Page 16 of Harvest Heat

Another long pause. “You like him.”

That wasn’t an option. “I want us to be friends.”

“Is that all you want?”

“I didn’t come to Frostwick Harbor to jump into anything with a man. I came here to run my shop, and Rhys isn’t hookup material.”

She sighed, and he started to contemplate how to end the call. “I know how badly Adrian hurt you, but don’t let that keep you from putting yourself out there again.”

“I’m focused on my shop, making friends, and settling in here.”

“I know, but I’m just saying don’t throw away an opportunity.”

I couldn’t let myself think like that. “This isn’t an opportunity. I don’t think he even likes me.”

“All right then, forget about him.” She sounded exasperated. “Focus on your business. What are you making for your festival entry?”

Caleb laid his arm over his face, glad she couldn’t see him. “I haven’t really made a plan yet.”

“That doesn’t sound like you. You’re telling me you don’t have any ideas.”

“I did have some, but if I’m going up against Rhys, then I’ve got to be perfect.”

“Don’t tell me this guy is better than you.”

Was he? “He’s different. His coffee is so precise, so nuanced.”

“You’re so creative and good with flavor, but I guess I can see how you two working together would make the best of the best. Maybe you could still convince him.”

He remembered the panicked look on Rhys’s face as he’d told him he needed to work on his own. “No, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“Well, you’re going to come up with something amazing.”

Kate was trying so hard to help him feel better. “I hope so, and honestly, I just hope at least one of the two of us wins because the head of the small-business association, Agnes, is really pushing hard for us to have big wins this year.”

“Remind me again why this matters so much.”

That made him smile. Kate was more than a little skeptical about him enjoying small-town life. “It’s like a town pride thing in the region. They take their festivals very seriously here.”

“Yeah, no shit.”

So maybe he was starting to feel a little better. “Thanks.”

“For what? Encouraging you?”

“Yes, and just listening and making me realize I need to get behind the counter and experiment and stop worrying about the damn festival.”

“Exactly. Come up with some drink ideas, then call me back, and we’ll talk through them. Or you could make some samples for your new friends there.”

Caleb considered that. “I could probably do that, ask for testers. I don’t feel like I know anyone enough yet to really talk like this, though I’m really glad I have you.”

“I’m glad I have you too. Even if you did always bust into the kitchen to make some crazy concoction while I was trying to have a quiet discussion with my friends.”

Caleb huffed. “You and your friends couldn’t have been quiet if your lives depended on it. And it’s not like you were easy to live with.”

“It’s good we like each other better as adults.”

“Yes, it is. You have to come visit. Are you sure you can’t make it for the festival?” He couldn’t wait to show her Cloud Nine and the rest of Frostwick Harbor.