"I'd be disappointed if you weren't," I reply with a grin.
As I approach the counter, Sadie straightens, her expression carefully neutral. "Catering order?" she asks, all business.
"Yeah," I say, sliding the folder across to her. "For next Thursday. Nothing complicated."
Her fingers brush mine, a jolt sharp enough to have me clenching my free hand follows. She pulls back like she’s been burned. She’s not the only one. I bite back the urge to close the gap, to make her hold on a second longer. To remind her she’s not untouchable.
"I can put this together," she says, not quite meeting my eyes. "Need a quote today?"
"No hurry. Unless you want to give me a reason to come back."
She glances up, eyes meeting mine, then slides away.
"I’ll call when it’s ready."
"Or I’ll stop in," I say, holding her gaze a second too long.
"I’m not hard to find."
I turn to leave, feeling Rowan's eyes tracking me the whole way. At the door, I can't help glancing back. Sadie's watching me now, her expression a complicated mix of suspicion and something else. Curiosity, maybe.
Our eyes meet for just a second before she looks away, turning to say something to Rowan. But that brief connection is enough to make my stomach flip.
Yeah, I'm definitely in trouble here.
I’m halfway out the door, still keyed up from that brush of her fingers, when a flash of black catches my eye, a dark sedan parked on the curb across from the café, engine idling. It’s not even in a marked spot. An unexpected cold settles in my gut. I narrow my gaze, cataloging the vehicle, tinted windows, Maryland plates. Doesn’t fit in this town. Doesn’t belong anywhere near her. My jaw tightens. Is someone watching—her? I don’t like it. Not one damn bit.
"Weird place to park," I murmur to myself.
I turn back toward the counter. Sadie’s there, frozen mid-step, folder pressed against her chest. Her skin has gone as white as a sheet, like she just saw a ghost. Every muscle in her shoulders and neck is locked tight, as if she’s been struck by electricity.
“Sadie?” I say, stepping forward.
A blink, and just like that she exhales, her shoulders easing and her face smoothing into a casual mask. She shuffles papers, then slides her apron straight. Perfectly normal.
Too perfect. Fear this acute doesn’t vanish that fast.
“Need anything else?” Her voice is steady, too steady, and pitched a hair higher than usual.
I nod toward the window. “That car out there. It’s been running for a while.”
Her eyes flick upward but don’t track my gesture. She already knows I mean that sedan.
“Probably waiting on someone,” she says, forcing a shrug. “More for the order?”
Her knuckles go white where she grips the counter. This isn’t annoyance. It’s terror, deep in her bones.
I keep my posture loose. “That’s it for now.”
Rowan steps out from the back, glances at the car, then zeros in on Sadie. She moves to stand behind her sister, silent and alert.
I clear my throat. “I’ll… get going. Call me if you need anything.”
Sadie offers a quick nod, jaw tight. “Sure. Thanks.”
Outside, I pause before heading to my truck, eyes never leaving the sedan. As I reach for my door, the sedan eases away from the curb, slowly rolling down Main Street before turning off at the intersection.
I slide behind the wheel, adrenaline still buzzing through me.
