Ryan's Love (Sawyer Brothers #1) Read Online Free

and the things I didn’t say. I had focused my entire life around Olivia and had let go of the Ryan I once was. I had forgotten what laughing and being carefree felt like.
    I would forever love Claire. My world was consumed by her beauty at a very young age, and my love grew to heights I never could have imagined. Losing her was like losing half of myself, and I still struggled daily to feel whole. But this weekend gave me a piece of myself back. A part that let me know it was okay to keep living. I had to finally let go of all the heartache and face the unchangeable fact that Claire was gone.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    Chapter Four
     
     
    Amber
     
    Bailey and I had spent each night and day for over a week cleaning the bakery. It was in desperate need of a facelift, and Heavenly Temptations needed a new look to go along with the new owners. We had to make it ours yet leave a few touches of my grandmother.
    What were once dingy yellow walls were now cream with light pink and blue accents, making the room bright and cheerful. And to bring back Helen’s signature color, we threw in a few splashes of yellow here and there too. We’d cleaned and repositioned the displays, opening the place up a little more than before. We painted all the cabinets in matching cream to get rid of the hideous brown color. And the new signs and flyers arrived yesterday, just in time for tomorrow’s opening.
    I was nervous but ready for this new beginning. I was definitely ready to leave behind a past that was dragging me down.
    So far everyone in town had been welcoming and extremely helpful. Livingston was starting to feel like home to us.
    A loud crash came from the kitchen, and I quickly rushed toward the commotion.
    “Goddammit,” Bailey muttered. A fresh batch of oatmeal-raisin cookies lay scattered across the floor as she waved her hand back and forth to cool it. “I am not cut out for this shit,” she grumbled.
    The girl looked a hot mess. Her hair was going in every direction, and I wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but there was something crusty stuck to her cheek. I couldn’t help but laugh when she looked up at me in defeat.
    “I burned my hands again!” she groaned and hung her head, her nostrils flaring in aggravation.
    I stepped closer and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “You know I love you, right?” I asked and she nodded. “How many people do you know would pick up and move across the country just because their best friend asked them to? You left behind everything to take this adventure with me, and I can’t thank you enough. But…”
    I paused, and she looked up, her eyes questioning me.
    “If you regret it, if you feel like this isn’t the place for you, I understand. I would never force you to stay, Bay. I love you entirely too much to make you when you don’t want to.”
    She nudged me with her shoulder. “Yeah, like my life was just so amazing,” she joked. “The only thing I liked about Chicago was you being there with me. I had a shit job, a variety of loser guys that bored me to death, and parents who barely noticed I was in the same city. This is where I’m supposed to be, right here with you.”
    I hugged her close, and she let out a sigh. “But I can’t bake for shit, Amber. I seriously have to be the worst cook in history. I’m going to cause someone to become ill, or worse yet, the health department will shut you down from my lack of skills.”
    “You’re actually improving.” I bit my lower lip to hide my smile.
    “Whatever. I’ll just stand behind the counter and look pretty. You can stay back here and do all the manual labor.” Bailey tossed her hair to the side, all dramatic. She stepped over the cookies and pushed through the double door, smiling back at me as she left me to tend to the baking.
    The cookies on the floor were charred, and some of them had burned so bad they were stuck to the pan that lay alongside the crumbled mess. I couldn’t help but laugh. Bailey was