And the truth was, Grant loved Eliza with every fiber of his being.
In fact, he’d neverstoppedloving her. And the next time they were alone, Grant planned to say exactly that.
“Ben, would you mind reading off the latte flavors for me?” Grant poised his fingers over the keyboard, ready to add them to the website.
“Um… okay.” Gazing at the board, Ben squinted, scooting toward the edge of his chair. “Vanilla?”
Based on his scrunched features and uncertain tone, Grant wondered if Ben had made a lucky guess. “And?”
“Chocolate?”
Peering over his shoulder, Grant surveyed the list. No vanilla or chocolate. Cassie had come up more creative names for her concoctions. Swiveling back to Ben, he studied his tense features, the dip in his eyebrows, the pucker of his lower lip.
On a hunch, Grant handed him his glasses. “Here. Try these on for a second.”
His dark eyes wide and curious, Ben slipped the wire frames over his nose. Too big for his face, they hung slightly crooked.
“Now try reading the board again.” Grant gave him an encouraging nod.
Tentatively, Ben studied the menu. “H-Honey Lavender. Cinnamon Twist. Li-Li—”
“Licorice. That’s a tough one. But well done! I think we’ve solved the mystery behind your trouble in school.” Grant glanced at Eliza, surprised by her blanched features and misty eyes. Why didn’t she look happy? She’d been stressed for months over Ben’s problems in school, blaming herself. She should be glad it’s something as solvable as getting Ben a pair of glasses. Shouldn’t she?
“Here you go!” Cassie sailed in from the kitchen carrying a tray with two slices of cheesecake. As she set the plates on the table, she noticed Ben’s glasses. “Well, don’t you look adorable.” She ruffled the top of his head before smiling at Grant. “Playing dress up?”
“Actually, we just figured out Ben’s nearsighted.” Grant could have kicked himself for not noticing sooner, especially when Ben read the frosting recipe a few nights ago. His intense level of concentration should have been a dead giveaway.
“Nearsighted?” Cassie glanced at Ben, who wolfed down his slice of cheesecake, oblivious to the world.
“Yeah. Which explains why he always did great with his homework, but has trouble in class. He probably can’t see the whiteboard. Or anything else that’s not directly in front of him.”
“Oh, my goodness! Why didn’t he say anything?”
“Kids don’t always know what’s going on. I didn’t. I was ten when I got my first pair of glasses. But probably needed them sooner.” Turning to Ben, Grant asked, “So, what are we having?”
Ben mumbled an unintelligible response, scattering crumbs across the tabletop.
Cassie laughed. “It’s Eliza’s tiramisu cheesecake. We plan on serving it as our free teaser dessert during the grand opening. What do you think?”
Swallowing, Ben gave her an exaggerated thumbs-up, chocolate sauce smeared across his face. “Tiramisu is my favorite.”
“No kidding! Mine, too. Even when I was your age. Which my mom always thought was weird since most kids don’t like the coffee flavor.” Grinning at their newfound connection, Grant lifted his fork, eager to try his first bite.
Cassie inhaled a sharp breath, and when Grant looked up, she’d turned the same pale shade as Eliza.
What had gotten into them? It was as though they’d both seen a ghost or something.
* * *
Eliza winced as Cassie pulled her into the kitchen. The shelves, countertops, oven… everything blurred together.
“What’s going on?” Cassie’s eyes were wide with shock. “Please tell me Grant isn’t… he can’t be…” Cassie couldn’t finish her thought.
Feeling light-headed, Eliza stumbled toward the sink, bracing herself against the cool metal basin.
Breathe… just breathe…
She stared at the streaks of greasy butter and dried clumps of batter baked onto the cookie sheet, suddenly compelled to scrub away every single stain.
