“Well, yeah, if you can.”
“I can’t promise it, but I’m discovering I can be pretty badass when I need to be.”
She laughs, another sign of her resilience. “That’s what C said. He loves you, you know? Like, really loves you.”
“I do know, and I love him, too. That’s why I want to give him time to sort through all this. We both need it. I’ve been thinking about getting counseling myself. I’ve never talked to anyone about having anxiety or why I let my parents control me. I’m sure there’s loads to unpack. Some healing sounds good for all of us.”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
We talk for a bit longer, an easy deepening of our bond. I hug her at the door, promising to be in touch. I stop off to see Eva, who embraces me with unconditional acceptance, and then I head to the café.
March is sliding toward spring, and the day is milder than it’s been since I first arrived. The coast feels serene, the sun glints off the rippling lake in a way that makes the water look like it’s breathing. Normally, I would capture this view with my camera, then sit on a big rock and just enjoy. One of the many reasons I love this town.
The other is standing behind the counter when I arrive.
The sight of him still causes flutters in my stomach. You’d think these unruly butterflies would have mellowed by now, but nope. I watch him smile with a customer—Cass and her ten-year-old daughter, Riley, who’s interested in guitar. I’d come in for one of our coffee dates and found him showing her some of the basics to get her started. That’s who Chaz is—generous and kind. He happens to be gorgeous too.
Funny how I was afraid of him when we first met. I couldn’t imagine being with a vibrant, sexy man who made latte art, had the voice of a god, and oozed charm through his pores. Now, I can’t imagine being without him.
As I step forward, tugging off my gloves, he looks over, catching me in those vintage-brown eyes. The air seems to shift whenever we’re near each other, a sense of awareness I can only describe as the crackling of electricity. He watches me for a moment in that direct, all-consuming way before flashing his grin—all dimples, with an extra bit of punch that’s just for me.
“Hi,” I say, catching my breath as I give him a finger wave.
“Hey, Blue.” He uses the nickname deliberately, a not-so-subtle reminder that nothing’s changed.
But, of course, it has. We can’t just pick up from where we left off, as tempting as that is. Chaz deserves time to process my truth, to be certain he can get beyond who my father is. And frankly, I need him to do that. When he looks at me, I don’t want him to see the pain of the past but all the possibilities of our future. We need to move forward untainted by the shadows of our history, building something that’s just us.
Cass and Riley stop briefly to chat with me on their way out, and I say hi to Jamar before sliding over to where my favorite barista is standing.
“I was hoping you’d come by,” he says. “Can you stay?”
There’s something deeper in his voice that makes his question feel bigger than just coffee.
“Not this time. I’m returning to Chicago.”
The smile lines around his mouth disappear, but he nods like he was expecting it. “When?”
“Now. I need to take care of things as soon as possible. I spoke to Sophia about it. She’s going to be okay, Chaz.”
“I know,” he says quietly. “And what about us?”
“We’ll keep.”
He frowns, the space between his eyebrows creasing.
“Time apart will be good,” I say. “To deal with our stuff, you know? That way, when we come back together—without any secrets or barriers between us—we’ll be free to give this our all.”
“How long?”
“Two weeks.”
“Two weeks?” he balks. “I was thinking more like days. Or hours.”
I smile sweetly at his disgruntlement. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
“You did not just say that.”
“I did. It’s trite but true.” I shrug. “Will you make me a latte to go?”
