I wring my hands. “I don’t know. What do you want it to be?”
“I want you.” The words come out fierce, raw. “I want you involved in this, helping with this, part of this. I want—” He stops, looking frustrated.
“Says the guy who conveniently left out this big detail about the bakery.”
“It was all right there,” he says softly.
I feel like the silly little pig who chose the house made out of straw, and it’s about to blow over.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would matter or upset you so much.”
I hold back a sob, but he must see that I’m on the edge of falling apart.
“Take a walk with me?”
I grab my coat, and once we’re outside, he twines his hand in mine as we walk to the bakery.
It’s vacant except for evidence of all the hard work the guys have put in to make it a welcoming place for customers, a success.
No sooner does the door close behind us than I burst into tears.
Full, ugly, hiccupping sobs that probably have him looking for a fire extinguisher.
“Winnie? Did I say something wrong? Is it the bakery? The will? I didn’t mean to?—”
“It’s not you.” I sink onto one of the stools, covering my face with my hands.
His arms are instantly around me. “It’s the restaurant,” he guesses accurately.
Nodding, I let it all out. “My family has two weeks to catch up on rent or they lose everything. I’ve been trying to save them, but I can’t. I’m failing. Just like you might fail, and I can’t watch another person I?—”
I stop.
Another person I … what?
Love?
Do I love Patton Cross?
I do.
But what if loving him results in another thing I can’t fix?
He holds me tighter, leaving me with no choice but to melt into his strong embrace. “Hey, you’re not failing anyone.”
“Yes, I am.”
“I don’t mean for this to sound cruel, but maybe your parents need to figure it out themselves. Ask for help. I’m sure they don’t expect you to single handedly bail them out.”
“But I’m supposed to help. That’s what I do.”
“You’re supposed to be Winnie. You’re not responsible for everyone else’s lives or happiness.” He cups my face gently. “You can’t save everyone. And you shouldn’t have to try.”
“Says the firefighter. That’s literally your job.”
“This is different. I’m trained in this one area. But I’m not always successful. It’s crushing.” He gestures vaguely to our surroundings, lightening the mood slightly. “We do our best. Our very best. But it’s not always enough. It can’t be.” He squints. “If that were the case, my father and the captain would still be here.”
The tears come harder because he’s right. He’s absolutely right, and he has hurt too, and how can two people possibly bear all this weight?
