36. Sutton

36

SUTTON

“How are you feeling?” Thea asked, that now-ever-present worry line creasing her brow. “Today was a lot.”

She wasn’t wrong about that. We’d been slammed from the moment I got here until about thirty minutes ago when the lunch rush finally eased. The time we closed between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon was always the quietest, especially during the summer. Once school started back up, we’d have some people stopping in after classes or parents treating their young kids. But it was mostly when we scheduled custom-order pickups.

“I’m good,” I assured Thea. “The doctor cleared me, remember?”

Her lips pursed. “I just wanted to make sure.”

I pulled her into a quick hug. “I know. And I appreciate it. Just like I appreciate that you haven’t let me be here alone even once. But I’m good.”

I wasn’t about to let some asshole ruin what I’d worked so hard to build. I wouldn’t let him steal my happy place. Trace and Anson had stopped by Cope’s a few days after my attack to share that there was no evidence that anyone in Petrov’s organization had traveled to Oregon recently. Apparently, the FBI was keeping close tabs on them.

What no one could determine was where Roman was. He’d completely dropped off any law enforcement radar and hadn’t shown at any of the shelters he normally stayed at. The fact that I hadn’t received any more texts had me uneasy—not for me, but for him.

Because I could see that attack as a simple crime of opportunity now. Some local who’d seen Cope frequenting my bakery, saw our closeness, and assumed my establishment would always be flush with cash.

“I just want to make sure you aren’t pushing too hard,” Thea said, cutting into my thoughts.

“I’m not. I promise. I actually feel really good.” That wasn’t a lie. After last night, I felt great. On more than one level. Because Cope and I were giving this thing a real go. And as much as it scared me, it also gave me hope.

Thea studied me for a long moment, and then her mouth popped open in a silent O. “You got laid,” she whisper-hissed.

“Shhh!” I said, grabbing her arm. “I really don’t need Walter or our patrons knowing the details of my sex life.”

Thea grinned in a way that made her look slightly deranged. “ Sex life means more than once.”

My cheeks heated.

“At the country bar?” she pressed.

“Maybe,” I whispered.

“I knew it! I told Shep you two looked way too rumpled to have only been talking back there.”

I worried the corner of my lip. “Tell me I’m not being the stupidest person on the planet.”

All amusement fled Thea’s face. “You’re not. I’ve seen how Cope looks at you. And the night of your attack, he was beside himself. I thought he was going to set that hospital on fire if you weren’t given the best care possible.”

“I’m scared,” I admitted.

“Of course, you are. You’re human, and you’ve been hurt before. But if we don’t risk our hearts, then we miss out on life’s true beauty. There’s no reward without risk. Trust me, I’ve been there.”

She had been. Thea knew better than most how to build walls to keep people out, and only after Shep demolished every last one did I see her truly happy and living life to its fullest.

I pulled her into another quick hug. “Love you, Thee Thee.”

She grinned as I released her. “Love you. And love seeing you with that light in your eyes and color in your cheeks.”

I knew exactly what had put it there.

“Oh,” Thea said, turning and grabbing a stack of mail. “I forgot. I grabbed this for you on the way in.”

“Thanks.” I took it from her and pawed through it. Mostly junk, though there were a few bills and catalogs I wanted to keep. Then my gaze caught on a local return label that said Monarch Property Management .

Plenty of businesses used the Monarch Mountains or Castle Rock in their names, but I wasn’t familiar with this one. Though it was possible I’d simply ended up on a mailing list after my apartment search. I ripped open the seal and tugged the letter free. As I scanned the text, I gaped.

“What is it?” Thea asked, moving to my side.

“My building has a new owner. They’re cutting my rent and renovating the apartment upstairs. They’ll let me rent it back for less than what I was paying before. Am I being punked?”

Thea tugged the letter from my grasp. “This is legit. They do a lot of work with Shep. I wonder if he’ll be on the reno.”

“It doesn’t make sense. Rick was so determined to buy up half of Sparrow Falls. Why would he sell?”

She shrugged. “Maybe because he couldn’t rent that apartment for his ridiculous prices. He was probably losing money daily.”

That was a good point, but he didn’t seem like someone who gave up that easily.

The bell over the door jingled, and I forced thoughts of Rick and rent cuts down as I looked up. “Evelyn, hi.”

My smile was a little strained around the edges as I tried to brush some flour off myself. She looked perfect, as usual, in a collared blouse and khaki shorts with pearls in her ears. Not a strand of auburn hair was out of place. I was pretty sure a tiny frosting knife was currently holding my hair in its bun.

Evelyn returned my smile, but hers was more than a little strained. “Hello, Sutton.”

Daniel ran around her to the bakery case. “No way! You have skateboard cupcakes? These are freaking awesome!”

That had a more authentic grin stretching across my face. “I’ve got one with your name on?—”

“That isn’t necessary,” Evelyn clipped.

I straightened from where I’d crouched to grab Daniel a cupcake. I guessed this wasn’t a friendly visit.

“Mom,” Daniel pleaded.

She sent him a look that would’ve had me cowering. “We have homemade desserts back at the house.”

