Page 97 of More Than Words
I glanced out the front window again.
Still, there was no sign of her.
Avery texted when Delaney had left the inn.She should have been back at the shop at least ten minutes ago.Had she seen the counter?Had she gotten the note?
I paced the length of the shop and wiped my palms on my jeans.
What if she wasn’t coming?
My heart thudded, slow and heavy.
What if it was too little, too late?
And then, the door opened.
I froze, and all the air escaped my lungs as she stepped inside.
Delaney.
Her hair was loose over her shoulders, her cheeks just a little pink from the cold…she looked beautiful.But uncertain, too.And vulnerable in a way that took my breath away.
“You came.”
She pulled her hand out of her pocket.She was holding the note.“I wasn’t given much of a choice,” she said with a small smile.“Not fair sending in reinforcements.”
“Sorry.”I shrugged.“No,” I added quickly.“I’m not.I needed to make sure you’d come.”
The smile slipped off her face.“I’m here.”She took a tentative step forward.“Thank you for the counter.It’s…it’s stunning, Ethan.I don’t know how to thank you.”
More than anything, I wanted to reach for her, but I didn’t want to spook her.I needed to move slowly and with certainty.“You can thank me by taking your coat off and staying for a minute.”I waved my arm behind me to encompass the table and the setup on the floor.
“Oh.”She shook her head slowly.“I didn’t expect this.”
I waited while she walked toward the table and took it all in before she looked up.“Is that beef stew I smell?”
“It sure is.”I held my hands out for her coat, which she gave me after a moment.“If you’re hungry.”
She hesitated, but only for a moment, before she said, “Honestly, what I could use is a drink.”
There was no stopping me from grinning.“I’m so glad you said that,” I told her.“Because I have just the thing.”I gestured for her to follow me to the bar.
I draped her coat over a stool before moving behind the bar to the brand-new tap that had been installed.“I have a new brew I really want you to try.”Before she could decline, I grabbed a pint glass and kept talking.“Truthfully, I’ve been working on this one for a while.”I filled one glass and then a second.“I’ve been trying to find the right balance.It’s bold.A little stubborn and kind of soft and special at the same time.”
She knitted her brows together and assessed me.
“But the best part is that it surprises you in the best possible way.”I handed her a glass.
“All that in a beer?”
I nodded seriously.“Wait until you try it.”
She gave me a skeptical look, but when I held my glass out, she met mine with her own in a clink and lifted it to her lips.
I took my own drink, but didn’t take my eyes off her, wanting to see every second of her reaction.
Delaney swallowed and looked at me.“It’s delicious.”
“You sound surprised.”
