Chapter 33
OWEN
Relief doesn’t cover it. Elation. Euphoria. Ecstasy.
My family’s waiting on the pickup platform for Jourdan to bring the bus around, and we have just enough time for a moment away from their prying eyes.
I catch Harrison’s gaze and jerk my head to the side.
He rolls his eyes, but nods and taps his watch.
I give him a little salute, then use the hand twined through Thea’s to tug her to the side before the sliding glass doors, backing her against the stretch of wall.
Thea smiles up at me, a bit teasingly but still so soft. “Mr. Hayes, someone could see us.”
“Let them watch,” I murmur, bringing my mouth down to hers.
She’s delectable, far surpassing every recipe I’ve obsessed over until I considered it perfect.
I want to drag her away, lock her in a tower only I can access, like a princess in a fairy tale.
The second we get on that bus, everyone’s going to pull her away from me.
I’m not ready to share her when I just got her back.
I pull away, planting a soft kiss on her nose. “You never said yes.”
“You never asked a question,” she says. “Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”
She bats her lashes. It’s over the top and ridiculous and so perfect I could cry. “Boyfriend and girlfriend” feels so flippant, so small compared to the size of my feelings for her. But even I can recognize that saying I want to call her my future wife after only seven days is absurd, so I smile.
“Will you be my girlfriend, Thea Simone Pappas?”
She kisses me again, smiling against my lips, but I refuse to be distracted.
“Answer the question,” I practically growl.
She hesitates, and I’m instantly flooded with adrenaline.
“I want to,” she whispers.
“Then say yes.”
“But what does this look like? What happens with your mom? Is each interaction with her going to be a fight, or are you planning on cutting her out? And if you do that, how long before you come to resent me?”
I place a finger over her lips to stop the flow of questions.
“I get why you’re worried. Mom and I had a blowup before we came to get you, and I don’t know what it’s going to look like.
But I told her everything, including how miserable I’ve been at my job.
Even if she doesn’t accept it, it’s all out there now. ”
“And you won’t regret that?”
“Regret living for myself?” I scoff. “Absolutely not. I’ve never felt so free. I did it for us, but I did it for myself, too.”
She blinks away tears and nods, leaning up to kiss me. “Then yes.”
I pull away before her lips can distract me again. “There’s something else. I’m leaving the company.”
She blinks up at me with her wide brown eyes, surprised at having her kiss thwarted, but her face breaks into a smile. “Owen! That’s amazing!”
I rub the back of my neck, feeling sheepish about it now.
“Yeah, on the bus ride here, Harrison brought up buying me out. He loves the work, and he said if we could set up a payment plan, he’d give me the out.
It’ll take a while for me to get him ready, but we’ve set a schedule.
Six months of intensive training, and then he’ll take over, with me on speed dial if any issues come up. ”
She runs a hand up my chest. “How do you feel about that? You’ve always felt trapped there. Are you worried you’re doing the same thing to Harrison?”
“There are those questions I love.” I press a quick peck to her lips, a small thrill shooting through me every time I say the word “love” to her.
“No, I don’t feel that way. He’s explored other options, interned with different companies while he was in school, and he’s going in with clear eyes.
I love it for him, and knowing that someone else will carry on my dad’s passion takes some of the pressure off. ”
My stomach flips as I prepare to say the next thing, and I’m not sure if it’s nerves or excitement.
“But there’s one more thing. If I’m not tied to Hayes, I’m free to do whatever I want. And wherever I want.”
Her eyes go wider. “Are you saying…”
“I have a lot to figure out, but yeah. I want to start a bakery up here. Which means you can take that job with Camila.” My body flushes. “Not that where I am would be the determining factor of whether or not you’d take the job, because you should do what you want, and we don’t even have to stay—”
She cuts me off with a kiss. “I want to be where you are. But I’d be especially happy if it was up here.”
