She had brought him here for a reason—she wanted him to know the public eye was on him at all times during their conversation. Maybe it would encourage him to be honest with her, or maybe it would just make him uncomfortable. Either way, it gave her a flash of grimsatisfaction.
He waited for her to sit, and then took the spot on the opposite side of the table.
“Where have you been all his life?” she asked immediately, not seeing any point in making small talk.
“I didn’t know I was his dad,” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know either,” she heard herself say, even though it wasn’t really the truth. He had no right to know what she had or hadn’t known.
“Bull hockey,” Cash declared. “I saw your little tribute to Vermont music. I’m not in it. You hate me because you think I abandoned him.”
Busted.
And there was really no point arguing with him about whether he’d known or not anyway. She was sure he was lying, because she knew that Harper had written to him more than once.
That doesn’t matter right now,she reminded herself. All that matters is Cody. Focus. Don’t let him down.
“Fine,” she said. “Why are you here? What do you want?”
But before he could answer, Tara swept in, setting menus in front of them.
“Our special today is a short stack of cinnamon apple pancakes with maple syrup, sausage links, and bottomless coffee,” Tara said.
“Hayes maple syrup?” Cash asked.
The Hayes family had been making syrup for generations in Sugarville Grove. Cash mentioning them was a quick reminder to Bella that he really was a Sugarville Grove boy at heart.
At least there are some things he doesn’t forget about.
“All our maple syrup is from Hayes Farm,” Tara said proudly.
“In that case, I’ll take the special,” Cash told her. “And keep the coffee coming.”
“Perfect,” Tara said. “How about you, Bella?”
“An English muffin, please,” Bella said. “And a hot tea.”
“Sounds good,” Tara told her. “Be right up.”
Somehow the interruption had shaken a tiny bit of the tension out of the air between them. When Cash turned back to her and gave her a tentative smile, she gave him a half-smile back before she could stop herself.
“What do I want?” Cash continued. “I want to make up for lost time.”
Bella nodded slowly, trying to take his words at face value.
“I know that a lot of time has passed already,” he said softly. “Too much. But I want to be a father to him now if I can, in any way he’ll let me.”
Cash’s eyes were serious, and she felt a tug at her chest, like she could feel his pain.
“Cody’s been through a lot,” she told him carefully. “I don’t think he can handle another loss.”
“That’s perfectly understandable,” Cash said, nodding.
“I don’t want to risk his heart getting broken just because you suddenly decided that you have one,” she went on, her voice rising as she lost her coolby the second.
“Hey,” he said with a fresh smile. “Do you want to split a chocolate milkshake?”
“It’s ten in the morning,” she pointed out.
