Fuck. I have to find her. I have to tell her how I feel about her. And then I'm spanking her ass for running from me. And then I'm getting her pregnant and marrying her. Maybe not in that order, but those things are all definitely going to happen even if it takes me forever to win her forgiveness for not seeing what was right in front of me.
"Are you going to let her quit?"
"Hell no."
Liberty nods like she expected that. "She lives ten minutes from here," she says and then arches a brow, "but you already know that, don't you? You follow her home every day to make sure she gets there safely."
I nod, not bothering to deny it. Making sure Sumer is safe and happy is my job. Well, I want it to be my job. I may have already screwed up the making her happy part, but I haven't failed on the keeping her safe part.
"You're in love with her."
"Since the day I met her," I mumble, not denying that either. Liberty may be quiet, but she isn't the timid mouse everyone thinks she is. She has the courage of a lion when it counts. She's also observant and smart as hell. It's part of the reason I hired her.
"I know." Liberty smiles at me. "Everyone knows."
"They do?" I ask, surprised. No one has ever said anything or even hinted that they know I'm completely gone over the little redhead who made this place what it's become. I thought I was doing a good job keeping it under wraps. Apparently not.
"Yeah," Liberty says. "You're not as subtle as you think you are. Summer is the only one who doesn't know that you're crazy about her."
"I'm going to fix it," I promise.
"You better," Liberty says and then gives me a small smile. "Good luck."
Chapter Three
Summer
"What do you mean you quit your job?" my mom asks, shock in her voice. "I thought you were happy with your career, Summer."
"I was happy," I whisper, fighting not to cry again. I already did that on the way home. Telling Dominic how I feel about him was never part of my plan. I was supposed to hand over my resignation letter, tell him how much I enjoyed working for him….and then get through the next two weeks without him ever knowing how I feel.
He didn't let that happen though.
I should have expected that because he never does what he's supposed to do. He's too stubborn. But now he knows the truth, and I can't take back the words any more than I can unlove him. He looked shocked and then angry. I'm so glad Tomas came in when he did, because I'm pretty sure whatever Dominic was going to say would have broken my heart into tiny pieces.
"Summer? What's wrong, lovebug? Talk to me," Mom says.
"I messed up." I want to curl up on her lap like I did when I was little, but she's a thousand miles away, so I curl up on the couch instead. The blinds are all drawn, leaving the living room mostly dark. My apartment doesn't get good light until late afternoon. Usually that bothers me, but not today.
"I don't believe that," Mom says like the mere thought is absurd. Her faith in me is resolute, unyielding. It's always been that way, which is why I hate to disappoint her by telling her that the life she always envisioned for me isn't the one I want. But I might as well get it out there now. I mean, what's one more heartbreaking conversation today?
"Remember the first time you told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be, and no one could ever tell me any different?"
"Of course I remember," she says, a smile in her voice. "You wanted to be Chicken Little in the school play, but your classmates were teasing you because Chicken Little was supposed to be a boy. I was right, wasn't I?"
"Yeah," I mumble. I made a kickass Chicken Little that year. At least until the King got his cape stuck on the edge of the bridge and accidentally knocked me off the stage during our final performance. I had a black eye and a broken arm, but my mom never regretted giving me that speech. She was proud of me. "I quit because I'm in love with my boss."
She's quiet…too quiet.
A tear slips down my cheek.
"Oh, Summer," she finally says. "I already know you love him, lovebug."
"You do? You never said anything."
"Neither did you," she points out. "I figured you would talk about it when you were ready. Does he know?"
"Yeah, I told him today."
"He didn't take it well? Is that why you quit?"
"Um…not exactly. I quit because I didn't want things to be awkward. I never planned to tell him at all, but it just kind of slipped out." I brush away another tear. "I don't think he was very happy about it."
"What did he say?"
"Nothing. I ran out after I told him how I felt."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Um, I love having a job and being productive," I blurt out, "but I'm not like you are. I don't want to be single my whole life. I want a husband and babies. And I want to be home with them whenever I can. I know that's not what you wanted for me, but it's what I want for me."
"Oh, lovebug," she says, her voice gentle. "When I told you that you could be anything you wanted, I meant that. If you want to be a wife and a mom, if that's what will make you happy, you're allowed to want that. You're allowed to have that. I didn't raise you the way I
