Page 34 of Unspoken Love

“Bored already?” Lena asked with a smirk as she slid a tray of fresh lemon scones into the pastry case. Lena was one of the high school kids that worked at the shop part-time, along with Clover, Jessie, Bridgette, and Robbie. And she was now in charge of all of them while Nate was busy working on his place every day.

Nate had said that he wasn’t sure who would stick around when school started again, but Clover and Lena had assured her that they had worked there for over two years now and had no plans to leave anytime soon.

Faye grinned at Lena. “A little. It’s too nice out for anyone to want coffee and books. They’re all at the beach or the boardwalk.”

“Give it an hour,” Lena said, wiping her hands. “The need for sugar and cold drinks will bring them in eventually.”

Faye knew she was right as she walked toward the front windows, glancing again at the colorful Fourth of July flyer taped to the door. In bold red letters across the top, it said “Pride’s Annual Fourth in the Square,” followed by a list of events: the farmers market, pie-eating contests, horseback rides, paddle board races, games for the kids, live music at the gazebo, and fireworks over the harbor.

She’d noticed the same flyer in every store window for the past few weeks. Only a week away.

Had it really been three weeks since she’d moved there?

The town went all out in decorating for the big event. Even the street lamps throughout Pride were decorated with red, white, and blue banners. All of the businesses got into the spirit as well, decorating their windows with their own flair—glitter, flags, hand-drawn doodles.

Clover and Lena had decorated their windows with window paint, which blocked the view slightly but was so festive that it didn’t bother her. They claimed they did this for every holiday and said that Halloween was by far their favorite.

Pride took its holiday celebrations seriously, and something about that made her heart ache in the best way. It reminded her of the kind of town you saw in movies. The kind of place where people showed up for each other. Where summer meant something.

And this year, it meant something to her too.

Nate had asked her to go with him to the event as their first real date. He had arranged for Lena, Clover, and Robbie to man the Brew-Ha-Ha’s booth during the event so they could enjoy themselves instead.

Nate had been adorably awkward about asking her to go with him too—rubbing the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact, trying hard to play it cool. When he’d finally asked if she’d go with him, his voice had been low and hopeful. Which is when her heart had all but launched out of her chest.

And, of course, she had said yes.

Now, every time she saw those flyers, she felt a flutter in her stomach in anticipation of the day. Not nerves exactly, just excitement. Something about the thought of spending the day with Nate—walking the booths, eating too much kettle corn, watching fireworks from a blanket on the grass in the town’s square—felt right. Felt like it could be the start of something bigger than she’d planned on when she’d moved here.

At no point in her life had she dreamed of having a real relationship like Nate was talking about. Now, however, her mind was slowly changing. And it was all Nate’s doing. He made her believe things were possible.

She smiled to herself, still lingering in that warm, sun-drenched space between dreams and reality where she and Nate were strolling on the beach on a perfect summer evening. Then they were sitting on a blanket on the soft cool grass with fireworks bursting overhead while Nate softly brushed his lips against hers. For the first time in a long time, she wasn’t going to just survive—she was going to start living.

Then the front door chimed and reality intruded.

A tall woman with oversized sunglasses and a stiff posture swept into the bookstore like a storm front, pushing a wheeled designer stroller. A boy who appeared to be about ten years old was sitting in it and playing on a massive iPad.

The woman looked around the shop as if personally offended by its existence. The child didn’t even look up from his game, and the blasting volume from it caused Faye’s implant to vibrate whenever a particular cash register sound played.

Faye straightened up with a friendly smile. “Good morning! Welcome to the Brew-Ha-Ha. Can I help you find anything?”

The woman peeled off her glasses, revealing sharp eyes and an even sharper expression. “Is this it?” she asked, waving her hand in a wide arc. “This is a coffee shop? It looks like a bookstore.”

Faye blinked. “Uh, yes. It’s both. We have a wide selection of coffees, teas, fresh pastries— even wines,” she started but the woman waved her hand, stopping her.

“I want coffee, not pastries from a bake sale,” she said, already walking toward the counter. “Do you even carry oat milk? Or is that too much to ask in this… quaint little town?”

Her son glanced up for a second and eyed the pastries directly in front of him.

“I want a cookie,” he screamed over his game.

Faye’s implant buzzed, and she reached up and cupped her hand over it, knowing that sometimes helped.

Still, she kept her smile in place, biting the inside of her cheek as the pain spiked.

“We do have oat milk, yes. What can I get started for you?” she asked politely.

“I’ll have a 16-ounce cappuccino with oat milk, extra dry, and make sure the milk is steamed to exactly 140 degrees. No powder or cinnamon on top—just foam. But not too much foam. I want it airy, not stiff. You got that? And I want it in a paper cup, not plastic, with a lid to go. And don’t start steaming the milk until the espresso shot is ready, or it gets that weird burned taste.”