“He wants at least three kids. I’ll tear in half pushing them out if they take after him. You’ve seen the size of him.”
I snort at Ashley’s shudder before she throws me a cautious smile. But she doesn’t need to worry. I’m not that newly single friend who everyone has to be careful not to upset by talking about how happy they are. Iwantto hear about her and Huck. I’ve been asking her questions about him for the past fifteen minutes, greedy to revel in every detail of my friend’s happiness.
It also helps distract me from scanning the sidewalk outside every few minutes searching for a sign of a black town car.
“First this place became a smash hit. And now you’ve found Huck. You’ve got everything we bitched about taking so long to happen.” I grin as she bites her lip shyly, completely out of character.
“What is it?” I coax. She never gets coy for no reason.
“He asked me to make him a coffee using his new machine at his place this morning.”
I narrow my eyes at her blushing cheeks. Ashley has regaled me with all the sordid details of her one night stands over the course of our friendship. Yet now she’s blushing over making a guy a coffee.
“And…?”
“And he…” She shrugs, taking her hand out of her apron pocket. “He left me a surprise inside the bean compartment. And when I turned around, the big bear was down on one knee.”
I grab her left hand and pull it toward me.
“Holy… Wow, it’s massive!”
“I know,” she squeals with undisguised joy. “It’s an oval cut, but it looks like a coffee bean to me. I know that’s why he choseit.”
I turn her hand side to side, admiring the giant engagement ring as it glitters.
“Congratulations,” I cry, happiness bubbling in my stomach. “You’re getting married. Oh my God!”
I pull her into a giant, crushing hug and am wiping at the tears in my eyes as the bell chimes over the door.
“Hold that hug. I’m coming back for seconds.” Ashley sniffs through her laugh as she pulls away to serve the customer.
“Oh.” Her laugh dies abruptly.
I look over and my heart stalls.
A pair of brilliant blue eyes stare back at me, hostile and cold enough to freeze hell over. But even his hard expression can’t detract from how breathtakingly handsome he is.
I hate him.
I love him.
No, I don’t. Not anymore. I can’t allow myself to. I hate that even after all these weeks the mere sight of him still causes heat to flood my core.
“You’re back,” Sullivan states, his lips flattening into a grim line as he approaches the counter.
I step out from behind it and my spine stiffens at hearing his voice again after all these weeks. “Well done on your impeccable observation skills,” I remark, wrapping my arms around myself.
He’s alone, which I’m grateful for. I couldn’t have handled seeing Molly walk in here today. Not when her father is looking at me like he’s about to pop a vein.
“You’re supposed to be on tour, Tate. Singing.”
The gut punch I expect when he says my name doesn’t come. It’s the word ‘singing’ that does it.
“I hate performing in front of a big audience,” I snap. “You know that.”
He jerks back, his brow furrowing like he’s shocked. He’s such a good actor he deserves an Oscar.
To think I used to get flustered in his presence seems like a joke to me now. He’s nothing but a man who uses money to get what he wants.
