Page 17 of Honey Bee Library (Sweet Tea and a Southern Gentleman #7)

WILLOW

The day was only half over, and I hated everything about it.

I hated that Maddie had been there at the house this morning.

I hated that she was so nice it was hard to hate her.

I hated that I felt like Cole had betrayed me.

I hated that I’d opened myself up to a man after I’d sworn them off entirely.

But most of all, I hated that I cared this much.

I spent most of my morning avoiding Cole. If he came into the room, I found a reason to leave. Most times, the only place I could go was inside my office, where I would stay until I felt like enough time had passed, and then I would sneak out.

Brody gave me side-eye one too many times as I tiptoed past him, but I just brushed him off. He needed to mind his business. I was trying to survive.

By the time the lunch rush was over, I was ready to collapse on my couch. Not only was my job a strenuous one, but with the addition of conflicting feelings for the co-owner, I was a mess.

I needed to get my head on straight.

“Everything okay?” Breia’s voice had me snapping to attention.

I was currently leaning against the far booth, staring at the dirty table in front of me but not moving to clean it. I glanced over at her as I forced my brain to start working. Breia had the nose of a bloodhound. She could smell drama from a mile away.

“Yep, fine,” I said, a bit too loud, as I reached forward and started gathering the used napkins on the table. When she didn’t leave right away, I glanced behind me. “Why?” I asked, forcing a smile to hopefully throw her off the scent.

She was studying me with her eyebrows drawn together. “You’re acting strange again.”

I feigned surprise as I dumped the trash in the grey bin I’d brought from the back. “I am?” I asked, gathering the plates.

“Yes, you are.”

“What am I doing?” I set the plates next to the pile of trash in the bin.

“You’re sprinting out of the room every time Cole comes in.” She leaned in. “Did something happen between you two?”

Crap. She’d noticed. And I had been determined to throw her off the Willow and Cole, sitting in a tree scent she’d been on yesterday.

“I am not sprinting out of the room every time Cole comes in.” Denial seemed like the only option.

“I just…have things to do.” I shrugged. “It’s just a coincidence that I remember I have to do those things as soon as Cole comes in.

” I chuckled, trying desperately to convince her that everything was in her mind.

Breia folded her arms. “Willow.” Her voice was low and threatening. It reminded me of the tone I used when I knew Jasper was lying to me.

“What?” Great. Now I sounded like Jasper.

She was quiet for a moment. “You know you can tell me, right?” She held up her hands. “I’m not going to judge, and I can keep a secret. The stuff yesterday, that was just teasing.”

If my issues had involved anyone but Cole, I would have told her everything. But it wasn’t just some random guy. It was Cole, her boss. My life was so intricately woven with his, and I hated that. He’d infiltrated my world and left me with no one to talk to.

It would be a bigger problem if I had something I needed to talk to someone about. Which I didn’t. There was nothing going on between Cole and me. We were just…

Well, I didn’t know what we were, and there was no way I could work through those thoughts with people who worked with both of us. It was best for me to just ignore my confusing feelings and act like nothing was wrong. It would keep me safe.

I forced a smile. “Really, Breia, there’s nothing to tell. Things between me and Cole are fine.” I paused. “Mundane even.”

“Mundane?”

At the confused tone in Breia’s voice, I instantly regretted saying that. I wanted to appear aloof, but the words I’d used seemed to have the opposite effect. I feared what she would think if I kept talking, so I decided to play it cool.

I finished gathering the dishes and then lifted the tub to rest on my hip. I straightened, glanced over at her, and smiled. “Mundane. Boring. Nothing to report,” I said as I sidestepped her and headed to the kitchen.

Breia didn’t follow after me as I pushed through the swinging door.

I kept my head down and headed toward the dishwasher.

Just as I neared the sink, someone stepped in front of me and lifted the tub from my hip.

Their hands brushed mine, and I startled, almost dropping the tub as I whipped my gaze up to see Cole.

“Let me,” he said, his voice low as he took most of the weight.

I wanted to protest. I wanted to tell him that I could do this, that I didn’t need his help, but the words weren’t coming out. Instead, I just stood there while he gently took the tub from me and set it down next to the sink.

