Page 25 of Fight for You (Flirting with Forever 2)

But I also feel understood, and I don’t know how to handle that because it’s not something I’ve ever felt with a man before. And, if I’m honest with myself, it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. “How about we go get that coffee now?”

Chapter 17

Sawyer

I park my old, beat-up truck just down the street from the coffee shop. It’s a short walk, but I pull on a hat and wrap a scarf around my neck for good measure. It’s bitterly cold, and I find myself not only looking forward to spending some more time with Hadleigh, but ready for some hot coffee as a bonus.

She’s already inside, sitting at a table as she fiddles with her phone. She doesn’t see me at first because she’s so focused on whatever she’s doing. A deep frown mars her pretty face. I take a second just to look at her, unsure if whatever she’s going to say to me will change things between us. Because Willow was right; if Hadleigh tells me that I need to back off, I totally will—the pause she’d requested is proof of that. In my gut, I feel like maybe she’s finally come to the realization that we should talk about what we are feeling—we need to, in fact. I’m nervous as hell that she’s going to tell me we can’t happen. We can’t be a “thing.” I take a deep, fortifying breath and head over to her.

She looks up, surprised, immediately exchanging her frown for a smile. “Oh, hey, Sawyer. Sorry, I was a little engrossed in something. You want some coffee?” She gestures to the counter.

“Sure.” I reach for my wallet, but she holds up both hands, stopping me.

She smiles. “I invited you, so I’m buying. What can I get for you?”

“A mocha would be good.”

With a little bob of her head, she walks over and places our order while I get comfortable, removing my hat, scarf, and heavy coat. She comes back a couple of minutes later with my mocha, which she slides in front of me, and what looks like tea of some sort for her. After she sits down, she opens her wallet to arrange the few bills she’d gotten in change. She stops what she’s doing when I put my hand over one of hers. Her gaze meets mine, her pretty brown eyes watching me curiously, questioning what I’m doing.

I give her a little smirk and let her wonder what I’m doing for a few moments. “Weird history fact—George Washington was actually not the first person to have their likeness on the one-dollar bill.”

“Really?” She exhales in a short puff with a relieved smile.

I think she’d started holding her breath when I put my hand on hers. “Really,” I confirm with a nod.

“I just assumed it was always him.” Her eyebrows rise for a second as her forehead crinkles in confusion. “Who was it, then?”

“Some guy named Salmon P. Chase. Apparently, he was the Secretary of Treasury in 1862. He was the designer of the very first bank notes.”

“So, you’re telling me some guy named Salmon put his own face on our very first currency?”

I nod solemnly. “Yep.”

Hadleigh bursts out laughing. “You’re very funny, Sawyer. You keep m

e on my toes. Earlier in class, you really had me thinking. You were so intense—I like it. And you know what? You had those kids riveted today while you were talking about how German-named items were given Americanized names. ‘See you later, frankfurter. Hello, Liberty Dog.’” She visibly relaxes. “You’re a great storyteller. That’s a good quality to have as a history teacher.”

I grin. “Thank you. It means a lot that you think I did a good job.”

“You did, for sure. Knocked it out of the park all week, in fact. You ready to take on another class soon?”

“Yeah. I’m focused and ready to take on whatever you want to throw at me.” The only thing that makes me even slightly unfocused is her. It’s becoming a real fucking problem.

She gets strangely quiet, then takes a sip of her tea. “You know, you aren’t who I thought you were when I got your first e-mails.”

“How so?”

“Well, you did live up to the nerdy history buff guy—” She ducks her head with a giggle. “But you were so … I dunno—stiff sounding? Maybe formal is a better word.” She shrugs. “But you’re actually pretty easygoing. You like your facts and information, which is handy for a history major, but you also have a wicked sense of humor and timing that I like.”

An honest grin spreads across my face. “I’m glad you find me amusing.”

She nods. “I do.”

“So, if it’s not my performance at school that you want to talk to me about, what are we doing here?” If this is what I think it is, we may as well get it over with.

She sets her tea down on the table very carefully. “Right. Um. Two things, actually, but both kind of related.” She sucks her plump lower lip between her teeth.

I wait patiently. I’d rather hear what she has to say before I open my mouth. And, hell, watching her worry her lip like that may just be the single sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. When she still doesn’t say anything, I nudge her knee with mine.

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