Shane’s gasp of horror made her laugh out loud. “How dare you?” His eyes went comically wide, making her laugh harder. “Also, we need to get you a girlfriend so I can toss these lines back at you.”
“Listen, I’m trying. Dating apps are hell on earth, have I told you that?”
“Only about six hundred times.” Shane took a stack of books down and dusted the shelf behind them.
“They’re awful. The worst. They make you feel awful about yourself. You throw out likes and you get nothing back from those people. The ones whodolike you are people you have no interest in. It’s a vicious cycle and it’s never-ending. But…” She shrugged and blew out a breath of frustration. “How else am I supposed to meet somebody? Am I just going to bump into the girl of my dreams on the street? I think not.”
“I know. I don’t envy you, that’s for sure.” Shane returned the duster to its spot underneath the counter. “Hey, isn’t the new Lily Chambers novel coming in today?”
“Ooh, that’s right,” Jenna said, her mind shifting from her wreck of a love life—well, wreck was being generous, since her love life actually could be better described as nonexistent—back to her little bookshop. “She’s always been really great about doing signings with me. I’ll reach out.”
“Great.”
They were quiet for a moment, then Jenna asked, “Feel like coffee?”
Shane touched his own arm, rubbed it, pinched it gently. “I mean…not really?”
“Oh my God,” Jenna said with a laugh she couldn’t help. “The dad jokes are endless with you.”
“I gotta practice regularly,” he called after her as she headed to thetiny back room that served as an office, a break room, and a closet, all in the space of about ten by ten—not including the tiny powder room tucked in the corner. Back there, she grabbed her jacket off the hook and slipped it on.
“Hold the fort,” she said as she pushed out the front door and into the crisp September day.
Living in the Northeast could be a complete crapshoot when it came to the weather, but Jenna Murphy wouldn’t have it any other way. She was born in Northwood, raised there, and had zero intention of ever leaving the small city in upstate New York. She couldn’t imagine anyplace else being half as wonderful, festive, or comfortable for her as Northwood, and the desire for the adventure of a new place didn’t exist for her.
She stood on the sidewalk in front of BookLove and zipped her jacket as the wind kicked up. September was one of her favorite months, but her jacket was a bit too light for today, and her body gave an involuntary shiver as she turned to her right and headed down the street. A car honked its horn, and she glanced toward it as she walked, andbam! She crashed smack-dab into another person.
“Oh God, I’m so sorry,” she said as she involuntarily reached out to steady the person she’d hit. Firm arm muscles tightened under the grip she had of a black trench over a black pantsuit, and she looked up into deep blue eyes that flashed behind black-rimmed glasses. The woman was taller, brunette, and absolutelyfuckingstunningas she held her cell phone away from her ear and glanced at Jenna.
“No problem,” the woman said quickly, then put her phone back to her ear and continued on her way, her heels clicking on the concrete in a hurried staccato rhythm.Click-clack, click-clack. Jenna followed her with her gaze, heard her say, “Yes, I found a new place.No.You absolutely cannot have the address…” before she’d moved out of earshot.
Jenna had to force herself to turn back toward the direction she was heading and move her feet to take her that way.Well, she was fun to look at.She grinned and gave her head a quick shake. When she reached Café Dakota, she pushed through the door and was suddenly enveloped by the most amazing scents on the planet, as if they were tangible and could physically wrap you in a warm hug. Pastries and coffee and chocolate, oh my.
“There she is” was called out before Jenna had taken more than three steps into the shop, and Dakota James stood behind the counter with her usual welcoming smile on her face, always several notches warmer for Jenna.
“How’s the café biz today?” Jenna asked once at the counter. There were several people sitting at tables, eating croissants and muffins and cookies from small, red plates, but nobody was in line at the moment.
“Not bad at all for a Monday,” Dakota said, her wheat-colored ponytail pulled through the back of her hat. “Trying out a new scone recipe. If you can stick around for five more minutes, you can have one.”
“How can I refuse that offer?”
“The usual?” Dakota asked, knowing that Jenna ordered a vanilla chai nine times out of ten.
With a nod, she added, “And also a soy caramel latte for Shane.”
As Dakota went to work on the order, Jenna was transported back five minutes to the street, the crash, those blue eyes taking her in behind glasses.Why can’t somebody like that be on the dating apps?Of course, why would she be? She probably had somebody at home who worshipped her. Jenna hoped so.
If nothing else, she had some new fantasy material, and the thought made her grin.Gotta take it where I can get it, right?
The wind was too much today.
Everything was too much.
Sawyer Hall stabbed the red button on her phone, thereby ending a very stressful and not fun conversation with Amanda—the way all conversations with Amanda had ended lately, and she knew it was time. Time to block. She couldn’t do that kind of phone call every day, multiple times a day. It was killing her mental health. With a sigh, she scrolled through her contacts to Amanda’s number, and her finger hovered over the correct button for a moment before she sighed and backed out.
She should’ve blocked Amanda a long time ago, and like today, she always chickened out. She was clearly a glutton for punishment.What the hell was it about Amanda that kept her crawling back? Ugh. So annoying.
As if trying its best to add to her irritation, the wind kicked up harder, whipping her dark hair around her face and into her eyes. With a groan, she shoved it out of her way and noticed the sign on the building to her left.
