I shook my phone in my hand. “No, I was updating Amber. She’s almost done with the police, and then she’ll be over,” I said, sitting down next to her in the chair again. “Once she gets here, I’m going to go back to The Fluffy Cupcake and get some product made for tomorrow. There aren’t any special orders for cupcakes, but there are the buns and bread that the restaurants need.”
“What about all the special orders for today?” she fretted, her hand on her forehead. “Amber will have to call them all.”
“They’re done,” I promised her, wanting to touch her but afraid to at the same time. “I stayed late yesterday and finished them. I knew you weren’t feeling well, and I wanted to get you ahead of the game for tonight’s baking. Now I’m really glad I did.”
“You did? Seriously?”
I nodded my agreement. “Just try to relax, Haylee. I’ve got your back just like I always do. Amber and I will keep the bakery running until you’re feeling better.”
“But—but you’re leaving,” she stuttered, her words tripping over her tongue. “You said you were leaving.”
My hand strayed to her forehead against my will and brushed the hair back. “Did you dream that, cupcake? I never said I was going anywhere.”
“I heard you!” she exclaimed, a tear falling down her face. Suddenly, her emotional issues made more sense. She honestly believed that a dream she had was real. “You told someone on the phone at the festival on Friday that your application had been approved and you had two job offers already. I think it was your old boss, and he wanted you to run his bakery.”
My hand froze mid-stroke, and I tipped my head to the side. “Is that why you took off with the van and refused to answer the door?”
“I didn’t need you to keep lying to my face about how much you loved me!” she exclaimed, knocking my arm away. “I heard you tell Mr. Cavanaugh that you can’t date someone like me with no self-esteem!”
“Whoa, Haylee, no. I never said that.”
“Don’t lie to me, Brady! I heard you tell him that!”
I gently rubbed her hip since I knew she couldn’t reach my hand to knock it away. “I think you overheard something with no context, and that messed with your head, Haylee. I did say that to Mr. Cavanaugh—”
“See, I’m not delusional!” she exclaimed.
“Shh, let me finish,” I said patiently. I knew the head injury was making her volatile, but I wouldn’t let her keep thinking I didn’t want to be with her. “I did say those things, but we weren’t talking about you.”
“Who were you talking about then? You said you dated her for a couple of weeks, but you told me you hadn’t dated anyone for a couple of weeks. I’m it. I’m the only one!”
“I stretched the truth on that one a bit. I didn’t want him to think I was a total jackass for dropping Darla halfway through a date.”
“What? Darla?”
I nodded, biting my lip to keep from smiling. “Mr. Cavanaugh was under the impression that I was dating Darla, so he was surprised to see the two of us so friendly during the competition. I guess he caught me giving you that kiss when we won.”
“The whole town caught you,” she said, a chuckle escaping, which was better than tears. “You weren’t exactly subtle.”
“You don’t have to be when you’re kissing your girlfriend, and you’re in love. Make no mistake, I do love you, and you’re still my girlfriend.”
“I was so hurt,” she whispered, her hand rubbing her chest absently. I covered it with mine and held them there together. “You had just asked me to be your girlfriend, and the next day you were telling people you couldn’t be with me anymore.”
My head swung wildly as I wiped away another tear that had escaped down her cheek. “No, sweetheart. That’s not it at all. I want to be with you all the time. The last thirty-six hours have been so hard wondering why you wouldn’t talk to me. Then I find you half-dead on the ground, and I knew I should have made you talk to me. If I hadn’t given up so easily, I would have been there to protect you.”
“You didn’t know I told the committee about the confrontation. I should have predicted Darla would come after me, but I didn’t even think about it. You were right all these years. I should have better lighting back there.”
“I’ll be calling someone to fix that situation as soon as I get back to the bakery,” I agreed. “I’ll never leave you open to an attack like that again, cupcake.” I stroked her hair back, pain evident in my voice as I gazed at her.
“You won’t be here to know,” she said, her voice heavy with sadness. “You said your application was approved, so you’ll be in Milwaukee running a bakery, which,” she added, holding up her hand, “you deserve. You deserve to be the head of a bakery, and you won’t get that at The Fluffy Cupcake.”
“I wish you’d stuck around a few more minutes to have heard the rest of the conversation,” I whispered. “My application was approved for master baker.”
Her brow went down to her nose, and her breath hitched in her chest. “Wait, you passed?”
I nodded, a giant smile on my face. “That was the call I got before the judging. That was my big news. I passed, cupcake!” I couldn’t help the excitement in my voice and how much I wanted to share it with her. “I’ve been dying to tell you, but I refused to do it over text.”
“That’s wonderful, Brady. Congratulations,” she said, her chin wobbling with emotion. “You deserve this. You worked hard and were devoted to the process, and now it has paid off. I’m proud of you. Everything makes more sense now. That’s why you can run a bakery.”
“I can, but I won’t be. You didn’t hear the part where I told Baker Robinson that I couldn’t run his bakery because my whole life was in Lake Pendle now. I found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I’m not leaving her for anything.”
“You’re staying?” she asked, her voice hopeful but desperate at the same time.
“I was never going anywhere to begin with, Haylee. You’re my whole life now. I have every intention of working with you and loving you forever.”
Tears were falling down her cheeks, and she reached her hand out for me to take. “My heart was shattered in so many pieces when I heard you say those things. I didn’t know what to do, so I ran.”
“Shh,” I whispered, nose-to-nose with her now. “I wish you had just come and talked to me, baby. In the future, don’t run, unless you’re running to me. Promise me.”
She nodded, her chin trembling with fear, anguish, relief, and fatigue. “I promise. I might need you to remind me for another thirty years or so, though.”
“Only thirty?” I teased, kissing her lips carefully since she still had the oxygen tube in her nose. “I was thinking at least fifty or sixty.” I stroked her cheek, her eyelids drooping the longer I did. “Sleep now. When you wake up, I might be at the bakery, but Amber will be here. Don’t get scared because I didn’t leave you. I’m just going to protect our business the same way I’ll always protect you, with all my love and devotion.”