Page 17 of Coffee Shop Girl
Her brow furrowed. The war returned to her gaze. “I-I think so. I’m not sure.”
“Do you want to return to Jim?”
“No. But...”
She said it so quickly, so softly, that for several moments I could only stare at her. “What’s stopping you?” I asked.
Anguish filled her gaze. “Mama,” she murmured.
Maybe Lizbeth felt some obligation to Jim. An allegiance or responsibility to take care of him, or something. Or maybe it was being drawn back to the only place Mama had ever existed for her. Severing Jim from her life could mean burying Mama all over again. I’d come to terms with Mama’s death years ago, thanks to Dad, but Lizbeth hadn’t had that support. Both of them seemed to still be reeling from her absence.
That only added to my fear.
“I don’t know if I can give you what you deserve and need,” I whispered, rushing to add, “I’m barely scraping by as it is. The coffee shop is ... not doing well. Even before you came, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to keep it open. And there’s the question of legality.”
“Iwon’tbe split up from Ellie.”
“I know. I just don’t know that I can promise to take care of you the way you need. I can ... I can barely keep groceries stocked for myself,” I mumbled.
Jada’s words ran through my mind.
There are really good families that can keep them safe.
CouldIkeep them safe? Run the coffee shop, get them to school, afford a place to live that wasn’t a single-room studio above a store? What we had here could only be a very temporary bandage. The three of us living in a tiny room worked for now, but we’d soon need our own space. On some level, in Lizbeth’s eyes, I could see that she understood.
“I’ll work,” she said hastily. “I’ll do whatever. I can sleep on the floor and run the coffee shop. I’ll even homeschool so you don’t have to worry about driving me anywhere. I swear I can make it so I’m almost invisible and—”
I stopped her with a hand on her leg. “You deserve better than invisibility, Lizbeth. Nor would I ever ask that of you.”
Lizbeth pulled in a deep breath. A hint of tears sparkled in her eyes. “Tell me before you tell Ellie, whatever you decide. I’ll need time to make a plan that will keep her from running away.”
Ellie peered through the glass door into the shop, the blanket still over her head.
Stated so matter-of-factly, the words felt like a knife through my stomach.
“Of course.”
Lizbeth hesitated, then opened the car door and stepped out. “Thanks.”
The gravel ground under her feet as she walked inside, Ellie disappearing through the doorway with her. Within moments, the lamp flicked on upstairs. I stared at the gentle glow of the light before throwing the car into reverse with a deep sigh.
At least I wouldn’t be so lonely.
6
Maverick
When I strolled into the coffee shop the next morning, the smell of coffee beans greeted me.
Bethany stood behind the counter, hat-free. She looked at me, then the clock. Light barely tinged the horizon outside. Despite the wide-open door, I suspected she hadn’t thought a customer would stroll in at 5:30 a.m.
“You’re ... up early,” she said.
No yoga pants today. A navy summer dress rippled in an early breeze, waving around her curved hips. Her hair billowed around her shoulders when she moved, falling to the middle of her arm. She seemed to be counting something behind the register. Bright-red lipstick outlined a pair of lips I couldn’t look away from.
“My team is on the East Coast,” I said, forcibly shifting my attention.Teambeing the new virtual assistant who would help me get this business running. While he worked on the setup there, I’d figure everything out here. “We’ll be getting started with meetings soon. Mind if I—”
I motioned toward the hole of an office I’d have to fold myself into.
