“Nico, Nico,” Vero shouts, looking through the window at Allie’s toddler, Nico, who is sleeping in his car seat.
“Yeah, you two can play a bit, but when you get in, I need you to be quiet and don’t wake Nico up, or he’ll be super grouchy, okay?” Allie tells a smiling Vero, ignoring me completely. We load her into Allie’s spare car seat.
She shouts, “Go have fun!” as she climbs into her SUV, driving away with one piece of my heart.
Oh crap, the store.
I shake my head before opening the store, and I was right. Itisthe guy from the other day, leaning on the front of the fancy car parked in front, legs crossed and paying attention to his phone, not even noticing me.
Good, let’s keep it that way.
I brush kid crumbs off my palazzo pants and open the door, trying to ignore him. Maybe he won’t see me.
“Oh, hi.” Okay, hecansee me.
“Hi, sorry. We don’t open until ten.”
He checks his watch and holds the door wide open for both of us. “It’s 10:05.”
“Well, not that you need to know, but I was a little busy and running late.”
“I see that,” he adds nonchalantly, looking down at me from all the way up there, almost to the ceiling. How tall can someone be?
“Do you mind?” I cross my arms, standing tall, because what in the world?
“No, not at all. Do you need any help?” He closes the door behind him.
“Excuse me? What are you doing?”
He lets out a sigh and looks around, utterly confused by my stance.
He’s the one confused? Why is he here when I haven’t even had my coffee? I’m not even open yet.
“What do you mean? You said you were running late, so I figured you weren’t ready for customers.”
“Yet, here you are,” I add, sounding harsher than I intend.
His oak-colored eyes open impossibly wide; a moment of panic flashes in his eyes. “I’m so sorry. You asked if I minded, and I took it as if I minded helping or being here while you got the space ready.” He breathes. “I’m here acting like we know each other and invading your space. I’ll step outside.”
Well, great, Nat. Way to go.
“Wait!”
He stops but doesn't turn.
“You don’t have to go,” I breathe out, letting all my pent-up angst from being late and the chaos of this morning go. It’s nothis fault. “Do you want coffee? I have to make coffee. Take a seat.”
He’s still standing, facing the door, his broad shoulders almost to his ears, frame tense.
“It’s fine, I promise. Sit. I’ll be back.”
I walk to the back room, dropping my belongings on the work table, not minding the guy hopefully sitting on the couch in the front.
I’d never seen this guy before Father’s Day, and now, it’s mid-July, and he’s back again, looking just as handsome but a little less sad. Troubled, sure, but not sad.
Alright, Nat. Let’s do this.
I walk back out to find him sitting at the coffee bar, looking over the drinks menu.
