Page 117 of Forbidden Flame

“I thought you should know. I hated lying to you. I also wanted to tell you that this feud is ridiculous.”

“She’s got a point. One you boys should consider. I’ve never agreed with us freezing out the Monroes. We can coexist,” Dad said.

“We’re in direct competition with each other,” Teddy insisted.

Dad held up his hand. “Your sister just poured her heart out to you, and you’re missing the point.”

Teddy leaned against the headboard. “And what’s that?”

Dad gave him a sharp look. “Your sister is in love with Cole.”

I gasped. “I didn’t say that.”

Dad considered me. “It’s obvious to me. Now what are you going to do about it?”

I flushed. “I’m not going to do anything. Cole knows how I feel, and he walked away.”

“Give it some time. You might feel differently.”

“I won’t.” I had my heart to consider and a daughter to protect.

Jameson gestured in my direction. “I can’t believe you’re encouraging her to date this guy. If he was good enough for her, he’d be by her side while she was having this conversation. He ran back home.”

Every word out of Jameson’s mouth felt like a slap in the face. I’d done the same thing when Emmett confronted Cole.

“You don’t choose who you fall in love with. It’s not always convenient or practical,” Dad said.

I hadn’t expected my father’s support, but it felt good. I rose and moved toward the doorway between our rooms. “I’m going to get some sleep. I don’t expect you to understand what I’m going through.”

I closed the door and lay down next to Izzy. Love for her flowed through my veins. She was the only one that mattered. It was just her and me. My eyelids were heavy as I finally drifted off to sleep.

At home, we unpacked and quickly got back into our routine. Izzy went back to school, and I dove into my holiday orders. There was no time to dwell on Cole, the fight with Emmett, or the conversation with my family.

Usually, kneading and rolling out the dough was cathartic. But not this time. I was plagued with memories of Cole and me together, and Izzy. The pain in my chest didn’t ease. I found myself close to tears several times. But I quickly wiped them away. I had a business to run, and I hadn’t heard from Cole.

His silence spoke louder than anything else. He didn’t want me. I wasn’t important enough for him to stand up to his family and take what he wanted.

I’d always come in second.

My brothers and dad watched Izzy so I could complete the orders in time. I had more pie orders than last year, and I attributed that to my exposure at Violet’s ice cream shop and Max’s Bar & Grill.

On Thanksgiving Day, I intended to get up early to cook the holiday meal. When I opened my door to head to the farmhouse, a card fell to the ground.

I opened it with shaking hands. It was a note from Cole. It read: Your holiday meal will be catered for you this year. All you need to do is relax and enjoy the day with your family. I’m sorry for what happened. I know this doesn’t make up for how I hurt you and Izzy. But it’s a start.

There was a box on the porch with my name on it. I opened it to find a spa package of bath salts, lotions, thick towels, and even a towel warmer.

I wasn’t sure what to make of it. It was nice to have the day off from cooking. None of my brothers or my father were good in the kitchen. And all I wanted to do was take a bath.

I texted Dad to let him know our meal was being delivered in the afternoon, and I set Izzy up in front of the TV to watch the parade while I ran the water.

The muscles in my legs were sore from standing for so many hours and tight in my back and arms from working with the dough. The bath felt good. It was nice to relax and take time for myself.

I didn’t get out until my skin was wrinkled. I wrapped myself in a warm towel to dry off, then sampled the lotions. It felt decadent and was just what I needed. When I was dressed, I sent Cole a text.

Thank you for the gifts.

You’re welcome. I hope you were able to relax.

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