“You gonna make their drinks or not, April?” Sonny shouted from where he was pouring a sack of beans into a giant grinder.
“MYOB, Dad,” April shouted back with an eyeroll. Then with a smile for Wren she said, “I’ll get your cinnamon-honey right away.” She turned toward the espresso machine behind her.
Wren folded the scrubs top and put it back in her tote, then pulled out her wallet.
“Nope, I’m paying,” Elias said.
“You are not. I owe you for flaking out.”
Elias tilted his head. That was a weird thing for her to say, but more, it was the way she said it. Her humor seemed to go MIA again.
“What are you talking about? You’re making this fun.” He swiped his card as she pulled out her wallet. She blinked up at him as if he were the one not making any sense.
“Here you go.” April turned around with two mugs in her hands.
“Is it okay if we go outside with these?” Elias lifted his ceramic mug.
“Of course. Seating’s around the side. Should be a few open tables.”
“No, I mean, to my truck.”
Both women raised their eyebrows, then shared a look he had no hope of understanding. But one thing was clear.
Whether I like it or not, Wren just became part of the group.
“You are full of surprises,”Elias said after he got behind the wheel.
“Me?” Wren blinked at him over her sweet-smelling coffee. “What about this amazing truck? You could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw you climb behind the wheel last night. I figured you’d drive something newer.” She ran her hand over the black leather bench. “What year is she?”
Elias couldn’t help the smile and warmth in his chest as she talked about his baby. “1973. She’s an F100 Flairside. My dad gave her to me. His pride and joy, and now mine, too.”
Wren looked around the cab. “And you take good care of her. She’s perfect. I approve.”
“I like taking care of beautiful things.”
“I approve of that, too.” She met his eyes for a tantalizingly brief moment before looking away. She was such a funny mix of bold and shy that kept Elias guessing.
“Totally unpredictable,” he said.
“What?”
“You. You’re totally unpredictable. You keep me guessing.”
“Me? I’m incredibly predictable,” she scoffed.
“Not at all.”
“I’m clockwork, really.”
“Absolutely nothing you’ve done so far is like clockwork.”
“Okay, normally I’m like clockwork.”
Elias turned the ignition.
“Are we going somewhere?” She smiled as she watched him.
“Just turning on the air. It’s hot out here.”
