“It’s different. There was no Tea House when I left, and I’d never stepped foot inside this bar, so I’m definitely feeling my age.”
Aspen, Jesse’s partner, sighed. “Thank God for Mrs. Gerald and her coffee. Half of us might have moved over to Bozeman otherwise.”
“What?” Jesse turned to his partner, shock on his face. “You would have left me for good coffee?”
She shrugged. “I would have called from Bozeman.”
Everyone laughed.
Over the next hour, Bonnie smiled more than she had in a long time. People talked and joked. She heard stories about the adventure park. About Sky’s doggy daycare and Aspen’s career as a writer.
It was good. No one mentioned her leaving thirteen years ago or her continued absence since. It just felt…normal.
“So,” Clara said, when people broke off into smaller conversations. “Glad to be home?”
“I am. There have been a few…challenges.” Challenges? Being assaulted and blatantly hated on felt like more than achallenge. “I should have come home sooner.”
“Why didn’t you?” Indie asked softly.
Bonnie looked at her sister, playing the question over in her head a few times before answering. “I guess I was scared. I’dhurt so many people by leaving. And the idea of coming back and facing it all just felt…hard. Too hard to even consider tackling. It was only when Noah reached out and talked to me like I wasn’t the worst person in the world that I thought…maybe I could do it.”
There was a moment of silence while both women just looked at her, empathy on their faces.
Then Indie touched her back. “I’m glad Noah reached out and made the move easier.”
“Me too. And good timing with my little niece or nephew on the way.”
Indie grinned and rubbed her belly. “Perfecttiming. I’m gonna need someone to hand bubs off to when the smelly diaper changes are needed.”
They all laughed.
As the two women started talking baby names, Bonnie sipped her Cruiser, her gaze moving around the bar.
That’s when she spotted them…broad shoulders that almost made her choke on her drink.
Zane. Even from behind, she knew it was him. He sat at the bar beside a man whose shoulders looked just as wide.
She swallowed the liquid, memories of their last kiss flicking through her mind. Of his mouth on her body. The way he’d pinned her to the desk.
She flushed and dragged her gaze away, only for it to land smack dab on her brother beside her. And he was watching her closely.
“What?” she asked innocently.
“Are you dating him?”
“No. And by the way, he told me you paid him a visit.”
“You slept at his apartment. I was just looking out for you.”
Her brother didn’t look guilty at all. “You don’t need to do that. I am fully capable of looking after myself.”
“I know you are. I just want you to be happy.”
“I am.” Kind of. “And we’re not dating anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“Why aren’t we dating?” She swung her focus to Zane for a second time. “Timing, I guess.”
