Page 71 of Tides of Discovery
“They’ve been more popular than we expected,” I said. “Some customers have come back multiple times, trying to collect all ten designs.”
My mother looked between us, then around at the bustling shop. “It seems you’ve built quite a business here, Cooper.”
It wasn’t exactly praise, but coming from her, it was close. I felt Jack move closer to me, a silent show of support.
“I’ve tried to.” I shrugged. “It’s taken time, but days like today make it worth it.”
“Speaking of which.” Jack glanced at the line forming at the counter. “I should get back to helping. Nice seeing you, Lily. Ryan.” He nodded curtly to my mother. “Mrs. McKay.”
“He’s very devoted to you,” Mom said after Jack had gone.
Ryan shot me a look that said he was as surprised as I was by her tone, which wasn’t exactly warm but lacked its usual judgment.
“We look out for each other.” At least we had. I watched Jack seamlessly step in to help Jessica with a big order. “I couldn’t have done this without him.”
My mother sipped her coffee. Surprise flitted across her face. “This is actually quite good.”
“Cooper developed the flavor himself,” Ryan told her. “He’s been experimenting with different syrup combinations for weeks.”
Something that might have been respect flickered in my mother’s eyes. “You always were meticulous about your interests.”
The conversation shifted to other topics—Lily’s school projects, Ryan’s work at the bank. But I caught my mother watching the shop operations with growing interest. When I brought Lily a heart-shaped cookie, my mother actually smiled slightly.
Her gaze landed on Jack at the counter. “He seems to fit in.”
The simple statement, free of the usual criticism that colored her comments about my life, caught me off guard. “He does.” Jack interacted with customers with genuine friendliness and warm smiles.
So why was he so distant with me? It made no sense.
For a moment, I just watched Jack as he worked, the noise and hustle of the shop fading to the background. There was an ease to his movements, a confidence as he chatted with customers and slipped sleeves onto cups, that made my breath catch. Then Lily asked for more whipped cream and pulled my attention back to her.
My family stayed longer than I expected. My mother actually engaged in conversation with several regular customers who stopped by to say hello. When they finally prepared to leave, my mother paused.
“I’m…impressed, Cooper,” she said, the words clearly difficult for her. “With the business you’ve built.”
I was so stunned I could only nod.
“Perhaps your father and I misjudged the viability of this…endeavor.” Her gaze swept the packed shop once more.
“Thank you.” The words felt inadequate. “That means a lot.”
As I watched my mother walk out of the coffee shop, the bell chiming behind her, I found myself completely mystified by what had just transpired. This was the same woman whohad criticized nearly every decision I’d ever made, who had dismissed my dreams and questioned my choices at every turn. Yet she’d just complimented Jack, acknowledged how well he fit into my life, and done it all without a single barbed comment or passive-aggressive dig. I had no clue what had caused this shift in her attitude—whether it was seeing Jack fit into my life, seeing the success of the event, or something else entirely—but I wasn’t about to question it. For the first time in years, my mother had looked at something in my life and found it worthy of approval. Whatever had changed, I was grateful for it.
The lunch rush finally ended. It was still busy, but I couldn’t take Jack’s strange behavior any longer—the way he’d been avoiding my eyes all day, the careful distance he maintained whenever we passed each other behind the counter. I needed answers.
“Jessica, Marco,” I called out and untied my apron. “Can you two handle things for a bit? Jack and I are going to grab lunch.”
Jessica nodded, already moving toward the espresso machine. “Take your time.”
“Jack,” I said, my voice carefully neutral. “Let’s take a break. Grab a sandwich.”
He looked like he wanted to refuse, but after a moment’s hesitation, he plated a roast beef and cheddar sandwich and followed me into the office. The small space felt even more cramped with the tension radiating between us. Jack sat rigidly in the chair across from my desk, his Americano untouched, while I picked up my veggie panini with hands that weren’t quite steady.
“Okay.” I set my food aside, appetite gone. “What’s wrong? And don’t tell me you’re fine—you’ve been acting like a stranger all day.”
Jack’s jaw tightened, and when he finally looked at me, his eyes were filled with hurt so raw it took my breath away. “How can you even ask me that? After the text you sent last night?”
“What text?” Confusion washed over me. “Jack, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
