Page 45 of Harvest Moon (Riverbend 3)

“What’s this all about, Gavin? Why do you keep coming here?”

“Have coffee with me and I’ll tell you.”

“If I do will you stop bothering me at work?” Drat. She hadn’t meant to say that.

His eyes lit with the win, and the corners of his mouth curled upward. “Yes. How about if I pick you up at four?”

Now she’d seem like a chicken if she tried to back out. Like she had something to fear, something to lose. There was no way out of this. But he wasn’t picking her up like this was a date or something. “I’ll meet you there at four.”

He straightened from the table. “Thank you. I’ll see you then.”

After her shift, Laurel changed outfits three times. At a few minutes after four she approached the coffee shop in the most casual clothesshe owned—a Clemson tee and cutoffs she usually reserved for gardening. But she had tidied up her ponytail and couldn’t resist adding a coat of mascara and a natural-colored lipstick.

Now she shook her head at her foolishness. As she entered the shop the robust aroma of coffee filled her nose, and cool air skittered over her arms.

From a corner table Gavin waved.

Her nerves jangled even as she worked to keep her expression neutral.

He rose as she approached and gestured toward a drink on the table. “I hope you still drink chai.”

She hung her purse on the chair and sank into it. “Thank you. I’ll pay you back.”

“No worries. I invited you.”

She took in his freshly shaven jaw and the button-down—same shade of blue as his eyes. His hair, cropped a bit shorter than he used to wear it, made him seem a little older. More mature. More handsome.

“You look great,” he said. “I mean... it’s good to see you.”

He was nervous too. Somehow that didn’t make her feel better. She sipped her drink, made just the way she liked with coconut milk and a dash of vanilla. So what if he’d remembered her drink. They’d been together two and a half years after all.

“So... catch me up with what’s going on,” he said. “How’d your school year finish up?”

“It was fine. My grades are good.”

“I had no doubt.”

This was so weird. Maybe he was just trying to get them back on friendly terms so they could run into each other without this terrible awkwardness. Summer was almost over, but there would bemany more breaks coming up. It would be best if they could at least exchange casual greetings. Maybe someday seeing him wouldn’t make her chest ache.

“And you?” she asked belatedly. “How did your classes finish up?”

He gave a sheepish smile. “Not as well as I would’ve liked. But I’m not in danger of probation or anything.”

That probably meant he’d gotten a couple of Bs. “I’m sure football and baseball kept you busy.”

He ducked his head, then glanced back up at her. “I, uh, didn’t play baseball this spring.”

She blinked. “Why not?”

“I just...” He shrugged. “I don’t know. Decided not to. Better for the grades, I guess.”

He loved baseball even more than football. But it was the latter that had earned him the scholarship so maybe he’d decided to focus his athletic efforts there.

“How’s your mom doing?” he asked. “I’ve seen her around town this summer with Brad.”

“Yeah, they’re still dating. She seems happy.”

“That’s good. And Mallory? How’s she doing?”

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