For the first time, my brain registered that the faucet was on.

I’d missed that he was working back here, entirely.

I’d been too distracted by my conversation with Breia, and I’d let my guard down.

All the work I’d put into avoiding Cole had been for naught because I was once again heading down the windy road that was the confusion I felt toward this man.

I just wished he’d give up on this diner already and go back to Florida.

“Um, thanks,” I said as I turned to leave. If he wanted to take care of my dishes, who was I to stop him? He didn’t need me around.

I’d almost gotten far enough away to breathe normally again, when he called after me. I thought about pretending not to have noticed, but I wasn’t a child. I could face him like an adult.

“Did you say something?” I asked, turning to face him.

He was standing next to the sink. There were some darker water spots on his shirt. His hair was tousled, and his eyebrows were drawn together like he was confused about something.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

I blinked, not expecting for him to ask that. What was I supposed to say? Yes? That would be a lie. The truth was, no, I wasn’t okay. I was confused and hurt, and I hated that I felt that way toward him.

I wasn’t supposed to care about this man. I’d spent the first few days hating him. I liked hating him. It was easier. But now, things had gotten complicated. I’d let this man into my life. I’d let my son get attached to him, knowing full well that at some point Cole was going to walk away.

Just like Harold did.

I needed to get my head on straight. I needed to put boundaries in place to mitigate the pain Jasper would feel when Cole left and never came back. I needed to speak these boundaries into existence so we both knew how our relationship was going to go from now on.

“Everything is fine,” I said as I mustered as much confidence as I could. “I’m just...” My voice drifted off as I tried to gather my thoughts enough to get across what I wanted to say in a nonabrasive way. I didn’t need Cole to wonder if there was deeper meaning behind my words like Breia had done.

Cole’s eyebrows were raised as he waited for me to finish. I blinked when I realized how much time had passed. I needed to say something quick. “What’s your plan?” Good. Toss the ball into his court.

He frowned. “Plan?”

I nodded. “Your plan for the diner. For Harmony. For…your time here.” I almost asked him what his plan was for us, Jasper and me, but I stopped myself. It was presumptuous to think that he had any plans for us that didn’t involve the diner.

He studied me for a moment before he reached over and flipped off the faucet. He paused before he turned back around. “I, um…” The silence between us felt heavy with unspoken words. He studied me before he dropped his gaze. “I have a few things to get settled here, and then I’m returning to Miami.”

A few things to get settled? What did that mean?

The diner was flourishing. I was determined to make this place successful.

Did he not trust that I could do a good job managing it?

My skin pricked with annoyance at that thought.

I knew more about Sunny Side Up Diner than he did.

I would have thought my twelve-hour days here would have proved that to him.

I hated that I was reacting this way. Him wanting to head back to his home in Miami shouldn’t bother me. He had a life there. He had a girlfriend there. Even though I didn’t know much about him, I knew that Harmony was not his home. Leaving was inevitable.

So why did it feel like he was betraying me when he spoke those words?

“Okay,” I whispered, not sure what else I wanted to say. All I wanted to do was run away.

Our relationship had changed over the last few days.

I didn’t want to admit it, but I felt closer to Cole in a way I hadn’t expected.

Maybe it was because he’d rescued Jasper and me.

Maybe it was because he took care of me like I’d never been taken care of in the past. Or maybe…

maybe I was beginning to like Cole. More than a normal business relationship would allow.

And I hated that.

I didn’t wait for Cole to respond. I just turned and left him to do the dishes alone.

I needed a break from that man. I needed space so I could think.

So I could sufficiently flog myself for allowing feelings to grow for a man who was not only taken, but also leaving.

I always fell for the wrong man, and this time, I’d allowed my son to get attached as well.

I was really mother of the year over here.

I managed to avoid Cole the rest of the evening.

It was easy because Cole seemed determined to avoid me as well.

He must have sensed that I wasn’t interested in talking to him.

When I would walk past him, I could feel his gaze, but he never moved to stop me.

I wondered if he could feel the strange tension between us or if it was just me and my overactive imagination.

I celebrated when Zoey dropped off Jasper. An overactive little boy was the perfect antidote for my confusing feelings. There was never a dull moment with him around, and I needed that distraction.