Greyson was sleeping soundly, and I could hear his tiny snoring in the monitor on the counter. I was in my element, baking a small two-tier cake for Clara and Sheridan. I had called Clara as we were leaving the doctor’s office, to finalize the size and flavor of cake she was looking for. But I was doing a bit of intel too.

I found out that Bethany was actually in Savannah to cater the engagement party, not just attend. I suppose that would explain why Mrs. Rosemary had insisted on me baking the cake and staying for the party. She was meddling. That was for sure.

I wanted to hug her and shake her at the same time.

As hard as I tried to pry details from Clara, she clammed up and refused to tell me why Bethany was home early and if she planned to stay. I didn’t know what was going on in New York with her show, but from what I’d been seeing online today, things at Culinary were tense. That’s not what we planned for her. But plans change. Losing my brother and having Greyson was proof of that.

I did manage to wrangle Bethany’s cell number, though.

Clara and Sheridan had chosen to keep the flavors simple and flavorful. The cake was a vanilla sponge. The filling was pastry cream with a raspberry jam, and the cake would be covered in white fondant. She asked that the decorations on the cake be just as easy as the cake making was, saying that she would leave all of the elaborate work for the main event. My plan was to decorate the cake with fresh flowers right after I deliver it to the vineyards.

The cakes were cooling and the fondant was ready. I was working on the filling for the cakes when my phone rang. I saw the number for Aveline on the screen, and soon I was going to have to make a decision on how to let her know that we were only going to be friends.

“Hello?” I asked as I answered my phone.

“Well, hi.”

“Aveline… hey there.”

“How are you, Gideon? We haven’t talked in a bit. Your mom doing okay? How’s Greyson?”

The guilt always catches me when Aveline mentions Greyson. She was here when he was born and knows everything that has happened. It was something that I should have shared with Bethany, but I wanted her to not be distracted. The work she was doing in Europe was too important to her career at the time. She would have dropped everything to be here. I needed her so much. I can’t say I didn’t use Aveline as a way to forget. I was hurting, but it was wrong. Jamie warned me to stop before she began to make more of what we have. But grief and loneliness are a lethal combination.

“Mom is holding on, and Greyson is still holding my heart in his hands.”

“Awww. He’s such a sweet boy. I can’t wait to see him. I’ve been shopping for him, and my trunk is full of clothes and toys.”

Oh, that horrible sinking feeling in my stomach. Aveline had made it clear over the last couple of months that she wanted more, and that included being a mother to my son. If Bethany wasn’t all I wanted for myself and for Greyson, Aveline would be perfect for us. She was attentive and kind. She cared for us and helped me at a time when I was falling apart and didn’t know how to put one foot in front of the other. I don’t want to hurt her.

“Aveline, you spoil him, you know. He’s already got more clothes than he’ll ever wear. You need to stay out of the baby stores before Greyson breaks your bank.”

“Hush! He’s worth it.”

On that, we could agree. He was worth everything.

“So, I was hoping to see you and Grey soon. Maybe next weekend? I’m going to be in Savannah for work, and I want to spend some time with you.”

I took a breath and held it, then exhaled loudly. All I could think was that I hoped Bethany would still be in Savannah next week, so that I could plan a fun weekend getting to know her again, playing with my son and trying to put us back together. The first steps to making us the family that we should be.

But that means I have to break Aveline’s heart first, and I just don’t want to. I’m not doing that over the phone. I owe her that much.

“When will you be here? We need to talk. Can I see you on Wednesday?”

“I’m going to be in Savannah all week. Of course you can see me on Wednesday! I’m free any night you want to see me, Gideon,” she whispered in an eager, excited voice. It only made me feel that much worse.

“Drive safely, and I’ll see you soon.”

I ended the call with a heavy sigh on my lips. Aveline was going to make some man very happy someday. Truly, she was. But I watched my happiness walk away from me one time before, and there was no way in hell I was letting that happen ever again.

Greyson was still sleeping from the sound of his easy breathing in the monitor. Before he got up and was ready to play some more, I had my own call that I needed to make.

I’ve not been this nervous about talking to a girl since I first talked to Bethany. Those same flutters were there. The same urge to surround myself in nothing but her. As I dialed the last number and pushed the button to send the call, I was tempted to hang up and wait to see her tomorrow at the party. Instead, I checked on the cakes, took a deep breath, and held it, waiting for Bethany to answer.

