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“I’m pretty damn amazing, too.”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”
“Stop being adorable, I have to finish up.” She yanked the curtain closed with a giggle and he turned his attention back to the mirror to finish shaving. Sunday had passed quickly. He’d wondered if she’d hear from her ex-friend or someone from the wedding party, but her phone had remained quiet. She seemed to be in good spirits about it, but he knew it had to sting to be tossed aside.
He’d never had a friend behave the way that Chloe had, so he wasn’t sure what to say to help her get through the rejection. All he could do was be there for her and be damn thankful that she had chosen him.
They left the house an hour later, stepping out into the bright summer morning. His cat was a little nervous to meet her parents, wanting them to approve of him. While he knew in the end it really didn’t matter if they liked him or not – he and Emberly were mated and that was as good as married to shifters – he wanted her to be happy and right now that hinged on him and her parents getting along.
“Tell me about the coffee shop,” he said as he backed out of the driveway.
“My parents met in college at a coffee shop. Neither of them had any money, and the shop had bottomless coffee for a dollar, so they both would go on Fridays in between classes and drink a gallon. Since they met at a coffee shop, they always thought it would be fun to have one of their own. My dad changed his major from marketing to finance so he could handle the books for the business, and my mom was already working on a business degree.”
“That’s sweet,” he said. “How long was it before they opened one?”
“A couple years. They both found part-time jobs working at the shop on campus so they could learn about the business from the inside. On their honeymoon, they came into Cabot’s Mill for dinner and fell in love with the town. The coffee shop used to be a Laundromat that went out of business because the owner never took care of the machines.”
“You basically grew up in a coffee shop, huh?”
“Pretty much.” She chuckled. “I used to bring coffee to my teachers.”
“Do you like working there?”
“Yeah, I do. It’s fun and low key. I like getting to know the regulars, and I do love coffee. Do you?”
“Definitely. What’s your favorite?”
“In the morning I like light roast, nothing fancy. But if I’m dragging in the afternoon, I like an iced cappuccino, vanilla or mocha.”
“Sounds good. I’ve honestly never had an iced coffee.”
“Well, I’ll have to make you one, then.” She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, stifling a yawn.
They rode in silence for a little while, and then she asked why he wanted to work at the bar.
“Partly because it’s pride-owned. Because of my leg, I worked out a lot more to give myself an edge physically since I’m limited some with the injury. When I was eighteen, the old bar owner told me he needed someone to work the door on the weekends if I was interested. I thought I was pretty cool.”
“I’ll bet.”
“When he wanted to retire, Duke and Titus bought out the business. All the workers are like family. We joke around and torment each other sometimes, but we’ve always got each other’s backs.”
“That’s awesome.”
“I know it’s not a great job, or anything. I’m not changing the world as a bouncer. But I like it and it pays well.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being a bouncer. You like your job and in my book, that’s what counts. I’m not exactly changing the world with coffee either, but I’m content.”
“And if I wasn’t a bouncer, we might never have met.”
“Super great point.” She beamed up at him.
“Do you think you’ll ever take over the coffee shop?”
“That’s the plan. My dad says it’s the family legacy, and since I’m an only child, it’s all on me, but I’m okay with that.”
The realization that their schedules were not going to mesh well annoyed his cat. When would they see each other?
“You got really quiet. Are you okay?”
