Page 47 of Love Me Fearless

“Definitely.”

“Straight up like Americano, or latte?”

“I like a good mocha,” he says, scanning the menu board hanging behind the register.

“Try the Chocolate Buzz. Or they make this orange peel cinnamon one that’s like dessert.”

“Yum.” He scans the glass case of muffins and scones. “Wow. Everything here looks good.”

The cashier looks up as the two people in front of us move to the pickup counter. “Hey, Doctor Greely!” she says, grinning.

“Sasha, nice to see you.” I’m conscious of the line behind us or I would take another minute to talk.

“You too!” She glances at Chris, her eyes twinkling like she’s figured out our purpose. “What can I get you guys?”

Chris waits for me to order my vanilla latte, then orders the orange peel mocha and a currant-oat scone. “You sure you don’t want something to eat?” he asks, shooting me a curious glance.

My stomach rumbles. “Okay, I’ll have an order of whole wheat toast with jam, please.”

“Great,” Sasha says, sliding a table number from her stash next to the register. “We’ll bring it right out.”

Chris pays with a tap of his card so fast I forgot to insist on splitting the tab.

“Where do you want to sit?” he asks, scanning the small dining area.

“Oh! There’s one.” I head for a table by the window overlooking 4th, near the back.

Once there, I realize I have the option of sitting in the chair facing the door. When I’m with Hutch, he always takes that one. I’ve never minded it, but in light of our recent conversation, it’s making me flustered. Sitting in what would be his chair feels mildly rebellious, but once I’m there, it makes me feel stupid and childish.

“I can see why you like it here,” Chris says, glancing around.

I shove Hutch out of my mind. “Tracy tells me you have a place in Finn River?”

He meets my eyes. They are nice eyes. Brown and steady. “Yeah. An A-frame cabin near Bear Mountain.”

“Do you like to ski?”

“Cross country, yeah. I haven’t downhill skied in ages.”

A server arrives with our order. “Need anything else?” she asks, plucking our number from the middle of the table.

“No, thanks,” I say.

Chris shakes his head.

Once our server retreats, I bring my latte to my lips. The dash of cinnamon across the foam blended with the vanilla is heavenly. I savor another sip, but it brings up an old memory of one of Hutch’s visits. He surprised me with an espresso machine and when I got home from class, he’d spent four hours perfecting my favorite coffee drink, but by then, he was so jacked on caffeine I took him on a seven-mile loop through the Presidio to work it out of his system. After he left, my attempts to recreate his perfection never came close. I still have the espresso machine even though I don’t use it. I should give it aw?—

“Did you grow up in Finn River?” Chris asks, snapping me back to the café.

Focus, Ava, for heaven’s sake!

“Yep, my parents moved here for my dad’s job before I was born.”

“I can see why they stayed. It’s such pretty area, with so much to do.”

“How long have you been with the Idaho National Laboratory?”

“Five years,” he replies, taking a sip of his coffee. He licks his lips. “Mmm, that’s tasty.”

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