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“It is different. It seems quieter. Fresher.” He squeezed my hand. “Hot chocolate,” he muttered clearing his throat.
“Oh, with pink marshmallows and chocolate shavings?”
“Your wish is my command,” he drawled as we walked hand-in-hand toward the small café across the square.
His comment tickled me, which he knew as he was watching me from the corner of his eye. The man was fun to be with. Something which I wasn’t used to. Outside of Jason, I’d always been a loner. I didn’t want to go back to that.
“It looks festive,” Dylan commented, opening the door into the café. “My mom would love this.”
“I love this.” No sooner had I spoken than a woman came dashing over to us.
“You’re the American couple, I’ve been hearing about? I’m Annie” she gushed. “Please sit. What can I get you?” She fussed around us and her rosy cheeks made me smile. “Oh, wait! I know what I can get you. Hot chocolate. It’s homemade and the best this side of the Atlantic.”
She disappeared and I met Dylan’s amused gaze. “I like her.” I grinned and giggled. “At least she got our drinks right.”
Dylan rolled his eyes. “Cormac told her what we’d be in for.” He smiled. “Then again I bet everyone comes in out of the cold, snowy weather for hot chocolate.”
“Hmm.” I intertwined my fingers with Dylan’s on the table, noticing how much larger his hands were to mine. “So, you and Jaxon are cousins, huh?”
“We are.” He grinned. “But don’t go looking at him.”
“You know I haven’t been looking at him. Besides, his eyes have firmly been on Poppy Green since she’d arrived at school.” Dylan’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “You didn’t know?”
“No.” He shook his head. “He’s into the visiting Prof? How did I not know this?”
“I’m observant, plus, I may have been watching him a bit closer than I usually do because of you,” I admitted. “You were always with him. His gaze was always on Poppy.” I shrugged. “I’m a girl, we notice these things.”
“Wow.” He dragged a hand across his face. “I didn’t see that one. I did see my cousin, Paige and Seth though, so I’m not totally clueless.”
“I heard you wanted Seth away from Paige.” I raised a brow.
“Hmm, well, that was true. He loved her. It was good in the end.” Dylan sighed. “I do have a sister. Madison. She’s married to Derek, who is the father of Tanner, who is married to my cousin, Charlotte.” He laughed. “My family is complicated, but we’re all close, which has it good and not so good times.”
“I bet. Why not so good?”
“The girls used to spy on us boys, and that’s all I’m saying on the matter.”
“With girls? I bet your cousins probably learnt a thing or two about boys on those occasions.”
“Maybe.” He cleared his throat, and asked, “What about you? Any siblings?”
“Nope. I’m an only child, and my uncle already likes you because of your dad, so I’d say you have nothing to worry about when we finally get to Ahascragh.”
“Good to know.”
“Here you go. Two hot chocolates with whipped cream, marshmallows, and chocolate buttons.” Annie placed the drinks on the table in beautiful glass cups.
“They look delicious.” I leaned in and sipped from the filled glass before lifting it to my mouth because the slightest movement would hav
e it sloshing all over the table. Annie hovered, a smile beaming across her face. “Good as it looks.”
“I second that. It’s really thick and creamy. Thank you,” Dylan told the excited woman.
“I told you.” She twirled and trotted off to serve another customer.
“You have cream, um—” Dylan whispered, indicating I had it all over my lips. He laughed. “I’ll get it.” Leaning forward, he very slowly, while holding my gaze, trailed a finger along my upper lip.
His gaze dipped and heated as he watched. I stuck the tip of my tongue out and licked the tip of his finger. He groaned and moved in the chair. “You,” he breathed heavily, “are driving me crazy.” I bit the tip of his finger and laughed.
