Page 38 of Sometimes You Fall

Astrid nods, moves back to the other side of the counter and grabs a bag, reaching for the fritters and sliding them inside while Willow pulls my attention to her again. “So, you just moved back here, Scottie?”

“Yeah. I’ve lived in Georgia for the past fifteen years, but I got a job opportunity I couldn’t pass up, so my son and Imoved here.”

“Your mom and grandma come in here all the time,” Astrid adds as she moves to the register. “In fact, weren’t you here with them back in December?”

“Yes, I was.”

“I thought so.” I hand her my card, but she waves it away. “Nope. Your money is no good here. These are for my future niece or nephew, so it’s on me.”

“Astrid, that’s not necessary.”

Willow places her hand on my arm. “Just let her. Trust me, you don’t want to argue with her. You won’t win.”

Astrid plasters an award-winning smile on her face and hands me the bag with my goodies. “She’s right.”

Sighing, I take the bag from her. “Well, thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know, but it’s my business so I can do whatever I want.” Her eyes soften. “And I want you to know that I’m here if you need anything. I know that we don’t really know each other, but I remember how close you and my brother were, and I know he’s taking this seriously, Scottie. Grady isn’t the type of man to walk away from his responsibilities, okay?”

“I know that.”

“And you can trust him. Hell, I’d trust him with my life.”

I want to trust Grady. I want to believe that this will all work out easily, but my past has proven otherwise. “I appreciate that. In fact, could I get his phone number from you by chance? We haven’t exchanged that information yet. Our last two conversations were a little strained.”

She pulls her phone from her back pocket and sends me Grady’s number via text after I give her mine. “And now I have yours too.”

“Thank you.” I make a mental note to text him later and then check the time. “I need to get going. Work calls, you know?”

Willow and Astrid nod. “It was really nice to meet you, Scottie,” Willow says.

“Likewise.”

“And I’m serious. Reach out if you need anything. We take care of each other around here and you’re practically family now,” Astrid says.

“If you don’t reach out, she will probably hunt you down and insert herself in your life anyway,” Willow adds. “That’s what she did to me when I moved to town.”

“Hey! Don’t act like you didn’t appreciate my offer of friendship,” Astrid admonishes, making me laugh. “And I’m pretty sure you were the one with the addiction to blueberry muffins, so you hunted me down first.”

Willow walks over to her and pulls her in for a hug. “I’m just kidding. Of course I did, Astrid. It’s because of you, and Dallas too of course, that Carrington Cove started to feel like home.”

This town hasn’t been my home in years, but being back here again, seeing how people interact, and being surrounded by family has reminded me of what home should feel like. Georgia never felt like that. Sure, we had friends and coworkers we hung out with, but Andrew’s family was never truly welcoming, and as our marriage dissolved, I felt more and more alone.

“Thank you. Both of you. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.” With a nod of my head, I exit the bakery feeling overwhelmed by my reality. Astrid seems genuine and she and Willow obviously have a strong friendship, but my focus right now needs to be on how to navigate my relationship with Grady. Oh, and telling my boss that the employee she just hired will be going on maternity leave in roughly six months.

On the drive to work, I inhale one of the apple fritters, moaning with every bite. My stomach is finally happy, but my nerves are still going haywire. Let’s just hope today goes by quickly and smoothly without any other surprises for me. I don’t think I could take any more at this point.

***

“Okay, well…”

“I’m sorry, Alaina.”

My new boss shakes her head at me, tapping the desk in front of her. “Don’t you dare apologize. You’re having a child and should be celebrating that. Hell, at least you’re dating. I can’t remember the last time I spent a few hours alone with a man.” Her eyes bug out. “Oh god, I can’t believe I just said that. That was unprofessional, wasn’t it?”

“Not at all. I get it. That’s how I ended up in this situation, unfortunately. The father and I…we’re not romantically involved. It was just…unexpected, obviously.”

“I see.” She brushes her bangs from her eyes. “Well, it’s okay. We can work around this. You’re not due until September, so we’ll just start the new year in August with someone to fill in for you temporarily, and then you can return later in the fall.” She brushes her hands in the air. “See? No big deal.”

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