“Yeah, let’s not do that,” Cal said, anxiously tugging on the blue-striped tie around his neck.
Cowards. They were all cowards. Lauren wouldn’t do that. She was using fear to control, but Aaron knew deep down that she was harmless. “She’s not going to fire anyone over marshmallows.”
“Are you very handy, Cal?” Bonnie asked, her hand on her hip and her head cocked to the side. She held the bag of marshmallows out. “Because if you sell me these, you could end up like my father, who Mr. Cole fired for basically being related to me. Thankfully, Aaron is here to hire anyone his dad and sister fire to help him renovate houses, but you need to be handy. Are you handy?”
Point taken. Maybe his family wasn’t as harmless as he thought. He snatched the bag out of her hand. “Fine. I’ll buy them, but I want everyone in this store to know these are for Bonnie Windsor, because she isn’t the reason my sister didn’t get married.”
Several shoppers stopped and stared as he strode to the front of the store and checked out. He had to end this nonsense and the only way to do that was to talk to Lauren. After he ate lunch with the Windsors, he was going to do just that.
“Did you bring a reusable shopping bag, sir? Or did you want to purchase one?” the young man bagging the groceries asked.
Aaron seized the bag of marshmallows from the boy. “She doesn’t need a bag.” He handed the cashier a five-dollar bill and tossed the marshmallows to Bonnie while he waited for his change. The least she could do was carry them out of the store.
“Good job not making a scene,” she said as they exited the store.
“This better be the best sandwich I have ever had in my entire life.”
Bonnie’s laughter was almost worth his frustration. “I fear that expectations may be too high at this point.”
She was wrong. PBM sandwiches were the greatest invention known to man. It was like a s’more with peanut butter instead of chocolate that was smashed between two slices of bread instead of graham crackers. They were broiled in the oven just long enough to toast the layer of mini marshmallows and begin to melt the thick layer of peanut butter Bonnie had spread on there. Aaron and her dad both ate two.
“I completely understand why Lauren loved these,” he said, taking his last bite. At least Aaron could relate to his sister on this one particular subject.
Bonnie shook her head. “I can’t believe she actually talked about PBM sandwiches. I always assumed nothing compared to what you ate at home. I remember thinking the best thing in the world were the sundaes we used to eat at your house that were served in those huge glass bowls.”
“Those were good, and I’m sure Lauren enjoyed them. I think she loved PBM sandwiches so much more because they were made with love by your mom. Everything Lauren does is because she desperately wants people to love her. Byron could add sprinkles to ice cream sundaes, but he never added any love.”
He watched as Bonnie let that sink in. Truthfully, he was trying to make her feel a little bad for his sister. No one knew better than he did that they hadn’t exactly grown up in the most emotionally warm family, and that had affected Lauren more than him. Based on her expression, he could see there was still some hope Bonnie might find it in her heart to someday forgive his sister for what she’d done.
She wiped a bit of peanut butter from the corner of her mouth with her napkin. “Lauren may want to be loved, but she needs to learn that you have to give to receive.”
“True.” He couldn’t disagree. Lauren was much better at getting than giving. Aaron still wanted to believe that Lauren loved Bonnie even if she had a terrible way of showing it.
Aaron’s phone rang. Caller ID told him it was his father, who only called for one of two reasons: to tell Aaron to do something or to tell him to stop doing something. Given Aaron’s life choices recently, either reason had potential today.
“Dad?”
“My office in fifteen minutes, or else.” That was all he said before hanging up. He didn’t even give Aaron a chance to respond.
“Everything okay?” Bonnie asked as Aaron slid his phone back into his pocket.
“I have been summoned to my father’s office. ASAP.”
Bonnie gave him a sympathetic smile. “There are so many things you could be in trouble for doing today. I tried to warn you.”
“It’ll be fine,” he said, more to convince himself than her. “Maybe I won’t go. What can he do to me?”
David chuckled at Aaron’s unconvincing bravado. “I don’t think you want to find out, son. If I was you, I would go.”
Internally, Aaron groaned. He knew he would have to face the music at some point. It was discouraging that it hadn’t taken very long.
“I guess we’ll discuss plans for the house when I finish having a very grown-up conversation with my father about how I am an adult who can make his own decisions.” Aaron placed his plate by the sink. “I wish he’d just chastise me over the phone rather than make me drive over there and back.”
“Good luck,” both Windsors said as he reluctantly left.
He hated how little impact asserting himself had on his father. It didn’t matter that he’d quit and no longer worked for him—if Walter Cole wanted Aaron in his office pronto, Aaron was expected to be there. It was going to take some practice saying no when being the cooperative child had been his MO for so long.
His father’s assistant gave him the same sad smile Bonnie had. “He’s ready for you.”
Of course he
