I love my two best friends. I do. But sometimes I wonder if they’re too much. Especially after my last disastrous relationship with Connor—the captain of the Delaware State University’s hockey team. That had been a mess of epic proportions. I spent a lot of time wondering what I missed, what I ignored, and how I let myself fall into something that ultimately crushed my confidence and sense of self.
The morning flies by as I work through the usual hustle and bustle of the café. Customers trickle in, and I take the orders with a smile, my mind occasionally wandering back to the man from this morning. It’s easy to think about him—about the look in his eyes, that strange mix of annoyance and…something else. He’s been creeping into my thoughts more often than I’d like to admit, and I can’t shake it.
What was up with his attitude? What was the deal with thatcoffee? Was it about my writing my name on his cup, or was there something deeper I didn’t get?
When the café closes at noon, I grab my cleaning supplies and head to the back to wash the dishes. Afterward, I retreat to my office to take care of some business. I check on the deliveries, place an order for ingredients to be shipped in a few weeks, and then, on a whim, I decide to buy the industrial stand mixer I’ve been dreaming about to make the pastries.
It’s a little indulgent, but I deserve it.
I’m in the middle of confirming the order when suddenly, a loudbangechoes from the front of the store.
What the hell? The construction workers know to use the back entrance. Did they forget?
Curious, I walk to the front and stop dead in my tracks when I see none other than the man from this morning storming past me. He barely acknowledges me as he marches inside, as though he owns the place.
I freeze for a moment, my brain catching up.And he calls me “Bumper”?
“Excuse me?” I say, unlocking the door to let him know we are closed, but he just pushes right past me. I’m about to tell him to get out when he storms toward the counter, practically shoving a now-empty coffee cup in my face.
“What made you think putting your name on my cup was a good idea?” he demands, his voice low and seething.
I blink, surprised. This guy is seriously worked up about this?
“You kept calling me the wrong name, so I wrote it down so you wouldn’t forget,” I reply innocently, trying my best to maintain a calm demeanor. But honestly, I’m getting a little tired of this. Why is he so pissed off about something so trivial?
“Bumper,” he growls, “I know everything I need to know about you.”
If he thinks he knows me, then he’s got another thing coming. What gives him the right to barge in here and start yelling at me?
“You don’t know the first thing about me, Mister,” I snap back, my voice filled with venom.
His eyes narrow, and then he does something that completely catches me off guard. He talks—like in a normal talking voice. I can hear the anger shift into frustration, maybe even a little exhaustion.
“No, but that coffee was for my Ma. I got her coffee because she is staying at my house helping take care of my infant daughter while I work the midnight shift,” he explains, his tone softer now, though still clearly annoyed.
Wait—he has a baby? What else is this man hiding? Surely, the brooding exterior had me thinking he was just a typical bad boy with commitment issues, but a baby? That changes things.
Doesn’t it?
Before I can think too much about it, the door opens, and Josh Jacobs strolls in all smiles.
“Gab! Are you checking out Mil’s new cafe? She’s been dreaming about this since we were in high school,” Josh says, oblivious to the tension in the air.
Leave it to Josh to blurt out my life story to a random stranger.
“No, Gabby was just leaving,” I mutter, cutting him off. My patience is thinning, and I can feel the heat rising in my face.
Josh, ever the joker, snaps his attention to the man behind me. “It’s Gabriel, NOT Gabby,” he corrects, sounding genuinely amused.
Great. Now I have two men to deal with.
I turn to Josh, trying to change the subject before things get even more awkward.
“Hey J, how is the search for a new partner going? Have you found someone to take Sam’s place?”
Behind me, I hear Gabriel snicker, and I don’t even want to look at him right now.
Josh grins, glancing between Gabriel and me, clearly enjoyingthe discomfort in the air. “Yeah, they got a transfer from New York,” he says casually.
