Page 13 of The Wedding Favor

Where had that come from? I swallowed and averted my eyes, praying he couldn’t read that thought on my face.

“Sorry.” His knee brushed me as he turned toward me on the stool. “I’ve been working around the shop all morning.”

I jumped up from my seat and rounded the counter to put a little distance between us. After filling up a glass with ice water, I set it in front of him. “How’s that going?”

He took a long swallow. “The place is a disaster. It’s like a rodent crime syndicate moved in. The roof is falling apart. The garage bay doors are broken along with every window in the place. It’s going to take a lot more time than I planned on to get it up and running.”

That place should probably be condemned. From the outside, it looked like a sad shell. Broken windows, graffiti, and trash strewn around. I knew for a fact that some high school kids had busted the backdoor lock and used it as a hangout. I couldn’t even imagine what it looked like inside.

“Didn’t you see it before you bought it?”

“No.” He sighed. “I remembered it from when I was a kid and I guess I just figured it would look about the same.”

I snorted. “You were a kid a long time ago.”

“Wow.” He tried to look offended, but amusement flashed in his eyes. “I’m thirty-six. I’m not an antique.”

“That does make you vintage, though.” I tapped a finger on my chin. “So, when I was in kindergarten, you were a… senior in high school?”

He scowled. “Thanks for putting it that way.”

“You’re welcome.”

Ellie’s head popped out from the kitchen. “Iris, are you yelling at the customers again?”

“Again?” Abe asked.

“Only if they need it,” I said. “And I’ve only had one complaint.”

“In the last week.” Ellie strolled up to the counter. “We won’t talk about last month.”

“Look, you aren’t going to get the kind of quality service I provide without a few naysayers. Haters gonna hate.”

“You dumped coffee on that man’s lap.”

With a smirk, Abe leaned back and crossed his arm, clearly enjoying this exchange.

“Excuse me, my mama always said that no one gets to touch my bathing suit areas without my permission.” I sniffed primly. “A girl has to protect herself.”

“See what I have to put up with?” Ellie said.

“I don’t know,” Abe said. “Sounds like she handled it perfectly.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Just for that, your glass of water is on the house.”

“So generous.”

“That’s because I’m the one paying the water bill,” Ellie said before crossing the diner to help a customer.

His dimples flashed as he stood. “I have to get back. I have a plumber coming at ten. I just came by to see when you got off so I could take a look at your car.”

“Actually, I’m kind of glad you stopped by.” I glanced around the café. Aside from Ellie and the old guys in the corner, there were only two tables in use. Still, I did not want what I was about to say to end up on the town group text thread. I beckoned him to follow and led us straight to the scene of last night’s crime—the supply closet.

To his credit, he didn’t bat an eye when I opened the door and pushed him inside. Darkness surrounded us. I reached out a hand to find the light switch and instead, found an arm.

“Just need to find the light.” I kept searching and finding more body parts—a shoulder, his chest.

“What base is over-the-clothes groping?” Light filled the closet and I found myself face to face with an amused Abe, barely a couple inches between us. “Because I think we’re there now.”