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“That’s answer enough for me,” she said, cackling.
“I’m going to need more caffeine to deal with your brand of loving interference,” I told her with a shake of my head. I was exhausted and still had to get through dinner, bath, and bedtime. “Either way, it’s great to be home. Thanks for letting Theo and I stay here while we figure everything out. I’ll try and find us a place within the next few weeks to get out of your hair.”
“Summer Alexis Wagner,” she scolded. “Now I know for a fact your momma and I taught you manners. This house is entirely too big for me as it is. You’re not leaving here unless it’s for your forever home, do you hear me? None of this, you don’t want to be a bother, nonsense.”
I held my hands up. “Message received.”
“Now why don’t you take a little time for yourself before dinner, get a little fresh air and some coffee. I know for a fact you already unpacked everything you brought, and don’t even let me get started on that,” she said with a huff. “Theo can help me with dinner.”
It was going to take some time to get used to not having to do everything on my own. Of course, I knew that was by my own design. Besides the times I’d let Grandma Beatty visit, or my parents finally had a break from work and wandered my way, I’d been handling it all.
The first thing I did with Grandma’s offer was take a long hot shower uninterrupted. There was nothing quite like not having to worry if your kid was going to wake up from a nap or was getting into things they weren’t supposed to. Sure, I’d mastered showering in five minutes or less, but this, this was luxury. Maybe now that I was staying with Grandma Beatty for a bit, I could splurge on some of the scented body wash I’d been wanting to try.
Between my scholarship and the freelance gigs I’d been able to pick up during school, I’d been able to get by, my pride not letting me ask for outside help. I was the one who had gotten myself into this mess, and it was no one else’s responsibility.
To be clear, the mess wasn’t Theo. No, that boy was the reason I woke up every single morning. He was a pure ray of light in my life.
The mess was me.
A bonded omega who had been left alone in the city when her mate left her because of what she’d done.
And now, now I’d come home to face the man who’d left me because of what I’d done, to own up to my mistakes.
All for Theo’s sake.
My thoughts were stifling, so I threw on clothes as quickly as I could, desperately needing the fresh air Beatty had offered.
My feet carried me down the familiar path to Main Street, the epicenter of Holiday Hollow. Outsiders probably called it the heart, but the heart was really the people that made up this place.
Even now, I was greeted by familiar faces who waved excitedly and offered me bright smiles and words, and when I saw the sign for Claire’s Coffee and Confections, my spirits lifted even higher.
“Do my eyes deceive me, or is that little Summer Wagner?”
The curvy bombshell that called my name stepped out from behind the counter and came to sweep me up in a hug.
“Alright, alright,” I told her, returning her hug just as fiercely. “I missed you too. Now ply me with caffeine woman or you’ll be losing your honorary title.”
“Excuse me, us only children have to stick together,” she said, arching an auburn brow. “You don’t just get to revoke my big sister status because you’re cranky.”
“I wouldn’t be cranky if you made me my favorite drink in existence,” I told Claire. “I haven’t had one since I left.”
Claire opened her mouth and closed it. “I’m not even going to say what I want to say to that right now as a courtesy since you just got in, but don’t think I’m going to let you escape for long. We have a lot of catching up to do. I have a Theo to spoil and you have to meet my pack.”
I waved her off as she went to make me the smoked vanilla white chocolate mocha I dreamed about. By the time I’d made it to high school, Claire had already opened her shop, although it was much smaller than the booming business it was now. I’d even managed to snag a bag of her apple pie cookies when I was in the city.
“You know I’m proud of you, right?” I told her as she handed me my holy grail in a to-go cup.
She pulled me in for another hug. “I’m proud of you too, Summer. Now go and get out of here before the fine citizens of Holiday Hollow try and throw you an impromptu welcome back party.”
I knew she was right, and I knew I wasn’t up for all of that quite yet. With a promise to catch up soon, I took my drink and made my way back down the street. Stopping at the small green space by the gazebo and snagging a bench.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, letting the sounds filter through.
It was insane. I’d never be able to do this in the city, but in Holiday Hollow I knew that I was more than safe. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized how heavily that had weighed on me.
The buzzing from my phone broke my reprieve but I picked it up quickly in case it was Grandma Beatty.
When I looked at my phone, I saw that it was a text message, one from a number I hadn’t worked too hard to find in the past.
