“Great, I need to call Nora and get on the list for freezer beef.”
I nod. “We’ll have some soon. Have a good day.”
I move deeper into the shop, stepping in line. Julia and her staff work diligently filling orders, smiling at customers, and making everyone feel welcome as if you’re having coffee at a friend’s rather than a shop.
The bell above the door continues to ding as more people step inside. It won’t be long until theblonde with the killer legswalks in, or whatever Crew called her. I glance at my watch and notice I have ten minutes until my appointment with my sister. I’ll be cutting it close, but if I walk in with caffeine, all will be forgiven.
“Hey, Jett,” Julia says, smiling brightly. “What can I get you this morning?”
I glance up at the menu, scanning the cursive handwriting as I read over the options.
“I’ll take a medium brewed coffee, a medium caramel latte with whip, and a medium matcha latte with honey and cinnamon.”
Julia gives me a knowing smirk as she taps away on her iPad. She flips the screen around, and I slip my debit card into the slot. Tapping the twenty-percent tip, I use my finger to sign the pad, flipping the screen back to her.
“We’ll have that right out. Have a lovely day.”
“You too.” I move off to the side, pulling my phone out of my pocket. There’s a new message in my family group chat. Crew sent a photo of Carter smiling at the camera. He’s a cute kid. Looks like my brother’s twin with his blond hair and brown eyes. Mom and Saylor are both textingawwandhe’s so cute. I love the photo and close the message thread.
Mom and I have briefly spoken about the letter. I can’t help but be frustrated with her, but there’s a part of me–a small part–that understands her reasoning. The entire situation sucks. She had her reasonings, just like I had my reasonings to be such a shithead. We’ll work past it, we always do, but it’s a jagged little pill to swallow.
I force myself back to the present as I scroll social media. The latest post of The Bay Buzz catches my attention.
@Anonymousmember542:Wren Drummond’s up to no good… It won’t be long before those heathens she ran around with start terrorizing the town again.
I roll my eyes, refusing to add fuel to the fire. Some people in this town will never forget anything. I continue scrolling before switching over to my email app. After a few minutes, one of the baristas is placing my drinks in a drink carrier on the counter. Locking my phone, I slip the device into my pocket. We exchange a few words before I turn around. My eyes scan the line, and I find Wren, head down, scrolling her own phone and avoiding the stares of everyone in the coffee shop. I’m sure the whispers will be flying even more since we're both here. Lengthening my stride, I step close to her. I see the exact moment my boots come into her line of sight because her shoulders straighten.
I'm done giving her space. We may not have figured everything out, but I'll be damned if I'm wasting another second of what could be. We’ve already lost so much. I’ve felt the shift between us. Her hurt and anger has started to thaw her heart, one that feels like there’s still space for me. There’re conversations that still need to be had, but we’re building our relationship from the ground up. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will our journey.
Slowly, her head starts to rise as she takes me in. I take a moment to do the same. She’s wearing a pair of light brown cowboy boots that come up to mid-shin, some kind of skirt or shorts that flow away from her legs, and a tank top cropped enough to see a sliver of her golden stomach. Fuck, she’s beautiful. It feels like an eternity until her whiskey eyes meet mine, but once they do, shit, it’s like an explosion. Sparks erupt and send tingles up my arms until my chest warms.
“Nice legs,” I say for only her to hear, and her cheeks flush a beautiful shade of pink. Seeing her blush instead of imagining it from our texting is better than I remember.
I can feel the attention on us, but with her full attention locked on mine, it’s like everyone else disappears. It’s only us. Hell, it’s only ever been Wren when she’s in my presence. Time hasn’t changed that.
“Jett.” She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she slips her phone into her purse.
“What?” I shrug. “They're the sexiest legs I’ve ever seen.”
Her eyes widen as she slaps my arm not holding the drink carrier. Fire ignites from where her skin meets mine. “You can't say things like that!”
“Why not?”
“Someone could hear you,” she hisses, and the lady in front of her chuckles.
“Do you want me to make sure?”
“Jett SamuelRiggsby, don’t you dare.”
“A dare?” I smirk, bouncing on my feet. “You know I’ve never been one to back down from a dare, Whiskey.”
Panic flicks across her whiskey orbs, but I lean closer. “Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you this time.” Her shoulders drop as her posture relaxes. “Even though you look incredible and the whole town should know how much you still affect me.”
Her head snaps to my crotch, and I chuckle. “Dirty girl.”
I watch her swallow roughly, glad I still have the same effect on her as she does on me. Reaching out, I tuck the same strand of hair back behind her ear, and her breath catches from my touch. She flinches slightly, but it’s not as bad as before.
“Here,” I say, plucking the to-go cup from my carrier. “Matcha latte with honey and cinnamon.”
