Deckard held up his hand. “Yep, okay, got it.”
I counted the till, started brewing a carafe of coffee, and put out the pastries from Trailside Treats next door.Seriously, what was with this town and alliteration? Lazy wordplay, really. Very little creativity. “He even busted me out of the clink.” More or less. Or he had tried.
“I had heard that.” Deckard came to the counter as I prepared his usual order before he went to work.
“Seriously, from who? How have you talked to so many people already?”
He shrugged and waved off my question. It wouldn’t be unusual for him to talk to so many people in such a short time. “I guess.” He hesitated. “I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me about your big New Year’s plans? I could have helped you.”
I slid his muffin over with his Americano. “Exactly.” I patted his hand when he looked crestfallen. “I needed to do it on my own.”
He nodded. “So, now what? Do you feel changed?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I don’t feel the need to prove myself to Slippery Slopes anymore.”
“You never did need to.”
“I’m starting to understand that, but it’s easy for you. The whole town knows and loves you,” I said.
“I’m one of six siblings, and my mom is the town mayor; I understand a little bit about wanting to make my own path,” he said with tension gathering around his eyes.
“I know you do. But you’re still seen. You have to be aware of how the rest of the town never notices me. At most, I was Deckard Sparks’ weird little friend.” A dark thought occurred to me then. Would I only be Owen’s weird little girlfriend now? Had I only succeeded in attaching myself to another man? Not that it mattered what they thought. I just wanted to make a name for myself.
“You are a wonderful person, Bee Perkins, and plenty of people see it,” Deckard said, meeting my eyes.
“Thank you. Ditto.” I gave him a half smile. “But now I feel all these insecurities popping up. Maybe he’s already forgotten about me. Maybe without the extremely real threat of frostbite, he’s not as willing to snuggle. Because he said he’d call, me but?—”
“Maybe he just?—”
“And then that night was just so wonderful. I can’t explain the instant connection that we had. It was a sort of magic.” I sighed.
“That sounds really great, Bee. I’m actually envious, but?—”
“And then he’s so deep and thoughtful. People can’t see him as he is at all. I’m trying so hard to think that he isn’t ignoring me because if you were there, if you felt … I mean, itfeltso real.” I raised my eyebrows meaningfully.
“Bee, please.”
“And that connection was sodeep, if you catch my drift.”
“Dear God, make it stop.”
“We had such an amazing night, and now he’s gone. I just don’t know where he could be,” I said with a sigh and went to the front door.
“Bee!” Deckard shouted, coming to stand in front of me, arms flailing.
“What? Yeesh, no need to yell.”
I flipped the sign to open quickly and turned to him, my back to the door.
“It’s not even been a day,” Deckard said.
“I know. I never thought he’d be one to play hard to get.”
“Yeah.” Deckard looked to the side and made that face like I wasn’t thinking clearly. I’d showhimnot thinking clearly. He must have seen something in my features because he held up his hands and patted my shoulders. “I’m just saying he may have needed a minute. Had to get some ducks in a row.”
“What ducks? What’s with all the bird metaphors?” I groaned.
“It’s not even been twenty-four hours since you two left each other,” he said.
