“Sure.” She unbuckled the straps and scooped Calla out of her seat and handed her to me.
“Ga. Da. Ba.” Calla smiled at me, smacking my face with her tiny hands before grabbing two handfuls of my beard and pulling.
“Be soft,” Lily whispered, reaching over to loosen the baby’s grip. “Soft hands, Calla.” She patted my cheeks again. Her big blue eyes met mine and her little lips pursed as she studied my face. Then she cuddled her cheek into the side of my neck and collapsed against my chest while her little arms spread out, giving me a baby hug. I inhaled a deep breath as I lost my heart completely. It just flew right out of my chest, rendering me helpless against this tiny baby girl in my arms.
I murmured softly to her, “You’re a little angel. Aren’t you?Sweet little Calla...” I kissed the top of her sweet-smelling head before lifting my eyes to Lily. “She’s precious, Lily.”
“Thank you.” Tears pooled in her eyes, hovering but not falling as she watched me with her daughter.
“You’re welcome, Lily. Thank you for letting me hold her.” I laughed as Calla leaned back and gave me a drooly baby kiss on the nose. Lily took her and passed me a napkin for my face.
“You’re in for it now,” she teased. “Calla kisses come with a little something extra.”
“Yeah, spit,” Dylan said as he ran up and jumped on my lap.
“I don’t mind.” I ruffled Dylan’s hair as he hugged me around the neck.
“Ready to go, Luke?” Liam called from the door.
I helped Dylan down. “Dylan, I’ll call you before bed. Bye sweet Calla. Lily, until tonight.” Her eyes burned into mine before I turned and headed to the door.
Chapter 10
Lily
It was nine thirty in the morning a week after our breakfast and I hadn’t seen Luke at all. If he had been drinking coffee, it wasn’t from Violet’s. He had called every night to say goodnight and chat with Dylan, and we had been talking and texting every day as well. But I missed seeing him. I had the feeling he was giving me space. I had told him I wanted to go slow, but it still bothered me. As the hours passed by with no Luke for yet another day, the looks Violet gave me while we worked grew more and more concerned.
“It’s going to be fine, Lily,” Violet finally said during a break between customers. “He’s probably just busy at work.”
Rose popped her head out of the kitchen. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” I banged the portafilter against the counter to clean it out.
“Lily, don’t break it!” Violet cried as she rushed over. “You have to be gentle.” Stroking the side of her espresso maker, she said sagely, “Men let you down, but coffee is always there to pick you back up.” She took a sip of her—third?—coffee. I’d lost count of how many cups she’d had today. Violet ran on caffeine, and today, an added splash of cranky cynicism.
Rosefinished up in the kitchen and joined us behind the counter. The morning rush was over. We had successfully caffeinated most of Sweetbriar and could now have a small break. Finn and Nick were already relaxing at the tables outside.
Violet turned to me. “I want you back with Luke—you two are like, fated mates out of a romance novel, or whatever—but I love what you said before about being independent. I don’t think you should let a small thing like him not showing up this week shake you. Make him fit intoyourlife, don’t make him your entire world like before. No man is perfect, not even Luke. They all fuck up sometimes.” She finished her tirade and stomped into the kitchen.
Rose and I exchanged a look. Was that little speech even about me?
“She must be fighting with Tom again. They haven’t been spending a lot of time together. It’s almost like they’re separated,” Rose whispered.
“Well, he wasn’t at dinner on Sunday. I wondered why.” I’d never really warmed up to Violet’s husband. Tom was kind of standoffish. I had hoped it was just with me because I didn’t live near them and only saw him on holidays, but now I wasn’t so sure.
She checked the kitchen door, presumably to make sure Violet couldn’t hear us. “He’s a dick. I can’t stand to be around him anymore.”
I leaned a hip against the counter with a grin. I was ready to sink into this gossip session and forget about my troubles. Maybe being there for Violet in some way or cheering her up would help me get out of my own funk.
Rose continued, “Holly hates him too, and Jude. Levi wants to punch him, but Cade talked him out of it. Ash said we should mind our own business.” She glanced at the door again. “I think he’s having a midlife crisis. He bought a Porscheand hired a hot blonde secretary. I think she’s in her twenties—like, over a decade younger than him.”
Living out of town meant I’d missed the gossip that spread amongst my siblings. I guessed I was in for it now. It made me wonder what they’d said about me. Probably not much. I was pretty boring.
She suddenly grabbed my arm. “Look out the front windows. Look,” she hissed.
I looked around frantically. “What? What am I looking for?” I hissed back.
“It’s Jake,” she said reverently.
