Page 78 of Shy Girl
“T-tomorrow?”
He shook his head. “Not soon enough. She wants you tonight.”
“I was j-just there l-last n-night!”
He shrugged. “Abuelagets what she wants.”
“I-I'll be th-there.”
“She likes you better than me,” he mumbled.
Laughing, I pulled away and shot him a you-better-behave glare as a customer approached the store from outside. He stayed behind the counter as two college-aged men strode inside. He moved a little closer and cast a stern gaze on them.
“They aren't g-going to eat m-me,” I muttered under my breath. “C-calm down.”
“Maybe,” he drawled. “Maybe not.”
When the two college students proved they wouldn't leap across the counter and endanger my life, Jayson backed away as I completed the orders. He sat at his usual table and watched me work. Once I finished, he beckoned me with a hand. I grabbed his favorite mug, already filled with black coffee just the way he liked it, and joined him. He pulled me into the bench next to him and linked our fingers together.
We talked about his day. My day. The way fall was giving way to winter, and snow flurries were expected tonight. The conversation was punctuated by bursts of chilly air outside when new customers slipped in.
“How's the last class going?” he asked as he finished off the last of his coffee.
“B-beautifully. On t-track to graduate in D-december.”
“We should have a party.”
“Oh?”
He fingered my left hand ring finger but said nothing. I stifled a smile. Hernandez liked to pretend he was so macho and quiet and secretive, but he sucked at it. He'd been eyeballing my ring size for weeks now.
I had no doubt that agraduation partymight also end up being anengagement party.
Whenever it happened, the day that Jayson proposed to me was the day I would tell him about Anthony. Rage-fueled or not, Ihadmade a promise to Anthony that I wouldn't betray. No one would know about my parentage. But neither would I keep a secret from my husband. So once Jayson tethered himself to me that way, I would tell him.
And I know he wouldn't care.
“Your Mom good?” he asked.
“Yeah. Got her new grinder in, so she's happy.”
“Still trying to source bee pollen?”
I tilted my head back and laughed. “She is. You wouldn't believe the weird conversations she's having with people.”
He grinned. “I'll call her tonight about the shelves in the garage. Just about done putting them up, then she can store some of that stuff in there.”
I smiled adoringly at him. “Thank you.”
“Oh, the Idiots are getting together next month. Going to start a yearly retreat.”
My ears perked up. Something had happened at the wedding to pull the Merry Idiots back together. Jayson didn't go into details, but I had a feeling he was responsible for it. Whatever it was.
“Yeah.” He grinned. “We'll take turns being in charge. Vik is starting it off. He wants to do an arctic expedition with sled dogs.”
I burst out laughing, then sobered when Jayson didn't follow suit.
“Is h-he s-serious?”
