That might be enough. Women didn’t need to marry anymore, she told herself.
Still, she watched couples together and thought how nice the companionship would be. Having a partner she could count on. Someone who cared about her. Someone she could love.
She sure thought she’d found him.
With a small sigh, she swept her short, dark curls from her forehead, idly wondering if she should try a dating app. For all the people she’d met, no one had captured her interest enough to think of spending a lifetime with them. She shuddered at the thought of marrying just to have a family. Some women who sat at her counter quietly admitted that after a few beers near closing time, but she could never.
No, she hadn’t met anyone who sparked a fire in her.
Except for Blue. Somehow, he’d wedged his way into her heart. Even with all his issues.
Across the black-and-white tiled floor, a teenager with short denim shorts and a strappy bare-midriff top stood at the jukebox, drumming her fingers. Finally, she dropped in some coins and tapped a button before joining her friends in a circular red vinyl booth.
Taylor Swift’s latest song filled the diner.
Jo hummed along as she tidied the counter area. The back of her Cuppa Jo’s red neon sign shone through the window. Making sure that her server Candy was on the floor, she checked in with her kitchen staff, then returned with a tray of glasses from the kitchen, fresh from the dishwasher. She placed it on the bar. Taking glasses in each hand, she bent to fill the shelves under the bar.
She sensed a presence above her.
A warm, deep voice sounded. “Is this bar stool taken?”
Jo looked up to see Blue easing onto a red swivel stool at the counter. He wore mirrored aviator sunglasses with his police officer’s uniform, which fit him like it was molded to his physique. People thought he looked more like a polished silver-screen officer than a real actor. With his shiny dark hair and bright blue eyes that shimmered under dark brows, he was like a character straight out of Central Casting.
Seeing him, unannounced after two weeks of silence, nearly knocked the wind out of her. Still, they hadn’t officially broken up. They were taking a little break, as he’d put it before he left for his hometown.
Admittedly, they both had issues. She stood, acting cool and nonchalant. As if he hadn’t disappeared and left her to cancel the hotels they’d booked for their holiday off the island.
“So, what will it be, Blue? Same as old times?”
He removed his sunglasses and grinned sheepishly. “If you can remember that far back.”
Not wanting him to see how his silence had hurt her, she shrugged. “Hasn’t been that long, has it? I hardly had time to miss you.”
“It’s not often I can get time off.” He reached across the counter to take her hand. “I’m sorry about the trip we planned. My mother?—”
“We both have a lot of pressures,” she said, cutting in while ignoring his hand. She’d been looking forward to their romantic getaway to Yosemite Park.
She shrugged off the thought that had been haunting her since he’d left. “Coffee?”
“Sure. Hey, do you have some of that Kona coffee?”
“The Imperial Kona Reserve?” That was her new top-of-the-line specialty coffee she planned to invest in. She had only a few sample bags.
His eyes brightened. “That’s the one.”
“Sorry. Fresh out.”
She pulled out a mug from behind the counter and filled it with her standard coffee left over from lunch that she’d meant to throw out, including the bitter sludge at the bottom. No way was she going to make a fresh pot for him.
“Here you go.”
She glanced around, hoping another customer needed her, but they were all laughing and having a good time. Candy and the rest of Jo’s staff were doing their jobs.
Blue took a sip and blinked, clearly aware of what she’d done. Nevertheless, he said, “You make the best coffee around.”
She put a hand on her hip. “Now you’re patronizing me.”
He was avoiding what they needed to talk about, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of asking. She folded her arms and remained silent, watching his discomfort, and deriving a certain amount of satisfaction from it.
