Page 70 of Tides of Discovery
Jack grinned, coming alive as he interacted with them. “That would ruin the surprise. But feel free to come back and try your luck again.”
By eight-thirty, a steady stream of customers filled the shop, some with coupons in hand. By nine, there was a line out the door. Marco had arrived to help, but even with the four of us, we were constantly in motion.
Jack settled into a rhythm at the pickup counter, adding sleeves to cups with the efficiency of someone who’d been doing it for years, not someone who’d stepped in as a favor to a friend.
Now and then throughout the morning rush, my gaze would find Jack’s, searching for some hint of what was troubling him. But every time our eyes met, his would immediately slide away, as if he couldn’t bear to hold the connection for more than a heartbeat. The distraught expression on his face made my chest tighten with worry. Something was very wrong, and every instinct I had was screaming I needed to get him alone and find out what. But customers kept streaming through the door, orders kept coming, and the Valentine’s Day rush showed no signs of slowing down, leaving me trapped behind the espresso machine while Jack suffered in silence just a few feet away.
The bell chimed, drawing my thoughts away from Jack. Isabelle swept in with the seniors group from the community center. Jack immediately moved to help them find seating. He pulled tables together and charmed the older women with an ease that made several of them blush.
“Cooper!” Isabelle called and made her way to the counter. “This is even better than I imagined. The whole town is talking about it.”
Pride swelled in my chest. “We’ve had a great turnout so far.”
“And those coffee sleeves are brilliant. People are collecting them like trading cards. Kathy Johnson already has six different ones and is trying to convince her husband to come back later for more coffee just to complete her collection.”
I laughed. “Tell her we’ll be doing this all day. She’s got plenty of time to collect all ten.”
Isabelle’s eyes sparkled. “The sayings are so clever. Having Jack in your life sparked your creative side. You two are good for each other.”
The comment shouldn’t have affected me—I’d heard similar sentiments all week. But something about it resonated differently today as I watched Jack hold a chair for Mrs. Abernathy. Hewasgood for me. That much was undeniable.
Was I good for him? Perhaps Jack was seeing that being with me meant being a target, meant dealing with problems that weren’t his to solve. Was he rethinking our entire relationship, wanting to end our boyfriend bargain and retreat to the safety of friendship? Or, worse, was he so tired of the complications I brought into his life that he wanted to end our friendship altogether? The thought made me physically heartsick, a nauseating ache spreading through my gut as I imagined losing not just my boyfriend but my best friend—the person who knew me better than anyone, who’d been the smooth blend to my bitter brew through every crisis.
The question lingered as the morning progressed into the afternoon. Jack never flagged, never complained, and just kept working with a dedication that matched my own. Whenever customers complimented the event, he immediately directed the praise to me, despite how integral he’d been to its creation.
Around one o’clock, as I was restocking the coffee sleeves, the door chimed again. I looked up out of habit. Ryan had just walked in. Lily bounced excitedly beside him. But, unexpectedly, my mother trailed behind with a tight smile. I froze.
“Uncle Cooper!” Lily called and darted through the crowd toward me.
I scooped her up automatically, my eyes still on my mother. I hadn’t seen her since our confrontation two days before. That she was here on our busiest day yet sent a jolt of anxiety through me.
“Look at all the hearts!” Lily exclaimed, oblivious to my tension. “Is Uncle Jack here too?”
“He’s over there helping customers.” I pointed to where Jack explained the Valentine’s specials to a couple of tourists.
Ryan approached, an apology in the depths of his eyes and on his drawn forehead. “Mom insisted on seeing what all the fuss was about. The event is all over the local Facebook groups.”
“It’s fine,” I said, though we both knew it wasn’t. “Nice to see you, Mom.”
She nodded stiffly, and her critical gaze swept the packed shop. “It’s certainly busy.”
“Cooper!” Jack called and weaved through the crowd toward us. “We need more of the…” When he spotted my mother, his expression shifted instantly to cool politeness. “Mrs. McKay.”
“Jack,” she said, her tone equally reserved.
Lily squirmed in my arms and reached for Jack. “Uncle Jack! Do I get a special coffee cup, too?”
Jack’s demeanor gentled immediately for Lily. “Yep. How about hot chocolate with extra whipped cream because it’s Valentine’s Day?”
“Yes, please!” She wrapped her arms around his neck, and something in my mother’s expression changed as she watched them. A softening.
“I’ll get that started for her,” I told Jack. “Can you show Ryan and Mom to that open table by the window? I’ll bring their drinks over.”
Jack nodded, his posture relaxing slightly as he guided my family through the crowd. Lily chattered excitedly in his arms.
I prepared Lily’s hot chocolate with extra care, added a mountain of whipped cream and a squirt of chocolate syrup in the shape of a heart. When I brought it to their table, along with Valentine’s Day lattes for the adults, my mother was watching Jack explain the coffee sleeve designs to Lily.
“And people are collecting them?” my mother asked as I handed her a cup.
