Bed & Breakfast

Ch. 22 Peace At Last

*** Lou's POV ***

She was with that schmuck and it was my fault. I basically handed her off with a goddamn bow on her head. No, that's not fair to think of her like some object we exchanged, but I sure as hell felt guilty for whatever part I played in this.

The kids kept their distance for a bit. They heard me slam the door when I came back in and I had been sitting at this counter with my head in my hands since. A mug was set on the counter in front of me. I smelled the creamy chocolate wafting from it.

I lifted my head with a sigh to find the kids peeking at me over the tops of their teacups filled with cocoa. Riley ventured a guess. "So that didn't go well?"

"She's with that Bennett guy." I mumbled and gripped the mug. I was surprised it was still here for me.

"She said he's just a friend!" Parker exclaimed.

"Well buddy, I don't think that's the case anymore. That's who she's out with and when I asked she basically confirmed it." I relayed, playing the details over in my brain.

"How did you ask? Maybe she was just responding to your rudeness." Riley countered. Parker and I both stared at her, shocked that she would ask that. She quickly added. "Look, sometimes you don't communicate the best."

"I really don't want to relive that conversation. Maybe...maybe it was a mistake coming back here. I don't want to interfere if she's moved on." I said it, but I didn't mean it. I just didn't want the kids to be in the middle of yet another bad situation.

"It's not a mistake. It finally feels like we're home." Parker said with a sad whimper as Riley hugged him into her side.

"Let's finish decorating her tree. All the trimmings are here. Then it can really feel like home." Riley suggested. I appreciated her taking charge with this because I was not particularly feeling the Christmas spirit.

But little by little, the kids pulled me out of my funk. We ended up decorating the rest of the tree, cooking a simple meal together, and settling into the sofas to watch Christmas movies. It felt cozy and relaxed despite the fact that everything I touched reminded me that she was not here with us.

I startled awake when I heard the back door creak open. I glanced to the kids, but they were both still knocked out. I heard who I could only assume was Andie in the kitchen. She was cleaning up the mess we made that I planned to handle after a movie, but apparently sleep had won.

I cautiously moved into the kitchen. I didn't know if the sting of our earlier fight still remained. It had become dull resignation for me.

I took a moment to admire her. She was still wearing the sweater dress from earlier, but she had pushed up her sleeves. The light above the sink was the only thing illuminating her and she looked breathtaking. And I couldn't do a damn thing about it.

I cleared my throat. "You don't have to do those. I planned on coming back in to clean up."

"I'd honestly like to keep busy right now if it's all the same to you." She said sharply.

Great. Looks like she was still pissed. "Can I at least dry?"

"Uh huh."

I silently moved next to her, drying towel in hand. We worked in tandem. It felt familiar yet foreign because of the lack of playful banter, laughter, and flirting. Every once in awhile, she would pass me a cleaned dish and our hands would touch. Each little spark felt like a lighter trying to burn, but the flint was stubborn.