Page 8 of Cups of You

Her words had Amber’s eyes burning with tears, but she forced them back and gave her aunt a watery smile. They didn’t talk about Amber’s parents much since neither of them could do so without starting the waterworks. As far as Amber was concerned, all their feelings had been hashed out in the years of therapy they had attended. She didn’t actively avoid talking or thinking about her parents, but she brought them up sparingly.

“Thanks auntie. I haven’t gotten the position yet though.”

“You will,” she insisted not a hint of doubt in her voice. Her confidence never failed to lift Amber up and make her think of endless possibilities. It was that same confidence that had helped Amber get through her undergrad and then her PhD away from home.

“If they know what’s good for them, they’ll snatch you up in a heartbeat.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Amber squeezed her aunt’s hand back. “Now, what did you call me down here for?”

“Oh yes. Could you go to Sweet Beans and get my usual? I’m feeling a bit peckish and in need of some sweetness.”

“Sweet Beans?”

“The coffee shop.”

“Oh! Sure, that’s fine.” Amber sniffed herself again before frowning. “Maybe I should go shower first. The bleach is starting to give me a headache at this point.”

Jackie nodded. “And maybe fix your hair up a little.”

Amber’s hands flew up to the messy bun on top of her head. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

“Oh nothing…for cleaning around the house. But you know how people around here talk. Wouldn’t want to give them anything to chat about, you know?”

Amber agreed. Gossiping was the number one past time for most people in this town. “That’s true.” She stood up and walked towards the stairs. “Do you need anything before I go?”

“Nah, I’m good baby. I’m going to relax here and watch me some Real Housewives. You take your time and give Bennie my love.”

Sweet Beans was just as inviting as Amber remembered. She hadn’t been back since the first day she came to town and had forgotten just how damn smiley Benjamin was. It was the first thing she noticed when she walked through the door, the impish smile on his face when his gaze landed on her.

Jesus. Does the man ever frown?

She chastised herself for the rude thought. His smile wasn’t a bad thing. On the contrary, it was just as welcoming as the enticing scent of arabica that permeated the air. But Amber was still re-acclimating to how different people were here in Millensville compared to Chicago.

It wasn’t that people from Chicago never smiled, but most times people had things to do and not a lot of time to do them in. Smiles came second to getting shit done.

“Hey there. I was wondering if I would see you again.”

Amber raised an eyebrow wary about his friendly demeanor. Usually this was followed by some line about a date or some other such nonsense. “Oh?”

Benjamin nodded. “Your aunt would normally come by a few times a week to fill me in on the latest town gossip, but I’m sure she’s still resting. She gave us all a scare when we heard about her fall. I wish I had been there to help her.”

That was news to Amber. She knew that the town tended to rally around one another in times of need, but she hadn’t known that her aunt and Benjamin were so close. It made her feel slightly guilty about being so short with him. He looked at her as if waiting for her to comment. With a soft sigh, she gave in to his apparent need to be friendly.

“Well…she’s doing better. The doctor said they’ll do another x-ray in a few weeks to make sure she’s healing well and then see when she can get her cast off.”

Benjamin nodded. “Good. I’m glad she’s doing better. I wanted to come by and bring her a few of her favorites, but I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Why would you worry about bothering me?” Amber asked gaze sliding over to the bakery items in the display as her stomach rumbled. She had eaten breakfast but had been too pre-occupied with cleaning the house to come down for lunch when her aunt had called her earlier. “It’s her house not mine.”

“Well, yeah, but you’re there too right now. It would be rude to just show up if you’re busy.”

So damn polite,she thought to herself. This guy was on another level.

Most people in town had been annoyingly helpful dropping by casseroles that Amber had accepted with a forced smile before stacking them in the freezer for later. None of them had asked about coming over before knocking on the front door. The fact that Benjamin was asking instead of going with the herd was a half point in his favor.

“It doesn’t bother me if you come check on my aunt.” Amber shrugged before straightening back up. “If you bring some coffee when you stop by, I would actually be grateful. She only has that instant crap at home, and I forgot to get a coffee maker last time I went to the store for supplies.”

Benjamin’s smile widened, and a small flutter of attraction had Amber blinking quickly as she tried to make sense of it. That was certainly not the response she was expecting towards someone who was far from her usual type.

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