Page 6 of Big and Bold
I’m holding my breath until I hear Annie on the other side of the door. When she opens it, I damn near drop the bag and drink in my hand. She’s so fuckin’ beautiful.
She rubs the sleep from her eyes. “Dustin, when you said in the morning, I thought you meant later… not the crack of dawn.”
I hold the drink and bag out to her in apology, and she tilts her head. “Is that… a caramel latte and chocolate croissant?”
I nod my head. She wants to take it, but she hesitates. “I shouldn’t.”
My forehead creases. “What do you mean, you shouldn’t?”
She leans against the door. “I mean, when I’m upset, I eat, and I’ve gained five pounds in the last week.”
I let my gaze travel down her body. She has on a tank top and short shorts, and even with her tousled hair, I swear she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. “You’re perfect, Annie, just the way you are.”
She rolls her eyes and takes the coffee cup and bag from my hand. I act like I don’t notice how she completely avoided touching me. She steps back and waves for me to come in.
I look around the small living room, and she points to the couch. “Have a seat.”
I sit down even though everything inside me wants to pick Annie up and carry her out of here. She takes a sip of the coffee, and I can’t take my eyes off her as she moans. I watch her enjoy it, and when she sits down on the other end of the small couch, I turn to her.
She sets the drink down. “Did you sign the papers?”
I shake my head. “No, I didn’t, and I’m not going to.”
She eyes the bag with the croissant, and I open the bag and pull out the pastry. “Here. Eat it.”
She laughs. “I don’t know what to think about the fact you are always wanting to feed me.”
“You enjoy food, Annie. And I like to see you enjoy yourself.”
She doesn’t seem happy with that statement. She grimaces and looks at the croissant. She takes a bite of the treat, so I lean back on the couch and give her time to gather herself.
She eats half of it and then sets the rest in the bag. “Okay, so you wanted to talk. Let’s talk. I want you to sign the divorce papers, Dustin.”
I shrug. “That’s not going to happen. We need to talk.”
She jumps up from the couch and walks to the opposite side of the room. She crosses her arms over her chest. “You wanna talk? Talk.”
I jut my chin at her. “What’s the rush? Why are you in such a hurry for this divorce to be final?”
She doesn’t look at me. “I can’t move on until the papers are signed.”
I fist my hands in my lap. “Move on? What does that mean?”
She shrugs and doesn’t answer. I lift my chin at her. “Is there someone else, Annie?”
There’s no hiding the pain in my voice. I asked her the same thing last night, and I can’t hide the hurt in my voice. I’ve gone over it a hundred times, and I can’t figure out why she left but chose to stay in Whiskey Run. The thought of her with another man makes me crazy, and even if she says there is someone else, I don’t think I can let her go.
She finally lifts her eyes to me. “You were my first, Dustin, and there hasn’t been anyone else.”
I let out a breath. “Okay, so then what’s the rush?”
She opens her mouth but then closes it, and I hate that she feels like she can’t talk to me. I lean forward and hold my hands together in front of me. “Talk to me, Annie. I’ll sit here all day if I have to.”
She leans her back against the wall. “It took a lot for me to get this far, and I have to keep going… keep moving forward… If I don’t, well, if I don’t, then I’m going to let myself settle.”
I jam a finger in my chest. “You mean settle… for me.”
She blinks at me, and her voice is thick with emotion. “I mean settle for a man that doesn’t truly love me. That’s what I mean.”
