Page 8 of Grateful Hearts

He looked back at Chantel and grinned. “My flight’s delayed.”

She laughed. “I think all the fights are.”

As they walked toward the gift shop, Zach felt increasingly guilty with each step. Once they were inside, Chantel found a rack of t-shirts emblazoned with various Baltimore landmarks. He told her to get something a little warmer, like a sweatshirt or another sweater, but she politely declined, saying that a T-shirt would be enough. Plus, the only sweatshirts they had were theBaltimore Orioles, and she was a Red Sox girl. Chantel picked out a soft, grey one, and Zach paid for it without hesitation.

“Thank you,” she said as they left the shop. “You really didn’t have to do that.”

“No problem,” he said with an apologetic smile. “How about I make it up to you further by buying you a coffee? I promise I won’t spill this one.”

Zach wasn’t sure what made him ask her that. Normally, he wanted to be left alone. Unless it was his family, he wasn’t much of a people person. Maybe that was because of his background.

Being a Marine assigned to MARSOC, the Marine Corps’ only Special Operations Unit, had its drawbacks, such as being around people. He was not a people person and hated crowds. Then again, he was questioning himself: why was he asking this woman whom he just met to have coffee with him?

He looked at Chantel, and it only took a second to know the answer to his question. She intrigued him. What most impressed him was her calmness and kindness when he was at fault.

Chantel smiled at him. “I could use a good coffee right now. But I need to change first.”

Zach grinned. “Of course.” He saw a small coffee shop that still had a few open tables. “How about I get us the coffee and grab a table while you go change?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“How do you like your coffee?” He asked, praying she wasn’t going to give some long-winded special coffee order.

“Black,” she said.

Zach did a double-take. “Black?” He repeated.

She grinned. “Yep. Just black. I’m simple.”

Zach smiled. “One black coffee coming up.”

Chantel laughed. “Thanks. I’ll be back in just a minute.”

Zach walked over to the coffee shop and placed an order for two black coffees.

As he waited for the barista to pour the coffee, he spotted Chantel heading his way. A faint grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as he spotted Chantel weaving through the crowd. But the closer she got, the more his grin faded. Her brow was furrowed, and her lips were pressed in a thin line. She was glaring at her phone screen. It was the total opposite look of what he’d seen from her in the small amount of time he’d known her, and curiosity stirred within him. By the time she reached him, the scowl was gone and replaced by a smile. However, it seemed a bit forced.

“Everything okay?” he asked, unable to keep the concern out of his voice. “Does your phone owe you money or something?”

She seemed a bit surprised that he asked. But that was just his nature. He was a great interrogator.

“Yeah. Sorry about that,” she said as she slid her phone into her bag.

He didn’t believe her one bit. But was it really any of his concern?

He grabbed the two cups of coffee, and they grabbed one of the small tables in the back.

Zach handed her one of the cups.

“Thank you,” she told him.

“You’re welcome. It’s the least I can do for spilling my first cup on you.” He looked at her shirt and grinned, looking at the crab on the front of it, which was designed in the Maryland state flag colors. “The shirt looks good on you,” he told her.

Chantel laughed. “It does, doesn’t it,” she joked, looking down at it.

Zach took a sip of his new coffee and looked at her curiously. “So, Chantel, where are you headed?”

“Knoxville,” she said, warming her hands around her cup. “You?”

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