Page 50 of With All My Heart, Joy

“Do you like peppermint hot chocolate or regular?” Joy asked as they stopped to let a group of people exit through the door of Fresh Ground. Paisley cast a shocked look at her dad.

“Now you’ve ratted me out,” he grunted. “Paisley doesn’t like to try new things. I never told her peppermint hot chocolate existed.”

Joy gasped, pretending outrage. “Shameful, Dr. Miller!” She didn’t miss his wince at her use of his formal title.

He ran a hand over his hat, shedding the snow that had accumulated on their walk. “Silas tells me all the time I’m a helicopter dad.”

“He might be on to something.” She gave him a tart look, then led the way to the counter. “Paisley? Want to try something new?”

“Yes, please!” Paisley pressed forward into the small space before the cashier, and Joy tugged her close, smiling at the teenage cashier.

“We’ll have two peppermint hot chocolates, extra whipped cream.”

Isaac leaned around Joy from behind and extended his credit card, his body nearly enveloping her. “And a caffe latte for me. Decaf.”

This was the closest she had ever been to him, and her body turned to noodles at the presence pressing against her back. She struggled to breathe, shocked at the way his closeness affected her. When he stepped back, she almost whimpered.

The cashier gave them a quick, odd look, and Joy’s stomach twisted. Was their age difference that obvious? Was that what anyone who looked at them would see?

Shoving aside the disturbing thought, she turned from the counter and scanned the room. It was crowded. Fresh Ground had become one of the most popular coffee shops in town, and during winter it was hard to find a table.

“Oh, someone’s leaving!” She strode toward a couple climbing out of a booth and claimed it two seconds before someone else.

Isaac helped Paisley scoot into her seat, then took a step back. “I’ll wait at the counter for our drinks.”

“You didn’t have to pay for me,” Joy said quietly.

He was slow to meet her eyes, but when he did, his gaze was gentle. Totally transparent. “I wanted to.”

When he returned with the drinks, she expected him to sit down beside Paisley, who was across from her. But he slid in beside Joy.

Her breath hitched. When his knee grazed hers, a small, silent gasp escaped her mouth. He held his leg taut in hesitation, then relaxed, meshing it fully against her thigh. So many nerve endings exploded at once that she became lightheaded. She took a deep, shuddery breath. But she didn’t scoot away from Isaac. She remained there, her leg pressed to his, more aware of that one fact than she was of anything else in the room but neither of them acknowledging it.

What was she doing?

Her breathing remained shallow as she reached for her drink and lifted the lid to blow gently. “Give it time to cool,” she urged as Paisley raised her hot chocolate to her lips. “Tongue burns are the worst.”

Isaac snatched the drink from his daughter’s hand and popped the lid, adding a red stir straw. “Stir with this, and it’ll cool down faster.”

Paisley wiggled in her seat, unable to contain her energy. “Can we play games?”

Isaac looked at Joy. “I don’t know how much time Joy has, cupcake.”

She ignored his look, too jittery to meet his eyes. How did he manage to sound so calm while she was worried she might drop dead of a heart attack any moment from the sheer amount of physical contact happening under the table? Never mind the layers of clothing between them. If they stayed like this much longer, her skin might peel off from the scalding heat she felt.

“I’m in no rush.” Her words came out mortifyingly breathless. “What’s your favorite game?”

“M–m–Mopoly Junior,” Paisley stumbled over the word.

“I loved Monopoly Junior as a kid. See if you can find it. I’ll play with you.”

“For real?” Her eyes, dark like her dad’s, turned round with wonder, and Joy laughed.

“Yes, for real. Go on! Look for the game and bring it back. You know where they keep them, right? All you have to do is ask.”

Joy pointed at the wall behind the counter where all the games in the house were displayed. Paisley jaunted to the counter without another delay.

“Seeing your way with Paisley is like watching a miracle happen before my eyes.”

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