Chapter 17
EMBERLYNN
Iwoke later than usual, sunlight spilling across the bed in lazy golden streaks.
Hardison had already gone—probably out with Diesel or fixing the fence after last night’s chaos.
The room still smelled like him though, that mix of cedar, soap, and something darker I couldn’t quite name but had already started to crave.
I dressed slowly, pulling on a soft sweater, jeans, and boots.
Today was Christmas break for most of town, but I wanted to poke around, maybe pick up a few things for dinner, get breakfast with my bestie, and maybe just get some air.
My body still hummed from Hardison’s hands last night, but my mind—it needed a little grounding.
The house was quiet without Hardison. I could hear the faint rhythm of hammering out by the fence line.
His low curses carried faintly on the cool morning air whenever something didn’t go his way.
The smell of coffee filled the kitchen—strong and rich–and I leaned against the counter, trying to find my footing in this new life.
A knock came at the back door. I frowned, setting my mug down, and when I opened it, Tia stood there, bundled up in a thick jacket. She grinned as if she’d been caught doing something mischievous.
“Morning,” she said. “I thought I’d come by and check on you before I leave.”
I laughed softly, stepping aside to let her in. “You don’t leave until later, so I was going to call you and ask if you wanted to get breakfast this morning. I didn’t think that you’d be awake. Since Hardison is out repairing the fence from last night, I have the day to myself.”
“That explains why you’re in here alone,” she teased, shrugging off her jacket and plopping into one of the kitchen chairs like she belonged there.
I poured her a cup of coffee and set it down in front of her. She cradled it in her hands, watching me over the rim with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “You seem comfortable here,” she said.
I blinked, startled. “Do I?”
“Mm-hm.” She blew on her coffee. “Which is funny, because I know you. You don’t make it easy for people to get close to you.”
I smirked. “I’d call that an understatement.”
She chuckled, shaking her head. “But I can tell—he’s… different. The way he handles you is gentle. Lighter. Purposeful. You’re responding to him in a way that makes me think you like it, too.”
Her words hit harder than I expected. I stared down at my mug, swirling the dark liquid, trying not to show how much that meant. “Maybe it’s just the southern winds.”
Tia snorted. “Girl, don’t even try. That man makes you glow in a big way. I’m wondering if I need a cowboy in my life. Oh, and he’s all about you, too. Smiling from ear to ear like he’s won the lottery ten times over.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “So you’re saying I’m responsible?”
“I’m saying you’re good for him. He’s good for you. Y’all are good for one another. You know how I feel about you. I don’t play about best friend. You definitely wouldn’t see me cosigning for somebody I don’t know.”
“So you’ve done your research?” I asked.
“I have. I talked to Elijah after the two of you went to do nasty things in the woods.” She winked.
I swallowed quickly so I wouldn’t spit coffee all over us. “Were we that obvious?”
“Listen, I just know what I’d be doing with that man if he were mine. I mean that respectfully, but it's not a secret that Hardison is fine. He looks like being out here with the horses and shit is what he does all day. Like, why is he that southern grown?”
The quiet sincerity in her voice made me pause. I wasn’t used to people seeing me like that, much less telling me so directly. My throat tightened, but I nodded.
I chuckled, understanding completely. Hardison had arms for days, solid and I loved rubbing them, holding on to them while he was inside me.
Loving on me. Embracing me. His thighs held so much power that I never worried about putting my curves on him.
He probably benched my weight. All two hundred and sixty pounds of me.
It’s definitely a plus that he’s taller than me, making me feel small and dainty when I’ve always felt larger than life.
It was a good thing, trust me. It took away the masculine energy that seemed to follow me even if I didn’t claim it.
I’m girlie and Hardison had a way of absorbing the energy that came with my height. Yeah, he was beautiful in that way.
We drifted into easier conversation after that—stories about what she’s been up to. I didn’t miss the passion mark on her neck, and I wasn’t about to let that slide.
“Want to tell me who's been kissing all over your neck?” I squinted my eyes, waiting for her to talk herself out of this conversation.
“Uh… saw that, huh?”
“Mhm…” I waited.
“Callum.”
I chuckled because I had a feeling that it was him. “Hoooow?”
“We were talking last night, and one thing led to another, then we went on our own walk after I was finished talking with Elijah. Turns out that he’s a nice guy.”
“Well, yeah.” I snorted.
“He continued showing me how nice he can be inside his house.”
I shook my head, laughing. “So now what?” I asked her.
“What do you mean?” She looked genuinely confused by my question.
“Girl, what are y’all doing now? Was this just a hookup or what?”
“Yeah, I think. I mean, I don’t know him that well, and as of right now, I don’t have a reason to come back unless you move down here. Outside of that, he dropped me off and we haven’t discussed it.”
“But you have been texting him or talking to him?”
“We’ve texted…” and she blushed like a little ass school girl.
“So it has potential?”
