“No.” I scratched my head, recalling the evening. “I didn’t eat or drink anything after I left the cafe, not since lunchtime, actually.”
“Whatever. Don’t get killed. I need this job.” She stood up and offered me a hand. I took it and she pulled me up. “And you should probably eat like a human, not a baby bird. You can’t run on coffee and an occasional muffin.”
“I’ve been doing fine so far.”
She lifted her perfect eyebrows. “Oh really?”
“Shut up. I’ll go over and see if he’ll give me a chance to explain myself.”
“He’s a suit. Aren’t they all the same to some degree? Andrew’s law firm was around the corner too. And we all know how that guy turned out.”
Even though she had a point, I didn’t want to follow that logic. “Yeah but Rowan has a totally different vibe. Either way, it’s only a bit of fun. I’m not planning to marry him.”
“Sure, but you ended up dating Andrew for a year before you found out he was cheating on you.”
“Rowan is here until the end of summer, so I’m not in danger of doing anything stupid again.” I tightened my apron and checked if my name tag and Cryptid Alliance pin were in order.
Sophia rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say, boss.”
I showed her my tongue like a toddler, straightened my back, and looked through the tiny window in the door to the cafe floor. Rowan was sitting in the same armchair he’d occupiedyesterday, tapping on his laptop while his coffee sat on the table next to him.
I took a deep breath, released it, and exited the kitchen area. Rowan spotted me walking his way, lifted his bushy eyebrows, and set his laptop aside.
I raised my hands in surrender. “Listen, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for last night to end like it did.”
“That’s okay.” He settled back in the armchair. “You could have stayed until morning to get a good night’s sleep. I didn’t hear you leave, but you’re here now so I’m assuming you didn’t get much rest.”
I frowned. “What?” I pulled up a chair and sat next to him. “You’re not mad that I fell asleep?”
“No. You must have needed it.” Rowan said it so matter-of-factly, I believed him.
“Yeah, I guess.” I shrugged. My schedule allowed me a few hours of shut-eye a night, but between doing coursework until late and showing up early at work, I did not have a good track record with my sheets. The recurring nightmares weren’t helping either. But all of that was not Rowan’s problem. I took in his exposed forearms covered in thick ginger hair, then looked back to his face. He was smirking, having caught me staring. My cheeks flushed, but that had never stopped me before. “Do you still want to go out with me?”
“Yes.” Rowan was looking at my lips as he licked his own. “But where? I’m not sure what this town has to offer besides great coffee.”
I stifled a grin. “Ice cream.” Going out for dinner would be too serious, and having tacos before a date might not be such a hot idea. I went over my weekend plans, which included gardening with Ethel. “Does tomorrow work for you? I could pick you up at four and we can walk to the park.” Too early in the day for it to bea date, but late enough not to have an awkward lunch and have food stuck in my teeth.
“Sounds good to me. But I can drive us.” Rowan gathered up his stuff and pulled to his feet.
“Nah. It’s close.” I followed his movement and ended up so close to him I could smell his cologne—a mix of leather and wood that invoked comfort. Goosebumps broke out on my skin, and I had to step aside to stop myself from reaching for him.
He met my gaze and brushed the back of his hand against mine. The hair there tickled my skin, and I inhaled a sharp breath.
“See you tomorrow,” Rowan said, and pulled away. His long strides took him out of the shop quickly, but I still got a moment to admire how his pants hugged his round ass. Initially, we were supposed to fool around, but I had to fuck that up. Was a date a good idea? He’d be leaving soon, so feelings were not an option, anyway. Yeah, my heart was safe.
I returned to the kitchen and went through the stock there, then the fridges and staff room cupboards. As I was ordering items we needed, two deliveries arrived with fresh pastries for lunchtime and bags of coffee beans from the local supplier. Hopefully, the new flavor would work well with the drink I had in mind. The bills were all paid, but the loan I’d taken to cover the necessary renovations of the cafe was weighing me down. I’d inherited Anabelle’s half of the place, and Ethel had given me the right to decide over her half, but I refused her signing it off to my name. She was alive and well, so she should keep the place she’d built with the love of her life. The profit alongside her retirement pay covered her stay at the best care home in the area, but not any of her extra classes or medical expenses. How was I supposed to cut costs at the cafe, but also make it bring more profit?
I set the paperwork aside and reached for a bag of pretzels. My hand scraped the bottom of the box. Fuck, we only had one more delivery scheduled for those. Unfortunately, the company that had been making the lovely goodies for us had gone bankrupt, so I was forced to look for a different supplier.
My childhood memories were full of the scent of fresh, soft pretzels my great-aunt Anabelle would make on Sundays at home. She’d also baked them for the diner, which was now the cafe, every Thursday. It had been the day’s special ever since I could remember.
What if I made soft pretzels for the cafe? Would Ethel know Anabelle’s recipe? I’d have to ask her.
With plans brewing in my head, I hopped on my bike and headed to see Ethel.
The late morning gardening with Ethel went by quickly, filled with giggles as she continued pranking her friends by hiding their tools, then cackling like a witch. At family lunchtime, we sat at the small round table in the garden outside, and I poured her favorite jasmine tea into her teacup, then into mine. The weather was stuffy; pleasant spring warmth was now on the way out, making room for the unbearable heat of our approaching summer. We were surrounded by well-kept greenery and avenues of flowers planted around the expanse of the gardens. Ethel’s contentment in this beautiful place was all the motivation I needed to do everything in my power to keep her happy here.
“Do you remember the pretzels Auntie Anabelle used to bake?” I asked, and took a bite of my sandwich.
