Tuesday
“This isn’t working.” Gabriel gestured toward the tablet, although his words could’ve easily referred to our new partnership.
Once the café opened yesterday, we didn’t talk much. Gabriel helped me with the cats, spent time working on his laptop, and then helped me clean up for the day. All with minimal conversation. Which was fine. Preferred, even.
With how things wrapped up yesterday, I wasn’t sure what today would bring. When I had arrived at the café, Gabriel was leaning outside the door, waiting.Of course, he was early again. Show-off.
Even though it’d only been a day, Gabriel quickly picked up the routine I’d suggested. He tended to the cats, and I prepared the baked goods, as well as got the various coffee machines ready. I also spent time looking through the applications yesterday afternoon and lined up interviews for later in the week.
We had about half an hour until the café opened, and I had finished explaining to Gabriel how to use the tablet for taking orders and finding the various items on the menu. So far, things were civil.
I looked at him over my shoulder. “That’s because you’re not doing it how I showed you.”
“I am,” he argued, tapping the screen. “I’m doing exactly what you showed me.” As soon as he touched it, the screen flickered black before turning on again. It was a problem I was aware of, and I knew how finicky the tablet could be. Which was why I’d perfected the pressure of how to tap the various buttons.
“Here, let me show you again,” I said as he stepped to the side.
He crossed his muscular arms across his chest, watching me expectantly. I was surprised his shirt didn’t rip with how it strained against his biceps. (See, show-off.)
I waited for the tablet to turn back on. “Look, you have to do it like this.” I waved for him to step closer. He moved forward and uncrossed his arms.
I reached for his hand and took his pointer finger, placing it on the screen and tapping the screen with theperfectamount of pressure. “Tap it gently, or else it gets mad.” Warmth from his touch simmered through me, which made me realize I was still holding his finger.
I immediately dropped his hand, and we both stepped back, our shoes squeaking with how quickly we moved. There was plenty of distance between us now.
Gabriel broke the silence first, clearing his throat and saying, “Lily, you need a new tablet. Say what you want, but this one is on its last leg.”
I inhaled deeply, my patience suddenly thin. I didn’t mind sharing about my café and how things worked, but what I did mind was him telling me what I did and didn’t need, especially when he was indirectly the reason why I hadn’t splurged on a new tablet yet.
“Gabriel, I very well know I need a new tablet. And I’d get one if I wasn’t saving every spare dollar to buy the building thatyou’retrying to take from me.”
He scoffed. “Considering we’re both being offered the opportunity to buy, I’m hardly taking anything from you. If you don’t like the competition, you can back out. It’s not too late.”
I took a few steps toward him, standing in front of him with our shoes toe-to-toe. I wasn’t intimidated by his presence, but I was definitely overwhelmed by it…just not in the way I expected. He towered over me, and his clean, fresh scent took over. I steeled my spine and tipped my head back to look at him.“I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again—I’m not backing out. I don’t know why you want this building, but you don’t care about Golden Falls. I’m not letting you ruin this town.”
His gaze hardened. “And you think you’ll be able to run this café and the building? What if Hal sells to you and it’s too much?”
My jaw clenched, and I narrowed my eyes at him. He had some nerve saying these things to me. Things that I’d thought about over and over, things I was insecure about.
“You’re acting awfully entitled to something that’s not yours, Sunshine,” he added another blow, disdain dripping from the nickname.
Sunshine. He said it like it was a bad thing. Like it left a sour taste in his mouth.
I’d show him the opposite of sunshine. I lifted my chin and squared my shoulders. “I could strangle you right now,” I gritted through my teeth. Childish? Maybe. But it was the only comeback I could think of through the frustration roaring in my mind.
Unfazed, he dipped his head, his hot breath against my ear, “Too bad you can’t reach.”
Oh, now I reallycouldstrangle?—
“Am I interrupting?” Louise asked, and I stepped back, setting my hand on my chest.
“Louise, when did you walk in?”
“About twenty seconds ago. Haven’t been here long. I could come back, though, and stop in on my lunch break, if my grumpy boss lets me,” she teased, affectionately referring to my older brother.
“No problem. No need to come back. Gabriel here can take your order. Since he’s so good at using the tablet.” I looked up at him with a mock-smile. “I need to get a couple of ingredients from the kitchen, so I’ll be a minute.”
“Wait, Lily—” he started.
