Page 13 of Home Field Advantage
It’s no one’s fault but my own, I remind myself.
“Yeah, I made it,” a deep voice says directly behind me.
The sound travels down my spine, and I feel a shiver run through me. It’s most definitely not a voice I’ve heard before. Not that I’ve listened to everyone in town speak before, but after Lily dropped that news on me, it has my brain going right to the voice of said celebrity.
“I’m exhausted. It was a long drive.” A pause. “Uh huh.” Another pause. “Yeah, I met with that woman named Nan? She gave me the keys to the place, so I’m all set.”
This time, the hairs on my arm stand tall. The voice coming from behind me—and I’m talkingrightbehind me—is so close that if I stepped back, I would probably bump into him. It’s the person moving to town.
I let my eyes fall closed. I fight the urge to turn around and see who this person is and if I recognize him from somewhere on TV.
“Excuse me,” he says with a tap on my shoulder.
My eyes fly open, and the contact has me stepping forward and swinging around to face him. His eyes widen only for a moment at my abrupt turn, but then quickly soften as he stares at me.
“I have to go,” he says to the person on the phone and hangs up without waiting for a response.
He doesn’t take his eyes off me as he clicks end on the call and shoves it into the back pocket of his jeans. It’s hard to distinguish the color of his eyes with the baseball cap sitting low on his head. Almost as if he’s trying to remain incognito.
Seconds pass. Or minutes? Hell, maybe hours, that we both stand here facing each other. I can’t understand why my feet won’t move. Why won’t my head turn to look away? Why is breathing hard all of a sudden?
Who the hell is this man?
“Are you okay?” he asks, bending down slightly and leveling with me.
I didn’t realize until he had to bend down how tall he was. He’s gotta be six feet tall. Clean face, no hair peeking out from under his hat, and now, he’s wearing a wicked smile that could melt me right here on the spot.
And that’s the thought that snaps me out of whatever this is.
I don’t think about men like this.
Ever.
“Yes,” I answer the question I vaguely remember him asking, and I turn around to see that Autumn is waiting at the register for me to order with a sinister grin across her face.
“Shut up,” I whisper to her through gritted teeth and school my features. “Good morning.” I smile widely as if that didn’t all just happen.
“Morning, Poppy,” she says, my name a decibel higher.
I roll my eyes.
“What can I get you this morning?” she asks.
“I’ll have…” I pause, forgetting what I always order. I want to scream at the way this morning is going for me. I have never felt more out of control than I do at this moment.
Autumn cuts through my thoughts. “A large iced cold brew with one pump of vanilla, two pumps of pecan flavor, and milk?”
I nod once, release a breath, and watch as she moves behind the counter to make my drink.
“Excuse me,” the man says again.
I’m not startled this time, but I turn slowly to face him. That same smile stretches wide across his face, and it’s doing things to me I can’t control. It’s making my heart race, and words are strangely hard to find.
“I’m new in town,” he says, answering my thoughts. “Is this the only coffee shop?”
“Yes,” Autumn answers defensively, and I feel her moving around behind me to keep the line going.
“Well, okay then.” He laughs.
