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I snorted. “You’re aware that parking is nuts around here, right?”
The signs change daily or have tarps over them. There was constant construction going on, which meant a change in parking. Plus, parking was limited. Some spots were reserved for residents.
“Not for those who are attentive and conscientious,” Colton said.
I stopped to face him on the sidewalk. “I spend a lot of time in traffic court, and there are a lot of confused people in Annapolis.”
“I think it’s less about confusion and more about paying attention to the signs.”
I groaned, walking faster toward my shop, hoping he’d leave me alone. When I stopped to unlock my shop, I saw Colton in my periphery. His presence was the reason my heart rate had increased as I approached my building. Pushing open the door, I waited for him to walk inside before closing it and locking it behind us.
“Did you want a juice? Or I could make you a smoothie,” I asked politely.
Colton’s nose wrinkled as I walked behind the large, white counter. The walls and counters were white, the artwork bright. It reminded me of a smoothie shop I’d visited in Florida after Delilah and I were adopted.
“They’re green.”
I rolled my eyes. “They’re not all green.”
At his dubious look, I pointed at the chalkboard menu. “Each juice combination has a purpose. Early morning pick-me-up, energy booster, or post-workout. Depending on whether you work out or not, your dietary needs will be different.”
“Oh. I work out.” Colton’s gaze held a bit of a challenge.
I knew he worked out. No one came by those muscles naturally. “You should take care of your body then.”
His eyes held a challenge. “I do. Just not with fancy juices. I prefer water.”
“Of course, you do,” I said under my breath.
If you looked up the word uptight in the dictionary, there’d be a picture of Colton Castle in full uniform. Colton, who always followed the rules and never strayed from them.
“I don’t remember you being so uptight when you dated Delilah.” As much as I hated bringing up my sister, I was curious about the change. “Was it your service in the military?”
He shifted on his feet. “Mostly.”
His gaze sliding away from mine told me there was more to the story, but I didn’t feel comfortable asking yet.
“I’m going to make a fresh smoothie. Want one?” I sold juices in bottles to go, but I also offered fresh smoothies.
He sat on the stool across from me. “Sure.”
“You’re not working?” I asked as I grabbed the fruit and avocado combination I was sure he’d like, even though it was green.
I smiled to myself. He’d sounded like a child when he commented on the color of the juices. I wanted to show him they were good despite the color.
“I stopped by before I needed to clock in.”
That made me pause. “Why?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay and that you got a security system installed.”
I nodded toward the panel by the door. “You can see that I did.”
“It wasn’t activated when we walked in.”
I shook my head. “I turned it off on the way over from my phone.”
“You shouldn’t do that.”
