up before the sun as usual, but this morning feels different. I’m painfully aware that someone else is in my house. I’m not sure exactly what I’m supposed to do. Do I get up and make us breakfast? Do I stay in my room until I hear her come out?

I finally decide to get up and shower. I get dressed quickly and then fire off a text to Harper letting her know that I’ll be in later today and Aspen needs the day off. I tell her I’ll explain everything later. She immediately likes the message. Knowing Harper, she’s probably already at the lodge. That woman is more of a workaholic than I am.

No sounds are coming from Aspen’s room as I pass, so I head to the kitchen and start a pot of coffee. I peruse my pantry and fridge, trying to figure out if I should make anything for breakfast. Does Aspen like pancakes, or is she an eggs and bacon kind of girl?

Pancakes might be too much, so I pull out a carton of eggs and a pack of bacon and get started. By the time I’m done scrambling the eggs and frying up some bacon, I hear Aspen’s door open.

“Morning,” she says as she comes into the kitchen, still wearing my shirt from last night. Her curls are wild this morning, and her eyes are red and a little puffy, but she’s just as beautiful as ever.

“Hey. Did you sleep all right?” I ask, scooping some eggs onto a plate, trying not to stare at her bare legs.

“Not bad, considering. That mattress is really comfortable.” She slides onto a barstool at the counter. “Is that for me?”

“Yep. Hope you’re hungry.” I set the plate down in front of her.

“I am. Thank you.”

“Coffee?” I ask.

“Sure.”

“Cream and sugar?”

“Yes, please. The sweeter the better.”

I grab a cup from the cabinet and fix it for her.

As I put it in front of her, she says, “These are really good eggs.”

“Thanks. The eggs are from a local farm, so I think that makes them taste even better.”

I grab a plate for myself and sit down on the stool next to her.

“So, um, did you talk to Zach yet?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No. He texted me and called me a bunch, but I didn’t answer. I want to end things in person.”

“You’re going to break up with him?” I figured she would, but I did hear the regret in Zach’s voice last night. I can’t help but feel bad for my son. He’s clearly confused right now. I’ve been there before. But I’m glad that Aspen realizes that she deserves better.

“Of course, I am. I’ll never be able to trust him again. Trust is important to me.”

I nod. “Well, I’m sorry it came to this, but I understand. Did you think any more about my offer?”

“Yeah, I did actually. If you’re still ok with it, I’d like to stay in the cabin. Just for a little bit until I can get myself on my feet again. I like it here in Blue Haven, and I’d like to stay for now.”

“Then it’s yours. I’ll get it cleaned for you for tonight.”