His words make me flinch. “I don’t think I’m a loser.”
“Then why say it like that? ‘Oh, I stayed here. I’ve done nothing with my life. Wah wah.’” He points a finger at me, his expression stern. “You’re fucking amazing, Maise, and don’t you forget it. You have your own business, you make your own hours, you bake cakes that look like masterpieces, and you’re gorgeous. So what if you ended up staying in Cunningham Falls? Our hometown is beautiful, and it’s become a thriving community, which only helps you and your business in the long run. There’s no need for you to have a pity party, baby. You should be damn proud of yourself.”
I blink at him, shocked by his mini rant. Shocked and a little bit…
Aroused.
I uncross and re-cross my legs, startled by the sudden ache there. Who knew Tucker defending me would be such a turn-on?
“You’re right,” I tell him, my voice faint. “I don’t know why I was acting so pitiful just now. My life is pretty great.”
“Hell, yeah, it is,” he says firmly.
“I don’t have anyone telling me what to do. Well, I do have the occasional bridezilla,” I add, making him smile. “But they’re fine. I know how to handle them.”
“Because you’re awesome,” he says.
“Right.” I’m smiling. I feel giddy. Light as air. “Because I’m awesome.”
“You know what’s my one regret?” he asks, swiftly changing the subject.
My smile fades. He looks so serious. And sincere. Terribly, horribly sincere. “What?” I whisper.
“That I broke up with you. That I gave up so easily on us.” He blinks, appearing startled by his admission, and I secretly love that. He’s leaving himself open to me. Raw and vulnerable. “That’s my one regret over anything else, Maise. If I could go back in time and correct that mistake, I wouldn’t even hesitate. Just to see where our lives would’ve taken us. Aren’t you curious?”
“Curious about what?” I’m still whispering. This moment is…reverent. As if we’re in church, confessing our secrets. Our sins.
And asking each other for forgiveness.
“What would’ve happened to us if we’d stayed together?” He reaches across the table and takes my hand, his thumb stroking across the top of it, making me shiver with awareness. God, I love it when he touches me.
I always have.
“I—I never gave it much thought,” I say, my words stalling in my throat, and his lips curve in that knowing smile of his.
As in, he knows I’m full of crap.
“Really?” He lifts my hand and brings it to his lips, but he doesn’t kiss me. He just holds my hand there, so I can feel his warm breath, his damp lips. “I don’t believe you.”
“I mean, fine. Yes, I thought about you when we first broke up and if we’re being truthful tonight, I can admit that I was totally devastated.” The pain that crosses his face at my words is worth the admission. “But after a while, I just…”
“You just what?”
“Gave up thinking about you,” I say with a shrug. “Like you gave up on me.”
Chapter Eight
Tucker
Maisey’s words hang in the air, hover over the table, and I’m about to respond when our server chooses that moment to deliver our dinner. I drop Maisey’s hand and smile up at the server as she sets our plates in front of us. When she finishes, she’s gone in an instant, off to take care of another table.
“Looks delicious,” Maisey says as she takes in her steak and baked potato.
The lack of emotion in her voice is obvious.
“Yeah, it does,” I agree, though my appetite has left me.
I hate that she thinks I gave up on her. That wasn’t the reason for the break up. I just believed…