Page 29 of Coffee Shop Girl
Ellie sank further into her sleuthing, and Lizbeth remained firmly entrenched in the arms of her romance. I slipped back down the spiral stairs, a quick retort ready for whatever Maverick would say.
But by the time I wandered back downstairs, he was gone.
* * *
Kin metme at the better of the only three places to eat in town: Carlotta’s Italian Restaurant.
Jada had taken the girls to her place to give them a change of scenery. She’d feed them home-cooked food from her childhood like she always had for me. Grits and shrimp. Jambalaya. Gumbo. It filled the belly and the soul, and I wished I was there with them instead.
Annoyingly enough, the thought of meeting Maverick here at Carlotta’s flittered through my mind and propelled me out the door. I shoved it away.
No need to stir that pot.
Candles glowed with an uncharacteristically romantic ambiance that made me uncomfortable. Surely Kin wouldn’t think we were anything but friends? Kin, already seated in a booth, smiled and stood as I approached.
“So good to see you again, Bethany.”
His sleek good looks, short dark hair, and kind eyes made him the catch of the town. Even though I didn’t want to date him, itwasgood to see him. Stephanie, who owned the restaurant, hummed under her breath as she passed by. I inwardly cringed at her knowing look.
Sometimes, life in a small town really got on my nerves.
“Thanks for meeting me, Kin.”
He put a hand on my arm and motioned to the booth with another. His touch felt distinctly routine, as if he did this with everyone. It had been a while since I’d touched anyone. With Dad gone, and the coffee shop keeping me busy, touch was a long-lost commodity. One I desperately missed. My mind wandered to Maverick again. What would those calloused hands feel like? That stubbled beard? I’d soak him up like a sponge.
I yanked my brain firmly back.
Kin had grown up in Pineville with his parents, but moved away to attend college a few states over. When he finished law school and passed the bar exam, he set up a practice in nearby Jackson City—only forty-five minutes away when driving through the canyon. He commuted back to Pineville every weekend to stay with his sick mother.
Tonight, he seemed fairly bright-eyed, which meant she must be doing well.
“How have you been?” he asked, unfolding a napkin on his suit pants. He wore a crisp white shirt, the sleeves rolled halfway to his elbows in a casual look that made this feel less like an official consultation. My tense shoulders relaxed further.
“Ah ... busy?” I said.
Drowning. Trying not to scream. Terrified of debt. All applied.
“A good thing.” He smiled, then motioned for Stephanie, who instantly appeared with menus in one hand and a cradle of buttery breadsticks in another. My stomach growled.
“For my favorites,” she said with a purr, then disappeared. She didn’t ask for our drink orders. She already knew I’d want sparkling water. Kin would take beer. The perk to living in a small town, as excruciating as it could be in many respects.
“You?” I asked, reaching for a breadstick. He leaned back, still affecting a professional demeanor.
“Delightfully busy. The practice is going well. I’ve had some intriguing cases, and I love the clients that I work with. Things are good right now.”
“That’s exciting, Kin. I’m happy for you.”
The wordsright nowlingered with something heavy. With his mom sick, there was no telling when all that could change for him. Still, work must be a stable spot. An escape. If he loved his work so much, then once his mother died, maybe throwing himself into long hours would be a relief. Although I couldn’t imagine myself excited to work long hours at the coffee shop.
A bite of bread distracted me from the sudden bad taste in my mouth.
Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I looked over to see a familiar pair of broad shoulders in the doorway. Maverick looked like another local with his dusty black beard. He wore a baseball hat and gave a warm smile to Stephanie as she bustled over.
I turned away, belly hot.
Of course he’d show uphere.
“So.” Kin laced his fingers in front of him. “I have a feeling this meeting isn’t a friendly break-the-ice kind of thing. Is everything all right, Bethany?”
