Page 4 of Beautiful Crazy

I take one of the tables near the window so the sun can hit me. By the time I get out my laptop and set it up on the table, Laura Beth is back inside and behind the counter. After I order my second cup of coffee for the day—since I guzzled the one from the house on the way to drop Sutton off—and an Asiago bagel with cream cheese, I sit back at the table, pull out my laptop, put in my earbuds and turn on my white noise, and I get to work. The outside world easily fades away as my fingers fly over the keyboard, the story pouring out of me.

One of the things I love about working at this coffee shop is how effortless it is for me to concentrate. Yes, there’re customers coming and going, but there’s something about the relaxed atmosphere that allows me to really lose myself in my work. There are days when hours will pass without me even realizing it because I’m just that zoned in on the words being written on the screen.

I’ve been writing since I was a kid. My parents would get me journals that I would fill with the most outrageous stories. I’ve always loved it. It’s relaxing, and it’s fun getting to immerse myself in another world for a while. Live in a different reality for the duration of writing it. I’ve always had a vivid imagination, which is an excellent quality to have if you want to write fiction.

It was all just a hobby until I decided to publish my first novel about four years ago. Sutton was getting ready tostart kindergarten, and I wanted something to fill my day. So, I started taking writing more seriously. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Writing and my career are something that got me through some of the darkest moments of my life. It became my crutch. Something I could lean on when I didn’t know how to get out of bed some days. And writing became an outlet for some of my deepest thoughts and feelings. Writing saved me, and it’s what kept Sutton and I afloat in those early years after the accident.

I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here, working, when somebody sits down in the chair across from me. Lifting my eyes off the screen, my gaze connects with a newly familiar face that I didn’t expect to run into. He says something, but I can’t hear him with the white noise on.

Taking out the earbuds, I set them on the table. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch what you said,” I say meekly, offering him what I hope is a friendly smile.

He returns the smile with a warm one of his own. “I said, funny running into you again.”

Truth be told, I figured it was only a matter of time before I ran into the handsome out-of-towner from the pier last week. Sutton was with my sister, Grace, that evening. They were baking goodies for his cousin’s birthday, so I took the opportunity to catch the sunset at the beach. Something I rarely get to do anymore, especially alone. I don’t know what compelled me to sit next to Everett that day. It’s not something I would normally do. I’m not unfriendly, by any means, but I usually don’t go out of my way to talk with strange men at dusk either.

Breathing out a laugh, I say, “Well, it is a small town. Not many places to hide, I suppose.”

“That it is. I’m just waiting for my order,” he explains, gesturing toward the front counter. The way he looks at me makes my heart race in a way it hasn’t in a long, long time. “How are you this morning?”

“Can’t complain,” I say with a shrug. “Just getting some much-needed work done while fueling my mind with copious amounts of caffeine.”

“Sounds about right.” He laughs, and I can’t help but notice how the lines around his beautiful blue eyes crease as he does, and how his smile is so wide, the start of a dimple tries to break through on his cheek, but just on the one side. He’s dressed in business casual, in a pair of dark chinos and a cream-colored short-sleeve button-down shirt. His dark hair is styled neatly, unlike the day we met, when it was wind brushed and a little all over the place.

Just like that day, I think how attractive he is. How something about him has me wanting to talk more with him, though I’m not sure why.

Laura Beth calls his name, indicating his order is ready. He looks from her to me. “Well, I guess I better let you get back to work and I should do the same.”

“It was nice seeing you again,” I say genuinely.

Standing up and stuffing his hands in his pockets, he offers me a curt nod. “You too, Gemma. I hope to see you again soon.”

How he sounds saying my name sends a shiver down my spine. As soon as he picks up his coffee and the white bag of food, he leaves, but not before glancing over at me one more time, a smile splitting his handsome face. Like I knew she would, Laura Beth rushes over and sits in the same seat Everett was just in, her elbow propped on thetable, and her head rested in her palm. Her doe-eyed expression says it all, so I’m not surprised by what she says next.

“Girl, he iscute. He’s been in here a couple of times since last week, but before that, I’d never seen him before. How do you know him?”

I can’t help but chuckle. “Don’t get too excited, Laura Beth. It’s not that interesting.”

“I’m listening,” she chirps.

“Last Thursday, I went to the beach to watch the sunset while Sutton was baking with Grace, and he was there too. We got to talking, and it was kind of nice, honestly. That is, until Grace texted me, letting me know Sutton had just lost his dinner all over her kitchen floor.”

Laura Beth waggles her brows at me, and I laugh, rolling my eyes. She thinks every encounter is the next happily ever after—which should be my job, given I’m the romance author, but after everything that has happened in my life in the past few years, I tend to keep the love stories strictly fictional these days. I can’t help it.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I say, attempting to be stern. “It was just a simple conversation and nothing more.”

“Mmhmm, whatever you say.”

Shooing her away, I say, “Goodbye, you have customers waiting.”

Rolling her eyes dramatically, she tosses me a smirk before getting up and walking toward the counter.

I put my earbuds back in and turn on the white noise, attempting to get back to work. As I expected, I have a harder time getting into the zone this time, thoughts of Everett flitting through my mind. He intrigues me for a reason I don’t quite understand. Maybe it’s simply becausehe’s new in town, and newcomers are always intriguing. Or maybe it’s how effortless and comfortable our conversation was on the pier. It could even be the way—since heisnew in town—that he doesn’t know who I am, and doesn’t know my story, so he doesn’t look at me with pity like almost everybody else here does, even if it’s barely noticeable.

Okay, and if I’m being serious… maybe it’s also because he’s really cute.

Whatever the reason may be, he stays on my mind most of the day, but I’m still somehow able to get my work done before picking up Sutton from day camp. Everett had mentioned having to get to work himself… I wonder whereworkis for him. The answer to that will probably dictate how frequently we run into each other.

I guess time will tell.

---