“That’s what I’m going to find out.”
“Then I’ll come with you.Maybe I can be of some help.”He crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, as though nothing was going to get him out of that seat until she took him with her.
“I don’t think your girlfriend will approve.”
“My what?”His brows rose high on his forehead.
“Your girlfriend, Linda.”
He shook his head and smiled.“She’s not my girlfriend.”
She was amazed at how much she wanted to believe him.So, if he didn’t have a girlfriend, she had to find another reason for him to get out of her car.Then she had a thought.“Reed is waiting for you.”
Without a word, Brad pulled out his phone.A few keystrokes later, he returned his phone to his pocket.“All taken care of.Let’s go.”
“Has anyone ever told you how stubborn you can be?”She put the car in gear and headed the few blocks to the coffeeshop.
“I might have been told a time or two.But isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?”
Her mouth gaped as she pulled to a stop at an intersection.“How do you know that old saying?”
“It’s something my grandmother used to say.”
Why was it that she had a problem imagining him being a doting grandson.“Were you two close?”
“When I was kid, yes.Gi-Gi made the best cookies.As I grew up, not so much.I got busy being a teenager who knew everything.It wasn’t until I got older that I realized just how much I didn’t know.But by then Gi-Gi was gone, and I couldn’t get back all of the time I missed out on with her.”Affection and regret rang out in his voice.“While my mother was working, Gi-Gi would look after me.She taught me to bake.I can bake you the best chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever tasted.Bet you didn’t expect me to say that, huh?”
She pulled to a stop in front of the Steaming Brew.She turned off the engine and turned to him.“No, I didn’t.You are constantly surprising me.”
He sent her a grin that showed off his dimple.“Then I guess I’m doing something right.”
She couldn’t tell if his flirting was right or wrong.But she did know that every time he smiled at her, she felt herself liking him a little bit more.
Chapter Twelve
Hisgrincausedherheart to skip a beat.
Abby gave herself a mental shake.She wasn’t falling for Brad.Not a chance.She blamed her reaction on his dimples.She’d always had a thing for dimples.
Still, she couldn’t let him get to her for a multitude of reasons.She got out of the car, hoping the crisp winter air would help clear her mind.
Brad joined her on the sidewalk.She waited for him to pepper her with more questions about what they were doing at the now-closed coffeeshop, but he remained quiet as she unlocked the door.
Once inside, she flipped on one strip of pendant lights over the counter.She slipped off her coat and tossed it aside.
He stepped up beside her.“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing here, or are you just going to keep me guessing?”
She sighed.“If you must know, the espresso machine stopped working.”
“And you’re going to fix it?”There was a hint of disbelief in his voice.
She turned to him and planted her hands on her hips.“Why?Don’t you think I can do it?”
He froze as though he were weighing his options before responding.Then he held up his hands.“I just meant it’s getting late.I wouldn’t think you’d want to start a project like that at this hour.”
She wasn’t sure she believed him, but she decided to let it go.She didn’t have time to set him straight and tell him that when things broke at the coffeeshop, she was the one to fix it because her budget was tight.And now that her lease had gone up, she had to watch where every dollar went.These days it felt like every time she turned around, prices were going up.And she hated raising the prices on her customers because she knew they were feeling the pinch just as much as she was.So, she was eating the losses and holding out as long as she could before inching her prices upward
Abby pressed the Power button on the espresso machine.The lights flickered on.But when she went to put the machine through its paces, there were no sounds—no signs of life.
