“Because you only care about one thing, yourself!” he yells, and now it’s my turn to flinch.
I take a deep breath, not believing this is happening between us. I have no idea what to say. My god, after what we just did, the passion, the intensity, the feeling… my gut twists into knots. I have to get out of here. Now.
I shake my head in disbelief. “I told you I didn’t have time for a relationship, and all you’re doing is proving me right. I’m wasting my fucking time!” I grab the doorknob, yank it open, and storm out of his house.
I drag myself into my condo, still not understanding what just happened between Ryker and me. The minute he opened his front door, we came together like we were meant to be. Easy. Intense. Powerful.
Then it all blew up.
What the fuck happened?
I eat a giant spoonful of cream cheese and take the open bottle of wine from my fridge and head upstairs to start a bath. I set the bottle on the edge of the tub next to my phone. It’s late, and I should get to bed because I have an early morning, but a bath and wine sound soothing for my mind and my body, both battered by Ryker.
As the hot water fills the tub, I think about how I’d missed him at the auction, but I was busy sharing the news and talking to others about it. There wasn’t anything I could do about that, and I wanted to drum up business. If he hadn’t been so jealous, he could’ve been standing by my side, but nooooooo, he freaked out.
After I made the rounds, those keys to the hotel were burning a hole in my purse, and I wanted to let loose and share the joy. I was on top of the world, but it quickly felt lonely there by myself. Sure, I had Mom, and people at the auction were congratulating me, but…
I wanted to be with Ryker.
So I threw caution to the wind, and went to see him. I had no plan beyond driving to his place. Once I walked up to his front door, it was anyone’s guess what would happen, but I guess I had hoped for at least another kiss.
I got more than just a kiss!
Then, after our incredible love-making, fucking—whatever you call it—he suddenly morphed into this ridiculous jealous asshole, fuming and suffocating me. It was like he was someone else. Like Jekyll and Hyde.
I’m the idiot for letting myself fall for him.
I never should have gone over there.
I slide into the warm bathtub and turn on the jets. It’s one of my favorite things about this condo, my giant bathtub with jets. They pulse around my body, and I take my phone, swiping it to find my to-do list. Correction, my huge to-do list. Sometimes I wish time would just stop, and all the balls in the air would stop, too. A moment to catch my breath is all I need.
I take a deep breath and toggle between my calendar and list, making a plan. And although thoughts of Ryker skirt my mind, I do my best to ignore them. Him.
Well, that’s dead. And better now than later. With that, I turn my heart off. Click. It’s back to doing shit on my own, just the way I like it. I think. Because… I. Don’t. Need. A. Man.
But do I want one?
A certain one?
Nope. Not anymore.
I blast through the next couple of days, which are non-stop running around, baking pies, and meeting with contractors about The Rose. I’m so busy that I’ve only thought about Ryker forty-eight times, but who’s counting?
My phone rings. It’s Cheryl from the Chamber of Commerce.
“Hi, Cheryl,” I say into the speakerphone, while driving with Popster to The Rose, so we can decide on paint colors.
“Hi, Aspen. How are you doing?” Cheryl asks.
“I’m great. Busy as heck getting the bed-and-breakfast spruced up. Mom and I are eager to start taking reservations,” I say and turn the car into the parking lot.
Suddenly, I shriek. “Ah! Look, Popster!” I point to the new sign we had made. The old sign said The Rose Hotel. Now, it says THE ROSE BED & BREAKFAST.
“What’s wrong? Aspen? Are you OK?!” Cheryl asks.
I laugh. “Yes! We just pulled into the bed-and-breakfast, and they’ve already changed the sign!”
“That’s fabulous! Send me a picture!”
“Will do! Hey, so what did you call about?”
“I have the name of the company for your pie donation from the auction,” she says and giggles.
“What are you laughing at? Who won?”
Popster mouths to me that he’ll head inside, and he exits the car. I watch him leave, but he stops on his way for a smoke. He turns back to see if I’m watching, and I shake my finger at him through the windshield, my lips tight. He shrugs as if to say, “Whatever.”
“Well, Aspen,” Cheryl says, “Your pies brought in the biggest donation, by far. You owe Ryker Miles of Miles Law Firm twenty pies for his donation of… ready?… ten thousand bucks!” she says and giggles again.
Ten thousand dollars?!
“He must really like your pies, girl.”
If she only knew.
My pulse quickens, and my face flushes. “Do you need his contact info?” she asks, interrupting my wicked thoughts of when he was eating my pie.
“No, I have it,” I say and clear my head with a little shake.
For fuck’s sake.
I leave Popster at The Rose to manage the contractors, while I run across town to the hardware store. I’ve decided on a cranberry-red paint color for the dining room.
I head into the hardware store, and I grab the things Popster wanted on his list. He’s excited about living there, and he’s already busied himself tinkering with things, helping the contractors, and figuring out his living space.
I walk out of the hardware store and get into my car. Ugh, I need to text
