Hu Gh:Not your fault?? Then why did it have this group on it?
Mollie Wilson:Oh dear God. Can someone explain marketing emails to Hugh?
Jackie Anne:Didn’t you work in marketing?
Mollie Wilson:I did. But I’d like to stay sane, thank you verymuch.
When two menwalked into the shop in the afternoon, I immediately had a bad feeling about one of them.
Most people looked at the scenery when they walked in for the first time. Sometimes they studied the menu closely. But when a man with light hair came in, his eyes were on me and only me.
It was unnerving, to say the least.
As I helped other customers, I tried to put it out of my mind. They were more than likely here for the farmers market. He could have recognized me from somewhere else, or he could simply have been looking through me, not at me.
Those were the things I told myself as he slowly inched closer in line.
He was with another man with darker hair, one who looked at the menu just like he should.
“So, you must be the famous Theo,” the man with lighter hair said.
“F-famous?” I kept my voice level, but shakiness broke through. “How have you heard of me?”
I hoped it would be a simple mention of the coffee shop, but braced for the worst anyway.
“You know our friend Piper, right?”
I blinked. This wasn’t what I expected.
But it also wasn’t great.
“I do. She comes in to write.”
“You talk to her often?”
“Joey,” the man next to him said. “We’re just here to try the coffee.”
“I’m just having a conversation, Mitch.”
I’d heard those names before. She mentioned Joey was protective and I needed to play it safe.
The problem was, I had no idea how to. Playing it safe withPiper meant staying away from her, but I was terrible at that. All I’d done was break my own rules this entire time.
I had a feeling her friend would see that.
My entire body tightened and I had no idea what to say.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to.
“What’s your order?” a voice asked. “We have almost everything.”
I startled when Kelsey leaned on the counter next to me. Her smile was tight, and I had no doubt she’d heard Joey’s tone.
“An Americano with oat milk for him,” Mitch said with a smile. “And I’ll have a caramel macchiato.”
“Theo here makes a mean macchiato. Better than I ever could. He’ll make it and I’ll ring you up.”
I looked at her with a raised brow. “I can?—”
