Page 50 of Mountain Daddy

Ours.

Mine.

What should’ve been.

The thought still hits like a punch to the chest. I've had all night to process it, and it's no less devastating in daylight.

The question is why she ran. Why she kept him from me.

Lilly disappears into the back. Emerges with a tray of fresh scones. Sets them in the display case.

That's when she sees me.

Her hands freeze on the glass door. Her face goes pale.

I push off the wall. Cross the street. The bell chimes when I enter.

“Good morning, Lilly.”

She straightens, but her composure slips. “We're closed.”

I glance around. “Looks open to me.”

“Nikolai.” She sighs. “Go someplace else.”

“All I want is a coffee. You do sell coffee, don’t you?”

She stares at me. Those hazel eyes searching for my angle. Smart girl.

“What kind do you want?”

“Coffee. Black. No sugar.”

She begins to prepare the pot, but the truth is, I want something else entirely.

I want to know why she disappeared. Want to understand how she could keep my son from me for five years.

But I also want to help her. Want to fix whatever's broken in her world.

The dichotomy should confuse me. Instead, it clarifies everything.

Her hands shake as she fills my cup.

“Careful,” I murmur. “Don't want another wine incident.”

Her cheeks flush.

The coffee sloshes as she sets it down.

I take a sip. It's good. Rich. Better than anything I've had in Chicago.

“You're talented,” I say. “The coffee. The scones. All of it.”

“Thank you.” Wary. Waiting for the trap.

“Shame you're losing the place.”

Her shoulders tense. “I told you. Business is slow.”

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