Reno’d started grinding beans and setting the coffeemaker’s timer each night before he went to bed, along with folding the throw blanket on the back of the porch couch and taking out the trash if the kitchen bin was full. It had been a long time since anyone did little things for her to let her know she mattered.
She’d spent the past five years telling herself she was done having anyone in her life pay close attention to her and show her affection in the small, every day ways that added up to being well and truly loved.
Last night he’d called her babe. Liam had never called her that. It was the first term of endearment that was purely Reno’s for her, and she’d gone to sleep still smiling about it.
A thin orange line lit the mountains in the east. She drank the coffee Reno’d made for her and listened to the cottage wake up around her. The fridge hummed, the maple in the side yard fussed with itself in a small wind, and Reno’s bedroom door gave its familiar squeak.
He came into the kitchen a minute later with wet hair and his brace on under his jeans. “Morning,” he said, his voice still rough with sleep, which made it sound even more attractive than usual.
“Good morning,” she replied with a smile.
He poured himself a coffee and stood beside her at the window. His hand wasn’t six inches from hers on the counter. Neither of them moved their hand.
“You’re up early,” he said. “Sleep okay?”
“Better than I expected,” she said.
“Mm.”
The Steele mm was a thing Tessa had warned her about. It meant I heard you, I have an opinion, I am not going to share my opinion, please continue.
“What’s on your agenda today?” she asked.
“I expect the papers from Tara’s lawsuit to be served to you, today.”
Alarm shot through her and she tensed beside him.
He must’ve sensed it because he said quickly, “A person you’ve probably never seen before will walk into the bakery and ask if you’re there. When you come out, he or she will step forward quickly, and possibly aggressively, and shove the papers at you. He or she will say something like, ‘you’ve been served’ and then leave immediately. Process servers tend to be rude and aggressive because habitual criminals tend to hide from them or physically run away.”
“Sounds delightful,” she replied dryly.
“Maybe have Mary work the front counter today and tell her to send anyone who asks for you into the kitchen to see you. At least that way you won’t get served in front of customers.”
“Good idea.” She sighed, hating everything about it, though.
“Never fear. Then I’m going to make Tara and her lawyer’s morning interesting.”
“You sound like you’re looking forward to it.”
“I haven’t looked forward to ruining someone’s morning this much in years,” he said pleasantly, as if he were commenting on the weather.
She looked at him and he looked at her. She smiled first, and he followed suit.
“You’re very good at ruining people’s morning, aren’t you?”
His smiled widened. “You have no idea.”
“Tell me,” she said softly. “How good a lawyer are you?”
“I was named one of the top ten litigators in the country four years in a row by a top legal magazine. Made it up to number three on the list the last year I was practicing law.”
“In the country?” she echoed, shocked.
He merely shrugged and asked. “Lily up yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Good.” He set his mug down. “I want you to know what all I’m filing today.”
