Page 23 of Mistletoe Latte

Nick appeared with another pot of coffee. Without her asking, he filled her cup and tipped in the fresh cream from his pitcher. As she stared up at him, his stern glare softened to a secretive smile. The round drop to his bottom lip entranced her. His top lip vanished even when his face was neutral, but the bottom one bulged as if it was made to be nipped on.

Is it kiss you?

Emma tried to ignore the silly thought dancing in her head, but she couldn’t pull her eyes off of him. Would he be as stubborn and certain in kissing her? Or would a tender sweetness hide below his gruff exterior?

“Oh?” she asked, trying to sound coquettish.

“There’s this book shop at the end of main.”

He wanted to get rid of her, of course. She was leaving soon. Emma dropped her head and started to gather her things up. All she said was, “Okay.”

“It’s not very big, lots of people miss it, but it’s got some…um…” Nick’s voice stumbled so low it faded away. He scratched his forearm, no doubt getting uncomfortable that she hadn’t moved on to the bookstore. He needed the space for other customers.

“Hey, Daryl!” he exclaimed to the door, turning Emma around. Sure enough, there stood her mechanic rubbing his grease-stained hands and nodding.

“It’s colder than Satan’s taint out there. I saw a squirrel with his nuts stuck to a pole,” the mechanic shouted. He didn’t look at Emma but strode for the cash register. “Give me the biggest, hottest thing you’ve got.”

Nick nodded, but his eyes cut over to her. After taking Daryl’s money and putting a thirty-two-ounce cup on the counter, he darted his gaze to Emma. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“No. I’m driving the Beasly’s car, got to listen for a thunk.”

“What about her?” he pointed right to Emma. She wanted to thank him for remembering but also frowned at how readily he wanted her gone.

“Oh, the Soul. Yeah, I was gonna call you after I filled my gas tank. Where’s the joe, Nick?”

Emma slipped to her feet and slung her purse over her arm along with her coat. “How long until you can fix it?”

“Hm?” He swirled his black coffee, then ripped open ten sugar packets. “It’ll take a week.”

“A week?”

“To get the part. You know how Leo is, always backed up, especially this time of year.”

She couldn’t spend a week here. Renting a hotel would empty her measly bank account in a night, never mind seven days. And food… Maybe if she left her vehicle here and got a ride. Emma took a quick glance at the cost of an Uber to the only bus line that went near Maine and her heart stopped.

“I’ll be sure to call once it’s in,” Daryl said to her before he cradled his coffee and sauntered off.

Every bad decision that led to her being stranded came roaring to life. Every failing was shouted at her by a man in chef’s whites. If she’d just planned better, or…if she hadn’t gone down this path in the first place. They’d warned her she couldn’t cut it in a kitchen, but Emma wanted to prove them wrong. Now, she’d proved every cruel voice right.

“Here.”

She blinked, trying to fan away the tears on her eyelashes. A hand held out a brown cap. She traced up the wrist and forearm to find ice blue eyes and a determined frown.

“You’re gonna need it,” Nick said. “And this.” He handed over the same apron from yesterday.

“But I thought…” He’d wanted to get rid of her. Emma weighed the two pieces of hope in her hands, fearing they might float away.

He nodded once and slipped behind the register to take the next order. Working fast, Emma put on the apron and bundled her hair into a ponytail to slip through the back of the cap.

“Things are hectic now, but around ten they’ll slow. Then you can get your things from your car.”

This was too much. His sheltering and feeding her for a day was kind, but an entire week? She dashed around the counter to his side. Lowering her voice, Emma dropped her hands into the apron’s pockets. “You don’t have to—”

“I can use the help,” Nick said over her. “And you seem competent. So…” He stepped aside and waved her to the customers.

Smiling wide, Emma walked to the counter. “What can I get you?”

CHAPTER NINE

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