“I’d rather keep busy,” I muttered. “Less time to think.”
“I don’t believe that’s how thinking works.”
Before I could respond, a flicker of movement caught my eye. Across the street, a familiar figure crouched near the lamppost, camera pressed to his face.Teddy.
He moved with his usual focus, oblivious to the swirl of people around him—sunlight glinting off his camera lens, hair rumpled from the wind. He snapped a photo, checked the display, then lifted the camera again, angling toward the café.
Towardme.
Our eyes met through the parting crowd.
The breath caught in my throat. He hesitated, camera still raised, and then lowered it.
“Uh-oh,” Georgie murmured, following my gaze. “You gonna take a move from my book and duck behind a table, or should we pretend we don’t see him?”
“I’m fine,” I said quickly, even as my pulse betrayed me.
“Sure,” she said brightly, “You looksuperfine.”
The line shuffled forward. I ordered a latte and a cappuccino, my hands clammy as I fished for my wallet. We wove through the cafe—standing room only, some tables repositioned to make room for the customers waiting at the bar. It was louder than I’d ever heard it. Rachel worked behind the espresso machine with unshakeable focus, gaze narrowed on each movement like she was doing open-heart surgery. It didn’t even look like she’d broken a sweat when she called out our drinks.
“Hey,” I said over the bar. She glanced up for a split second to nod. “I just wanted to say I’m going back to New York tomorrow. Thanks for fueling my caffeine addiction.”
Rachel grinned, shouting out a pumpkin spice latte before pausing to breathe. “You might be the only person in Bluebell Cove who appreciates it.”
“Hold on!” Georgie interjected behind my shoulder. “If you cut me open, I’d bleed Morning Bell coffee.”
Rachel laughed, reaching to start another order. “What you drink isnotcoffee, Georgie.”
I turned too fast and one of the cups tilted.
Coffee sloshed down the front of my shirt, hot and humiliating.
“Whoa—”
A hand caught mine before I could drop the other cup. I looked up, straight into Teddy’s eyes.
“Still have terrible luck with hot beverages,” he said softly.
A certain memory involving apple cider at Fallfest several years ago drifted to the front of my mind. It just so happened to be the inciting incident for our first kiss. Something stupid and traitorous fluttered in my stomach.
I gaped, annoyed by the color rising to my cheeks. “You—what are you doing here?”
Not exactly the finest example of witty repartee.
He blinked, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Getting coffee. This is the cafe, isn’t it?”
Rachel called his name and handed him a cup over the espresso machine, but not before shooting me a painfully overt wink. I glared at her. Maybe Irish goodbying the entire town wouldn’t have beensobad.
Georgie thrust a stack of napkins between us. “C’mon, this isn’t exactly where we should stand around and have a conversation.”
“Fine,” I muttered, handing her both drinks and dabbing my shirt while Teddy led us outside.
We stood between two trees and out of the walkway, cheeks burning as they watched me go through napkin after napkin. Finally, I crumpled the last one, throwing a wad in the nearby trashcan and accepting my half-emptied cappuccino from Georgie.
“You’re here,” I said, “Just taking photos for fun now?”
Teddy grinned. “It’s always fun. But apparently the newly minted Chamber of Commerce decided the Cove desperately needs better marketing. Socials, a website, the works.”
