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“The usual?” she asks, two steaming cups of coffee in her hands.
“Yes, ma’am,” I say, sitting back to allow Maggie to set the coffee down.
“Um, I don’t know,” Mom says.
Maggie stills for a moment before standing upright, her brow furrowed. “You don’t want your omelet?”
“Oh, um…” Mom frowns, her forehead crinkled. She glances up and her face transforms when she smiles and waves at someone. She drops the menu back behind the napkin holder and turns to Maggie. “Yep, my usual, please.”
I turn to see who my mom is flagging down, and it takes all I have not to drop my jaw.
Heading toward our table is Lia and her mother, Emily.
This is…unexpected.
“Good morning, Hendersons,” Emily says with a big smile on her face. “Mind if we join you?”
“Absolutely not,” Mom exclaims, scooting over and motioning Emily to sit by her. “Jacob, don’t be rude. Slide over so Lia can sit down. Lia, I love your sweater. That color brings out the blue in your eyes. Don’t you think so, Jacob?”
I don’t need to think about the color of Lia’s eyes. I see them in my sleep far more often than I care to.
My head is spinning as my mom chatters on, but I pull it together enough to slide over and let Lia sit down.
She looks as surprised as I am, though judging by the way her shoulders are stiff and her mouth is set in a flat line, I’d say she’s doing her best to keep her temper in check.
It’s been twenty-four hours since I saw her, and I swear she’s more gorgeous than yesterday. Seeing her in the flesh for the first time after so many years had been a shock to my system.
Right now, my brain is on Lia overload.
My gaze rakes over the sweater she’s wearing. It molds to her curves like a glove, and with the deep V neckline, a glimpse of cleavage beckons to me. The deep blue makes her eyes the color of sapphires. I shift in my seat, and my tongue finally comes unglued from the top of my mouth. “Morning, ladies.”
Emily gives me a big smile as she slides into the opposite side. “Hey, Jake. Good to see you.”
Lia frowns at her mom, who turns to chat with my mom, before turning back to me. “Hey.”
“Hey.” She sits in the booth, her body stiff and doing her best to make sure our thighs don’t touch.
I shift closer to her, brushing her shoulder, and lower my voice. “Two times in as many days. See? Told ya you missed me.”
I chuckle when her eyes send daggers my way before she squares her shoulders. The sunshine coming through the windows catches some red tones in her hair that are new. “Can I have a menu, please?”
I hand her a menu and brush her hand with mine as I hand it to her. After all this time, a shock still runs up my arm and lands in my crotch.
Lia snatches her hand back from mine as if burned. Maggie stops by the table again with coffee and to take Emily and Lia’s order while Lia actively avoids looking at me.
I’m playing with fire here; I know it and yet I can’t seem to stop it.
I’m like a moth to a flame.
A flame that’s going to burn me to a crisp.
As much as I’d love to go down in flames with her, I can’t afford to get wrapped up in all that with her. I have a business to not only run, but now with my mom’s blessing, a business to renovate and expand.
I shift away from Lia so that our legs are no longer touching. No need to get any more worked up than I am. After this breakfast, I plan to avoid her as much as possible while she’s here. I’ve talked to her more in the last two days than I have in the last several years. We aren’t the same people, even if she still thinks I am.
If I don’t avoid her, she’s going to be a beautiful distraction that’s just going to put me behind in my plans and then leave town.
Emily rubs her hands together and looks over at me. “Okay, so I need some help with the Christmas festival.”
