A few minutes later, Ashton walks in from the back, his eyebrows raised. “Everything okay? That looked intense.”
I nod, glancing at the closed door. “Yeah. Peoplemisjudge her. She’s a nice person. Just... had her heart broken.”
Ashton leans against the counter, watching me carefully. “You’re good at this, you know?”
I smile softly to myself, already thinking of Esteban and how lucky I am. “Yeah. Sometimes people just need someone to see them. Really see them.”
“That’s very true,” Ashton says just as I’m putting the last of the samples away. He walks away to keep working on his client while I stay busy organizing my area.
The door chimes again. This time, my smile isn’t just automatic, it’s instinctive.
Esteban steps in, still dressed in his work clothes. There’s a fine layer of dust on his shirt and pants, and his boots track in a few specks of dirt from outside. His hair’s a little messy, sticking out from where his cap had been, and there’s a smudge of something that looks to be paint on his forearm.
And still, somehow, he looks ridiculously good.
How does he do that? How can someone look this good every day, at every hour, even covered in dust?
“Hey, mi amor,” he says with a grin, walking toward me. “You busy?”
“Not anymore,” I say, stepping out from behind the counter, heart already doing that fluttery thing it does every time he shows up. “What’s up?”
“I was wondering if I could steal you for a late lunch.” He leans in a little, lowering his voice like it’s a secret between us. “I’m starving, and I need something sweet. Preferably one of Josy’s cookies.”
I laugh. “So I’m a bonus, and the cookie is the real goal?”
He grins wider. “You’re the main course, hermosa. Cookie’s just dessert.”
I roll my eyes, blushing like a teenager. “Let me grab my keys.”
We walk out together, and the moment the door shuts behind us, I feel lighter.
This, being with him, stealing time between the cracks of our busy lives, is the highlight of my days lately.
We walk across the street, and a few minutes later we’re at Josy’s Coffee Shop. The smell of espresso and freshly baked cookies hits us the second we walk in, and Esteban lets out a low hum of satisfaction.
“She’s got the good batch today,” he says, already eyeing the display case.
“You say that every time.”
“And I’m always right.” He shrugs.
As we settle into a corner table, I watch him grab two cookies and bring over our drinks. He’s chatting with the barista like he knows everyone, and of course he does. This is our town, our people.
And for the first time since I move back, I feel like I belong here too.
Chapter Thirty
Esteban
There’s something about seeing Eva across the table from me, sunlight catching in the strands of her hair, her eyes lighting up as I talk, that makes the food taste better. Or maybe I’m just that far gone for her.
I take a sip of my coffee and grin. “McNeal called this morning. He’s flying in tomorrow to sign the contract. His lawyer is already in town with all the paperwork. We’re finally making this thing official.”
Eva’s face lights up. “That’s amazing, Esteban. I’m so proud of you.”
Hearing her say that does something to me. Makes me want to kiss her until the entire coffee shop disappears.
But I don’t.
