Page 11 of Callum
Jenny grinned. “You know my expectations are sky-high now, right?”
“You’re lucky you found me.”
Jenny nudged her shoulder. “I really am.”
In all seriousness, Fiona was the one grateful to have Jenny. Her cousin Stacey had visited Cradle Mountain a handful of times—she’d actually been with her during that awful night at the bar—but having a cousin visit every so often wasn’t the same as having a friend right here, every day. The other librarians were older and had their own little cliques. Plus, Fiona spent her spare time reading and taking walks, both of which were useless when it came to meeting new people.
When they reached The Grind, Fiona pushed inside and Jenny followed. Immediately, she grinned. It wasn’t just the coffee she loved here. The interior was…well, the only word she could think of to describe it was quirky. The tables and booths were different colors, making the place look fun and happy. The walls were just as colorful, and the room was always full.
Fiona and Jenny went straight for a booth by the window.
“Oh my Lord,” Jenny groaned as she sat. “The smell of coffee beans is magnificent.”
“Ha. Wait until you try the stuff. You’re going to be kissing my feet for bringing you here.”
“I’m always up for some feet kissing,” a woman said as she stepped up to their table. Fiona looked into the most exotic eyes she’d ever seen, one green and the other a beautiful brown. The woman also had pink stripes in the sides of her blond hair.
“I like anyone who brings more people to my coffee shop,” the woman added.
“Your coffee shop?” Fiona asked. She’d seen the woman here before but didn’t know she owned the place. She looked too young. Maybe mid-to-late twenties?
“Yep. This baby’s all mine. My partner sometimes complains that I love this place more than him, but that’s only true when he’s bad.”
Fiona laughed. “I hope that’s not often.”
She lifted a shoulder. “He has his moments. My name’s Courtney. What can I get you ladies today?”
“I’m Fiona, and I’ll have a latte, please,” she answered.
Jenny nodded. “Jenny. I’ll have a latte too.”
When Courtney left, Fiona cocked her head to the side. “Now, are youreallya latte girl?”
Jenny laughed. “I’m really a latte girl. I did not get tongue-tied in front of Courtney. Plus, what’s the alternative? Black coffee? Yuck. If it’s not a latte, it’s a double-shot latte with two sugars.”
“You’re speaking my language.”
Fiona’s phone vibrated from her pocket, and her smile dimmed. It had been doing that a lot lately. She’d received three more messages in the last week from that unknown number, saying pretty much the same thing as the first. Now, every time her phone vibrated with a message, she was almost scared to look at it.
With a quick breath, she tugged her phone from her jeans pocket. Not the unknown number. Her sister. Which was almost as bad.
Amanda: Will you stop ignoring me! Are you bringing a guy or not? I need to know by tonight.
Fiona cringed. Yeah, she still hadn’t replied to her sister.
“Okay, who’s put that look on your face and why?”
Fiona looked up from her phone, not exactly sure what her friend was seeing. Anxiety? Resignation? The depressing acceptance that she’d have to admit the truth to her terrible sister?
“It’s my sister,” she finally said. “She’s awful—and she’s marrying my ex. Her wedding’s in a few weeks, and I may have told a little white lie that I’m dating someone and will be bringing him to the wedding.”
Jenny cringed. “Oh God. I’m sorry. She’s really marrying your ex?”
“Yep. The one I told you about, who’s equally awful. She actually started dating him while he and I were still together.”
Jenny’s eyes widened and she leaned forward. “No!”
“Yes again.”
