Dawson meant to head to the bar, but found himself pulling into an empty space in front of the bakery instead. His father would be working today, and if he showed up out of the blue there would no doubt be questions as to why. Regardless, he found himself walking inside before he could talk himself out of it.
Even the bright space, the displays of comfort foods and the smiling family in one of the corner booths didn't do anything to lighten his mood. Gabriela was behind the cash register ringing someone up, but caught Dawson's eye and greeted him with a smile. He managed a weak one back, raising a hand in greeting.
Things would still be the same here, at least on the surface. He'd have his family, his friends, his work. But there'd always be the memories of Layla, scattered everywhere through town, living forever in his own house, his bed, his heart.
"Dawson!" His father came out from the kitchen, removing his apron. Something about the bakery seemed to keep him looking young for his age, as wiry and white-haired as he was. The excitement he got over baked goods was that of an eight year old kid.
"Hey, Dad. What's good today?" He nodded to the case of cakes and cookies.
"Your mom's coming over for lunch, so I was just about to go on break—how about I grab a few things and let you decide?"
"Sounds good to me."
Part of Dawson wondered what he was doing there. To the rest of him, it was pretty damn obvious that he was looking for either a distraction or someone to talk to. Jack was clearly not an option, and he already knew what Kenzie would say: go after her, convince her to stay.
He let his father lead him outside after putting a few treats into one of the cardboard pastry boxes, and the two of them sat down at one of the iron tables in front of the bakery. Roman had a bagged lunch with him, and pulled out a sandwich and a bottled water from the crinkled paper bag. Red View was quiet today, likely a mix of the weekday and the cloudy weather.
"You guys glad Gabby's back?" Dawson asked, reaching for one of the powdered almond cookies. It was more out of politeness than anything—he really wasn't in the mood for eating.
His father nodded. "No one makes peanut butter pie like Gabby does. I think I've had a slice every day since she got back. She says her sister's real happy, and her nephew's cute as anything. I do wish she'd smarten up, though."
Dawson quirked an eyebrow,. "What'd'you mean?"
"I mean she's still pining for that kid who owns the hardware store. Mary and Burt's kid. Levi."
"Ah." Dawson nodded, remembering Kenzie complaining about the jerk a few times. He lead Gabby on and off again every chance he got. "The ex-boyfriend."
"And he should stay that way, if you ask me. Don't really know what she sees in him—I don't mean to say anything about Burt and Mary, but the kid's spoiled rotten and acts like it, too."
Dawson shrugged a shoulder, reaching for another cookie. "I guess she thinks he'll smarten up and start treating her right."
"Sometimes people just don't know what—or who—is good for them."
Dawson had to let out a laugh at that one. "Yeah. You can say that again."
"So now that small talk's out of the way, let's get into whatever's got you here, talking to your Pop in the middle of a work day."
He shrugged again, feeling embarrassingly transparent. "Jack and I got into another fight."
"That's all?" His dad leaned forward with a skeptical look over the box of pastries. "Must've been some spat, given you two fight just about every day."
"Well... yeah. I dunno." It took the uncomfortable silence that only a parent could provide to get him to admit a minute later, "Layla's leaving."
"Oh?"
"And I love her."
"Oh," his father said again, with much more weight.
"I know you think she's engaged, but she's not. Not really, anyway. It's complicated."
"Business?"
Dawson nodded. "Yeah. Business. And Colin came to get her, and she's going with him, even though the two of us were... well, I don't know. We weren't as much as I thought we were, apparently."
It felt like history was repeating itself, only ten times worse. He'd really believed that this time, things would be different. Layla would fall for him, and they'd end up together. Things would be simple, straightforward. None of the bullshit from his past would happen again—not that it even mattered to him anymore. That wound no longer stung. No, Layla had patched it up, healed it, and then given him one much, much deeper.
With a sigh, he set down his half-eaten cookie. "I just wish things were as simple for me as they were for you and Mom."
"Speak of the devil," his father gestured behind him and Dawson turned to see his mother walking up with a smile, toting a large paisley lunch bag on one arm.
"Well, this is a nice surprise," she said, leaning down to kiss the top of his head.
"Your boy's just told me something pretty monumental," Roman said before she walked over to peck him on the lips. "Hi, angel."
Lillie Mae turned to her son with raised brows as she sat. "Monumental?"
Dawson looked between his parents. Had he made a mistake coming here, admitting to his feelings? They'd no doubt both be disappointed, because if Layla was gone, he was swearing off feelings like this for good, ruining their hopes that he might get back into the dating world and settle down someday. Not that it mattered, since he was pretty sure he'd never feel like this about anyone else, anyway.
"Layla and I have been seeing each other," he admitted, voice just above a mumble.
She smiled, let out a quiet laugh. "Well, yeah. Who didn't know that? I was wondering when you'd finally admit it."
He could only stare at her and wonder why he felt any ounce of surprise. Of course she knew—hell, she probably figured it out before they even started seeing each other.
"And if I thought for a second that Layla was really in love with her fiancé—or had any warmth for him at all—" She pointed a finger at him for emphasis. "I would've smacked you over the head for sniffing around her like a lost puppy day after day."
"Gee," he said dryly, "thanks."
She rolled her eyes, lightly slapped his arm. "I'm happy, you know. You're in love with her, aren't you? You had me worried I'd never see the day where I could ask that question."
"I am, but it doesn't matter." He sighed at her look of confusion. "Layla's leaving. Colin came to get her. She wants the merger more than she wants me, so..." He shrugged aimlessly. "She'll be gone by tonight. Probably sooner."
Roman folded his hands together. "Does she know?"
"Know?"
"That you love her," his mother finished. Somehow she made it sound both gentle and like he was an idiot.
Dawson crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat with a humorless laugh. "No, and she probably would've left sooner if she did."
"I think you ought to tell her." She laid a hand on his shoulder and gave a good squeeze. "As it is, she's making a choice without all the facts."
"What the hell do facts have to do with any of it?" he argued, more for the sake of arguing than anything else. "She either feels the same way about me, or she doesn't."
Lillie Mae removed her hand, turning to him with a stern expression. One that told him he shouldn't poke a bear if he doesn't want to be attacked. "And don't you think she's scared if she does?"
"That's a flattering thought."
"Oh, you're being difficult just to be difficult." Shaking her head, she continued, "If she's in love with you and she doesn't know how you feel, from her perspective, it must seem like a real easy way to get her heart broken. Leaving everything she has behind to start something new, all while not knowing if you'd ever feel the same."
"But it isn't just about me," he defended, even though the weight on his chest was beginning to get heavier. Would it have made a difference if he'd told her? "It's about owning her own business, living somewhere she likes, having friends here. I'm just a piece of the puzzle. It's either enough for her, or it isn't, and I can't change that."
"Dawson." His mother cupped his face, patted his cheek and gave him a smile that said he'd made a huge mistake. "Of course you can."
guess who finished writing the second book in this series yesterday! 🥳
I still have editing to do and a few scenes to add, but for the most part, Red View Romance #2 is officially done! I'll be posting announcements about it soon 😉