Page 112 of Hometown Hottie

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NOVA

Waking up the next morning, I felt Carson tucked around me and I smiled. I hadn’t even opened my eyes yet, but I was already smiling because he was here. He’d stayed. I hadn’t been sure that he would, and knowing that he had made me feel like we’d turned over a new leaf.

Staying right where I was, I cuddled up against him and hugged his forearm draped around my waist. He was still fast asleep. With his eyes closed and his handsome features relaxed, he looked younger, more innocent. More like that boy I used to know.

My heart skipped as I rested my forehead against his, feeling like this really was it this time. I’d already stood up to my brother, but I’d do it again if I had to. My mom knew about us and I was pretty sure she’d have told my dad by now, but even if she hadn’t, we were closer to a real relationship than we’d ever been before.

We were making it happen and I was ready to grab the bull by the horns—or my brother by the balls—until he relented. Still smiling, I gave Carson a soft kiss on the cheek before I slowly started sliding back, extricating myself from him to surprise him with breakfast in bed.

I rolled over, hanging my legs off the side of the mattress before I slowly got up, but that was when reality hit me. I couldn’t bring him breakfast in bed. The bakery had burned to the ground last night and I needed to get down there to see the damage with my own two eyes now that morning had come.

A heavy weight settled into my heart as I stood there watching the sunlight creep over the top of the mountain to wash the grazing land in early morning light. I stood in front of my window for a while, just looking out at the ranch and everything we’d come so close to losing.

But we’re still here. We’re still standing.

The bakery was gone, but the rest of it was still here and so was I. So was Carson. Devastated as I was, I needed to get on with it, so I grabbed a quick shower and dressed in simple shorts and a T-shirt. Then I put on my sneakers and jogged down to the bakery, making a mental note to go pick up my truck from Moe’s later today.

The rhythmic pounding of my feet against the dirt soothed me. The fresh breeze on my face cleared the cobwebs of shock and sleep, allowing me to start thinking about the future. A future with Carson and the rebuilt bakery, hopefully right here on this very ranch.

By the time I turned the final corner between my cottage and the bakery, I was wide awake and buzzing with energy to get started. The heaviness in my heart was still there and the tasks ahead were daunting, but the run had helped. I’d never given up before and I wouldn’t do it now.

Much to my surprise, Ryan was already there when I arrived, sitting on the bed of his truck and staring at the burned-out husk of the building that had been left behind. He looked up when he heard me, waved me over, and gave me a tentative grin. I stopped and rested my arms on the side of his truck.

“Did you get any sleep?” he asked.

I nodded, noticing the bags under his eyes and his messy hair. “I was wiped out. You? It doesn’t look like it.”

He chuckled but shrugged. “My brain didn’t want to shut off. It kept me up half the night and I spent the other half trying to decide what to do about the thoughts I was having.”

“Yeah?” I cocked my head at him, leaning against his truck now as my knees started getting numb.

An acrid scent still hung in the air down here, and with every breath I took, I was reminded of what I’d lost. Even though I wasn’t facing what had remained of the building, I was painfully aware of it.

Ryan patted the open space next to him on the back and extended a hand toward me. “Come on. I’ll help you. You look like you need to sit down.”

“I think I do.” I smacked my palm into his, let him help me up, and then sat down next to him, just staring at the blackened char that just yesterday had been a bustling business. “It’s crazy how much things have changed in less than twenty-four hours, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it really is,” he agreed before giving me a sidelong look. “Hey, uh, I know you’re going through a lot right now, but can we talk?”

“Sure, as long as talk means talk and not fight, I’m up for it.” I faced him. “What’s up? Is this about whatever was keeping you up last night?”

He jerked his chin in a nod, the look in his eyes suddenly far away. “Did Carson stay with you last night?”

I exhaled sharply, my defenses immediately springing up. I narrowed my eyes. “Yes, he did. You asked him to⁠—”

Ryan put his hands up in surrender, leaning back. He shook his head. “No, Nova. That’s not why I asked. I’m glad he stayed.”

I blinked hard. “What?”

“I’m glad he stayed,” he repeated, saying the words slower this time. “I thought it might be time we talked about why I had a hard time accepting you guys being together.”

“I know why.”

“Just let me talk, would you?” His blue eyes were firm on mine, and there was a hint of pleading to them. “I promise this isn’t going to go how you think it is.”

“It’s not?”