Although the guesthouse was on her property, she had it set up just for him, which meant all black everything. Black was Don’s favorite color. I could count on one hand how many times I’d seen him wear anything outside of that. Thankfully, that was easy to get away with in Belbridge, thanks to the weather always being cool. But I had no idea how he got away with it in Dallas. Texas heat was no joke.
Handing me a glass of wine, he said, “Do you want to go out on the patio or stay inside?”
“Is Dakota here?” I asked, noticing his daughter’s tiny suitcase sitting next to the door.
“Yeah, she’s sleep. She tired herself out while on the road talking me to death.”
I lifted my shoulders. “Hey, I’ve heard that four-year-olds have a lot to say.”
“Whoever told you that shit, wasn’t lying. She wore my eardrums out,” he replied before letting out a sigh and smiling. “But that’s my baby though. I don’t know what I would do without her.”
“Exactly, so cut her a break,Daddy.”
He smirked and looked me in the eyes. “Damn, I kind of like the way you said that.”
“Whatever.” I laughed. “Let’s go out on the patio. I don’t want to wake her if I get too heated while talking.”
“Damn, it’s like that?”
“Considering that it involves Jayson, yes, it’s definitely like that.”
“Say no more.” He slid back the patio door and motioned for me to go ahead of him.
As soon as I stepped onto the large wooden deck, my eyes traveled to the lake as it sparkled under the moon. “You know, every time I come here, I get a little more jealous of your mother. This place is amazing. I would give anything to have my own lake house. I’m trying to be like Mrs. Desaun when I grow up.”
We both laughed.
“Trust me, you keep working your ass off like I know you do, and something like this will be in your future. Speaking of which, how are things going with the shop? People still buying all of those cookie smelling candles?”
Instantly, I smiled. “Business is amazing. I’ve gotten so busy that I’ve had to hire more help just to get the orders out on time.”
“I can imagine,” he replied. “You know people love your candles, and I’m sure every bakery in town appreciates you. I doubt that anyone can light one of those things without instantly wanting a damn cake or cookies.”
Watching him break into laughter, I shrugged. “If that’s the first thought that comes to people’s mind, then I’ve done my job.”
Cookie Cutter Candles was my baby, and it was something I had started simply because I wanted to be a baker, and I loved the smell of desserts. Sadly, God didn’t bless me with hands that could bake, but he did give me the talent of being able to create things that looked like I had baked them from scratch and placed them into a fancy jar.
Wiping the small amount of dirt that had fallen from the trees and landed on one of the lounge chairs, Don glanced back at me. “Have a seat and kick your feet up.”
His words instantly made me feel at peace.
Closing my eyes, I took in a breath of fresh air and did exactly what I was told.
As soon as he sat down in the chair next to me, I began sharing my nightmare with him. “So, in my dream, Izzy and I decided to go out to celebrate my divorce. While we were out, Jayson shows up, and you know I haven’t seen him since I found out that he cheated.”
“Right.”
“He shows up to convince me that we’re meant to be together and to make it clear that he’s not going to sign the divorce papers.”
“Sounds like real life to me.”
“I know, and I wish it wasn’t,” I said with a sigh. “I would give anything for him to sign the papers and put an end to this thing.”
Clearing his throat, Don turned to face me. “I’m going to say something, and I want you to be real with me.”
“Of course.”
He took a moment, his eyes settling in on me before speaking again. “Is there any part of you that wants to take him back…even a little bit?”
