Page 76 of Desired Hearts
“Not sure why we took the pact anyway,” Beck mumbled, handing me the paint can.
I didn’t respond since there wasn’t much to say. He was right. But for some reason he seemed to give Mason a pass. Of the three of us, his parents’ marriage wasn’t fucked up. Just the opposite, but his dad did live with a broken heart when his mom died.
No one talked for a while, which gave me time to think. Time to imagine a scenario where things didn’t work out between us, where Delaney and I split up but still saw each other through Mason and Pia.
Stop. There’s no reason to think that way. Things are great between us.
My girlfriend. It had been a long time since I’d called anyone that, and even longer since I’d felt this way about a woman. This all-consuming need to be with her. Constantly thinking about Delaney when we weren’t together.
It was fun. Exciting.
And scary as hell too.
28
DELANEY
I was meeting Jules and Pia at The Coffee Cabin for a little Sunday Funday brunch when I saw it. Stopping in front of the building a block off the square, I wondered how I hadn’t noticed the sign before, unless it had just gone up.
The place was cursed.
It had been a toy store, a children’s boutique and, most recently, a wine-tasting room. I thought that last one would stick. The place had been decorated to the nines, and the location was perfect for foot traffic. Sourcing from all local wineries, it borrowed from the concept of an urban tasting room but, in the end, that hadn’t made it either. The “closed” sign went up a few weeks ago, the out-of-town owners who’d come to Cedar Falls on vacation and never left giving up their dream. They were a nice couple, retired, and had leased the small but cute building. Since she was an interior decorator, no expense had been spared to transform the decor to one of my new favorite places on the square to pop in for a glass of vino with the girls.
Now, it was for lease again. I heard the actual building was owned by Paul Baker. He owned The Coffee Cabin building and about five others around the square. He’d even tried to buy out Heritage Hill when Mason’s father passed away unexpectedly.
Moving along, I headed to our pre-game meeting spot. Pia and Jules were already at a corner booth.
“I can’t believe we’ve got you for the whole day,” Jules said as I sat.
While it was true I had the day off completely and was thrilled, after breakfast, to hop around the wineries with the girls, I was also getting a bit antsy too. Parker left Friday morning for the three-day workshop in Rochester. He’d asked for me to come along, but there was no way I could get off both Friday and Saturday after taking the day for our ski trip.
“I’m excited,” I said, sitting.
“We ordered you a coffee already,” Pia said. “But nothing to eat.”
“I’m feeling a chocolate croissant. For the sake of soaking up the wine, of course.”
“Of course.” Jules jumped up from her seat, heading to the counter. “We did the same. Great minds, and all.”
“Sorry I was late. Did you know the Wine Barn building is available for lease? I stopped to take a peek.”
“No, but I’m not surprised. That shut down a few weeks ago.”
“One apple cinnamon muffin”—Jules put the muffin in front of Pia—“and a banana nut for me. They’ll have your croissant in a second.”
“Thanks. I’ll get you at the winery.”
“No worries.” Jules got up again. “Be right back.”
“I swear that building is cursed. Nothing has been in there for more than a few years, at most.”
“What was it before the Wine Barn?” Pia asked.
She was so ingrained in Cedar Falls that I sometimes forgot Pia just moved here last year.
“It’s been a hundred different things. It was a children’s boutique last.”
“The Wine Barn?” Jules put my croissant down.
