Page 74 of Choosing Forever
“A date?” she squeals, unable to help herself this time. Too bad she forgot to reach for her coffee.
“Only in your brother’s eyes. I’m still trying to figure out what he’s trying to accomplish here.”
“I mean, from that, I’m sure I could piece it together.”
“You say that as if it’s easy to understand, though. I mean, why now? After all these years? It doesn’t make sense.”
Poppy keeps smiling, not sharing my confusion. “Let him explain himself, then. Knowing my brother, he has a plan. You could throw a curveball into it and demand answers if you really wanted. He never could keep a secret when it came to you.”
“I’ll think about it. I need a few more days to just process all of this,” I say.
“Understandable. Let him wait, Della. He deserves it.”
I return her smile and let myself relax again in her company.
“I’m going to get something to eat. I think they have the cherry turnovers again; do you want me to snag you one?” I ask, already pushing away from the table.
“Please.”
“Got it. Be right back.”
I move through the shop at a slow pace, content with enjoying the lack of line in front of the counter. It’s quite empty in here for a Saturday morning. I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone was still sleeping after last night’s rave of a farmer’s market. Apparently, Eliza Steele brought the moonshine that Johnny’s started making in his back shed, and it was a huge hit.
That would explain the hollering and terrible singing I heard on the street at two in the morning.
I’m eyeing the case of pastries on the counter when the bell above the door rings. The barista slides in front of the till at the same second I check to see who’s walked in. Bryce’s signature scowl greets me before I drop my gaze to the little girl standing beside her.
Abbie Huntsly waves at Poppy, instantly spotting her and heading right for the table.
Our table.
24
DELANEY
Darren’s daughterplops into the seat between Poppy’s and mine and beams at her aunt. Bryce follows close behind, a silent guardian who everyone in this town knows not to mess with.
Abbie’s quite literally a bundle of joy. With her typical braided pigtails, a floofy dress that looks like it could have been snagged right off the rack at a beauty pageant, and scuffless white flats, she’s nothing short of a princess. The natural blush to her cheeks enhances the slight dimple in her left cheek that she got from her dad. It’s not all she got from Darren, but for some reason I refuse to pinpoint, it’s the one that I always seem to focus on.
Bryce pushes the back of Abbie’s chair in and examines the coffee I’ve abandoned before glancing directly at me. I lift my hand to wave, knowing she’s already noticed me creeping on the table. She quirks a corner of her mouth and wiggles her fingers.
“Delaney? Did you want to order something?”
I jump at the voice, whipping my head back around to look at the barista, who apparently knows my name. “I’m sorry. Yes, please. I’ll do two cherry turnovers.”
“You got it,” she says, luckily not pointing out my brain lag.
“Actually, could you make that three? And a sprinkle donut?”
She nods and adds the extra pastries to my order before telling me the total. I’m on autopilot as I pay for the food and take a step back to wait for her to slip them into a paper bag.
“You look like a real-life princess, Abs. Where did you get your dress?” Poppy asks, the café too empty not to hear every word of their conversation.
Abbie’s high-pitched, sweet-as-icing voice hides the crinkle of the pastry bag. “Dad ordered it on the computer! He let me pick it.”
“Oh, trust me, we can tell it wasn’t him who chose it,” Bryce says.
Poppy laughs. “Be nice, Ice. Darren’s fashion sense isn’t that terrible. At least not anymore.”
