“That’s just what we deal with as mothers. We care so much for our children that it can wreck us, but I wouldn’t change being a mother for anything. Even if one of my kids got in a fight for their girl.”

My eyes widened slightly. “You know?”

She gave me a sad smile, so many unspoken words floating through her expression. “I notice everything about my kids. Every new scrape, bruise, or shadow in their eyes. Callan doesn’t fight for anyone besides the people he loves.”

I inhaled deeply, feeling the weight of what she wasn’t saying. “Did he tell you what happened?”

“I saw his bruised knuckles and the change in his usual calm demeanor when he was here yesterday. Being a mother, we just know things. And I know when my boys love something. I taught them to give everything their all, and he’s doing that for you. You’ve made him come out of his shell. He never used to go to town unless he had to. He was rarely himself after his ex made him decide between staying at this ranch or running off with her. Ever since, he hasn’t been vulnerable, hasn’t opened up. But, sweetie—” She reached over, setting her hand on top of mine. “—when he talks about you, I see it in his eyes. See every wall you’ve broken down without even realizing it.”

I blinked away the moisture threatening to build in my eyes and swallowed. “I just don’t want to scare him away.”

Her soft hand gave mine a squeeze. “Nothing could scare that boy away.”

“How do you know?”

“I raised him. Callan doesn’t run from the hard things, he hits them head on. He’ll take care of you and Avery. It’s in his blood.”

I slid my hand out from under hers to reach forward and give her a hug. Charlotte was that mom everyone wished they had. She was open to any conversation, always ready to give advice if you needed it. She never judged, and in a world so cruel, that’s all anyone really needed. 

If there were any in-laws I wanted to go through the rest of my life with, it’d be these ones. The Bronsons welcomed me with open arms and understanding. I didn’t have to hide my past from them like I thought. They understood that no one was perfect, and that was just what I needed all along. 

Acceptance.

For who I was and where I came from. For being a single mom barely scraping by. 

None of the semantics mattered.

Just me and Avery, being loved by the people around us despite our past.

And that’s all I’ve ever wanted.

***

Parking my car out front of Bell Buckle Brews, I headed inside to start my shift. When I put my key into the lock on the door, I found it was already unlocked. I was the only one scheduled to work this morning, so either someone else was here or the closer forgot to lock the door on their way out yesterday.

Inching the door open, I slipped inside carefully to not stir the cowbell. If there was someone in here, I didn’t want to alert them to my entrance. 

“Sage?”

My heart jumped into my throat as Gemma came out from the back, the door swinging behind her. 

“Gemma. What are you doing here?” My hand dropped from where it had flown up to my chest at the scare. 

“I wanted to help out,” she said hesitantly. 

I glanced around the dining area, noting that each table was shining, every chair pushed in perfectly.

“You’re not scheduled until the afternoon.” I came forward, stopping at the edge of the counter. 

“I know. I just… I wanted to talk before you left.”

“Hours before?” This wasn’t the typical Gemma I’d come to know. She was usually snappy and had no filter whatsoever.

She responded with a nod and stepped aside so I could get past her into the back. I set my wallet and phone in my locker, then got to work getting the ingredients I needed out from the fridge.

Gemma took a few baking sheets out of the bottom cabinet, setting them on the table behind me. 

Setting the eggs on the counter, I closed the fridge to face her. “What did you want to talk about?”

She swallowed, wringing her hands together. “I don’t hate you.”

My brows pulled together.

“If you thought I did. I just wanted you to know that I don’t,” she clarified.

“I don’t think that you hate me.” I wasn’t sure where she was trying to go with this. And why now? Why bring it all up today? “Gemma, is everything okay?”

Her eyes fell to the ground, and I gave her all the time she needed to conjure up her response. I knew as well as anyone that people could have pain hidden far beneath the surface, and to voice it was to dig up bones that we’d rather stay buried.

“Four years ago, I lost the two people in this world who meant the most to me. A drunk driver took them from me.” She paused, her eyes blinking away the tears she tried to hold at bay. “I’ll never get what you have, Sage.” She finally looked at me, quickly glancing to my stomach before darting back to my face, and I saw it all.

The pain. The reason for her lashing out at me.

“I’m so sorry.” But sorry couldn’t erase that pain from her past. It wouldn’t make any of it better.

“It’s alright,” she said, sniffling as she wiped a finger under her eyes. “Four years is a long time to cope. I’ve come to terms with what happened that night. But when you first moved here, shortly after I did, and you’d bring Avery into the cafe sometimes, seeing your little girl made me envious for all the wrong reasons. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know,” I admitted quietly. Trauma messed with the human brain. It’d find reasons to excuse what happened; pin your anger on others who weren’t even involved. “It’s not our fault, Gemma.”

She nodded, but I could tell she’d been trying to convince herself of that for a long time. I crossed the room, pulling her into a hug. 

“It’s not our fault,” I repeated.

I’d say it a million times over again if I needed to. To engrain it in our brains that the reason we were dealt the hands we got was not because of us.

It wasn’t my fault Jason would hit me when he was angry, and it wasn’t Gemma’s fault that that person decided to drive inebriated. 

We were strong enough to get through this.

Gemma pulled back, dropping her arms. “It wasn’t your fault either, Sage. Whatever pain you hold, it wasn’t inflicted because of you.”

My lips pressed together as I nodded. “It wasn’t. I know that now.”

She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. “Why don’t you go open the store while I get the ovens going?”

“You don’t want to head home before your shift?”

She shook her head. “I’m okay staying.”