The phone rang a couple of times and for a moment, I thought the call would certainly go to her voicemail. No way did I have the balls to leave her a message. Come on, beautiful. Just pick up.

“Hello?”

I smiled so big it felt like my face was stretched as far as it could go. She actually answered my call.

“Hey, Bethany. You still here?”

I heard her sweet giggle through the line and it made my heart stutter. She was so happy. I could still make her happy after all this time.

“I’m still here. I’m so glad you called. How are you?”

“Honestly? Much better now. You didn’t leave. You’re still here. That means I have a chance.”

She was quiet for moment and when she spoke again, she asked me hesitantly, “A chance for what, Gideon?”

“A chance to talk. A chance for me to explain what’s happened in the last three years. Maybe convince you that the day you left was one of the hardest days of my life.”

Bethany sighed and the sound went straight to my soul. She had no idea how much I still loved her. How long the last three years had been without her by my side. I was tired of living without her. After seeing her again, touching her again, there’s no way I could do this anymore.

“When can I see you, Gideon?”

“How about now?”

I watched her car as she moved into the driveway of my house. She parked in the same place she always did when she was here. As if the space was simply waiting for her. She told me she had been out on the farm with her father and that she looked a bit of a mess, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to see her again.

She stepped out of the convertible and climbed the steps to my front porch. I opened the door for her and there she was, in my doorway once again. Just like she should have always been. She was dressed in denim cutoffs, and a blue tee shirt that was tight around her chest and showed off a bit of her midriff. She still had those incredible curves that I couldn’t keep my eyes off of. On her tiny feet was a worn pair of her favorite Converse. She was never without a pair. Sunglasses perched on top of her head. Her hazel eyes searched mine as she lifted them to stare into my face. I could tell she was as nervous as I was when I called her.

Still… she was here.

In a space where we shared kisses and dreams. Shed tears and had fights.

Made up and made love.

I couldn’t keep my hands off of her for one moment longer. I closed the door to the house and pulled her in close. She was still so small and the scent of camellias assaulted me. That same scent that lingered on my sheets and on my skin for days after she was gone. I put my lips to her forehead, then pulled back and placed my hands on her cheeks.

She was so gorgeous and so incredibly sexy that my cock knocked painfully at the zipper of my jeans. And God help me if I didn’t want my lips on her. No more games. No more pretense. I wasn’t waiting for permission.

I dropped my hands to her hips and lifted her with ease. She wrapped her legs around my waist and crossed her ankles at my back. I stared into her eyes, golden again with the same lust that I always saw when we were together like this, demanding her surrender. I pressed her against the door, my hips pinning her in place and creating a tiny hint of friction between us. 

Then, I claimed her mouth with mine.

Three years of longing, loneliness, and love for this woman… I poured everything I’d felt into our kiss. Her arms wrapped around my neck and her hands tangled in the curls on my head. She gave them a tug and it spurred me on, fueling the desire that was building between us. I took the kiss deeper, devouring her, my hips pressing her a little harder into the door. I heard her whimper and then sigh, a whisper for more, knowing she could feel just how much I wanted her. God, I always wanted her… under me, laid out before me for my mouth and fingers to make her senseless and utterly speechless.

Her sunglasses fell from her head as I twisted my fist in the softness of her curls. I tilted her head and slipped inside her mouth. The sweet taste of her lay on my tongue as I flicked over hers again and again. I pulled back and sent a warm, wet trail of nips and licks from her ear to her collarbone. She was groaning and writhing on my waist and if we didn’t slow down, oh God, if we just…

I took one last hard kiss and eased away from her lips. We were both panting heavily and I pressed my forehead against hers. I gently rubbed her nose with my own. I didn’t want to move from this spot. I wanted to keep her right here, kissing until neither of us could think or speak. Just feel.

“I think we better talk before this goes any further.”

She laid her small hand on my cheek and her golden eyes stared into mine. They said so much. No words were needed for what I saw shining brightly all the way to the soul we shared.

She still loved me.  

“Okay. Let’s go. I have all afternoon.”

