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“Fine, you’ve name-called me into submission. My happily ever after is ice cream sundaes with extra cherries and taking my pet unicorn for walks.”
“You’re such a scaredy-cat.”
“I don’t hear you offering your happily ever after.”
“Because I don’t believe in fairy tales.”
“Then your life must be very sad.”
“At least I don’t think nine-fifteen is late.”
She scoffed, laughing. “I’m going to sleep now.”
“Sweet dreams, Bailey.”
She returned her earbuds to their case and pulled her blanket to her chin. Wes had been flirting with her. Had she liked it? The phantom grin she couldn’t shake suggested she most definitely had.
Chapter Six
Bailey dropped Matt off at camp, then arrived at her office. She unlocked it, two hot coffees in hand, flicked on the lights, set Wes’s coffee at his spot, then relocked the door. She didn’t know when he would arrive, so she snapped a picture of the coffee cup and his empty chair and texted it to him.
Bailey: The door’s locked.
Twenty minutes later, he knocked.
She ambled to the door. “Who’s there?”
“Morning.” He waved when she peered out the narrow glass window.
The wave was cute, and he somehow knew exactly how to keep a constant, well-kept five o’clock shadow. She opened the door for him. “Good morning, Slacker. Do you know what time it is?”
He waltzed in with a white paper bag. “Good morning, Grandma. Doing okay since I kept you up so late last night?”
She smacked his arm. “Nine-fifteen is late for phone calls from strangers.”
“I’ve known you for years, Bailey.” He shoved the bag into her hand. “Eat a chocolate croissant. It makes you happier.”
She peeked into the bag. The heavenly scent of buttery pastry wafted out. Her mouth watered. He’d remembered. She glanced up at him.
“What?” He shrugged. “You remembered how I take my coffee.”
And he remembered how she drank hers with her favorite breakfast treat. It had been too long since anyone had surprised her with a special treat. “Thanks, Wes.”
“Wes? Not Slacker? The day is only getting better.” He dropped his belongings on the desk and took a sip of his coffee. He closed his eyes and nodded appreciatively. “This is so much better than hotel room coffee.”
“Hotel room coffee only exists to give you enough of a caffeine kick to get out of the room and get decent coffee somewhere else.”
“Wise beyond your years.”
They settled into their workspace and fell into a groove with the to-do list she’d created. She finished the croissant. They both drained their coffee. Wes fidgeted more than he did yesterday.
Bailey set her pen on top of her notebook. “What’s bothering you?”
“How many seasons has your podcast had?”
Not the question she’d expected. “Twenty-one. Some are only a couple of episodes long. Some are much longer than others.”
“You average a couple a year?” he asked.
