“It’s fine, Cameron. Really.” She nods, spinning her keys around her finger. “Thanks for dinner. And for not being a complete disaster of a human being.”
I dip my chin. “Thanks for making sure I didn’t starve.”
“Anytime.” She heads toward her door, then pauses with her hand on the handle. “Hey, Cameron?”
“Yeah?”
“For what’s it worth.” She smiles back at me, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “I meant what I said. I had a fun time. See you around, yeah?”
The casual dismissal in those words—see you around—stings more than it should. I’m still fumbling with my words, trying to come up with a proper response, when she walks through the door and shuts it softly behind her.
I stand in place, staring at the slightly crooked brass numbers on the door of her brownstone. Then, quiet enough for just me to hear, I say, “For what it’s worth, I had fun, too.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
kennedy
My best friendis not a morning person. The early bird gets the worm is not a phrase she knows, and any time someone says it, she explains that she doesn’t eat worms and if she did, delivery services exist. That’s why I made her cinnamon rollsandstopped by her favorite coffee shop on my way over to the Book Nook, the bookstore she manages.
I shove my hip into the door until it creaks open and walk into the familiar space. Maya is nowhere to be found, but her pseudo-son Goose is, tail wagging and pink tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. He greets me with an enthusiastic bark and follows it up by head-butting my thigh.
“Hello, handsome man,” I coo.
The chocolate lab yips in reply. Maya may not be a morning person, but Goose certainly is. Snuffling, he nudges the container in my hand with his nose. “Don’t worry, bud. I didn’t forget about you.”
I pull the treat I brought for him out of my purse. It’s coiled to look like a cinnamon roll and made with peanut butter and sweet potato. The moment the treat is within reach, Goosegobbles it down and looks back up at me with puppy dog eyes that practically beg for another.
Not one to disappoint, I pull out a second one. “Greedy guy.”
“Kenn, I told you not to bring anything for him.” Maya appears from one of the many aisles of the bookstore with an armful of paperbacks. “He’s on a diet.”
Ignoring her, I bend down to kiss the top of Goose’s head, then scratch behind his ears for good measure. “Ignore her. She’s just jealous of how cute you are.”
She huffs. “More like I don’t want to have to listen to Cole drone on about proper canine nutrition for the hundredth time this month.”
Goose and I exchange a look. He’s only eyeing me because he wants another treat, but I pretend the two of us have a secret understanding that we won’t listen to his mom.
Maya rolls her blue eyes, finally realizing she’s lost the battle. “Just don’t give him five of them in one sitting, please.”
“Mm-hmm,” I agree with a thumbs-up. “I brought you treats, too, you know. Cinnamon rolls.”
Her face lights up brighter than I thought was possible before ten a.m. “You did?”
“Yep,” I reply. “And coffee.”
“From Boston Bean?”
“Double espresso with two pumps of vanilla syrup, a splash of skim milk, and a sprinkling of cinnamon.”
Placing the paperbacks on the checkout counter, she grins. “You’re the best.”
I snort and hold up my own coffee. “Hardly. I’m fueling you so you’re awake enough to properly listen to me vent.”
She unboxes a cinnamon roll and shoves an alarmingly large bite into her mouth. I stick to sipping my coffee, giving her time. Partly to let the sugar do its job and partly because I need a moment to work up the nerve to admit the loan isn’t happening.
She’s licking frosting off her fingers when I finally blurt it out.
“The bank said no to the loan.” Head down, I pick at the edge of my coffee cup lid. “They were very polite about telling me I’m a financial risk.”