“Thank god.” I’d follow her back to Florida, but I’m so excited about the chance to stay up here, in a place I’ve always loved.
She chuckles, laying her head on my chest. I keep us anchored together as I lean back, glancing out the glass door to see almost everyone’s on the bus now. “We need to catch up.”
She groans. “Fine, but I’m staying in your room tonight.”
I kiss the top of her head, a rogue curl from her night sleeping in the airport tickling my nose. “You better.”
I weave our fingers back together, loving the freedom to do it without worrying who’ll see. The entire bus erupts in cheers when we climb the steps. Just like I expected, everyone wants to talk to Thea, trying to pull her into seats beside them and peppering her with questions.
“Y’all wanted us stuck together in the back of the bus on Monday, so that’s where we’ll be,” I say, towing her behind me. “If you need us, don’t.”
Thea’s laugh is booming and free, and I’ve never been happier in my life. The cousins boo, but no one tries to stop us. I pull her down next to me in the back row and do exactly what I wanted to do on Monday. I kiss her the whole way home.
We all pile out of the bus when we reach the inn, everyone ribbing us for how we spent the drive, but my face is stretched wide in a grin. Thea keeps popping up to kiss the dimple that’s on permanent display now.
When I wrap my arms around Thea’s waist from behind, I catch sight of Addy a few feet away.
She’s watching Thea, a soft smile teasing at the corners of her lips.
It’s the most genuine expression I’ve seen on her face, and I think there’s a chance I’ll be able to forgive her for the hurt she caused Thea. Eventually.
“Can I borrow my assistant for an hour?” I ask Addy, my arms tightening a fraction.
“I’m supposed to get ready with Addy,” Thea says, kissing my jaw.
“I’ll be fine for an hour,” Addy says, turning toward the rest of the family as she twists her hands together. “Would, um … would any of you ladies … would you like to come get ready with us? Keep me company until Thea’s done?”
Camila and Lynne blink at each other in surprise, but then Lynne speaks up. “I have to do some things for the wedding in a bit, but I could hang for a glass of champagne.”
“Or a bottle,” Jourdan says, sliding up next to them.
“You two talk like you’ll stop at one bottle,” Mira says in her typical exasperated tone. “It’s like when these two get together, they think the first person to puke wins Miss fucking America.”
A laugh bursts out of Addy, but it quickly turns into a snort, and her eyes go wide in embarrassment.
Camila throws an arm over Addy’s shoulder. “Oh yeah, we’re going to have fun with that.”
The five women head off into the inn, and Thea releases a sigh, her body melting even more into mine. “She’s going to find a place with your family, right?”
I nod, placing a soft kiss to her shoulder. “Of course. Now let’s go finish a cake.”
Thea’s the one who reaches for my hand this time. I wonder how long it will take for these casual touches to stop destroying me, scattering my brain cells until nothing exists but where our bodies meet. I hope it takes forever.
I’m so wrapped up in her that it takes me a few seconds to realize we aren’t alone in the kitchen. My mother and grandmother are standing together, lifting the second tier over the bottom tier of the wedding cake.
I step forward, dropping Thea’s hand to reach mine out. “Stop! What are you doing? Have you even put in the support structure?”
My mother throws her hands in the air, Nana precariously balancing the cake for a few seconds before I slide into place, helping lower it to the counter next to the bottom tier. Mom’s already massaging the space between her brows.
“I was trying to help.” She straightens her shoulders and meets my eyes.
This is her version of an apology. It’s what I’ve accepted for years, where she does something nice to make up for whatever she did wrong without having to say the words “I’m sorry.” And it’s nowhere near enough.
I step back beside Thea, slipping my arm around her waist. “That’s what you want to say to us right now?”
Mom lets out a little whimper. “I’m sorry my help isn’t good enough for you.”
Nana runs a hand down her face. “Diana, what did we talk about?”
She twirls on Nana, lifting a hand at me. “I’m supporting the wedding. I’m helping, and he doesn’t even say thank you.”
