Page 49 of Bit's Bliss
“Half dozen?” Trevino asked.
“Um, I’ll eat one.”
He smiled, then ordered three each of olallieberry and peach cream. “Coffee?” he asked.
“I can grab it,” I offered. As I poured regular for me and decaf for him, I watched Trevino out of the corner of my eye. He’d lowered his voice and was saying something to Louie, who then smiled and nodded. “You got it,” I heard the man say.
“Ready?” Trevino asked when I approached with our coffee.
“Whenever you are.”
He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “I can’t wait to be alone with you, little dove,” he whispered.
Sitting outside at a bistro table in front of the market, we finished our coffee. I ate one of the muffins while Trevino polished off two. As I was throwing our trash away, someone said my name. Spinning around, I came face to face with Tiernan.
“Hello,” I said, thankful when Trevino stood beside me with his hand on the small of my back.
Tiernan glanced at him but didn’t show any sign of recognition, nor did he speak to him. Instead, he stepped closer to me. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you.”
I raised my chin. “What about?”
He looked between Trevino and me a second time. “Could we speakprivately?”
“Whatever you have to say?—”
“I’m Trevino Avila. Who are you?”
I wanted to giggle at Tiernan’s reaction. That was until his expression changed. “Is he the reason you called off the wedding?” he said rather than introduce himself.
My eyes scrunched. “What are you talking about?”
“It hasn’t been that long, Eberly. Surely, you remember we were supposed to get married ten days ago.”
“You were the one…My dad said…”
“Your father came to see me to tell me you’d had a change of heart and the wedding was off. I tried to call you, but apparently, you’d already blocked my number. I’ve also been by the house a number of times, but either you’re ignoring me or are never there.”
My mind reeled in confusion, but when Trevino moved his hand to my waist and held me tighter, I shook myself out of it. “We, uh, need to be going.”
“That’s it? You break off our engagement, and you have nothing to say to me?”
Trevino stepped between Tiernan and me. “Eberly owes you no explanation.”
Tiernan sneered. “He speaks for you now?”
“Since I have nothing to say to you, no.” I put my hand in Trevino’s, stunned by the tension I felt seeping off him. “Let’s go.”
Since the truck was parked beside us on the street, we left Tiernan standing where he was, got in, and drove away.
“I’m—”
“Do not apologize.”
“You seem angry.”
We were a couple of blocks away from the market when Trevino turned on a side street, pulled over, and parked. “I am but not at you,” he said, turning to face me.
“That conversation was so, err, bizarre.”
