“Blueberry is okay. It’s the thought that counts.”
It’s the thought that counts? Hmm. “I take it strawberry-rhubarb would be your first choice?”
“Duh. I usually get one with a hot chocolate.”
“Not coffee?” Damn, I didn’t get anything right. “Let me guess, they make their own and it’s the best hot chocolate ever.”
Fully dressed, she’s in front of the bathroom mirror running a brush through her hair. “We all think so. Wait till you try it. It’s called Prison Stripes.”
“I saw that on the menu. Wasn’t sure what it was.”
“They say once you try it, it’s like you’re its prisoner, and you can’t ever get away from it. But the name actually comes from how it’s made.” She sets the brush aside andbegins applying makeup. “They mix white chocolate and hazelnut with a blend of dark chocolate and espresso. There are these metal inserts that make rows in the cups. It’s hard to describe, but every other row is filled with the white and dark chocolate blends. When they pull the insert out, it leaves stripes at the top. The hazelnut comes from the farms around here. There are a lot of them.”
“I noticed that on the drive in, but they’re called filberts, not hazelnuts where I come from.” I check my watch. “Ready?”
“Almost.” She goes over to my suitcase and pulls out my pants. All of my pants. “I’m stealing these,” she says matter-of-factly.
“Why?”
“They’re too loose in the butt. I’m going to fix them and add a few extras. Don’t worry, you’ll like it.”
Sounds interesting, and I don’t care either way. “Sure.”
As soon as we’re in the truck, I hand her my phone. “The code is 2007.”
“Why are you telling me your passcode?”
I start the engine and shift into reverse. “Why not?”
She’s looking at me like I’m crazy. “Most people have private things on their phones. Are you saying you don’t?”
“Check for yourself.”
“Okay.”
She scrolls, taps the screen, scrolls some more, and keeps going until I think she’s seen everything. Still staring at the screen, she says, “You don’t have a single pic, no email, and the only texts, besides the ones I already knew about, are dumb stuff between you and Ash. Other than that, there’s a whole lot of Elsie yelling at you and Ashthrough texts. You should get the paperwork signed and send it back to her. Looks like you’re driving her crazy.”
I wish I had a good excuse for that, but I don’t. “Ash and I are terrible when it comes to paperwork. Always have been, and there’s always a ton of it. Regardless, you’re right, we should do better.”
“So what do you want me to do with your phone?”
I pull up in front of the fabric shop. I saw where it was when I attempted to impress her by getting breakfast. There’s always tomorrow, I guess. “Can you add Keegan’s number to my contacts? I want to call him later to talk about that partnership we discussed.”
She enters the info and hands me the phone. “I’m pretty sure they’ll be working at Zane’s this week. They’re probably there right now.”
“When did you talk to your brothers about that?”
“We texted last night when you were in the shower. They were glad to get the work.”
“That makes me feel better about doing business with them. Means they’re not lazy.”
She’s gathering up my pants, the bag with the muffins, and the tray of coffees. I’m about to ask if she needs a hand, but she appears to have it all under control. “To be honest,” she says, “For the first time, I think I’m finding out what my brothers are really like. And just so you know, you don’t have to do business with them if you don’t want to. Don’t do it for me.”
I already know it will be a big help to her, so I want to. At the same time, I don’t blame her for being concerned. Doing business with her family can go south in a heartbeat. “We’ll take it slow. There’s nothingto worry about.”
She raises a brow, clearly not convinced, but she doesn’t argue. Instead, she glances over at the store, probably at the open sign, before turning back to me with an anxious look in her eyes. “I’ll see you at lunch?”
From her tone, it’s like she’s worried that I’ll say no, and that bothers me. “Of course. I’ll text you later.” She seems relieved, and I make a mental note to reassure her I’m all in on this thing between us, although I’m not sure how I’m going to ease her fears when we both know I’ll be leaving soon. Maybe that’s why she’s acting like she’s nervous about it. And now that I think about it, maybe that’s why she was so upset when I wasn’t there when she woke up. What if she’s wondering if I think of this as fling, like a fun time with some random girl before I take off for New Zealand? I could see how she could think that. It’s what she thought Rhonda was to Ash back at that ski lodge. “Hey.”
