Inherited: One Baby!. Laura Altom Marie

love bug Bonnie was and didn’t even need the rest of the week to decide to remarry him. A fact that put him in the mood to party. “Say, Candy Cane, if you don’t have anything going on today, how about we head down to the lake for a sail?”

      She choked on her latest sip of coffee.

      Good sign or bad? Man, oh, man, what had gotten into him to have accidentally called her “Candy Cane”?

      “That sounds nice,” she said, “but I have to pack. And this afternoon, I should head over to the shop. I want to make sure there’s a surplus of everything when the new owners take charge. They’re friends. Greg and Betsy Hammond. Remember them from high school? They were a grade ahead of us.”

      “Sure. How are they?”

      “Good. Betsy just had their fourth boy. I think she was hoping for a girl this time, but…” Fidgeting with her hands, she said, “Anyway, they’re about the only ones happy with my decision to sell. Kelly’s finally cutting me some slack, but when I first told her, she read me the riot act.”

      “So why are you doing it? I mean, why take such a drastic step as to outright sell? Why not leave it in the hands of your most trusted employees? Surely someone could run the place while you take time off?”

      Head bowed, Candy said, “It’s not that simple. I need the money to travel, and I’m afraid what I’m looking for can’t be found in a few days. Something’s missing inside me, Jake.” Palms pressed to her chest, she said, “I feel lonely in crowds, like there’s a piece of me out there that I haven’t been able to find. I have to take this trip. I’m sorry if my selling Candy Kisses hurts people’s feelings. It’s hurting me, too. That business is my only family aside from you—or, I mean, at least you used to be my family. Now…” She flopped her hands on her lap. “I don’t know, I just feel restless.”

      At first, Jake thought every word his ex muttered about needing to find herself had been hogwash, but now, seeing the sadness in Candy’s eyes, made the part of him that would always care about her wonder if maybe she was on the right track. Because, shoot, who was he to say running off on some great adventure wouldn’t be the key to unlocking whatever tormented her soul?

      Problem was, if Candy took off to find her soul, that left him losing his. For if the state took Bonnie, Jake knew he’d be done for. Oh, no matter how bad it hurt, he’d abide by the law and give her up, but doing so might very well kill him.

      Toying with his coffee cup, Jake said, “I don’t mean to pressure you, Candy, but I can’t begin to explain how much Bonnie means to me. I can’t—”

      “No, Jake. Don’t do this. Please don’t play the guilt card. It isn’t fair.” Candy pushed back her chair, reached for their plates, and stormed to the sink.

      Jake followed suit.

      At the sink, he spun her around to face him. “Mind telling me what is fair? You can go on this trip of yours anytime. I’m not asking you to cancel flat-out, just to postpone. If you want to be stupid enough to throw away a business that has the potential to one day become a family legacy like Hershey or Godiva, be my guest. All I’m asking for is a year—maybe even less—of your time.”