Page 23 of Harvest Heat

“So you didn’t want to stay?”

“No, I needed to come back here and get some work done, and he had work to do too. He hadn’t planned to eat there.”

She frowned. “Damn, I was hoping it would work.”

“Hoping what would work?”

“Leaving the two of you alone.”

So that’s why she’d been acting weird. “You were trying to set us up. You didn’t really have to leave, did you?”

“Of course not. Did you actually believe my ridiculous excuse?”

Heat rushed to his face. “Maybe. A little. I thought you’d forgotten to take cookies to Marianne for some library event or something like that.”

“I would have been a lot more worried if I’d screwed up like that.”

“I guess. I didn’t think a baking emergency could be all that serious, though.” A horrible thought made his food turn to a rock in his stomach. “Did Caleb know what you were up to?”

Tessa smiled. “Probably, but it’s not like he’d mind.”

“How could you embarrass me like that?”

She waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. He likes you. I already told you that. Now, tell me what you talked about.”

“He doesn’t like me. Not like you mean. He asked how we met. So I told him I moved here in second grade. We talked about moving and about how hard it is to come up with a drink for this damn festival.”

“Uh-huh.” She looked like she was expecting more.

“That’s it. Really.”

“Were you comfortable, or did you freak out?”

“I didn’t run away or anything. I was more comfortable than I thought I would be. He’s nice and…”

“You like him.”

There was no point in trying to argue with her. She’d been able to see through him since they were seven. “Yes, I do, but it’s not going to go anywhere. We can’t start a relationship when we’re both trying to run coffee shops here. The whole town would be in our business.”

“The whole town would be in your business, no matter who you dated. And Caleb is the new guy, so they’d be in his business too, but don’t give up an opportunity just because this town is ridiculous.”

“There’s no opportunity. He’s a nice guy. He’s friendly, and I managed to make small talk with him without completely humiliating myself this time, but now I need to work on my drink, so…”

“So I should leave?”

“I mean… Yes.”

She rolled her eyes. “And you’re going to stay here and work.”

Rhys nodded.

“What time did you get up this morning?”

What difference did that make? “Four thirty.”

“And you have to be back here tomorrow at…?”

“Five thirty like usual.”