His lips found mine once more, and this time, we kissed without hesitation. We were both finally home. Together.
Asher was mine and I was his. And nothing would ever come between us again.
23
WILLOW
The dinner rushwas exceptionally busy, so when the dining room was finally cleaned and the kitchen reset for tomorrow, I grabbed Jasper and headed out to the car for our routine of pretending to leave only to come back a few minutes later. I wasn’t sure where Cole was, but I figured I’d drive around for fifteen minutes and he’d be gone by the time I got back.
Jasper was snuggled up in the back seat with a stuffed animal I’d ordered online to replace the one he lost in the fire. He was staring out the window as I drove down Main Street, the lights strobing across his face.
The mom-guilt was strong tonight. I wanted to provide him with a place to stay. I wanted to make enough of a living so that he had a stable home environment. But it just felt like every time I took one step forward, I ended up two steps back. I was running in place and never getting anywhere.
Tears clung to my eyelids, and I blinked hard in an effort to dispel them. I couldn’t cry. Not here. Not where Jasper could see me. I needed to be strong for him. I could break down when he was asleep or gone at school.
I yawned when I turned into the diner’s parking lot and silently celebrated when I saw that it was empty. In just a matter of minutes, we’d be back inside and Jasper would be snuggled up on the couch. Once he was asleep, I could try to get some sleep in my armchair. Though most nights all I’d been able to get was a measly few hours.
The diner was warm when we walked through the back door. I flipped the deadbolt, before following after Jasper as he sleepily made his way to my office. I turned on the lamp by my desk before I persuaded Jasper to follow me to the bathroom so we could brush our teeth.
Once my makeup was off and both of us were minty fresh, I held the door open for Jasper before flipping off the light and following him to my office.
My heart leapt in my throat when I walked through my office door to see Cole standing there, his eyebrows raised. I wanted to sprint from the room before he saw us, but his gaze landed on me, and I could see his confusion.
“Wh-what is going on here?” he asked as he flicked his gaze toward the couch, then my chair, before it finally settled on me and Jasper.
I prayed that Jasper didn’t pick up on my uneasy energy. He’d already been through so much. In an effort to keep him relaxed, I knelt down and whispered, “Go lie on the couch. Mommy needs to talk to Cole in the kitchen.”
Jasper nodded and padded over to the couch, where he curled up under the blanket. With him situated, I waved for Cole to follow me, making sure to include a hard stare so he knew to not say anything until we were out of earshot.
Once we were out in the kitchen, I turned and glared at him with my hands on my hips. “What are you doing here? You left for the night.”
His eyebrows were knit together as he studied me. I feared what he was going to say. What if he took the diner from me? He had money. I didn’t. If he wanted to fight me in court, there was very little I could do to protect myself. Me living at the diner proved that to him.
“Are you sleeping at the diner?” he asked, pointing toward the floor.
I swallowed, hard. I didn’t want to admit it, because speaking that fact out loud only magnified how much I’d failed my son. But I also knew that I couldn’t lie to Cole. Not when he’d literally witnessed me putting my son to bed on my office couch.
“Yes,” I finally whispered as I wrapped my arms around my chest. I felt exposed, and I didn’t want this man to see any of my weaknesses.
“Why?”
I blinked back the tears, forcing myself to be strong. “Our rental burned down a few days ago, and I…” My voice broke. “I had nowhere to go.”
“You’ve been here for a few days?”
I closed my eyes, hating myself for admitting any of this. I was just handing over ammunition to a man I barely knew. A man who held my future in his hands.
“Grab Jasper and your things,” he said as he turned and started walking toward my office.
“But, we have nowhere else to go.” My voice was desperate as I followed after him. Right before he entered my office, I grabbed his arm to stop him. “We’ll be out on the streets if you make us leave.”
Cole stopped. It felt like an eternity before he turned to face me. “I’m not kicking you out onto the streets,” he said. His voice was low, and for a moment, I allowed myself to hear a protective hint in it, before I wiped that thought from my mind.
“You’re not?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No.”
“Then why do I have to get Jasper?” I never thought Cole to be a cruel man, but this felt like an unfair game.
