Page 90 of Pick Me This Time

42

DAPHNE

It had been a full day since Eric had found out about Sterling and me, and neither of them had spoken to me again since. Feeling like my heart had gone through a shredder, I slung coffee and pastries all day, as busy as ever now that the festival was in full swing.

I definitely wasn’t feeling it today, though. I went through the motions, but my mind was on my brother and his best friend, split fairly evenly between my worry about both. My mother had assured me that they would work it out, but I hated the situation we were in and the role I had played in landing us here.

Logically, I knew I had to give it time. Sterling had been busy on the farm since before the festival had even started, and judging by the amount of cars coming and going from the bakery, they were busier than ever up there.

Similarly, Eric had a lot on his plate. The garage was also usually pretty busy this time of year, with all sorts of minor repairs having to be made to tourists’ cars on top of his regular workload. While I knew they were probably both throwing themselves into work so they wouldn’t have to deal with their feelings, I just wished I could talk to them.

I’d texted my brother, but I hadn’t called or messaged Sterling. I knew I could, but to my mind, the distance he was keeping was because of Eric scaring him away. When I’d come out to my mother with the whole sordid tale, she hadn’t been surprised at all that Sterling and I had developed feelings for one another—her crafty way of not referencing the fact that we’d been caught in bed together.

She’d told me that once the shock wore off, Eric would be more understanding as well, but I just wasn’t sure. It didn’t feel like that to me right then.

To me, it felt like the world was ending. Like I’d lost Eric and Sterling in one fell swoop and like that meant I would lose Jake and possibly even Rachel as well. Her husband would stand by my brother, and while I knew she’d try to fight for me, she was the mother of a newborn baby.

She had way more important things to worry about and I wouldn’t want her getting in a fight with Jake on my behalf anyway. They were a parental unit now. I wouldn’t dream of getting between them.

So lost in thought that customers were coming, being served, and leaving again without me even seeing their faces, I didn’t realize the same guy that had badgered me the other morning was back until he snapped his fingers in front of my face. I started, blinking rapidly as I tried to figure out what was going on.

“Hello, gorgeous,” he said smoothly, not skipping a beat as he delivered the cringy line. “How are you doing today? It looks like something’s bothering you. Want to tell Henry what it is?”

“Who’s Henry?” I asked dumbly, finally managing to focus on the face only a few feet away from mine, which was when I recognized him.

The guy had come in a few days ago to buy a couple coffees before we’d even opened. June and I had been inside, preparing the bakery for the day, and he’d knocked incessantly at the door. Eventually, I’d gone over to tell him we weren’t open yet, but he refused to take no for an answer.

In the end, I’d realized I was wasting more time trying to get rid of him than it would take me to make the darn coffees. Seeing him again, my stomach rolled. I really wasn’t in the mood to deal with a guy like him.

He was too cocky. With reddish blond hair and chiseled features, he was good looking but not sweltering hot, yet he acted like he was God’s gift to women. There seemed to be a permanent smirk etched onto his thin lips and the way he ran his eyes all over me like he was trying to develop x-ray vision made my skin crawl.

Simultaneously, there was a certain charm about him. Like he could be a real nice, real genuine guy if you could look past those lascivious stares and the cliched come-ons. I just really wasn’t in the right headspace to appreciate any of it.

He smiled at me when I asked the question, lowering his chin a little and peering at me from between thick, strawberry blond lashes. “I’m Henry, obviously. Didn’t I tell you that the other day? I’m sure I told you. What I still don’t know, however, is your name.”

“Right,” I said, forcing a smile as I canted my head at the coffee machine. “What can I get you?”

“An Americano and your phone number,” he said, once again without even flinching. “Your name too if you don’t mind. I’ve been calling you the Hot Barista in my head, but a name would be better if we’re going to go out.”

“One Americano coming right up,” I said, ignoring everything else he’d said.

June walked out of the kitchen to replenish the pastry baskets, and she paused to glance between the two of us. I gave her a discreet roll of my eyes, but Henry clearly hadn’t noticed her standing right there because he went on as if I hadn’t even spoken at all.

“I’m in town for a few more days and I’d really like to take you to dinner,” he said. “We can check out the festival together, and if you’re lucky, I’ll let you lick pumpkin-spice sprinkles off me.”

Even June blushed at that one, but he was laying on the charm much too hard for my liking. Plus, I just really wasn’t in the mood.

“Thanks,” I said, trying to be as gracious as I could about turning him down. “I really hope you enjoy the festival and your visit to Allisburg, but I’m not dating right now.”

“Of course, you’re not,” he said easily. “Because you haven’t agreed to go out with me yet. Come on, beautiful girl. We’ll have fun. Guaranteed.”

“I’m sure we would, but I’m really busy at the moment. If you’re feeling lonely traveling by yourself, you should check out the craft gin garden at the festival. It’s a really popular hangout this time of year and there are always loads of people around.”

Henry didn’t seem like the type who got told no very often, and he didn’t seem to recognize that I really didn’t want to go out with him. Instead, he sent me what I guessed was supposed to have been a coy smile.

“I’m not lonely, baby. I just want to go out with you. We could visit the craft gin garden together, though I’m more of a vodka guy myself.”

Of course, he is. Probably the expensive kind made on glaciers in New Zealand or some other pretentious bullshit.