I know.
I’d told Poe and Remy in bed, and while it might have been implicit that Bram was included,implicitwasn’t enough for the way I felt about Bram. He deserved to know the depth of my feelings, deserved to know I had some reserved just for him.
Did he love me too? He hadn’t said it, but it hardly mattered. My feelings didn’t depend on whether they were reciprocated.
But deep down, I hoped they were.
Bram was holding a steaming mug in each hand when Cassie took off her apron and stepped away from the counter. I stood as they approached and tried to calm my nerves.
“Maeve, this is my sister, Cassie,” Bram said when they reached the table. “Cass, this is Maeve.”
I wondered if it was my imagination that his voice softened around my name.
“Finally! Maeve, hi!” I almost jumped in surprise when Cassie threw her arms around me in a hug. “I’ve heard so much about you!”
“You… you have?”
She pulled away with a laugh. “Tons. You’re all he can talk about.”
“Cass…” Was Bram’s face red?
“Let’s sit. I think Kaylee has things under control.” I couldn’t be sure but I assumed Kaylee was the purple-haired girl at the register.
Cassie pulled out a chair and I took in her features, saw Bram’s smile — not that he used it very often — and the shape of his nose. She was so pretty, her copper-colored hair shining like a new penny, her eyes shifting from blue to green depending on the tilt of her head.
“It’s always busy in here,” I said. “You do a great job with it.”
She smiled. “Thanks. It took me a while to find my stride, but I really love it. People come in grumpy or tired or sad, and I can see how much a hot cup of coffee or tea lifts their spirits. I feel like a secret coffee fairy godmother.”
Oh my god, why was she so adorable?
“That must be such a nice way to spend your days,” I said.
“It is,” she said. “Bram tells me you’re an amazing cook. In fact, I think his words were ‘the most amazing cook in the world.’”
My cheeks got hot, and I wasn’t the only one. Big bad Bram looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
“I think he’s being pretty generous, but I do love making desserts.”
She grinned, “No wonder he fell so hard for you. Bram’s always had a crazy sweet tooth.”
Bram’s chair scraped on the floor as he stood up. “Um… I’m going to make a quick work call.”
He stalked from the coffee shop like his ass was on fire.
Cassie smirked. “I did that on purpose. Privileges of being a little sister.”
“I’d call you mean but I’m… I was…” I stumbled over my words. It never got easier trying to figure out how to talk about June.
I was surprised when Cassie reached for my hand. “Bram told me about your sister. I’m so sorry, Maeve. I can’t imagine your pain.”
It was a nice thing to say, especially given what Cassie and Bram had been through with their parents.
“I think you can,” I said. “It just…”
“Blindsides you when you least expect it?”
I exhaled. “Yeah.”
