Page 57 of Summer Ever After

The next morning, she woke to the smell of bacon and a pan dropping downstairs, followed by Nutmeg barking. It was probably the first time she’d heard the dog make a noise.

Sitting up, she stretched and glanced around the room. Her bags of new items were still stacked on the sofa.

After a quick shower, she put her new items away and pulled on some new shorts and a shirt she’d purchased before heading downstairs.

“Sorry, did we wake you?” Aaron said as he sat at the table with the dog at his feet. “Nutmeg hates pans.” He rolled his eyes.

She laughed. “That’s okay. Zoey sent me the files this morning, and I’m dying to dig into them. I just needed some energy.” She walked over and took a slice of bacon from his plate.

“Here.” He started to get up, but she put a hand on his shoulder.

“I can dish up for myself.” She scooped some eggs and bacon onto a plate, then poured herself a cup of coffee before sitting across from him.

“Have you ever thought of getting Nutmeg a friend?” she asked as the dog let out a loud snore.

“Many times,” he said between sips of coffee. “I’ve taken her down to the shelter, but she never found the right friend.”

“You… let her make the decision?”

He nodded. “She’ll have to deal with it more than me. I mean, while I’m away at work, she’ll be stuck here with whoever I bring home.”

She’d never thought of it like that before. “That’s… actually really sweet. Most people would just pick the dog they wanted.”

Aaron gave a half-shrug, though the corner of his mouth curved up. “Nutmeg’s my partner. We’ve been through a lot together. So she gets a say in who we bring into the house.”

Beth looked down at the brown dog, still snoring like she’d run a marathon in her sleep, and felt her lips tug into a smile. “What did she say about me moving in?”

“She fell for you that first time you came over. Remember scratching her belly under the tree during our picnic?”

She nodded. “She was snoring the entire time.”

He smiled. “That’s her love language.”

“You spoil her,” she said with a chuckle. “No wonder she adores you.”

“She tolerates me,” he said dryly, but his eyes crinkled as he reached down to scratch Nutmeg’s ears. The dog’s tail thumped lazily against the floor in betrayal of his claim.

Beth laughed softly, the sound startling her with how natural it felt. No edge of fear, no guilt. Just… laughter. She chewed a bite of bacon, savoring it, then sipped her coffee. The bitter warmth somehow steadied her.

Across the table, Aaron was watching her again. Not in a way that made her skin crawl, like Ian’s constant surveillance had. This was different. His gaze was steady, patient, like he was memorizing her simply because he wanted to.

She met his eyes, her heart giving a strange, light thump. “Thank you,” she said again, quieter this time.

He tilted his head. “For the bacon?”

She rolled her eyes, though her lips curved. “For everything. Last night. This morning. For reminding me that I don’t have to fight every battle alone.”

Aaron set his coffee down, his expression softening into something that made her breath catch. “You never will again, Beth. Not if I can help it.”

Something in her chest loosened, a tightness she hadn’t even realized she was carrying. She nodded, unable to find more words, and instead took another sip of coffee to hide the sting in her eyes.

Nutmeg snorted loudly in her sleep, as if punctuating the moment.

Beth laughed again, the sound bubbling out before she could stop it.