Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 71

Aiken tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. He wanted to compliment Bonnie, maybe tell her that her smile was gorgeous and she should do it more often, but this was just their fourth time meeting. It didn’t feel right to say it out loud—not yet.

Still, once they found a topic, the conversation flowed easily. Since they'd met while skiing, it was only natural they ended up talking about it.

Aiken was honestly surprised to find out Bonnie had turned into a real pro on the slopes.

“You can carve now? You must’ve been skiing a ton these last few years.” Aiken let out a sigh. “My schedule’s been packed. I haven’t been to a ski resort in ages.”

Talking about skiing seemed to change something for Bonnie. She went quiet, turning to gaze out the window. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Yeah, I went a lot. After enough practice, it stops feeling so hard.”

Aiken picked up on her shift right away. He tried to lighten the mood. “Sounds like I owe you back those coaching fees... Or maybe you should be teaching me at this point.”

Bonnie grinned. “You’re the real coach. I’m just a hobbyist.”

Back when they were at the resort, Lawrence had shown up, all fired up and ready for an argument. Aiken had tried to help, but Lawrence hadn’t wanted him there.

Bonnie still felt a little awkward about what happened. Honestly, she’d done it on purpose, hiring a handsome male coach like Aiken partly just to make Lawrence jealous. Lawrence was always so wrapped up with Hannah, never caring about Bonnie’s feelings at all. So why shouldn’t she make a move to prove a point?

She just hadn’t expected that the only thing she’d accomplish was losing Lawrence for good. And she’d dragged Aiken into it, wasting his time and effort.

“Seriously, please don’t return those coaching fees,” Bonnie said, her voice sincere. “I’d feel so guilty about it.”

Aiken laughed. “I figured you’d never accept it, so I didn’t even try. But it feels weird for me to take your money, you know?”

Bonnie tilted her head, blinking at him with a puzzled look that made her seem almost playful. Aiken had this sudden urge to ruffle her hair.

He couldn’t really wrap his head around it either. Lawrence obviously cared about her... so why did he let her go so easily?

Everyone at the faculty apartments knew each other, and Bonnie definitely didn’t want her business turning into the latest thing for the neighborhood to talk about.

She got out, and Aiken joined her at the trunk to help with her bags.

Just as they both bent down for the luggage, someone called out softly from behind them. “Candie?”

Bonnie’s whole body stiffened. Her eyes burned, and she blinked quickly, trying not to let the tears fall. She took a slow breath, then turned around. “Mom... Dad.”

Shirley and Bachelor had arms loaded with shopping bags, just back from picking up groceries.

For a second Bonnie felt floored—her dad going to the store with her mom was something she’d never expected.

But the moment passed. As Shirley and Bachelor walked up and the three stood there, Aiken couldn’t help but notice how odd the silence between them seemed. This wasn’t how families were supposed to act.