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Brynn took a deep breath, filled with the scent of roasted coffee beans, cinnamon, and notes of peppermint. Holiday music tinkled in the background, melding with the noise of the patrons in the café, conversing and laughing, sharing the holiday joy.
She was surrounded by mirth and yet Brynn still carried a heavy weight on her shoulders. She wanted to try, for Aaron, for herself. She wished she could be a wife in every sense of the word, that she could have sex with her husband without it ending in a panic attack and flashbacks. But that wasn’t her reality.
“I—” Brynn’s phone rang, interrupting her reply to Charli.
She tugged it from her pocket. Aaron’s name flashed on the screen. She looked up at Charli. “I have to get this really quick.”
Charli waved. “No problem. I’m gonna call Finn and check in with him and Jamison.”
Brynn swiped to answer. “Hello?”
“Hey, uh, how’s shopping?”
“Good.” She cast her eyes over to the bakery case of pastries.
“Awesome. I uh . . .” Aaron blew out a breath, almost as if he was nervous. They hadn’t really said much since she’d left his bedroom in a towel, her face red and splotchy from crying, not even able to look at him.
“Is something wrong?”
“No. Well. Here’s the thing. My mother called and she’s in Boston. She wants me to pick her up. She said she left my father. I don’t know what the hell is going on. She mentioned something about wanting to make things right and wanting to stay with us for a little while. I don’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable. I can put her up in a hotel.”
Brynn shook her head even though he couldn’t see her. She’d caused Aaron enough stress and complications in his life; she wouldn’t get between him and his mother, especially if there was a possibility the woman wanted to mend things between them.
“No, it’s fine. You should hear her out and bring her home.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“I’m positive.”
He exhaled on the other end of the line. “Okay, and you’re okay with her staying in the house? You realize that means you need to move your stuff into my room, right?”
Brynn closed her eyes, her throat tightening. I hadn’t thought of that. Of course the woman thinks we’re a regular happy married couple. Oh, God, this is going to be harder than I thought.
But Aaron had already gone above and beyond for her and Danielle. It was time she returned the favor. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay, I’m leaving now. Should take me an hour and a half if traffic is decent to get there. I’m thinking I should be home around five. I’ll give you an update from the road in case I need to take the scenic route. I’ll have Dani start emptying the closet.”
“Okay.” Brynn’s stomach flipped as nerves ratcheted up her spine. I can do this. For Aaron.
“Thank you, sunshine.” Aaron’s deep voice sunk into her bones, warming her from the inside out like the nickname he’d bestowed on her.
He had it all wrong—he was the shining light, not her.
“It’s the least I could do.”
“See you tonight. And don’t worry about dinner. All set in the crock pot,” Aaron added.
She blinked back the emotion that welled in her eyes every time he did these seemingly little things that made all the difference to her. So many stark reminders that he wasn’t anything like the man from her past. “Thank you.”
“Drive safe.”
“You too.” She pulled the phone from her ear and ended the call.
“Everything okay?” Charli asked, standing, then grabbing her coat.
Brynn did the same. “Yeah. Aaron’s mother just dropped in for an unexpected visit and I need to get home before they do.”
“Ahh, the cleaning rush before the mother-in-law comes.” Charli chuckled.
“Something like that.” Brynn mused and grabbed her bags.
“Should we grab some of their desserts before we go?” Charli asked.
Brynn nodded. “I think that sounds like a great idea.”
Maybe a few slices of cake would be the perfect icebreaker for a guaranteed awkward evening. The upside was maybe Aaron would be so distracted with his parents’ situation that they wouldn’t have to focus on what had happened between them.
I’m a terrible person. It wasn’t that she wanted Aaron to have more stress in his life, but a distraction would be welcome, even if it only delayed the inevitable.
