Page 107 of Sweet Madness

Fuck.

I pull my hand away and rub my chest. I don’t know how or when it happened, but I have fallen hard for her. I’ve fallen for her smile and the sweet way she sees the world, even when it’s unkind to her.

I’ve fallen for the side of her that no one else gets to see.

She’s been the most unexpected but lovely plot twist.

At the back of my mind, I know this won’t last. Good things never do for men like me, but I can’t help holding onto the dream of her before it’s ripped away by cruel reality.

I chuckle softly when Ella’s stomach growls, filling the quiet room. She murmurs in her sleep, as if her dreams have been interrupted by hunger. Watching her frown sleepily, I find the sound of her rumbling stomach just as endearing as her snoring.

Leaning close, I brush a light kiss against her temple, my breath warm and tender. “Fucking pink baby, you make everything seem beautiful,” I whisper.

Careful not to disturb her, I slip out of bed in nothing but briefs and feel the cool touch of the wooden floor beneath my feet. Glancing back at Ella, I quietly head to the kitchen. The soft thud of my steps mixes with the sound of raindrops outside.

In the kitchen, I find Poppy trying to climb up a chair. Ella’s mischievous baby goat has a knack for following me around lately. Sometimes, when I come home from being outside all day, she’s waiting for me on the porch with that big pink bow on her head.

As if sensing me, Poppy scurries to my side. I chuckle as she nuzzles my leg. “Morning, rugrat,” I say, and she tilts her small head as if she understands.

Deciding to prepare breakfast for Ella, I set about making her favorite—chocolate waffles. I mix the ingredients, cook the batter in the waffle iron, and crisp up some bacon until it’s golden just like I know she likes it. I also slice up some strawberries and add them to her plate.

While I wait for the waffles, I feed Poppy. “Baaa,” she says.

“Yeah, you’re welcome,” I laugh.

Fuck.

Now I talk to goats too.

Wonderful.

As I plate the waffles, arranging them with powdered sugar and whipped cream, I feel my heart swell. Sweets make her smile, and it’s the little things that make her the happiest.

Just as I’m about to start the coffee, my phone buzzes on the kitchen island. For a moment, I hesitate, my fingers hovering over the coffee maker.

Reaching for the phone, my heart sinks when I see the name displayed on the screen. The mere sight of the name stirs an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Ella’s father is calling. A man who doesn’t harbor the warmest feelings toward me. The feelings are mutual, though.

With a sigh, I answer the call, my voice detached and uncaring. “Sebastian.”

The man always hated when anyone who wasn’t his wife called him that.

There’s a brief pause, likely of discontent, before the gruff voice on the other end of the line responds. “The sick fuck was found. My girl can come home.”

Home.

This is her home.

I listen quietly as Ella’s father’s voice comes through the phone, his words cutting through the peaceful morning like a sharp knife. The news of the Kenton family’s stalker being apprehended is bittersweet. I have known this day would come soon, but it doesn’t make it any easier to hear.

My chest aches as if it has been run over. Sebastian’s voice breaks through my thoughts. “Did you hear me, Banning?”

My grip tightens on the phone. Sebastian’s mention of Ella going home reminds me that we are only temporary. I know this, yet I allowed myself to believe something could happen between us. I allowed myself to have something I shouldn’t.

She was never for you…

Sebastian’s next words cut even deeper. He questions my ability to provide for her dreams, implying that Montana can’t offer what she deserves. That I can’t give his daughter what she deserves.

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