“Yeah,” a customer in line said dryly. “It’s the hot topic in town for sure.” My eyebrows shot up. Maybe I wasn’t the only one not thrilled to have Graham in town.
They ignored me, chatting like old classmates at a reunion. Which, technically, they were. I busied myself straightening napkins and resisting the urge to roll my eyes so hard they got stuck.
Graham thanked me again, nodded politely to Grandma, and left with a wink I pretended not to notice.
“Wow.” Cara turned to me, smiling. “He’s still as good looking as he was back in school.”
“Mmhmm.” I mumbled.
“You sure you don’t want to date him?”
I nearly choked on air. “Why would you even ask that? Maybeyoushould date him.”
“No. He’s not my type.” She shrugged. “He’s yours. Broody. Tall. Slightly arrogant.”
“Well, thanks. That’s flattering. And that’s not my type anymore. Not for a long time.”
Grandma chuckled softly, carrying an order to the window.
Cara leaned on the counter, watching me closely. “You know, he was always very charming. Just saying.”
I busied myself with wiping down the counter again. “You want a latte or just gossip today?”
“I’ll take a latte and a walk with Grandma. We’re heading down to the bookstore for book club. You should come after you lock up.”
“Maybe.”Nope.
The book club gathered in the cozy back corner of Cara’s bookstore, a mismatched circle of plush chairs and tea-stained mugs. Most members were seniors, including Joyce, who I now knew was Nate’s grandma, whose laugh always rose above the rest. The meeting was a mix of gossip and literature—discussions of neighbors and grandkids blended with lively debates about the monthly mystery novel.
Someone always brought a new blend of herbal tea, and the conversation often wandered from plot twists to whose son was dating whose daughter, before looping back to the book—come to think of it, that’s where they probably hatched their plan to get Nate to come to the Coffee Cabin and meet me.
Needless to say, Cara’s book club was less about the reading and more about the company, stories, and secrets shared oversteaming cups and dog-eared pages. I’d attended a few times. But now that I had this whole Graham secret to deal with, I’d be staying far away from their prying eyes.
I made her a latte and watched the two of them leave, chatting and laughing like Graham hadn’t just charmed the pants off the place.
By the time I was locking up, the last few cars had gone through the drive-thru with their usual oddball orders—triple-shot soy caramel latte with no caramel, decaf espresso over ice with oat milk foam. The espresso machine hissed out its last bit of steam, echoing the unease quietly brewing in my chest. I wiped my hands on a towel, stalling, letting the silence wrap around me as the distant sound of laughter faded from the street outside. With everyone gone, the place felt too large for my worries and the secret pressing against my ribcage.
Inside, it was quiet again. Peaceful. But not empty.
Because now, Graham was back in my life. And judging by the way he’d looked at me, he was going to make it a thing. But the worst part wasn’t that he was here in town. It was that I hadn’t told anyone, I’d kept it a secret exactly like he wanted. And it felt like something he would relish in holding over my head with every charming and polite wave he bestowed upon my family.
I shut off the lights and locked the door. Remy and Linguini would be waiting for me at home. I just needed one night of peace before everything got complicated. Or until I spilled my guts about what an idiot I had been over him.
Outside, the sun was setting in honeyed streaks over the rooftops, casting a glow across the parking lot as I stepped out with my keys in hand.
I wasn’t even halfway to my car when I noticed him.
Leaning against the hood of a glossy black SUV parked two spaces over from my old Beetle was Graham.
Perfect posture, that expensive coat, and a smile that seemed to suggest he thought he’d get whatever he wanted from me.
“Hey,” he said, like this was normal. Like we had ever been normal.
I stopped short. “Why are you standing by my car?”
He raised a hand in a mock-surrender gesture. “Didn’t want to bother you while your family was around, since they obviously don’t know about us. Thought I’d catch you after work. I wanted to talk to you.”
Of course, he did. And of course, he’d waited. If Cara and my grandma were around, he couldn’t reveal his true personality and attempt to bully me into giving in to whatever he wanted.
