Page 97 of The Forever Rule

With a laugh, I pulled him into the Caged Bean, and couldn’t help but look around, elation sliding through me.

I hadn’t known how today was going to go. After all, I should’ve been at work. I should have been working with my team, going through paperwork, but as most of my team was off today for their own reasons, I had somehow found myself on a weekend trip with a man that could be considered my boyfriend. However, it wasn’t as if we used those labels.

A man that, if we broke up, it wouldn’t only damage my heart, but it could damage the relationship he was making with his sisters, and my relationship with a business that I was falling in love with.

Me making these choices was probably the worst thing I could be doing, and yet, here I was, continuing to make these choices.

“You must be a Cage,” an older woman with short black hair, full-sleeve tattoos, and a nose piercing said as she came forward. “I’m Melody, the manager here.” She held out her hand to me, and I shook it, before she did the same with Aston.

“Yes, I am a Cage, how could you tell?” Aston asked, his voice deep.

The other woman laughed, as others turned to look at the tableau in front of them. “You all look the same. But I don’t think I’ve met you.”

“Aston Cage, this is Blakely.”

The other woman grinned at me. “It’s nice to meet you, both of you. And welcome to my establishment.”

“I have to ask, did you come up with the name?” I asked, laughter in my tone.

Once again Aston groaned.

Melody gave a good-natured laugh. “Of course I did. You don’t think the Cages came up with all of these names, do you?”

“Honestly, I was pretty sure my dad did most of it,” Aston said dryly.

Melody waved him off, before gesturing toward the bar. There was an actual bar with stools in a coffee shop along with small tables scattered around. It was quite cute in here, with black and wood furnishings and embellishments. It looked a little rustic, a little modern, and yetwelcoming at the same time. It wasn’t soft, but the aromas of coffee and sugar and other flavorings made my mouth water.

“Your dad did some, but this one was all me.” She winked. “Honestly, I really enjoyed trying to think of something ridiculous. But your name helps.”

“I feel like I should be offended by that,” Aston said as he helped me onto my stool.

“Don’t be, it’d be worse if your name didn’t allow for so many cute little titles.”

“I can’t wait to learn them all,” I said, sort of enjoying the way that Aston looked slightly uncomfortable. Mostly because the man was always so rigid and focused. When I had seen him in those comfortable jeans and flannel, I had nearly come on the spot. He was so damn sexy, and different than what he usually looked like. Don’t get me wrong, I loved looking at him in the suit, because he looked fantastic in one. But in jeans? It was just a new level. And now watching him learn to relax around people he didn’t know and wasn’t trying to work with, was an all-new level of appreciation.

“We just opened in the past six months, but we’ve been doing good. Your brother, Hudson, has been wonderful. He painted that mural back there.”

My eyes widened as I looked over at the back wall at the beautiful abstract photo that looked as if it was a tree reaching for the sky, and yet possibly a woman weeping. I couldn’t quite tell and I had a feeling if I studied it for hours, I would see more and more details that stood out.

“I didn’t know he was a painter,” I whispered, and Aston cleared his throat.

“He is now. He was always good at it, but I’m glad he has time to breathe up here and settle into it.”

“He’s doing good work. Though I think he’s working on a project up at the resort.”

Aston nodded, as I turned my attention to look at the menu. “Yes, and I’m glad one of us is here now to work in person.”

“You guys take care of the town, and you’re not tyrants.”

A man with dark hair and a big beard snorted behind us, and I turned. “Sure. The prodigal son arrives, and the world is going to bow down at the Cage’s feet.”

“Weston,” Melody said with a sigh. “Stop being a grump.”

The other man grinned, and it brightened up his face completely. At first, I thought he had been an older man, slouching and annoyed with the world, but instead, he was much younger, his eyes bright, and with a humor there that I wouldn’t have expected from that gruff introduction.

“I can’t help it. It’s just my nature.”

“Weston here is our local mechanic. He makes sure everything around here is up and running. Which is no small feat during winter.”

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