Page 3 of No Going Back
It had almost been a relief when he went back to Seattle, removing the distraction of his daily visits to The Baking Rack and the temptation to hope that maybe one day she could have all the things Mae had.
That maybe one day she could have someone like him.
Griffin leaned back, looking down the line of empty cases. “Looks like you sold out.” He refocused on her. “Guess I’ll have to come earlier tomorrow.”
Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing him again. Clearly it hadn’t gotten the message she’d been beating into her brain since Griffin first showed up in Moss Creek, tilting her world and her goals. “If you know what you want I can set it aside for you. Or I could—” Dianna bit off the rest of the offer, stopping herself from continuing on.
It was still too easy to slip back into her old way of thinking. Into people pleasing and trying to earn attention and affection. It was what allowed her to be broken down and abused. Manipulated and controlled. It took her power and gave it away.
And she’d worked too hard to steal it back.
“No way.” Griffin moved down the glass fronts. “I’m a grown man and I know the way things work around here.” He paused in front of the single tray that still held cookies. “Those look interesting.” He crouched down, eyes narrowing a little as he read the sign next to them. “Chocolate, Cherry, Macadamia Nut Chews.” He lifted his gaze to hers. “I’m surprised you didn’t sell out of these.”
“It’s the second time I’ve tried a chocolate and cherry combination.” She finally gave in and smoothed out her apron, trying to flatten the front in a way that would hide the curve of her stomach. “It doesn’t seem like cowboys like it as much as I do.”
“I guess it’s my lucky day then, because I love chocolate and cherry.” Griffin stood up, all his attention zeroed in on her. “I’ll take all of them.”
It was difficult not to fidget under his gaze, so she crouched down to hide from it instead. “Sounds like the perfect dinner to me.” Dianna retrieved a box from under the counter and worked on folding it into shape.
“I can’t imagine you spend too many dinners eating leftover cookies.” Griffin’s eyes followed her as she loaded up his order. “You probably have all kinds of m—”
The bell on the door rang as a group of waitresses from The Watering Hole walked in, chatting and laughing until their eyes landed on Griffin. Then they all went quiet, smiling sweetly as they passed him, sneaking peeks as they moved around the bakery.
She couldn’t blame them. Griffin was real easy on the eyes. He also seemed friendly and kind and respectful.
But lots of men seemed friendly and kind and respectful before you really got to know them. Then their true colors came out.
Dianna did her best to ignore the way the pretty young women watched Griffin as he pulled out his wallet and stepped to the register. She also did her best to ignore the way her foolish heart wanted to believe he might be different from the men of her past.
That maybe Griffin really was as friendly and kind and respectful as he seemed.
It didn’t matter. Even if she was the kind of woman who would snag his attention, dating was off the table. It was a promise she’d made herself.
And she’d broken so many of those already. Too many.
So Dianna slid the box across the counter, forcing herself to treat the man on the other side as if he was any other customer. “Anything else?”
Griffin’s eyes moved down the backside of the displays to focus on her beverage station. “Do you have any coffee made?”
“I do, but it’s not as fresh as what you’d get down at Blue Moon.” She tried her best to do for others what Mae did for her, sending people to the local coffee house whenever she could. Reminding them they could purchase the same coffee she made in bulk directly from the roaster, along with a whole lineup of specialty drinks instead of just the drip and lattes she made.
“I know you tell me it’s the same stuff, but I like your coffee better.” Griffin leaned against the counter again, looking unhurried. “You must have the magic touch.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. She’d been working hard to accept compliments when they came her way, but that one was too ridiculous to claim. “I think you just like boring coffee.”
Griffin continued grinning as she pulled out a cup and filled it from the carafe. “I drank nothing but Folgers for years, so this is fancy coffee to me.”
“Folgers isn’t bad.” She capped the cup and added an insulated sleeve before sliding it across the counter, intending to leave it next to the box of cookies.
Griffin reached for the cup immediately, his fingers wrapping around hers, lingering over her skin, proving they were just as deliciously rough as she expected. “But it’s not as good as the coffee you make me.”
The way he said it almost felt intimate. As if she put together the grounds and water just for him.
Unfortunately, tomorrow morning it might not be far from the truth.
As much as she wanted to think Griffin’s reappearance wouldn’t change anything, it absolutely would. Now she would always be looking for him. Waiting to see his silvery hair and crinkled eyes walk into the bakery. Hoping she might run into him on the street. That was what happened last time he came to Moss Creek and there was no reason to think this time would be any different.
Because as much as she’d been trying, change was hard.