I placed a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose and went back to her lips for another slow, sizzling press, wrapping myself around her as closely as I could. She slid out of my embrace, grazing my groin with her core. She was hot, and knowing that she wanted me was driving me crazy. She reached for her glasses when her feet were planted on the floor. As she put them away, I reached for her hand and we walked into what I always considered to be our kitchen. When I remodeled this kitchen, I put extra care and attention into the space. I always imagined it would be the centerpiece of this house; a place that would be a catalyst for greatness, shared meals after long days and laughter. It was a joining of a baker and chef’s dream – cool blue and stainless steel, two double ovens, a top of the line Viking range and every gadget at my fingertips.

On the center island, I had been setting up to complete the party cake when Bethany arrived. Two large pans for the base of the cake and two smaller pans for the top layer. The cakes had been popped out and leveled. When we worked together at Simmer and I was decorating cakes, she would always grab a stool from my station and watch. I was happy to see she did the same thing here. I picked up the large round I’d cut in half and placed it on the board I would be using to transport the cake. Next, I piped the pastry cream and layered raspberry jam onto the cake and added the next layer. She watched with fascination as kept going with two more layers.

“Do you want anything to drink? Coffee?”

“Thanks, but I’m okay.” She peeked at me through her long lashes, her cheeks still flushed from our kiss. “Special order for the restaurant?”

I wanted to laugh. She obviously didn’t know this cake was for the party. Rosemary must have planned this so that it would be a surprise for both of us to see each other. Smooth move. I just wouldn’t let on that I was going to see her tomorrow night too.

“Yeah, a special order. I don’t get to do this as much as I used to. The business end of Simmer keeps me busy.”

She put her elbow up on the counter and rested her head on her hand with a grin.

“You’ve done amazing things over there. The place is gorgeous. Is she yours?”

Ah. The first part of our big argument from three years ago.

“I don’t totally own Simmer, no. Jamie and I each own half. With everything going on with Mom, I didn’t want to totally invest. But I’m proud of what I’m doing, and how well the restaurant is operating.”

She smiled at me and her eyes twinkled. “That’s amazing, Gideon. You’ve done it! You own Simmer… well, half of it anyway. I’m so proud of you.”

The pride on her face, it both warmed me and affirmed I was doing the right thing for my own career. It had taken me a long time to accept that my fate, my career, my passions were tied to Savannah. But most recently, I realized that my fate, my happiness, and my family were tied to her.

“Thank you, beautiful. It means the world to have part of my dreams coming true. Long days, long nights. Lots of long nights. Not just because of the restaurant.”

My mind immediately drifted to a mother grieving the loss of her son who had once been so lost but come so far from the troubled boy that he was. The long sleepless nights with a newborn who struggled for his next breath in NICU. The unbearable moments when I reached across my bed for her, and all I had were memories.

She dropped her hand, and her smile faded. Her expression changed, and I set down the spreading knife as she got up from the stool and came over to me. She looked into my face with eyes glistening with unshed tears, and I swiped one away with my thumb.

“Gideon. Oh, baby… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry about Galen. Why didn’t you call? Why wouldn’t you let me be here?”

I had thought I was helping her by insisting to everyone to keep Galen’s death from her. She was working and doing what she was meant to do. From the day Mom, Maxi, and I got the news from the base about Galen, all I wanted was to curl into her and hide. His death broke me and with me having to take care of everything and everyone, there was no soft place to fall. Jamie was here. My aunt was, too. But they weren’t Bethany.

She was everything and I was a fool for keeping her away.

“Bethany, I didn’t want… Hell, I wanted you here.”

“Why wasn’t I?” she scolded me.

“It wasn’t fair. We had ended our relationship and you were moving on. You were doing exactly what I had asked you to do. I couldn’t call you back because if I had, just one touch from you… I wouldn’t be able to let you go. I know I wouldn’t.”

She moved her head into the palm of my hand and placed a soft kiss to the middle of it. She closed her eyes and whispered so softly, I had to be sure I heard her words.

“What if I had come back, and chose to stay? What if I never want to be without you ever again?”

She opened her eyes and in them lay all the answers to all the questions that had been plaguing me. We had so much to talk about but first, I wanted to hear it from her lips. And I wanted her to understand everything she was getting into, now that I had Greyson.

“Bethany, we both have said some things to each other that we shouldn’t have. But if you’re saying what I think you are, you need to be very sure because I vow to you… I vow to you, I cannot let you go again and survive it. What are you saying, beautiful Bethany?”