“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were on the phone. You didn’t have to get off.”
“It’s fine.” I wanted to ask how he was, or if he’d been able to get any sleep since this weekend. But we hadn’t even said anything to each other at Kinlee’s house. I wasn’t some old friend who could ask how the family was. Wife, Kamryn. He has a wife. Like a bucket of ice-cold water had been thrown on me, my mind cleared and I straightened in my chair. “So, police officer, huh?”
That crooked smile crossed his face, and his eyes bore into mine. “Yeah.”
“Y’all’s family is really covering all the bases. Jace is a firefighter, you’re a cop. Do you have another sibling who’s an EMT?”
He huffed softly, and I tried to focus on anything other than his face. “No, no other siblings, but my parents really should have thought about that one when they were having kids. Would have rounded it out well.”
“Right?” I said with a laugh. His eyes were locked on mine, and I felt myself wanting to get lost in them. Clearing my throat, I broke the connection for a moment and shot him a grin. “So you left kinda quick the other day. Everything okay? Or do you just not like slumming it with the firefighters?” I instantly regretted teasing him when a wave of some indescribable emotion passed over his face. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
“I’d just forgotten I had somewhere to be.” He looked around the shop quickly before his eyes landed back on me, but that crooked smile was gone. What did I say? “Are you meeting someone here?”
“Um, just Kinlee, but she’s—”
“Late? Figures.” He shook his head, and that perfectly imperfect smile was back. “Well, I need to get back on patrol. Can I buy you a drink?”
“Oh, no, that’s fine. You have a good night.”
“I insist. I mean, it’s the least I can do. I interrupted your phone call.”
That had to be the last reason for needing to buy me coffee. But that stupid crooked smirk was there, and his gaze was holding mine intently, and to be honest, I was starting to forget why I wasn’t supposed to be attracted to this man. “Okay.”
He stepped back and waited for me to stand before silently leading me over to the registers. After ordering a large coffee for himself and a caramel latte with whip for me, he walked over to the side with me to wait for my drink, and I tried to hide my smile.
“What do you do, KC?”
“I own a bakery.” His eyes widened, and I stupidly pointed in the direction of the strip where my bakery was. “It’s right next door to Kinlee’s boutique.”
“How old are you?”
“Um, twenty-three?” It came out sounding like a question, but I didn’t understand why he was looking at me the way he was. “Why?”
“You’re twenty-three and you own a bakery. That’s just really impressive. Something like that obviously has to be something you love, and not many people get to say they do what they love for a living. To be that young, own your own business, and be doing what you love—like I said . . . it’s impressive.”
“Th-thank you. I guess? Um . . . huh.” I turned back toward the counter and waited for my drink to appear. I could feel the heat in my cheeks and felt it get worse when I saw him watching me from the corner of my eye. I didn’t know how to respond to what he said. That was a compliment, right? You say “Thanks” to compliments . . . don’t you? My mind flashed through different instances with Charles and my parents, and I quickly shook my head to get rid of any thoughts of them. Those people wouldn’t know how to give a compliment if their life depended on it.
“How long have you been in Oregon?”
My head snapped to the right, and Brody laughed softly at my question-mark expression.
“Well, it’s obvious you’re from the South.”
I always went back to talking normal—well, normal for me—after a phone call with Barbara, and I hadn’t even tried to hide it. I cursed silently and smiled as I reminded myself to talk as not-normal as possible. “About eight months.”
“Where’d you move from?”
“Don’t even try it, Bro. She won’t give it up to me, she’s not about to tell you.”
Brody and I both jolted away from each other at the sound of Kinlee’s voice, and I grabbed my latte as she kissed his cheek and grabbed me for an awkward hug. I hadn’t even realized how close Brody and I had gotten to each other until then, and from the way he was looking in between his sister-in-law and me, he hadn’t either.
“Sorry I’m late, there were people on the road, and they were in my way. You know how it goes.”
I nodded and laughed. “Other drivers? Yeah, they do tend to get in the way sometimes, Lee.”
“Whatever, they should’ve known I had somewhere to be. There’re other roads they can be on.” She turned toward Brody and grabbed his hand before whispering. “You okay? I’m sorry about Jace, don’t let him . . .”
I quietly stepped back and walked over to the table where I’d been sitting. The way Brody’s face instantly shut down when Kinlee asked if he was okay let me know I was not meant to be there for that conversation. I wanted to know what Jace had done, and I figured that must have been why Brody left their house so suddenly last weekend, but I kept my life private. I wasn’t about to go snooping through theirs. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I looked up from my coffee cup to see Brody standing there looking down at me.