Page 22 of Had to Be You

Sure, her dismissal of him yesterday was not exactly encouraging. She’d made it painfully clear that she didn’t want anything to do with him. But Knox had faith in himself that he could make her reconsider her stance.

Since technically he was early, he figured he might as well do some recon. A tiny bell dinged over his head as he pushed through the glass door to the shop.

The fairytale theme that the entire town had embraced was carried out not only in the name of the sandwich shop but also in the décor. The interior of the building looked like a magical forest with an industrial backdrop. He never would have considered the two design styles to be complimentary, but it worked.

One wall was brick with images of forest creatures painted on it. There was a large fake tree in the far-left corner with branches that spread over the ceiling, and twinkle lights were hung from them. Each booth that lined the outer walls was named after one of the seven dwarfs. And the tables in the center were all '50s diner style, with red seats and silver edges.

It was whimsical, but not cheesy. Which, in Knox’s estimation, was a fine line to walk.

When Knox approached the counter, he recognized the shaggy-haired kid behind it. The teen had been at Chrissy’s house the day earlier. He hadn’t stayed long because he needed to go to work. Knox wouldn’t have remembered his name, but when he saw his nametag, it came back to him.

He was Ricky, and he had a twin brother, KJ. They were friends of Chrissy’s oldest daughter, Fiona.

When the teen looked up from his book, his eyes lit up in recognition. "Hey, Knox, right?"

"Yeah." Knox nodded.

"Hi, what can I get you?"

Knox scanned the glass display and saw that it was filled with premade sandwiches, cookies, fruit, brownies, granola, protein bars, green salads, and yogurts. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected from the name, but it should have been this. It was a snack shack.

"Let me get a chocolate chip cookie and a water."

Ricky nodded and grabbed a large chocolate chip with prongs, then placed it in a white Snack Shack wrapper. Then he retrieved a bottle of water from the refrigerator behind him.

"That will be three eighty."

Knox handed the guy a five and told him to keep the change. He nodded and placed the dollar twenty in the tip jar. "Thanks."

"So how long have you worked here?" Knox asked casually.

"Just a few months," Ricky responded.

Knox wanted to pepper the kid with questions about his boss, but he held back so he didn’t come off like a creeper. Now that he knew he’d be living above her place of business, Knox figured he could play the long game.

Well, not too long. He was only going to be in town for three months. Still, he didn’t want to blow his chances by seeming too eager. If he bombarded the kid with questions, he was fairly sure Ricky would report his interest back to his boss.

Better to play it cool.

Knox turned to leave when he heard footsteps coming from the back of the store, right before he heard a familiar voice call out, "Ricky, I’m late meeting my new tenant, but Ineedcaffeine. Is the espresso machin—"

When Laura walked up behind Ricky and saw Knox standing in front of the counter, her words trailed off. He noticed a flare of color on her cheeks before her eyes narrowed.

Yesterday, her hair, which reached the middle of her back, was worn down in loose curls. Her eyes had been lined with wing tips, and her lips were a deep shade of red. Today, her hair was off her face in two French braids, and she didn’t have a lick of makeup on.

Yesterday, she’d worn a satin dress that skimmed the curves of her body. The silky material was soft and had flowed with her body, and the wedge sandals she’d worn had given her an extra four inches at least. Today she wore cutoff jean shorts, a white tank top, and white tennis shoes.

As stunning as she’d been the first time he’d seen her, this fresh-faced, denim shorts and tank top version was even more breathtaking. She was the epitome of natural beauty. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Once again, she’d rendered him speechless, which was uncharted territory for him. No one had ever affected him the way Laura Lopez did. And he wasn’t happy about it. He didn’t like feeling out of his depth and off balance. He liked to be in control. A position he definitely wasn’t in around Laura Lopez.

"What...what...are you doing here?" Her question came out breathlessly.

He lifted the paper pouch his cookie was in. "Getting a snack."

"Oh, right." She blinked as if she forgot that they were at her place of business.

"I fixed the espresso machine." Ricky hopped off the stool. "I can make you one."

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