“Oh, crap,” he said, his laughter evident. “I bet she wasn’t happy that Haylee had audio of their interaction.”
My head shook back and forth with all seriousness. “Not even a little bit. Especially after they removed Darla as the princess and took her crown before she could even get on the float. She went on an all-day bender and then waited for Haylee outside her apartment. She pushed my best friend down the stairs and then stabbed her.”
He reared back with his eyes wide. “I hadn’t heard that part of the story.”
I nodded and tipped my head to the side. “Darla will be going to trial for attempted murder sometime next month.”
“You have had a lot to deal with the last year. Not only is Haylee your best friend, but she’s your business partner. That must have been hard running the business with her injured.”
“It was harder knowing that she was in pain for no fault of her own. Worse, knowing that she could have died before anyone found her. Thankfully, Brady had figured out that Haylee was upset with him and went into work early to talk to her that night. If he hadn’t, Haylee might not be with us. The police think Brady pulled up and scared Darla away before she could stab Haylee more than once. It was also good she was completely wasted and had a bad aim. Darla isn’t talking, of course, but they have the knife with Haylee’s blood on it, so it will be tough for her attorney to prove she’s innocent.”
“That’s heavy, Amber. I’m sorry,” he said, leaning forward and taking my hand. He held it in his warm one, and I liked it way too much for where I was in my life. He was a professional. He was in charge of educating young minds. Hell, he’d already raised one. Here I was, still afraid of my own shadow.
“I’m just glad that she’s okay and healed quickly. Brady has been a rock for both her and the business. Now that they’re married, it puts how we work together at the bakery in a weird place. We’re supposed to have dinner and talk about everything tomorrow night, and I’m nervous about it. I have to remind myself that we’ve navigated the changes thus far, so I know we can do it again.”
“I know you can, too,” he said, squeezing my hand before he let it go. “Everything in life is about change. Every day brings about some kind of change. We either have to bend to it or break to it. I learned that very early on in life. My parents were killed by a drunk driver when I was six, which is why my grandparents raised me.”
My hand went to my mouth as I gasped. “How awful, Bishop! I had no idea it was that type of situation. That’s tragic.”
He nodded and pursed his lips. “I can’t say that I even remember much about them anymore, which is to be expected, but it is still hard for me to accept. My grandparents have both passed now, too, so there isn’t much left to the Halla name. It’s just Athena and me.”
“Athena sounds like a badass warrior, though, so I know she’ll carry the name proudly for many years to come.”
He laughed and winked, his long lashes coming down to brush his cheek. “Maybe forever unless she takes her wife’s last name in the future.”
“Her wife’s?” My mind caught up to my mouth, and my lips made an O. “Her wife’s.”
“She’s been out for years, and I know that all parents say that they always knew their child was gay, but her mother and I did. I swear we knew since the day she was born.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “I don’t question any parent who says they know their child that well. I don’t have kids, but when I have one, I figure I’ll understand right quick what they’re talking about.”
He pointed at me and smiled. “You can become a parent without even thinking about it, but you can’t raise a child without thinking about every single thing you do with and for them. It’s the hardest job in the world. That’s saying a lot when I take care of other people’s children for a living.”
“I’ve heard that before—from my mother,” I said with laughter. “I suppose I better go to bed. I have to be at the bakery early tomorrow.”
He stood and walked around my chair, picking up my cane for me and then steadying me by my elbow. “I’ll walk you home. It’s dark, and I don’t want you to trip.”
“It’s okay. I left the light on,” I said, taking a step and almost falling into the fire.
He grasped my arm and held it tightly until I righted myself. “You sure about that?”
I sighed with resignation and hung my head. “I’m not sure about much anymore, Bishop, other than I had a nice evening. I’m glad we got the fence down with no one suffering any further splinters.”
He smiled, and in the low light of the fire, my heart flared to life a little bit. I made sure to pour a bucket of cold water on that feeling instantly. I couldn’t fall for this guy. He was too hot, too educated, and way too out of my league to find me interesting for very long. Considering that he was helping me walk across the grass to my apartment, he would lose interest faster than most guys.
We arrived at my apartment, and I was glad I’d left the light on over the door. It’s easy to pretend you don’t want to kiss someone when a harsh light is making you squint.
“Thanks for the steaks and the company. We should do this again. I enjoy being able to sit outside and listen to the lake with a friend. There’s something to be said for nature and a nice campfire.”
I nodded
