Page 10 of Sweet Summer

I watch Freya hop up and accept his offer, taking away any chance I have to open the window a little more between us.

At least for tonight.

CHAPTER 6

Freya

“Ithink Wyatt tried to kiss me last night.”

I’m whispering to Maisey as I squeeze my way past her behind the counter to refill the cutlery tray after the breakfast rush. “I’m not sure, but it felt like it was about to happen.”

“What?” Maisey spins around so fast she almost takes down the red, white, and blue bunting draped on the counter with her wind speed. “Tell me more.”

“There’s nothing else to say. I think maybe, but I’m not positive. Things were a little?—”

“Awkward? Weird? With you, I’m willing to bet awkward is how it went.”

I smack Maisey in her arm before bending over to restock the forks. “I wasn’t awkward. I was surprised, if it was what I thought it was. And, like the last time this happened, I don’t think I handled it well.”

I look up to find Maisey staring at me. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t glare at me.” I groan as I stand up, then fill her in on the bike jump and subsequent bike crash and burnthat was last night. “When I was there looking down at him, I thought he was staring at my lips. He actually had a look that was smoldering. I finally understand what that word means. I was about to kiss him, but I saw my phone and…”

“You took the easy way out, didn’t you?” Maisey shakes her head as I nod mine. “You are so immature.”

“It’s not immaturity.” I glare at her. How dare she tell me the truth. Who does she think she is?

“You’re right, it’s fear. You’re scared of falling for your best friend, aren’t you?”

I don’t want to hear it because Maisey is usually right. I’m contemplating this when I see the man of the hour walking up to the counter in his dress blues smiling at me.

“Hello, Fire Marshall Wyatt. Need a coffee?”

“I’m a fireman. Not a Marshall.” He nods to Maisey who stands beside me. “Hey, Maisey.”

“Hot lips.” She nods curtly as he cocks his head to one side, cutting a look my way.

“What?”

“Nothing.” I wave the comment away and push Maisey toward the coffee machine. “Can you make Wyatt a coffee?”

She wiggles her eyebrows at me as she points to the box on the shelf at my feet. “On it. Can you hand me a filter and some coffee beans? They’re in that box there. For here, Wyatt, or do you want to take it to go?”

My head is buried in the box when I hear the lilt of another female’s voice chime in, answering for him.

“He’ll have it here, Maisey. He’s joining our table.”

I stand up, and fast, to find one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen in my life standing in front of me with her arm looped through Wyatt’s. Her auburn hair is twisted back into a French braid, and her skin is porcelain perfection, dewy and fresh. She looks like she stepped off thepages of a magazine while I pretty much smell like crab cake sandwiches and look like a wet french fry.

When she sees me, her eyes light up. “Are you Freya?” She holds out her hand. “I’m Dylan. It’s nice to meet you.”

My jaw goes slack. “You’re Dylan?”

“I think my dad wanted a boy, so he and Mom compromised on my name.” She’s still holding out her hand, which I finally limply take and pump a few times in hello. Satisfied, she turns her attention back to Wyatt. “I’ll be at our table going over our plan for the raft race, then we’re heading down to the starting line. Join us before you go?”

Wyatt nods, and I find myself wondering when he was going to tell me his good friend Dylan was a straight-up supermodel/angel who accidentally landed in Lake Lorelei. Who is this woman?

“Freya?” Broken from my thoughts, I realize Wonder Woman is looking at me. “Do you want to join us this morning?”

---