I glare at him. “Don’t start.”
He laughs. “Too late. You’re screwed, man.”
And as Brynn starts outlining “Phase Two” of her master plan, I lean back in my chair and pray Kate doesn’t check Facebook before I can warn her.
Because knowing Haddie Carmichael and this town, the post is already viral.
Chapter nineteen
Kate
I should’ve known something was off the moment I walked into Cedar Perk and everyone looked up at once. Not in a creepy, horror-movie way—more in the small townwe-heard-something-about-youkind of way.
The bell above the door jingles, the scent of espresso and vanilla warming my senses. But the second I step inside, a hush falls over the room.
“Good morning,” I say slowly.
Levi, who’s manning the counter in his usual apron and no-nonsense flair, gives me a grin that’s so wide I’m not sure it will fit behind the counter. “Well, good morning,Miss Popular.”
I frown. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Before he can answer, Haddie Carmichael swivels on her stool near the window, coffee cup in hand and mischief written all over her face.
“Oh, don’t play innocent, dear Kate. Word’s out.”
My stomach drops. “Word about what?”
She leans forward, lowering her voice in a way that makes everyone else lean in, too. “You and Coach Wells.”
The air leaves my lungs. “Excuse me?”
Levi slides a latte toward a customer, clearly eavesdropping. “You two were spotted together. Cozy little coffee date, all smiles. Haddie posted about it this morning.”
Haddie beams. “One of my little birdies texted me yesterday—said you were out with Cam Wells, lookingrealsweet together. So I shared it on the community page. People love a love story, Kate.”
“Oh my God.”
Levi chuckles, wiping down the counter. “You’re trending, Prescott. By the time I poured the first espresso, half the town had already liked it.”
Haddie waves her phone. “See?‘Spotted leaving Penny’s Café: our hometown librarian and Coach Wells sharing coffee and smiles. Could love be in the air in Cedar Falls?’Isn’t that precious?”
“Precious isn’t the word I’d use,” I whisper under my breath.
Before I can demand she delete it, the bell over the door rings again—and in walks the cause of my impending public meltdown.
All six-feet-plus of infuriating calm and impossible charm of him.
Every head swivels toward Cam. Levi actually pauses mid-pour, grinning like he’s watching a live-action rom-com.
Cam blinks, clearly confused by the sudden silence. “Uh…morning?”
Haddie nearly claps. “Speak of the devil! Here comes the man of the hour.”
Cam looks from her to me. I glare, silently screamingdo not enjoy this.
“Kate?” he says carefully. “Everything okay?”
“Depends,” I lean toward him, whispering, “Do you have a public-relations plan I should know about?”
