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"Okay, okay, can I have an oat-milk latte then? Surprise me on whatever flavors you want to put in there."
Kat clapped excitedly. "Oh, fun, I'll take it. You handle the espresso part, I'll do the rest." She got to work adding flavors and starting to get the milk frothing while I made the espresso shots. We worked perfectly together at this point.
"Here you go, s'mores latte," Kat said, sliding it over. He took a sip and groaned in appreciation.
"This is incredible. Remind me to start coming over here every single day."
"That's what we like to hear," I said as I waved goodbye to Max. A new rush of customers came in, stopping the girls from asking me questions about the bouquet or our night at the fair.
"So, maybe you were never anti-mate, you just didn't know what it was like," Kat said, picking up exactly where we'd left off hours ago like no time had passed.
I just picked the wrong one all those years ago.
"The idea of trusting again was hard," I admitted. "But apparently, fate doesn't give a fuck about my trauma."
Thoughts of Evrin still made me uneasy. He'd be getting out of the hospital any day now. I didn't know if the guys were just avoiding updates with me because of our history, but I hadn't heard about him in a day or two. They'd have to tell him eventually, this wasn't a secret that should wait but it did need to be handled delicately.
He'd always been the jealous type. I was all he focused on when we were together and it was almost overwhelming, suffocating even. I was young and I loved him despite it all. That's why I was so shocked he wouldn't even hear me out.
Would he try to come to town when he found out?
I had a feeling seeing him again was unavoidable now.
Thank god for work to keep me from letting that awful thought take hold.
By the time my shift ended, I was exhausted. I waved goodbye to Kat and Ellie who still had another hour left, before stepping outside. Thankfully I'd caught the last of the evening sunshine, a beam warming my face as I breathed in air that wasn't scented by coffee.
Vince was waiting for me on the sidewalk. I shielded my eyes as I greeted him, my chest warming at the sight of him. His beard and mustache were no longer simply stubble, but growing in. He had on a tight, charcoal-gray henley and dark jeans that had my eyes roaming over his form. The evening sun cast a warm glow over him and I could barely look away.
The peach and bourbon scent hit me as I walked up. He folded me in a hug, waiting until I backed away to brush a kiss across my lips.
"I thought your shift would never end," he teased.
"Weren't you guys supposed to be at the dock? That should have been a good distraction," I said, unable to hide how much I liked that he missed me. "Did everything go alright with the contractors?"
"Yes, actually," he said, eyes lighting up as he explained. "They've only got a few more things to wrap up. I don't think it'll be much longer before she’s sea-worthy again. I can't wait to show you around the docks. You'll love it."
"I'm sure I will," I agreed. "Did Isaac's dad call again?"
He shook his head looking just as relieved as I felt.
"No, thank fuck. Hopefully he took the hint last time," he said.
"Men like him never do. I'm sure when the bill hits he'll decide to call again like it's nothisboat that you guys are taking care of."
"No shit. Yet everything we do is under a damn microscope. He may be the owner but that vessel is ours," he said. I loved that he took pride in his work. The way he got excited talking about his job meant he was passionate about it.
“I’m sure you’ll be happy to be back in your space again. Living at an inn isn’t fun.” I grimaced at the thought.
“I don’t know, I’d almost be alright finding a permanent space again. I miss having a real room. Ours on the ship are tiny.”
"Is it wrong to start looking at a place together? We just met and you guys aren't exactly on land a lot." He didn't call me on the fact I was arguing with myself.
"It's not unheard of. Everyone says they won't rush into things until fate gets involved. Hell, you've already been claimed both of our alphas. Being away from each other feels wrong.
On that we could agree. I slept alone for the first time in days last night and I hated every fucking second of it. My apartment felt too empty without them and the quiet was unbearable.
"Dean texted me about a few properties he saw listed in the area. I guess Ellie told him to keep an eye out for all of us," he said. He sounded casual but his eyes trailed over me, gauging my response.
