“Okay.” His hands are up in surrender. “How about this? Either wait until I can walkwithyou next time so no self-defense is needed, or take my word that I’ve seen no one walking that early until I ran into your pepper-spraying ass today.”
Viv’s eyes jump between us, listening to our exchange. She is unamused.
“All it takes is once?—”
“Um… Okay, you two are a little more than I can handle until this coffee cup is empty and I’ve refilled it a second time, so I’m gonna go.” She shoves off the counter, waving a hand dismissively.
I watch Viv retreat, then turn to find Luke has pulled two mugs from the shelf and is filling them with coffee that smells absolutely divine. An older woman is making her way around the room, saying hello to guests and making small talk.
The smell of breakfast fills the air. Freshly baked muffins, bacon, sausage, and eggs all line the counter in their various trays. At the other end stands cereal canisters, each labeled with the brand of cereal along with containers of yogurt and fresh berries. It’s quite a spread.
“Hi, hun.” The woman has made it over to us and is greeting Luke. He leans down, placing a quick kiss on her cheek.
“Hey, Ma. This is Liv. She checked in yesterday. Not sure if you’ve met.” Luke extends his hand toward me and hands me a cup of coffee. “Milk? Cream? Sugar?” he asks.
“Just milk is great, thanks. Hi.” I wave at his mother.
“Oh, hello there! Good morning.” She sends a friendly smile my way and reaches out to grasp my hand. Brown hair, with streaks of gray, is in a bun at the base of her neck. It’s clear to me Luke and Holly get their stunning eye color from their mom. She’s beautiful. Lines crease her face from a lifetime of smiling, and everything about her feels warm and welcoming.
“I see you’ve met my son, and I’m sure you've met my daughter Holly. Sorry I couldn’t come to greet you when you arrived yesterday. We were trying to pull a surprise anniversary dinner together for a couple that’s checking out today.” She tosses the towel in her hand over her shoulder and places her hands on her hips, glancing around the room as if checking if she’s missed anything important.
Luke pours milk into my coffee cup, stopping at the perfect moment. The coffee to milk ratio is exactly how I like it.
“Don’t apologize! How did it go?” I’ve heard of places in the hospitality business having a more personal touch, but I never encountered that level of care.
“Oh, you know. Love doesn’t care if it’s perfect. The food wasn’t as hot as it should have been, and the musician looked to be three sheets to the wind—won’t be calling him again—but he played well enough. It was a pretty night, and, well, they’re in love. What more could someone want? We had champagne on ice and rose petals on the table. It was lovely.” She smiles to herself. Sadness, for a fleeting moment, overtakes her features, but she quickly wipes it away.
Luke puts his arm around his mom andtugs her tightly to him in a side hug while she simultaneously swats at his belly with her rag.
“Anyway, I’m Mae. This is my house. If there’s anything you need, you just let me know.”
I like her already. She reminds me a lot of my Gram.
“Luke, can I borrow you for a minute?” She smiles, a bright, genuine smile. “So nice to meet you, Liv. Welcome to the Huffman House.”
“Thanks for the walk,” I say, blowing the steam dancing above my coffee.
“The pleasure was all mine. I’ll see you later.” A soft smile graces his lips, and he pushes himself off the counter, following his mom through the door.
I watch him retreat, pretending I don’t care when later will be.
Twelve
PEOPLE ARE STARING
Liv
Mmm… This coffee is good.
I hum with pleasure as I take another sip.
Back in my room, Sunny is in front of the window on the cat condo, watching little birds flutter in and out of the bushes. His tail twitches and swishes while little chirping sounds pour out of him. I give him a butt scratch and open the curtain wider so he can see.
Me: Brunch is at 10:30. Want to walk and stop at some shops along the way?
Viv: Def. Let me just kill this bird real quick.
Me: Please tell me you're joking.
