“I didn’t call her to talk about you,” she says as everyone else settles around us. “I mean, yes, you came up. Possibly I should say I didn’t call heronlyto talk about you. You’re the reason I went down the rabbit hole in the first place, but ultimately, it had very little to do with you.”
“Very little to do with me.”
“Correct.”
“She said you told her I almost passed out in my entryway.” I’m keeping my voice as low as I can. I swear there’s not as much noise in here as there was five minutes ago.
Are they watching?
Are they listening?
“She asked how you were doing, I said you were doing great, she asked if you’d had any more of your dizzy spells, and since you’re the only person I tell lies to, I told her the truth.”
“That’s a lot of words forI called your grandmother to guilt you into not doing what you want to do here.”
She refills my water again.
Shit.
Didn’t even realize I’d drank it.
I lean even closer.God, she’s gorgeous. The green eyes. The cute nose. The slightest hint of freckles on her nose. The hair. That hair on her black sweater that I want to pick off and don’t dare in public.
Or private.
Or anywhere.
There are a lot ofworst thingsabout this situation.
At the moment, myworst thingis that I trust her with Mimi.
I clear my throat. “Mimi thinks I’m a fucking savior here because everyone in this damn town told her I saved the café and not a single one told her I’m planning to gut it from the inside out.”
“You still can be the savior here. There are other buildings that I could get put up for sale for you. Give Emma time to heal, and we can find something appropriate to make suresomeoneknows his time of playing the charming guy in public while being an asshole behind everyone’s back is over.”
“I’m no one’s savior.”But I fucking want to be.
“When you look at all the ways a person can let you down, the bar to be a savior is exceptionally low these days. I don’t think you’re a savior. I think you’re a complicated man who deserves some closure.”
“Time!” rings out again.
Sabrina rolls her eyes and waves the next guy past. “We both know how this would end, right, Jeremy?”
“I’m not opposed to another fun night,” he replies.
I look up.
The dude’s lanky. Wearing glasses. Big nose. One eyebrow hair is twisted up onto his forehead wrong.
“Appreciate the offer, but you’ll do better in about three tables,” Sabrina replies.
“Change your mind, you let me know.” He winks.
I almost come out of my chair to slug him.
“Youslept with him?” I hiss at Sabrina while the guy heads to the next row.
“Small town. Slim pickings. I’ve slept with a lot of these guys.”
