“Why don’t we go grab some marshmallows downtown?” Aaron asked naively. “We can be back in minutes.”
“Because your sister has informed all Cole-run businesses to refuse me service.”
Aaron’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”
Bonnie shrugged. Did he not understand the extremes to which Lauren was willing to go?
He took her by the hand and tugged her out of the kitchen toward the front door. “We’re going to change that right now.”
“Aaron—”
“Bonnie. That’s wrong. I will not allow my family’s businesses to start discriminating against people.”
“Stop,” she said, trying to hold her ground but losing. “Are you planning on accompanying me everywhere I go so that you can order people to do the opposite of what your sister and father told them?”
“If I have to.”
It was sweet of him to offer, but unrealistic. It was clear that he wouldn’t be deterred today, however. She got in the car and let him drive her over to the market. She followed behind him, waiting for someone who worked there to notice her and alert the manager. Aaron had been walking with such purpose until they got inside.
He turned around with a chagrined expression. “Honestly, I have no idea where anything is in this store. Do you know where the marshmallows are?”
Cooking the food wasn’t Byron’s only responsibility. The Coles didn’t shop for groceries.
“Aisle four,” she replied, trying to hold back her smile.
He took her by the hand and led her to aisle four. Scanning the shelves, he grabbed two bags. “Miniature or jumbo size?”
“Miniature.”
He tossed her the correct bag and set the other one back on the shelf. “Let’s check out. I dare someone to say something to you.”
Just as they exited the baking aisle, Cal was heading their way. The look of determination on his face when he saw Bonnie quickly morphed into one of confusion when he noticed Aaron by her side.
“Bonnie. Aaron.”
“Cal,” Aaron said with a tilt of his head. “How’s it going?”
“It’s going. Is there anything I can help you find today?”
Aaron shook his head. “I don’t need anything. Bonnie’s here to get some marshmallows.”
“I see that,” Cal said, seemingly torn about how to handle this. “I thought we talked about the predicament I’m in here, Bonnie.”
“Oh, you made yourself very clear,” she replied. “But Aaron really wanted me to buy these marshmallows here, so...”
The three of them stood in the middle of the main aisle in some sort of weaponless standoff. Bonnie wasn’t sure if she should simply walk past him or wait for him to take the marshmallows away. No one seemed to know what the next move was. The tension made Bonnie’s stomach ache. She wasn’t good with confrontation, and she hated the fact that Lauren was forcing people to do just that to her on the regular now.
Aaron broke the silence. “Well, her dad is waiting for his lunch. It was good to see you, Cal.” He placed his hand on Bonnie’s back and gave her a gentle push forward.
Bonnie stepped forward, maintaining eye contact with Cal the whole time. She tightened her grip on the marshmallows, certain he would snatch them if given a chance.
“Does your sister know you two are shopping together?” he asked as they moved past him.
“Does that matter?” Aaron asked, his tone challenging Cal to say yes.
“Honestly? I’m not sure. All I know is I have clear instructions when it comes to Bonnie, and you being here with her makes it difficult for me to know what to do.”
“I wish doing the right thing wasn’t difficult with or without me here,” Aaron said. “Refusing to provide service to a perfectly upstanding member of our community isn’t right. You should feel more conflicted about which tie to wear in the morning than if Bonnie should be able to buy these marshmallows.”
Bonnie stared at Aaron’s handsome face and a rush of those feelings she’d been having earlier hit her with even more force. He made her feel warm from the inside out. The way he defended her so effortlessly made her almost believe that everything might be okay one of these days. Her gaze shifted to poor Cal. It had been difficult for him to turn her away yesterday, but the man had a family to support and a boss who was telling him to shun her. She didn’t hold him responsible for Lauren’s maliciousness. People did what Lauren told them to do. It had been that way the entire time they had been friends.
In sixth grade, Lauren had told everyone in the entire school to wear pink on her birthday because it was her favorite color. Boy or girl, it didn’t matter—the expectation was to wear pink. Every single one of them showed up to school wearing something pink. That was the kind of social power Lauren wielded.
Nothing had changed all these years later. People did what she asked them to do. They didn’t ask why they had to do it, they simply obeyed.
Everyone except Aaron.
AS LONG AS Aaron had anything to say about it, Bonnie was not walking out of this store without those marshmallows. He understood that Cal was only doing what he was told, but didn’t people have a conscience? Was there anyone in this town willing to push back against something so unfair and ridiculous?
“Maybe you could be the one to buy the marshmallows instead of Bonnie,” Cal suggested as they made their way to the checkout.
Aaron hated that idea, but Bonnie clearly wanted to avoid any more attention. “Smart,” she said, slapping the bag against his chest for him to take.
“No,” he said, handing them back. “The whole point of coming here was to show them they shouldn’t discriminate against you.”
“Let’s not make a scene and let’s