Nana opens her mouth to argue, but I cut her off. “Mom, if you want a relationship with me—and with Harrison, too, if I had to guess—you owe Thea and Addy an apology.”
I think she’s going to resist, but Nana steps forward, slipping her hand into hers and squeezing. Mom looks at her, a trace of pain and vulnerability sliding over her face.
Mom turns back to Thea. “I shouldn’t have spoken that way last night.”
“Diana,” Nana whispers, drawing the word out.
Mom drops her eyes to the kitchen floor. “I’m sorry.”
Thea looks at me like I’ll guide the conversation, but I’m as surprised as she is.
“Thank you,” Thea says, but it sounds more like a question.
Mom purses her lips. “I don’t hate you. And I hope—if you’re going to be in my son’s life long-term—that eventually you’ll stop hating me.”
I look at Thea with a raised brow, and she winces, whispering, “I may have gone off on your mother before I left last night.”
Fuck, I love this woman.
Thea bites her lip, her body tense like she expects me to be upset. Instead, I lean down and kiss her.
I whisper against her lips, “Remember how much I love your protectiveness?”
Thea’s body relaxes against me, and she mouths thank you before I turn back to my mother.
Mom faces me. “The things you said to me this morning were … very upsetting.”
“I’m not trying to upset you,” I say. “But I’m not going to make my decisions for you anymore. I need to live for myself, and there’s a lot you aren’t going to like. You’ll have to decide whether or not you can handle that.”
Tears flood her eyes. “I just want what’s best for you.”
She loves me. I know she loves me, but that’s not enough. And I can’t keep following this instinct to comfort her when it only makes things worse.
“You need to see someone, Mom.” She flinches away, like she just realized I’m an electric fence and she’s scared of getting shocked.
“I get why you reacted this way after everything with Dad. Why you’ve felt this overwhelming need for control.
But Harrison and I aren’t toys you can move around your dollhouse. You need to get help.”
“I don’t think it’s as bad as all that,” she says, shifting on her feet.
“It is,” I say, refusing to let the discomfort scare me off.
“You’ve come so close to losing me. Your relationship with Harrison isn’t much better—but that’s something you need to work through with him.
These problems aren’t going to magically disappear, and I’m telling you right now, I won’t tolerate you taking out issues you refuse to deal with on Thea.
I want a relationship with you, but I can’t force you to do the work. ”
She keeps her eyes trained on something over my shoulder, and I brace for her ire. Instead, she swallows thickly and nods.
“Maybe…” She clears her throat. “Maybe I can help you with the rest of the cake? You can tell me more about your thoughts for that baking side business you mentioned.”
I shoot a quick glance at Thea, and she nods. “It’s not going to be a side business. Harrison’s going to buy me out so I can focus on it full-time.”
She closes her eyes, and I can practically hear the wail she’s holding back. This is hard for her, and I think putting it all out there is the best choice. One severe injury that needs to heal instead of small cuts at random.
“And I’m going to start it up here. I’ve loved these mountains my entire life, and I want to live here.”
She lets out a little whimper, and I let go of Thea’s waist to pull Mom into my arms. “I’m your son. I’ll always be your son.”
I want to ask for her to be happy for me, but I don’t know if she’s strong enough for that, and I don’t know if I’m strong enough to know the answer.
Hopefully, this will help Mom realize she needs to process her trauma.
But until she finds a way to heal, I’ll live my life and recognize that I can’t control her reactions.
As I step back from my mom, I glance at Thea, a question in my gaze. My mom’s been difficult all my life, but she’s been cruel to Thea, and I won’t force her to spend time with her if she’s not comfortable.
Thea steps to my side, placing a possessive hand on my back that has my pulse kicking up. “We’d love your help, Diana.”
I’m so in love with this woman—this beautiful, kind, forgiving woman—and I can’t wait for the day when I get to tell her.