“It has… only been a day. I’m not thinking of anything more right now.”
“I get that. Well, I’m happy that you had a good time while you were here.”
“Yeah, me too. We’ll have to do this again.”
We’d just started in on our second cups of coffee when a soft knock came at the front door. Tia raised an eyebrow at me.
“You expecting anyone?”
“No.” I stood, brushing my palms down my jeans before heading over.
When I pulled the door open, Raya stood there in a long wool sweater, her Hajib tucked under a knit hat, a glass baking dish balanced carefully in her hands. The scent hit me first—warm, sweet cinnamon and butter drifting up into the morning air.
“Hi,” she said with a smile that was shy but warm. “I… thought maybe you could use these.”
“Cinnamon rolls?” I couldn’t help grinning as I stepped aside. “You’re a lifesaver. Come in.”
She moved past me, her presence quiet but steady though she wobbled inside, and the kitchen seemed to brighten with her in it. Tia glanced up, eyes widening, then softened into a smile.
“Oh, you didn’t tell me we were having royalty join us,” Tia teased. “Fresh-baked cinnamon rolls? You’re spoiling us already.”
Raya blushed faintly as she set the dish down on the counter. “I had the time this morning, and… well, I thought maybe you’d like them. Elijah’s been going on about how much you and Hardison are doing out here, and it felt like the least I could do.”
“That’s more than the least,” I said, pulling plates from the cupboard. “That’s heavenly.”
We sat around the table, pulling the rolls apart with sticky fingers, the glaze melting warm across our lips. Tia licked hers clean with a grin. “Okay, Emberlynn, I approve. Between Hardison and Raya, you’re surrounded by people who can take care of you. That means I can relax.”
Raya tilted her head curiously. “Relax?”
Tia gave a dramatic sigh, leaning back in her chair. “As her best friend, it’s my sworn duty to interrogate anyone who gets close. But since you’ve shown up with cinnamon rolls, you pass. For now.”
I groaned. “Don’t listen to her. She thinks she’s my bodyguard.”
“I am your bodyguard,” Tia shot back with mock seriousness, making Raya laugh softly, the sound like bells in the quiet kitchen.
For a while, the three of us just talked—about little things, like favorite recipes, about the best local shops in town, about how quiet it could be out here compared to the city.
Raya was gentle in her words, almost hesitant at first, but as the conversation went on, I saw her shoulders loosen, her laughter coming easier.
When she reached for another roll, she glanced at me. “I don’t have many friends out here. It’s… nice. To sit and talk like this.”
Something in her voice tugged at me, and I realized what Tia had probably already noticed—Raya needed this as much as we did. She needed a circle. A safe space.
I smiled, feeling the truth of it settle between us like warmth. “Then it’s official,” I said. “Coffee and cinnamon rolls whenever we can manage. The three of us.”
Raya’s eyes shined just a little, and she nodded. “I’d like that.”
Raya settled more comfortably into the chair with a little sigh, tugging at the hem of her loose sweater. Even under the soft knit, her belly was unmistakable—round and full, the pregnancy you couldn’t miss if you tried.
“God, I feel like a beached whale,” she groaned, reaching for her cinnamon roll.
“You look beautiful,” I said firmly, leaning in with a smile.
“Beautiful and glowing,” Tia added with a wicked grin. “Like a Christmas ornament. A very… round one.”
Raya snorted, covering her mouth as she laughed. “An ornament, huh? Thanks, it really makes me feel delicate.”
“Hey, delicate’s overrated,” Tia shot back. “You’re carrying life in there. You’re allowed to wobble and groan and eat your weight in cinnamon rolls.”
Raya gave a half-smile, but her eyes softened. “Elijah says the same thing. Every time I panic, or that about the nursery not being finished, or that I can’t see my feet anymore, he just kisses me and tells me I’m perfect.”
My heart warmed at that. “Sounds like he’s doing his job right.”
“He is,” she admitted, pressing her palm against her stomach as if soothing the little one inside.
“But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared out of my mind.
Seven months feels like forever and no time at all.
Some days, I can’t wait to meet her. And on other days, I just want to freeze time because I don’t feel ready. ”
Tia reached across the table, her expression uncharacteristically tender. “Nobody’s ever really ready, Raya. But you’re gonna be a wonderful mom. You’ve got that soft heart thing going on, even if you don’t think people notice.”
Raya blinked rapidly, clearly trying not to cry. “Damn hormones. You two are going to make me bawl right into my cinnamon roll.”
I laughed and nudged the plate closer to her. “Then at least you’ll have frosting tears. Sweetest kind.”
Her laughter joined ours, and for a moment, it wasn’t about fear or timelines or anything else.
It was just three women sitting around a table, cinnamon rolls between us, finding comfort in the friendship that made everything feel a little less heavy.
I couldn’t help but take in this moment.
My best friend was here, and I couldn’t help feeling that Raya would be a good friend as well.