She never would’ve remembered if not for Nat’s letter.
It had been a small mention in one of the many letters he had written.Thea knew that if she had received them as he was writing them, she would have been just as hopelessly in love with Nathaniel Alder as she had been in Riyel, and the fact that those years had been stolen from them made her want to cry all the more.
But she had to face the facts.The past was the past, and while holding a grudge against Roan might make her feel better in the short term, it would only lead to more heartache in the future.
She had a suspicion that Roan had changed, given the way he looked at Abigail.What had happened to make him change so suddenly was a mystery, but she would take it.Because if she wanted a future with Nathaniel, part of that future would include his brother—whether she wanted it to or not.
She sighed and picked up her tea, taking a long sip of it before walking to unlock the door in case Nat came.
She needed to get rid of her headache before customers started appearing.She could not be grouchy today, of all days—not when she wanted to talk to Nathaniel after work and ask him if he still wanted a future with her.
The idea was terrifying, and yet she had never been more hopeful than she was right now.
It seemed strange that something that had been so bleak until now had suddenly become one of the brightest spots in her life.She had spent so long avoiding Nat and hoping that he wouldn’t appear, that to have the role reversed so instantly was perplexing.But there were butterflies in her stomach again for the first time in years, and her heart beat faster every time someone walked past the window.
But as she worked, she couldn’t help looking out the window, wondering if he was going to appear, and desperately hoping that he would.If he came early, they could talk before she had to open for the day.But if he didn’t, they should wait until later.
Although…perhaps they should wait until later anyway, because what if he came and he was no longer interested in a future with her?
She didn’t want to have to face her customers with a broken heart once again.
Her heart sank at the thought.It hardly seemed likely, but at the same time—what if?Her mind was racing with the possibilities as she made muffins and kneaded dough and waited for the sun to rise.
Waited for Nathaniel.
The door opened, and Thea turned to see the new schoolteacher, Conrad, slipping through it and closing it hastily behind himself.
She could barely hide her grin.Poor Conrad had been chased by all the girls in town since the moment he’d arrived.
He should have known better than to come to a rural village as an unattached man.If she were younger, she might think he was cute, too, but as it was, he was far too young for her.So she just enjoyed watching him run away from several of the girls—who were too old to be his students and yet were still going to school.
Apparently, there was a lack of eligible young men in town.
“Good morning,” he said quietly as he approached the counter.
“Did you get away?”she asked dryly.
“Yeah,” he said, giving her a wide smile.“By the skin of my teeth.I’m fortunate they haven’t discovered that I like to start my morning with a cup of coffee yet.”
“They’re out earlier than normal,” Thea observed as she began preparing his cup while he fished coins out of his pocket.
“Yes,” he grumbled.“I fear my freedom in the mornings is coming to an end.One of these days they’ll discover me.”
“Until then, I hope you enjoy spending your time here,” Thea said as she handed him the steaming mug.
“I always do,” he said as he retreated to the corner table, out of sight of the windows, and began sipping his drink.He pulled something out of his pocket and started doodling on it as Thea hurried back to her work, preparing that day’s batch of muffins.They had just come out of the oven.
The scent of cinnamon filled the air, and she took a deep breath of satisfaction.This was why she loved the café.
Ginger got up, stretched, and made her way over to Conrad, who scooped her up onto his lap and began petting her absentmindedly with his free hand.
Thea smiled at the sight.Ginger would be happy today.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” she called out to him as she went out to the compost pile with her container of scraps.She didn’t have her own chickens, so the compost pile got the bulk of it.
Someday, perhaps, she would get chickens.It might be nice to have the fresh eggs…but for now, she was happy with her compost pile.It took care of her food scraps and didn’t require her to take care of it daily.
She paused at the doorway and took in a deep breath, the warmth of the day having barely begun.She sometimes missed the hustle and bustle of the city, but nothing could compare to the quiet of a summer morning—when the sun was just barely beginning to rise and there were only a few folks out and about.Just her and the sunrise, and Conrad occasionally coming in early to prepare for the school day.
