Page 58 of View With Your Heart

“I would happily give you everything,” he says, and my heart leaps with hope it shouldn’t have.

Take 20

Scene: Rogue River Bar

[Britton]

In the morning, Gavin and I leave without any witnesses as Gee isn’t home, and Theo is still sleeping. I drive Gavin directly to his car, but he follows me back to Main Street.

“What are you doing?” I tease as he exits his rental, parking next to my car behind TeasMe!.

“I want a cup of tea.”

“Since when?” I joke.

“Since the first day I learned you owned this place.”

I laugh, allowing him to follow me into my store. He helps himself to a stool at the front counter while I flip on lights, turn on the oven for scones, and fire up the machines that brew our hot water.

“So, tell me, why tea again?” Gavin asks me to make him a Breakfast Tea, which is a black tea.

“When I was pregnant, it settled my stomach. Some nights I had trouble sleeping, and a chamomile blend helped. You know Gertie was into all that natural stuff.”

“I bet you were beautiful when you were pregnant,” Gavin says as I hand over the hot mug. My fingers falter, almost dropping the ceramic to the counter. He gives his compliment without a thought, watching me. “Motherhood agrees with you.”

I stare at him, at once thinking he says the strangest things and, at the same time, thinking I’ve never been so flattered in all my life.

As the morning blooms, we grow busier, and Gavin subtly leaves, giving me a wink before he does.

“Man, looks like someone has it bad,” Jenna teases, and I blush, thinking she means me. “That man wants a bit of your sweet scone.”

My head pops up. “He does not.” We sound like teenagers, and I redden again.

“What other man do you know sits here and drinks tea with you first thing in the morning?”

Not even Patrick drank tea, preferring coffee. Even Gabe Carpenter, in his persistence, fakes his interest in tea, but Gavin drank his cup, indulged in a scone, and hung out.

Jenna’s eyes continue to press at me. “You look different this morning.” Her breath catches before she speaks again. “Did you get lucky last night?”

My eyes drift to the closest customer before turning back to Jenna. “Would you keep your voice down?”

“You did, didn’t you?” Her voice immediately rises higher. Where is Henry when I need to defuse Jenna?

“It was nothing,” I lie, as last night had been everything. His tenderness. His sweet words. He’d been missing me his entire life. Oh, how I wished the words were true.

“Well, that hot piece of nothing wants you,” she continues, and I look toward the front door as if I’ll find Gavin still standing there.

“He’s leaving on Sunday,” I remind her, reminding myself that whatever I’m feeling for Gavin needs to be kept in check, especially as I have something to tell him.

“Leavin’ smeavin’. There’s such a thing as long distance. It’s called the internet and video chatting.” Jenna leans closer. “Phone sex, though not recommended as a substitute for the real thing.”

“Okay, who are you?” I laugh. “I can’t do long distance. I have Gee. It isn’t feasible to run off every other weekend or whenever to be with Gavin.” Plus, I don’t even know if he’d want such a thing. Sighing as I make another cup of tea for a customer, I try to accept that my night with Gavin was one night only, just like that long-ago weekend.

+ + +

My thoughts scatter as I take another sip of my Front Porch, the Rogue River specialty for the evening, which is a combination of alcohols with a hint of raspberry-blueberry flavor. It’s addicting and going down rather easily. The place isn’t overly crowded for a Thursday, but it’s playing good music, and the girls are enthusiastic about dancing. While I take barre classes, keeping up my basic ballet training in a new exercise format, I haven’t actually club danced in years. Not that this is a club but a country western bar, playing line dances and rowdy music.

Jenna pulls me to the dance floor, forcing me to follow her moves as we dance to a song about girl power. My body sways, my hips move, and I close my eyes, falling into the song until I feel eyes on me. Looking up, I notice Gavin and the guys have crashed the party as he predicted. Jenna and I continue dancing, finishing up the song with her grinding up behind me. We laugh as the song ends, and it immediately transfers into a slower melody.