Page 6 of Fumbling for Affection

This was his first free moment since their hike, and now that Cal had re-introduced them, he wanted to spend as much time as possible getting to know Maggie Buchanan better. And, if he’d read her correctly, she was just as interested.

But he’d made the ultimate rookie mistake and hadn’t asked for her number. Asking Cal was out of the question. Cal was her brother, his teammate, roommate, and friend. He hadn’t known what he was getting when he’d agreed to be roommates, other than a large house with a spacious bedroom and private bath, but Cal and Bash were turning into more than roommates, especially now that they were getting Bash to come out of his shell and be more human.

There was nothing wrong with Bash, and Lucas knew Bash had a lot of good qualities, but Bash had done nothing to sell himself to the team. As the Tetons’ center, the middle lineman who snapped the ball to the quarterback, Lucas knew it was their job to protect the quarterback. But it was a lot easier to protect someone you liked and admired. Bash assumed everyone thought he was as awesome as he did. But if the situation didn’t change, it would be a painful and short season.

Bash needed to come out of his shell, which was why Lucas had suggested the hike with Cal’s sisters. Self-serving? You bet. From the moment he’d signed the lease agreement, Lucas had looked for an opening to see the woman who’d intrigued him for years.

Most of the tables at Brewster’s were full, but thankfully, there wasn’t a line at the counter. Lucas walked toward it and scanned the crowd for Maggie. “What can I get you?” the older man asked, tossing a rag to the side.

“Is Maggie around?” Lucas asked, feeling foolish. The older man squinted and frowned.

“No,” he barked, leaning toward Lucas like an overprotective watch dog. “What can I get you to drink?”

Lucas read the beverage menu, looking for the most complicated tea-based drink. “Chai latte, please.”

“Hot or iced?”

“Hot.” The old man nodded and started to assemble the drink. “I’m a friend of Maggie’s, Lucas Rodriguez,” he said, reaching across the counter to shake the man’s hand.

“Jack, Maggie’s boss.” They shook hands before Jack poured boiling water over the black tea and spices. “How long have you known Maggie?”

“We went to Valley Community College together for a few years, and I’m now living with her brother.” Lucas hoped mentioning Cal would help. The Tetons logo on his shirt hadn’t seemed to impress Jack. “I’m guessing if you’re Maggie’s boss, you’re also the owner?” Jack nodded as he snapped the to-go lid into place. “Nice place. I must have hit a lull.”

“You did, and I was grateful for the break. I was second-guessing my decision to give Maggie Saturday mornings off so she could help her grandparents at the farmers’ market. The big one in Old Town Square. I think they’re on one of the outer rings. Thistlestone Ranch, you can’t miss it,” Jack said, his eyes twinkling. Mentioning their past and Cal had turned the guard dog into a lapdog, and Lucas mentally patted himself on the back.

“Is that so?” Lucas held the cup under his nose and inhaled the spicy aroma.

“Yep, but you didn’t hear that from me. I think they get an early start. They’d probably appreciate something to drink right about now.”

“Don’t suppose you’d know what they’d like?”

“No, but you can’t go wrong with flavored lattes, and I know Maggie likes a mountain of whip on hers.”

“Whatever you make will be great,” Lucas said, leaning on the counter and sipping his chai latte. The two men chatted easily as Jack steamed the milk and added flavoring to each extra-large cup. Jack’s admission of Maggie’s location wasn’t free. The flavored extra-large lattes with whipped cream were some of the most expensive items on the menu. “How long have you owned Brewster’s?”

“Long enough. Can’t wait to be done,” Jack said, ringing up the drinks.

“You’re selling?”

“Trying to.”

“Got a buyer on the line?”

Jack signed. “In theory, yes. But they’re taking their time. They’re saying all the right things and I know they’re interested, but I’m not seeing any action, you know?”

“Money talks, bullshit walks,” Lucas said, repeating one of his father’s favorite expressions.

“Exactly.”

“Maybe they’re waiting for your lease to expire?”

“Nah, I own this space. Everyone on the bottom floor owns theirs.” Lucas looked around the large space with fresh eyes. This space could be anything. It didn’t have to stay a coffee shop. Jack wrote the flavor on the side of each cup before placing them in the beverage carrier.

“How much seating do you have?”

“Fire marshal has us licensed for two hundred fifty. Lots of storage in the back.” With the wide spacing between the tables, Lucas knew the shop wasn’t set up to accommodate that many patrons.

“Enough room for a restaurant kitchen?”

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