Thebelloverthedoor jingled, and Thea looked up to see Nathaniel pushing his way in, wearing the same shirt he’d been wearing yesterday.
It seemed as though Eugenia had been right—Nathaniel hadn’t gone home.But why?
He approached her, an easy grin on his face, a concerned look in his eyes.“Why aren’t you still in bed?”he asked, coming around the counter to stand beside her.
He didn’t belong on this side of the counter…and yet she liked it.
“I’m not an invalid,” she said.“I am perfectly capable of running my own café.”
He reached out and tucked away the stray bit of hair that had been bothering her all morning.
“Just because you can be strong doesn’t mean you have to be,” he said quietly.“Your customers will be fine if you need another day to rest.”
“I don’t,” she said stiffly.
It was either that or melt into his arms like she’d never left them.
He gave her a sideways glance as he turned to help the customer approaching the counter.
“I can handle it,” she said softly, but Nathaniel gently muscled his way into her place, sending her backwards.
“Take a break.”
“I don’t need to take a break,” she insisted.But at the stern look he sent her way, she relented and retreated, finding her stool in the back, taking a seat.
“Stubborn man,” she muttered to herself as she sat.“I’m totally fine.”
Still, it was nice to take a break, if she dared to admit that even to herself.Being on her feet for so long had been more exhausting than usual, and she sighed as she settled deeper into the chair.
It was not a comfortable chair.She kept it in the back so that when Eugenia popped back to visit her while she was prepping, the elderly woman had somewhere to sit.But the woman insisted that she didn’t need luxury, so it was a plain wooden stool.
It was still better than standing.
She closed her eyes for a moment, the familiar sounds of her café very nearly lulling her to sleep.
But then she heard a voice she would rather not hear, and her eyes popped open.
“Where’s Thea?”Roan’s bold voice asked.
Considering he usually only asked that when he was here to make trouble, it didn’t bode well.
Thea got to her feet and hurried out.She should figure out what it was before Nathaniel tried to engage with his brother.In her experience, that never ended well.
“She’s busy,” Nathaniel said curtly as Thea made her way to the front.
“What do you need, Roan?”she asked, hoping not to draw the attention of everyone in town who was aware of their previous disagreements.
“I’m glad you’re both here,” he said, looking between the two of them.“I have something to say.”
He looked down at the young woman next to him, and Thea glanced at Nathaniel in surprise.Since when was there a woman in Roan’s life?Nathaniel seemed as surprised as she was.
“What is it?”Nat asked, waiting for Roan to continue.“We’re busy here.”
“I know,” Roan said.Was that guilt in his voice?“But what I have to say concerns the two of you.”
Thea didn’t usually consider herself a curious person, but she had never been more curious than now.
“I took your letters,” Roan said quietly.
