I steal a glance into the shop window before pulling out into the street. Tessa is already helping the next customer, eyes lowered, smile practiced.
“I don’t know,” I say. I take a sip of the latte. It’s perfect. Sweet, warm, with just enough spice. “Plus, didn’t you notice she was scared?”
Miles frowns. “Of you? I don’t think so. Nervous, maybe.”
Finn looks back at the shop, a smile on his face. “What woman isn’t nervous around the great Logan Wright? What’s that slogan that one blonde from last year tried to make go viral… When you’re Wright, you can’t go wrong.”
They both laugh.
I shake my head. “Something like that. Thank God it didn’t stick.”
“I don’t know. I just saw a video edit of you on TikTok with that caption the other day,” Miles says.
I roll my eyes. “Probably the same girl. You remember how that started, right? Max and I interviewed her for the nanny position for baby Caroline.”
“That’s right.” Miles nods. “Thankfully, he went with Delaney. Seems like they were meant to be.”
“Yeah, the blonde was never a serious candidate. She was just there in hopes we’d make some TikTok videos with her. I’m glad she’s moved her attention elsewhere.”
“Whatever.” Finn punches me in the arm. “You loved the attention.”
“There’s a fine line between women wanting me because of the extra attention I’m getting and women being turned off because they think I’m a cocky bastard. With all the edits of me circling social media, I was dangerously close to the latter,” I say.
“Eh, maybe,” Finn mumbles. “But I kinda doubt it. Cocky bastard or not, women will want you.”
“I agree,” Miles says.
“Anyway, when I saw Tessa…”
Finn cuts me off. “Who’s Tessa?”
“The barista,” Miles and I answer in unison.
“Got it, continue.” Finn throws a scone into his mouth.
“As I was saying, when I saw her at the signing, she had a bruise on her arm, and she was acting all nervous there too.”
The car goes quiet.
Miles leans back in his seat. “You think someone’s hurting her?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “But yeah. Maybe.”
Finn’s expression shifts. The humor drains out of his face. “What are you going to do?”
I look for the coffee shop in my rearview mirror and think about the girl inside who made me her favorite drink and then backed away like she wasn’t allowed to take up space.
“I don’t know yet,” I say. “But I’m definitely going to be drinking more coffee.”
CHAPTER
FIVE
TESSA
Ipush the shopping cart down the produce aisle, my mind somewhere it shouldn’t be.
Logan.
