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What had she been doing since I walked away? I hated even thinking of her dating someone else. But that was reality. She had a life without me, and if I wanted to get to know her now, I’d have to make an effort. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to alleviate my guilt over the breakup, but I had to do something. Maybe then I’d clear away a lifetime of regrets.
* * *
The next morning, I went for my run onto the Monroes’ property. When I returned, I was sweating and only felt marginally better. Nothing would help the scattered sleep I’d gotten the night before. But physical exercise always helped to make me more alert. I showered quickly, then went to the kitchen to start the coffee and make a quick breakfast for anyone who needed it.
Most didn’t get up early, and we offered muffins, croissants, and donuts for those people. For the ones who came down early, I cooked. It wasn’t something we advertised because I wasn’t sure how long I could keep it up. It was a service I offered for now.
I made eggs and pancakes, serving them to anyone who showed up.
Around ten, the breakfast crowd cleared out, and I got to work cleaning pots and filling the dishwasher.
“Is it too late for breakfast?” Fiona asked.
I turned to find her standing hesitantly by the counter. Behind her, the dining room was empty.
“We have muffins and coffee.” I nodded toward the platter of muffins and the carafe of coffee.
Fiona smiled. “I smell pancakes.”
“We usually offer full-service breakfast earlier, but I can make an exception for you.”
“You don’t have to go out of your way,” Fiona said softly.
“I don’t mind.” I placed the clean skillet on the burner, then grabbed a mixing bowl. “Chocolate chips?”
Her lips curved into a smile. “Sure.”
We’d dated secretly as teens, which meant evenings in the bed of my truck and any stolen moment we could find. The only time I’d risked anyone learning about us was when I’d snuck into her high school prom.
I never took her out for dinner or a movie. I’d never had the opportunity to cook for her. I hadn’t minded back then, but now I was wondering if we’d missed out on a primary part of any relationship.
Fiona sat on the stool while I mixed the batter and poured it into the pan.
There was so much to catch up on, but at the same time, it was nice to just be together.
“Now that you’re back, are you running the inn?”
“And working part-time with Heath. I think he’d like me to take on more, but I’m trying to get the hang of this place.”
“That makes sense.
“There’s a lot to do. Breakfast, cleanup, checking in guests, fixing anything that’s broke, and landscaping.”
“You could hire someone,” Fiona said.
I shrugged. “We can’t afford to do that yet.”
“Daphne recently started selling her pies. I know it’s tough to get a business started.”
“Especially since this one was closed for so long. The long-term guests moved onto other accommodations, and others don’t trust that we’ll stay open.”
“Consumer trust is a big part of business.”
“I didn’t know anything about business until I started here. Luckily, Marley’s good at it. She helps when she can, but she has her own online consulting business. I like to figure things out on my own.” I wondered if that was where I went wrong with Fiona. I’d taken things into my hands and decided the future for both of us. I’d thought I was protecting her from the life of a military wife. But I took that choice away from her.
I wasn’t sure how to broach that subject over breakfast, so I stayed silent. When the pancakes were done, I stacked some on a plate and handed it to her.
“This is great. Thank you.”
