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“Fancy running into you here. We were just passing by and heard about the amazing coffee and muffins being served here,” Reid beamed, lying through his teeth.
I served them two cinnamon lattes and apple strudel muffins with warm apple butter.
“You guys didn’t have to come all the way across town just for me.”
“That’s what I said,” Riley grumbled. “Butsomeonewoke us up before the sun, so we had plenty of time.”
“Ryan! Carson! There you are!”
I looked up to see my mother scurrying across the lobby, waving madly at us as if there was a chance we hadn’t seen her.
“Mom! What are you doing here?”
“Oh, yeah right, sweetheart. Like I was going to miss this. Now, come stand in front of your cart and smile.”
She whipped out her phone and backed up so she could fit everything in her camera’s lens. When I finished posing for pictures, I returned to the other side of my cart.
“Fix your mom an iced honeyed hibiscus tea, baby,” Carson suggested.
I blanched, my eyes imitating an owl’s. “How do you know what my mom likes?”
“Every time you canceled on her in the past few weeks because you were so busy getting ready to open, I filled in for you. Me and your mom have been having lunch every Wednesday for weeks.”
I was shocked, and to further throw me for a loop, my mother kissed his cheek sweetly and thankedhimfor the tea instead of me. Holy Bundt cakes! What else had I missed while my head was shoved up my ass as I prepared to open my new business?
“Okay, I need you all to leave so I can make room for real customers.” I wiped down the counter around my coffee machine with a clean rag. “Seriously, I love you all, but go!”
I was getting flustered again, and not from the rush of customers, or opening day jitters, but from the love I was receiving from the most important people in my life. Not one of them lived anywhere near me, but they had all gotten up early and driven across town just to support me.
My eyes misted, and I swiped them with the hem of my apron. Carson sidled up to me and squeezed me from behind. His warmth at my back felt calming and strengthening, and I laughed as his fingers went to work on the top buttons of my shirt, unfastening them to dirty up my look. “Just a little something for your customers. After all…it worked on me. Love you a latte, Boytoy.”
* * *
