Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The next morning, I expected to wake up alone, my wanderer gone in search of something to fill the gaping hole in his heart. But to my utter joy, I found Beau in my kitchen, making pancakes. The entire apartment smelled like buttery carbs, cinnamon, and maple syrup.

“Hi,” I said, walking on eggshells, afraid I might wake up from this dream.

“Hey. I made coffee. Breakfast will be ready soon.”

I smiled, quietly melting. He’d stayed. He’d fucking stayed. “Can I help?”

“You can set the table?”

A sit-down breakfast. “Sure.” I went to the corner of my small living room and pulled my little table away from the wall. I didn’t eat here much, since it was usually only me, but it was absolutely an occasion to bust out the four leaves.

I got everything ready, and Beau came out with the biggest stack of hotcakes I’d ever seen. He quickly returned with coffee, butter, and syrup.

I took a sip from my mug, tasting an explosion of dark, nutty goodness. “Did you buy this?”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I walked to the store and got a few things. Oh, and Shawna dropped my stuff off, too. I ran into her outside.”

I bet she hit on him again, too. Grrr… I tamped down my ridiculous jealousy. “Thank you. This coffee is great.”

“I blended it myself—espresso beans with Kona. I added some cocoa extract and a drop of hazelnut.”

“Wow.” I took another sip. “It’s amazing.”

“Try my pancakes. They’re made with almond flour and coconut for texture and flavor.”

“Where did you learn to cook?”

“My mother. Baking was mandatory at our house.”

“I love baking,” I said. “But my specialty is cookies.”

“Bread is baked for the stomach, but cookies are baked from the heart—as my mother used to say.”

“How long ago did she pass away?”

He took a bite of his food, hesitating to answer. “About eleven years ago.”

That would have been before the factory fire. “I’m really sorry. It must’ve been hard. Do you have any siblings?”

“I do not.”

“Then even harder.” He’d had to go through it with his grieving father.

“She was the heart of our family, but she lives on in here.” He pointed to his chest.

“And here.” I took a bite of my pancakes and rolled my eyes in bliss. They were fluffy and chewy with hints of almond. “So good.” I chewed and swallowed. “Did she teach you this recipe?”

“Yes.”

“I think she and I would’ve gotten along.” I smiled and took another bite, thinking about what I’d just learned. “Do you think her death had anything to do with why your father is keeping you away?”

He shrugged. “I do not know. Why?”

“It’s just that people deal with loss in different ways, yanno? Maybe he was afraid of losing you, too, so he did all this to push you away.”

Beau laughed. “You don’t know my father. All he cares about is making toys. To him, other people’s happiness is everything. The rest of us be damned.”

I winced. That was nothing like my father. Our family’s happiness was everything to him.

“Let’s change subjects,” Beau said.

Beau was right. I was trying too hard to fix something that wasn’t mine to fix. I needed to be a friend not a buttinski. “Are you staying for lunch?”

He gave me a look. “Have you seen the amount of pancakes on our plates? I doubt I’ll be hungry for hours.”

“Okay, what about dinner? Just so I can plan what we’ll eat. No pressure or anything.”

He smiled, flashing a charming smile my way. “I decided to stay a few days.”

“Wow. Look at you not hoboing away.” I beamed at him. “I’m proud of you.”

“Don’t be. I just decided to take a break—let my new situation soak in.”

Now I was extra proud of him.

“Stop gloating,” he said, still smiling.

“What?” I looked down at my plate and chewed with a grin.

“There’s a tree lighting tonight downtown. Would you like to go?”

“Will hot chocolate be involved?” I asked.

“Well, you wanted to have dinner together, right?”

Cocoa for dinner. “I’m in.” I just had to be careful. He planned to split in a few days, and that would be that. I might never see him again. One meal at a time, Meri. Just enjoy today.

