Page 13 of Bittersweet

Logan got in and looked over at her with a hint of a grin.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He put the key in the ignition. “It’s good having you in my car again.”

She gulped, remembering the last time they had been in this car together—parked near Michigan Hill on a beautiful spring evening, overlooking the city, making out like they were never going to get another chance. Her heart stalled out when she realized that was the last time they’d been close like that. Less than a week later, he was gone.

The engine turned over a few times before starting. He put it into gear and took off, only to have it sputter loudly.

A laugh erupted from Harper. “Whose car sputters?”

Logan ignored her and drove toward the city. “What sounds good?”

Harper shrugged. She was tempted to pick the most expensive restaurant in town since he was buying, but she suggested a couple more affordable options, and they settled on Sundance Grill and Bar.

Once seated, Logan wouldn’t stop staring at her, and uneasiness settled over Harper, making her second-guess her decision to come out with him in the first place.

“You look good, Harper.”

She almost told him he looked good too, because he so did, but she checked herself before she let the words slip. “Thanks.”

“I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet, but I really like your shop. It just … feels like you. Warm and welcoming. It’s perfect.”

She didn’t respond, and several long beats of silence passed.

“The food is delicious too. I’ve never tasted a better croissant in my life.”

He wasn’t holding back in the compliment department. Was he buttering her up so she’d agree to work with him?

“Thank you.” She wished she could enjoy his kind words rather than questioning his true intentions, but everything he’d told her while they were a couple felt like a lie. How could she help but doubt him now?

They didn’t speak for several minutes, and the sounds of the restaurant enveloped them—people talking and laughing, the clinking of forks on plates, glasses being set on the bar and tables. A baseball game was playing on one of the televisions above the bar, and Harper stared at the screen, not really paying attention, but not really knowing what to say.

When the waitress arrived with their drinks, they finally spoke to give her their order.

Logan shook his head when the waitress left their table. “All right, this silence is ridiculous, so I’m just going to tell you why it’s the best idea in the world for us to partner up.”

Harper raised an eyebrow at him.

“For the food truck.”

She knew what he meant, but was glad he clarified. They weren’t partners in any other area of life. He had seen fit to ruin that.

Logan took a swig of his drink and sat up straight, going into full business mode. He explained the benefits of working together, of them helping to stock his truck with all their delicious goodies, of getting their name out there—not only in Grand Rapids, but around Michigan—at the various festivals and other events he took his truck to. He’d had some mild success so far and hoped to expand his reach in the coming years. If he did well, he hoped to add more trucks and hire more people. It was a pretty well-prepared proposal, and it all sounded good. On paper, the pros outweighed the cons. Savannah had been right. This seemed like a perfect opportunity for all of them.

But as she sat there listening to him, distracted by the way his lips moved when he spoke, she questioned whether this decision would be beneficial for her personally. Would she be able to set aside their past and be in business with him as friends. Could they even be just friends? One look into his eyes and she knew she couldn’t.

“So, what do you think?” He was watching her again in the way that made her knees go weak.

She couldn’t find her words and fiddled with the straw poking out of her soda.

“Harper?”

“We can’t be friends,” she blurted.

“What?”

“I think in order for us to be partners in this, we should be able to separate what happened in the past and be friends, or at least get along.”

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