Page 53 of Embers in Autumn
The words sat between us like a secret we weren’t ready to unwrap yet. But as I stood there in the dim glow of pumpkin lights, surrounded by paper bats and candy wrappers, I realized I wasn’t afraid of it anymore. Not with him.
CHAPTER 16
Dean
Saturday started early, the kind of morning that tricked you into thinking the world was gentler than it was. The sun was bright but soft, the chill in the air just sharp enough to wake you up. Leaves glowed gold and red against the clear sky, the city still damp from the rain of the last few days.
I grabbed coffee on the way to the hospital, two cups balanced in the tray. Mike’s room was on the second floor, tucked into a corner that smelled faintly of antiseptic and overcooked vegetables. The man himself was sitting half propped in bed, hospital gown hanging open at the collar, scowling like someone had just told him he’d lost a bet.
“Two cracked ribs,” he grunted when I walked in, nodding toward the monitor beside him. “You’d think they’d let me out with a bandage and a ‘don’t sneeze too hard,’ but nope. They’ve got me tied up like an old mare.”
I set his coffee on the side table, pulling a chair close. “You’re lucky it wasn’t worse. Could’ve been your neck if that beam landed an inch higher.”
He huffed, sipping carefully from the cup. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t tell me you came here to lecture. What’s really on your mind?”
I leaned back, rubbing a hand over my jaw. The truth was sitting heavy in my chest, and I didn’t want to carry it alone anymore. “I’m seeing Amber again tonight. Just the two of us.”
Mike’s brows shot up, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Well, well. So, is it getting serious?”
I let out a slow breath, staring down at the floor tiles. “That’s the thing. I don’t know if it should. I mean… I’m falling for her, Mike. Harder than I’ve fallen in a long time. But part of me keeps wondering—what if she’s just… sowing some wild oats, you know? Trying to remember what it feels like to be wanted after a ten-year relationship that tore her apart. What if I’m just a rebound she’ll regret?”
Mike was quiet for a long moment, sipping his coffee, studying me with those sharp eyes that had seen me through fires and funerals alike.
“You ever think,” he said finally, “that you’re not the only one rolling those dice? She’s scared too, Dean. People don’t walk out of that kind of wreckage without some scars. But hell, neither did you.”
I swallowed, the old ache creeping in. “Yeah. Amber’s not the only one who got burned. Lana’s mom—” I stopped, dragging in a breath. “That was a hell of a wound. Watching her walk out like we didn’t matter. Leaving Lana behind. I told myself I’d never let anyone get that close again. And now here I am, damn near ready to…” I trailed off, shaking my head. “I don’t even know.”
Mike set his cup down, his tone gentler than I expected. “Maybe you do know. Maybe you’re just afraid of saying it out loud.”
Silence stretched between us, filled with the soft beep of the monitor.
“I want to ask her to Thanksgiving,” I admitted finally, the words heavy but real. “My sister’s hosting, Dad’s coming into town. I want her there. I want them to meet her. But I don’t know how to say it without spooking her. It’s early. Too early maybe.”
Mike tilted his head. “So what? You care about her, right? Then ask. Not because you’re trying to lock her down, notbecause you’re rushing anything. Just because you want her there. That’s the truth, isn’t it?”
I nodded slowly, the knot in my chest loosening a fraction. “Yeah. That’s the truth.”
He grinned, wincing as the motion pulled at his ribs. “Then trust her enough to give her the choice. You’d be surprised how far honesty goes.”
I sat back, letting the words settle. Maybe he was right. Maybe the risk was worth it. Because the truth was, Amber had already carved out a place in my life. And maybe it was time to see if she wanted to stay.
Mike shifted in bed, wincing as he tried to sit straighter. “Alright, enough chitchat. Does the crew even miss me, or are they already auditioning my replacement?”
I smirked. “We put your locker up for raffle. Carter’s hoping to win it.”
Mike barked a laugh, then groaned, pressing a hand to his side. “Kid can barely carry his own gear, let alone my legacy. Tell him I want rent if he steals my locker.”
“I’ll tell him you left it to him in your will.”
He pointed at me, eyes narrowing. “Smartass.”
We traded a few more jabs before the nurse came in to check his vitals, and I took that as my cue to head out. He grumbled but gave me a wave as I left, already reaching for his coffee again.
The drive to my sister’s place was short, the crisp afternoon sun slanting through golden leaves. Her flower shop sat downstairs, closed for the weekend, while the living quarters filled the top half of the little building. I climbed the familiar stairs, the smell of roses and eucalyptus lingering even outside the door.
Sarah opened it before I could knock, her apron still dusted with soil. “Dean,” she said, brows lifting. “What brings you here in the middle of the day?”
“I need a recipe,” I said, stepping inside.