“With no sugar,” he muttered under his breath.

I couldn’t help my wince, but I followed it with another forced smile. “What can I help you with today?”

Thea had slipped back into the kitchen—the traitor—but I could feel her eyes on me, likely watching the show with rapt attention.

Evelyn’s lips pursed as if she’d been sucking on a lemon. “We need to discuss Copeland.”

“Why?” The word was out before I could stop it. My back went up the moment she used his formal name. Not to mention that talking about Cope behind his back felt all sorts of wrong.

Evelyn bristled, her shoulders squaring as she stared down at me. “ Because he is a horrible example for the children attending the camp. He curses multiple times a day, he gets into fights?—”

“Has he gotten in a fight at camp?” I asked, mock confusion filling my voice.

A muscle in her jaw fluttered. “No, but children can access the internet.”

“Sounds to me like a parental guidance issue. ”

Evelyn ground her back molars. “You may be all right with exposing your son to an animal like Copeland Colson, but I am not .”

Anger flared, deep and fierce. “That’s your prerogative. Remove Daniel from camp if you feel so strongly. But let me tell you, you’ll be keeping him from learning from the best. And I’m not just talking about hockey. I’m talking about how to be the best man.”

I sucked in a breath, struggling to keep my voice even. “How to be generous, kind, and gentle. How to put others before yourself. How to give back in every way. But if you want your son to miss out on all of that, be my guest.”

“ Mom ,” Daniel pleaded. “Stop talking mean about Coach. He’s the best and way nicer than you are.”

Evelyn turned to her son, gaping. “Daniel?—”

“No! You talk mean about everyone behind their back. And I know that’s not right. I know you’re not right.”

Evelyn flushed, her head jerking toward me. “Do you see what you’ve done?”

I met her stare, not looking away. “I’m pretty sure this one is all on you.”

I pulled up in front of Cope’s house, taking a minute to soak in the beauty of it. It wasn’t just in its majesty but in the thought he’d put behind it. How he’d considered his family and the setting when designing every nook and cranny.

Twisting my head to the side, I popped my neck. I might have overdone it today. And Evelyn’s little visit didn’t help. My heart ached for Daniel, and I felt more than a little guilty for having it out with his mom in front of him, even if I had held back on what I wanted to say.

I shut off the engine, grabbed my purse, and slid out of my SUV. All I wanted was a long soak in Cope’s tub, gallons of whatever pasta dish he’d concocted, and to sleep for a week. As I reached the front door, I heard shrieks and giggles from inside.

Those sounds had warmth spreading through me—joy that my kid got this every afternoon I couldn’t be with him. I punched in the code to the door and opened it. The volume intensified, and a bundle of blue-gray fur streaked toward me.

I quickly shut the door behind me and sank to my knees to greet the little guy or girl. They looked to be mostly pit bull, with soulful dark eyes and a tongue lolling out of their mouth.

“Hi,” I greeted, scratching behind their ears. They looked to be a few months old at least, but definitely less than six.

Luca bounded toward me, much like the dog had. “Mom! Cope got me a puppy!” My heart plummeted to my stomach. “Well, it’s his puppy, but I got to name it and I picked Gretzky and I get to cuddle him all the time!”

My gaze lifted to the man behind my son. “Did you now?”

Cope sent me a lopsided grin and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’ve wanted a dog for a while now.”

“I just bet,” I muttered. I knew my kid could tug on those heartstrings when he wanted something, but as I stared down at the adorable pup, I knew I would’ve been helpless, too. “Gretzky, huh?”

The puppy barked and then took off running down the hallway to the living room, Luca fast on his heels. I sucked in a breath as I pushed to my feet, listening to the giggling coming from the living room.

“On a scale of one to ten, how pissed are you?” Cope asked.

I sighed, taking him in. His light-brown hair was rumpled right along with his tee and joggers. I knew it was likely from rolling around on the ground while playing with the new dog and Luca. “Cope, what happens when we move out, and Luca has to leave the puppy behind? Or if you and I don’t work out? He’s getting used to all of this. To you. And I don’t want to think about how much it’ll hurt if he loses it.”

Cope crossed the distance between us in three long strides. His hand slid along my jaw and into my hair, gently forcing the strands back. “Thought you were with me and giving this a real go. ”

“I am, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t consider how this impacts Luca. How it would hurt him if you just disappeared from his life.” Just saying the words out loud had fear thrumming through me.

Cope’s fingers tightened in my hair. “Warrior, don’t like you assuming we won’t work out. But if we don’t, I’ll never bail on Luca. I’ll have his back for the rest of his life, and nothing will ever change that.”

My heart thudded against my ribs. He couldn’t have given me a better answer. It was a promise that stole another piece of my heart. “Thief,” I whispered.

Cope grinned down at me. “Whatever it takes.”

“Mom?” Luca called. His tone had changed, and that slight difference had my mom senses on alert.

Cope released me just in time for us to see Luca walking down the hall a little drunkenly, a hand on his stomach. “I don’t feel good.”

He barely got the words out before puking all over Cope’s entryway.