Page 2 of Then Came You

“We need to talk,” Lauren said.

“What about?”

“Not here. Come with me.”

Gillian came out from behind the coffee counter and followed her friend into the connecting bookstore. The second she was away from Sam and surrounded by the scent of ink and paper, she felt better.

It was only nine thirty, and the bookstore was empty. Gillian liked it when the store was busy because that meant they were making money, but she also enjoyed it when it was quiet, like now.

“Why are you so rude to him?” Lauren demanded, her voice just above a whisper.

“Who?”

“You know who! Sam.”

“I’m not rude to him.”

“Yes, you are. He’s always so friendly, and you won’t give him the time of day.”

Gillian sighed and looked away.

“It’s because of Owen, isn’t it?”

She shook her head even though Lauren was right.

“Sweetie, listen. What happened to Owen was terrible. He was way too young to die. But you can’t hold a grudge against all police officers because of it. It isn’t fair.”

“Fair? Was it fair that Owen was killed in the line of duty? Was it fair that he was trying to uphold the law and some idiot gunned him down? Don’t talk to me about fair, Lauren.”

Sam poked his head around the corner. “Sorry to interrupt. I was just going to tell you ladies to have a good day.”

Gillian’s hands were clenched into fists at her side, and her face felt flushed. If Sam noticed that anything was amiss, he didn’t show it.

“Thanks, Sam. You have a good day too. Stay safe out there,” Lauren said.

“Will do.”

He glanced at Gillian, but she said nothing. Looking disappointed, he turned and went back into the coffee shop. When she heard the bell over the door announce his departure, she sighed with relief. She hated that his presence caused such an emotional reaction in her, but there was a reason for it.

Her fiancé, Owen, had also been a cop, and he’d died while intercepting an armed robbery at a convenience store. She’d never forget the night when two of his fellow officers had knocked on the door of the home that she and Owen had shared. Cocoa had started barking furiously, and she’d known in her gut that something was wrong. She’d opened the door to see two officers, whom she recognized, clutching their police hats in front of them and wearing grim expressions.

She hadn’t even invited them inside. She’d stood there, shivering in her robe, and awaited the bad news. She’d tried to keep a stiff upper lip, but as they’d detailed the account of the robbery gone wrong, she’d crumpled to her knees and broken into tears. The man that she’d loved and planned to marry was dead at the age of twenty-eight. He’d been gone over a year now, but the pain still lingered.

Seeing Sam waltz into the coffee shop every morning on his break, wearing the familiar blue uniform and a smile, brought back bad memories for her: Owen’s funeral, where many of the attendees were cops, the funeral procession, with its long line of cop cars, and afterward, when his cop friends stopped by their house to check on her and ask how she was doing.

She’d wanted to scream and stamp her feet and tell them to leave her alone. She never wanted to see that blue uniform up close again. She’d seen a grief counselor for a few months, and she’d learned to recognize her “triggers.” So, while Sam was just trying to be friendly, she saw him as the enemy. She knew it was wrong, but he triggered a negative reaction in her every time she saw him.

“I’m sorry, Lauren. I’ll try to be friendlier toward him.”

Instead of responding, Lauren pulled her in for a long hug.

They’d just separated when the bell over the door of the bookshop rang and Savannah breezed in, looking fashionable as always in her skinny jeans, ankle boots, and snug black T-shirt. Gillian, Lauren, and Savannah were friends and co-owners of the store, who’d bonded in college over their love of books and coffee. While they had their differences, they were a tight-knit threesome, and Gillian couldn’t imagine her life without them in it.

“Hey, Savannah. You’re here early,” Lauren said.

“I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the hot cop.”

“Sam was already here and gone.”