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“I’ll—I’ll get the coffee.” She spun to the opposite counter, placing her back to him, jerking against the invisible lines that seemed to be drawing them together. Good grief, what was the matter with her?
She could feel his gaze on her as she deftly prepared his favorite beverage, but with a task to occupy her hands, her breathing slowed.
“You’ve turned into quite the barista.”
Darius’s tone was as light and teasing as normal. Whatever had been dangerously deep in his eyes a moment before had vanished.
Addisyn let out her breath. It was still a bit shaky. “Yes...I guess I have.” She popped a plastic lid over the top of the drink and skewered it with a straw. She turned and slid the drink toward Darius, finally daring to meet his gaze again. “There you go.”
“Thank you kindly.” Darius took a sip and smiled. “Perfection.” He paused. “You’ve come a long way since the day you didn’t even know what coffee was.”
“You could say that again.” Addisyn chuckled slightly, relieved the dangerous undertow she had felt was gone. “Glad you like your drink.” She expected him to back away, say something about being late for work, but instead he leaned across the counter toward her.
“Enjoying working here?”
“For the most part. It’s a pretty stress-free job. Not like—” Addisyn clamped her lips shut. She had almost saidlike skating. How long would it take for her to fully process the reality that everyone around her had only read the last paragraph of her story, not the last chapter or even the last few pages? She dropped her gaze and brushed invisible crumbs off the countertop into her hand. “It’s—it’s nice.”
“That’s good.” He took another sip of his Cuban, then set his drink down and cocked his head. “And have you found what you were looking for yet?”
Addisyn blinked, caught off guard. “Found—what?”
Movement caught her eye. Chelsea was bustling around the end of the counter, carrying a cardboard box. “Got the straws. I do need to order some more, though. This is the last. Do you think we should keep getting plastic? I mean, I can kinda get behind the whole paper-straw—” Her rambling broke off as she caught sight of Darius. “Why, hello there, Mr. Payne!”
“Found what, Darius?” Addisyn’s voice was barely above a whisper, but she needed his answer, before Chelsea could arrive and shatter the moment.
His green-blue eyes bored straight into hers. “Your answers.”
Answers.
What she’d come to Whistler to find. What she’d told him, on that long-ago rainy night, she needed so desperately.
Like a touch on the arm when she didn’t know anyone was around, the question startled her—and challenged her. Had she become so preoccupied with hiding her questions that she’d forgotten her need to find answers?
She still didn’t know where her life was headed or how to do more than just maneuver through each day. She was still treading water, marking time. On the flip side, she’d been in Whistler for almost two months. Her thoughts of Brian were more blurry, more distant. And she’d landed her first job outside of skating. Addisyn took a deep breath—somehow, a cleansing breath. “I think so. Some of them.”
His smile was as gentle as a spring sky. “Good.”
Then Chelsea was there, pushing up next to Addisyn. “Good to see you this morning, Darius.” Admiration dripped from her tone. “Want me to make you a nice Cuban?”
“Thanks, but Addisyn’s already taken care of me.” He lifted his cup as proof, then backed away from the counter. “See you later.” His words could have been for both of them, but his eyes were fastened on Addisyn alone. As he reached the door, he turned one last time and mouthed the wordsKeep looking!
Addisyn felt a flurry of hope in her spirit. She returned his grin and watched as he strolled across the sidewalk to his waiting vehicle.
Answers—hard to find, harder to hang onto. Yet as Addisyn watched the maroon Chevy drive down the street, swerving to miss a pothole full of brownish snow melt, she had two very distinct ideas.
The first was bewilderment at the fact that somehow, for some reason, Darius Payne seemed like an answer all by himself. The way he made her feel special and listened to and—and—safewas incredible. He was a rare kind of man.
She snapped her thoughts away from Darius to acknowledge the other emotion. One that had been so badly beaten down inside her that its wings had been broken, and for a while, it had lain as still as death. But now, deep inside her, Addisyn felt the stirring of wings—the faintest flutter—of something that she hadn’t greeted for many dark days.
Hope.
