There must be a switch or something I need to use to get it out of hot water mode that I don’t know. Under my breath, I hiss at Christian, who’s watching me do all the labor. “Can you look at this?”
He takes long strides over and stands in front of it with his hands on his hips. “I’m looking.”
Sometimes I just don’t have the patience for his humor, and I sigh and turn back to the couple. Now I understand Graham’s hesitation for leaving us here. Apparently, there’s a trick to his coffeepot that isn’t obvious. I’m not calling him while he’s already so stressed out. “New plan,” I say slowly, “I have hot water but no coffee. How about some tea?”
“Yeah, that sounds fine,” they both quickly agree, and the woman points to the jars directly behind me. “That breakfast blend looks great.”
“Deal.” I ready their teas, and I check the menu for the price and turn to the tablet on the counter. Thankfully, it has full charge, and it’s pretty much the same point-of-sale system Christian uses at the Coffee Loft, and I’m able to ring them up.
When they leave, Christian’s beaming at me. “You just love getting us into these things, don’t you?”
“Me?” I jerk my thumb to my chest defensively. “You’re the one who made us come over here this morning.”
“I wanted to get things swapped over to Coffee Loft. I didn’t volunteer to run the place with no training. I know nothing about these machines, and they look so vintage compared to what I’m used to. I had planned to shut the place down as soon as I get the key to remodel.”
“How hard can it be?” I gesture toward the espresso machine behind me. “It’s not half as complicated as the Coffee Loft fancy stuff.” By now the heat has returned to the room, and I’m getting used to feeling my fingers. I don’t want to go outside or back to the hotel where there’s no heat. “If you don’t want to figure it out, then don’t. I’m not going back to that hotel. If I’m going to stay here, the least I can do is give people a warm drink.”
“I guess,” he mutters as he joins me behind the counter. “I might as well start doing inventory.” His eyes pace the bookshelf of syrups. “I need to run back to the hotel to grab my laptop—”
The door pulls open, bringing in a powerful gust of wind, and a swirl of glittering snow, followed by the biggest, burliest man I’ve ever seen. His shoulders are so broad they fill the doorway, and his face is covered in a thick dark beard, the very tips of his whiskers frosted with snowflakes. He seemingly knows his way around the place as he crosses the bookstore and heads straight toward me.
“Morning.” His voice is gruff, but not unfriendly as he catches me staring. “Some weather we have here, huh?”
“R-Right.” I stammer and close my mouth before I catch the logo on his shirt,Hart Logging,and I ask the most obvious question just to make small talk, “Are you a logger?”
“When I can get to work.” There’s a gleam in the corner of his eye that is so warm I fight the urge to stare at him. He gestures forward. “I’m also a coffee addict, and I saw the lights were on.”
It’s easy to return his smile, but I’m not sure why my face is suddenly feeling so much warmer. “Yeah, I’m happy to help you.”
He cuts his gaze back to the menu. “I’ll take a large black coffee.”
I grab the cup and turn toward the coffeepot, and a frown pulls on my lips. The pot still only has water. I push the on button again. From the noise it’s making, I doubt it will work. “Ah, my coffeepot is broken today.” I pull up one side of my lips into a lopsided grin. “I’m actually not really working here, as I’m just filling in. So, I hate to mess with it and break it more, but I have hot water. I can make any tea.”
“Tea?” he echoes as if I’ve said a curse word.
“Sorry.” I smile politely and quickly motion to the assortment of jars behind me, all filled with tea leaves. “I always love a good black tea, and I can add milk and some vanilla flavor.”
His bushy eyebrows bend down, but he grunts. “If that’s all you have, I guess.”
I get busy steeping his tea leaves in hot water, but I can feel his stony stare on me, which pricks my nerves a bit. I ask another question to keep the conversation going. “So, what are you up to today in this blizzard?”
“I’m in the park with firewood. If you know anyone who needs any, send them my way.”
“I’m new to town.” I add the lid to his cup and place it on the bar in front of him. “I haven’t met many people yet.”
My gaze snags on his hands when he passes me his debit card. With raw callous scabs covering the tops of his palms, his whole hand is easily the width of two of mine. My gaze trails down his arms, and I struggle to not let my jaw hit the floor. His arms are so round, they are practically the size of Tom’s whole scrawny body. My cheeks warm at the comparison, and I force my gaze back to his face. “Just two dollars,” I say and swipe his card through the Square before I hand it back.
Our gazes linger on one another as we exchange goodbyes, and the lumberjack exits the building, leaving a trail of the whole evergreen forest behind. I’ve never seen a man like that before, and he’s left me with a strong curiosity.
“Don’t even think about it.” Christian’s warning cuts into my thoughts like nails on a chalkboard.
“What?” I cut a glance back at him, defensiveness building in my chest. “What are you talking about?”
“I saw the way you were drooling over him.” He chuckles, shaking his head. “That’s the last thing you need is some big old mountain man to break your heart while we’re here.”
“Who said anything about romance?” I snap back, hating how Christian jumps to conclusions. I never thought for a single moment about him breaking my heart.
I’ve sworn off men.