That evening, Beau and I walked along the plaza, sipping dinner and waiting for the tree-lighting ceremony to start. Families, groups of friends, and couples were everywhere, bundled up in winter jackets and enjoying the music piping from the band near the tree.

Beau had on his thick black parka. I wore my trusty red coat.

“I’ve never come to this,” I said. “Thanks for the invite.”

“Really? I figured this was an annual tradition for you.”

“Nope. I’m usually too busy preparing for my big holiday bash.”

“So why aren’t you now?” he asked.

“I’ve decided not to throw my party this year.”

“Why?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I guess I’m just not feeling it.” Also, there was a certain person occupying my thoughts. “And honestly, I’m not sure my friends really enjoyed it. Not like I thought, anyway.”

“I find that hard to believe. I can see all the energy you put into decorating.”

“I do.” I laughed. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I pulled it from my pocket. It was Kay. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Meri, I completely forgot,” her voice sounded panicked, “but I volunteered to help my mom host the annual Sock and Sip next Sunday.” The Sock and Sip was an auction back in my hometown. For the party, people donated lots of wine and snacks, and they usually booked a DJ for dancing. But most importantly, everyone donated Christmas stockings filled with everything from beauty supplies to candy and X-rated stuff for the adults, all to auction off. Some even gave away vacations. All the money went to the local foodbank for Christmas.

“And?” I said.

“I can’t go. I have a big client to show around early the next day, and I’ll be dead if I try to drive back to the city after the auction. You know how late that thing goes. Can you do it?”

“Kay, it’s a five-hour drive to get there.”

“But you don’t have to rush home. You booked time off, right?” she asked.

In addition to taking off the week after Christmas, I always took vacation time around the beginning of December to finish wrapping gifts and to do party prep. Of course, this year, I wasn’t doing any of that, but I hadn’t told anyone but Beau.

“Please, Meri. You know how my mom gets, and my dad is useless for this stuff. You’ve done the event twice before, and you’re so organized.” Kay’s parents were the kindest people on the planet, but their laid-back hippy ways weren’t exactly the best for organizing charity events like this one. The auction was incredibly fun, but pure chaos. Especially after people got a few drinks in them and started taking off their socks, throwing them around the room. It was weird, but funny.

“What about your sister or one of her friends?” I suggested.

“My sister can’t be around food smells right now, and none of her friends are available.”

“Ugh. Sure, I suppose I can do it.” So I’d take two trips home this December. Not the end of the world.

“Thank you!” She sighed with relief. “You’re the best. Oh, I almost forgot. What happened with Beau? Girl, he’s smokin’ hot! The ladies at Friendsgiving couldn’t stop going on about him. I swear there were little puddles all over the chairs.”

“Ew!”

“Just sayin’,” she laughed, “if things don’t work out with Lick, Beau can park his big tent inside my lady garden—”

“Bye, Kay.” I ended the call.

“Everything all right?” Beau asked.

Besides the fact my friends all want you? “I have to drive home next weekend to help Kay’s mom with a charity thing. You’re welcome to come, but I’ll be staying with my parents.”

He gave me a look.

“I know. Meeting my folks is a lot. Just forget I asked.”

“No, I’d love to meet them.” He smirked. “I want to see who’s responsible for making you—”

“Such a mess?”

“Such a persistent woman.”

I stared at his handsome face for a long moment. I loved looking at him—those intense, sparkling blue eyes, those soft lips, and thick dark lashes. He was edible.

Suddenly, the announcement went over the plaza’s loudspeakers. They were about to light the tree. Both Beau and I turned to face it, holding our warm cups of cocoa. I wanted to be holding something completely different, attached to his body.

“Persistent, huh?” I smiled, staring up at the big dark tree. Maybe that was Beau’s way of saying I shouldn’t give up on him. Or he was just trying to pay a compliment, you big dork.

“You convinced me to stay last night, didn’t you?” he said.

I had. And now he’d be coming home to meet my parents, and I didn’t know what any of it meant. Just friends. Just friends. Just friends…