Page 34 of Coffee Break with the Billionaire

Edie grins. “But I could still use some help. So, thanks. Shopping? Tomorrowmorning?”

I lift my cup. “I will make the time.” It’s nice to have a plan. But it’s more than that—I’ve missed having my friends around. Edie and I aren’t friends—yet—but it’s a start.

“What else have you been doing?” she asks as she sips her coffee.

“Not much of anything,” I confess. “I bought a car.”

“Youboughta car.”

“It seemed easier than renting one. It’s a Dodge Charger. It’s yellow.”

“You bought Coy Schmidt’s car?”

“Yes, him. Strange name.”

“Strange man. Are you sure the car is a good one?”

“My brother isn’t the only one who knows about cars. I took it for a drive last night and it runs great. I ended up at this lighthouse.” I hesitate for a moment. “Silas was there.”

“Looking at the stars.” She smiles as she stands to refill our cups. “He’s our one-man NASA. He should have been an astronaut but it’s not like we have a space program.”

“He seems to know a lot about what’s up there. He was telling me names—”

Edie’s eyes snap to attention. “He took you star-gazing?”

“There was no real taking. I was there, he was there. Nephew Wyatt was there too. Why?”

Suddenly shrewd brown eyes study me. “Silas is a great guy. One of the best.” Edie’s tone turns cool and cautious.

One of the best. And I’m not. That’s what Edie is getting at.

“He seems nice,” I offer.

“Verynice. We’re cousins, so I’m biased. There’s no one to compare to him around here.”

“So where’s the Mrs. Silas?”

Edie sighs as she adds milk and sugar. “There was someone a few years ago,” she admits. “Mia Khan. They were completely and utterly in love, but then she wanted to leave Battle Harbour for some reason. And Silas wouldn’t hear about it, and so she left without him.”

“Why wouldn’t he leave if they were so perfect?”

“Wyatt. And the coffee shop. Silas is extremely loyal. Family is all for him.”

More than the love of his life? Hmm… I’d do a lot for Ashton, but not give up on love. And one of Silas’s expressions from last night makes me wonder if that’s what he’s done.

Because look at the man—he’s the whole package.

“Wyatt seems like a cool kid,” I offer.

“He’s more like his son. Have you heard about Silas’s sister?”

I’m finished with my bagel but stay put if Edie is about to spill the tea. “Not a lot, but Wyatt made it sound like she took off.”

“He was four months old. Emily was seventeen and wanted nothing to do with having a baby. She… I think it’s probably better that she left,” she finishes. “Silas and his parents gave Wyatt more stability than Emily ever could.”

“She’s never been back?”

“Never once in sixteen years. And no one was really surprised. Silas was fourteen when she left, and he was justdevastated. He adored her. His parents too. She broke their hearts, and never coming home is just cruel.”

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