Gracie turned and her blue eyes lit up with excitement. “What areyoudoing here?”
“You have the best pastries and coffee in town. Where else would I go?”
Laughing, she dashed around the counter toward me. Her eyes immediately noted that Brooks was holding my hand and then she looked at me, brows raised.
I dropped his hand so I could give her a hug.
“I thought you wouldn’t be here until Labor Day weekend,” she said, pulling back to peer at me.
“Change of plans,” I said. “I’m kind of on sabbatical.”
“Oh?”
“Tell you later,” I said.
Nodding, she glanced at the hulking man next to me. “Good morning, Brooks.”
“Morning,” he said. “I’ll have the usual. And whatever she wants.”
I looked at him. “You have a usual?”
“Black coffee,” Gracie supplied, moving back behind the counter. “It’s easy to remember.”
“Black coffee?” I asked. “That’s no fun.”
“I’m not fun,” he said dryly.
“You’re a little bit fun,” I teased.
“Glad you think so, Freckles.”
He reached into his pocket for his wallet, and I turned my attention back to Gracie, who was watching us with wide eyes and an even wider jaw.
“What?” I asked, leaning over the counter and gently lifting her chin to close her mouth.
“Nothing,” she mumbled.
Brooks’ phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket. He looked at the screen. “Gotta take this.”
He handed me his wallet and then stalked from Sweet Teeth.
Once the cheery bell jangled, signaling we were alone, Gracie said, “I’m shocked to death because that man has lived here for nearly two months and not said more thangood morning,black coffee please, andthank youto me or any one of my other baristas in . . . well, ever.”
I frowned. “Really?”
“Really. That man is not chatty. But with you, he wasdownright verbose. Not to mention, flirty.” She pointed to his wallet. “What is this?”
“His wallet?”
“Yes, his wallet. Poet, when did you guys meet?”
“Last night.” I sighed. “It’s a long story.”
“Well, you have to find time to tell me about it.”
I snorted. “He’s taking me to breakfast, but I swear I’ll tell you the story when I can, okay?”
“Later today?”
