Page 72 of Liam
“Is he good to you?”
Did her brother really think she’d date a guy who wasn’t? She almost rolled her eyes. “Better than good.” There weren’t words to describe how he treated her. “What about you? Are you doing okay?”
There was a small pause, and for a moment she thought he wouldn’t answer and instead keep asking questions. But then he spoke. “I’m keeping busy. A lot of tourists think they know everything there is to know about the mountains by reading a bit of information online.”
Nylah cringed. Working search and rescue in the Smoky Mountains was a busy job, and trying to navigate without knowledge of the area could be dangerous.
“Saving lives, as per usual.”
“You go back to school yet?”
Her heart thumped. She’d thought her brothers had forgotten. “Actually, I’ve made contact with some people at Columbia. They’ve let me know that my degree can be transferred to an online program if I want to get back to it.”
Cody’s brows lifted.
“I’m proud of you, Ny.”
The corners of her lips tugged up. “Thanks, K. Right back at you.”
“Stay safe, okay? Otherwise, I’ll have to drag my ass across the country and come save you.”
“I think Cody has that covered.”
“I’m counting on it.”
She hung up just as Courtney returned with their coffees. “Here ya go.”
Cody frowned, lifting his mug and reading the text on the side. “There are two types of people in the world…those who love coffee, and liars.”
Nylah smiled. “Courtney’s cups are awesome. They each have their own quote.” She glanced at her own mug. “What’s the difference between coffee and your opinion? I asked for coffee.” She chuckled. “This is a good one.”
Courtney lifted a shoulder. “They’re all my babies.”
El stepped up beside Courtney. “I’m done and Pierce is here to get me. Vi’s taking care of the counter.” She looked at Nylah with a smirk. “You just can’t stay away from this place, can you?”
Nylah lifted a shoulder. “Not when it’s the best coffee in town.”
El grinned. “It is, isn’t it? See you both later.”
“See you tomorrow,” Courtney said, squeezing the woman’s arm as she headed to the counter and Eleanor went to the door, where Pierce was waiting for her. He nodded toward Nylah before heading out.
“He a police officer?” Cody asked.
She turned back to him. “How’d you know? He wasn’t in uniform.”
“They have a look about them.”
Over the next half hour or so, Nylah smiled so much her cheeks hurt, laughing at Cody’s latest stories about the family bar. God, she’d missed her brother.
When a text came through from Liam, her heart rate sped up.
Liam: Just heading to the coffee shop now. Be there in a couple minutes.
The man had woken up with her. He’d seen her a few short hours ago. Still…
Nylah: Good. Because I miss you. See you soon.
They were rising from the table when Cody looked out the window behind her. His eyes narrowed.
