Page 55 of Haven Bound
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Chelsea
As soon as Jasonis out of sight, I spin around and brace my elbows against the counter, leaning down to rest my head in my hands as I focus on taking deep, calming breaths. I refuse to let him affect me the way that he used to. Iwillget my shit together, and Iwillgo about the rest of my day without giving him a second thought.
The day continues like any other Sunday, and I find myself making friendly small talk with each customer that comes in. Hailey texted that she got caught up with something at work, but we made plans to meet for a late lunch. I’ve already put in a phone call to the customer whose order I need to deliver and confirmed the delivery time and location. I don’t typically make deliveries, but when one of my most loyal customers requested it, I couldn’t say no. They’ve sent so much business my way, the least I can do is make an exception and deliver this small order for them.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I shoot off a quick text message to Austin.
CHELSEA
Hey, Handsome! I’m running out to deliver that order I told you about & then grabbing lunch with Hailey!
Three little dots pop up, signaling that Austin is typing out a response, and I drag my teeth over my bottom lip as I wait for his message to come through. Butterflies swarm my stomach as warmth fills my body. I don’t think I’ll ever get over the way he makes me feel.
AUSTIN
Sounds good, baby. I’m just wrapping up a meeting.??
I can’t wait to see you later.??
Be safe driving. Don’t forget to turn your location on. ??
Please?
I smile and shake my head at the back-to-back text messages. We’d discussed sharing our locations when we moved into the penthouse. I’ll admit that I thought it was a bit much at first, but I can’t deny that I feel safer with him knowing where I am. I’m so terrible with directions. If my car were to break down, I’d likely have a hard time explaining to him where I was. It’s just easier this way.
CHELSEA
It’s on. Wanna check???
AUSTIN
All good.??
Thank you, Sunflower.
I love you.
??The neighborhood where the directions take me is on the outskirts of Haven Beach, an area that's filled with small older homes. I have become so used to living at Hailey’s, and now at the hotel, that I’d forgotten how removed some of these older housing establishments can feel from the coastal vibe that comes with being close to the beach.
The home that I’m delivering to is a small paneled white house with a navy blue front door and shutters. Paint is peeling from the building in several areas, but the home seems to be in otherwise decent condition. The lawn is neatly trimmed, and several potted flowers decorate either side of the house. To be honest, it looks like the perfect cozy family home and I'm not here to judge. The customer that ordered has been a loyal customer since the first week I opened, and I am so incredibly grateful for their ongoing support.
After shooting off a text message to let them know I’m here, I step around to the back of my car and open up the trunk to gather the few boxes for this delivery that I’d kept in place with some non-slip shelf liner. It was such an easy trick to keep the boxes secure, ensuring nothing would slide around while I was driving. Balancing the few boxes in my arms, I use my elbow to close the trunk and carefully make my way to thefront door. Thankfully, there aren’t any stairs to climb. That would’ve made this a little bit more challenging.
There’s a small table to the side of the front door, and I set the boxes down on it before turning to knock on the front door. Nothing but silence comes from the other end. I know that I triple-checked the delivery address before leaving Buttersweet, but I pull my phone out to check it again just in case.
Okay, right address. So where are they?
I knock one more time and wait another minute before leaving the boxes sitting on the side of the table and walking around to the side gate. Maybe they're setting up for a party and nobody's inside to hear me knock. But it's silent. It doesn't seem like anybody is here.
I tilt my head back, closing my eyes as I exhale a heavy breath. I just wasted a chunk of my day driving out here to deliver an order for someone who’s not even home. Just as I was coming to terms with having to take the boxes of treats back to the bakery and contacting the customer about the failed delivery attempt, the engine rumble of a car pulling up to the house shakes me from my thoughts.
Oh, thank god.
They must’ve just been caught up running last-minute errands for their party and lost track of time. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times Quinn and I have been left standing around, waiting for a customer to show up. Unfortunately, it happens far more often than you would think, and that’s part of why I don’t typically take delivery requests unless it’s for an event at a venue where I know staff will be present. I made an exception for this customer because of their loyalty to my bakery, but this is an exception I likely won’t bemaking again.
Heavy footsteps sound behind me, and I force a smile across my face, spinning around to greet the customer. The smile immediately falls, my brows pinching and face dropping into a frown as Jason stalks towards me. My breath catches in my throat, and I instinctively back up, reaching up to tap my Bluetooth earbud and giving the command to "call Austin".
