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Chapter 10
Harrison
As February and I enjoy our dinner, which I need to give myself credit for because it is damn good, it’s pretty silent. Except for the occasional scraping of our knives on the plate, clearing of our throats, or sipping our water. It’s become awkward, and that’s the last thing I wanted.
I’ve been planning for tonight like a virgin planning for their first time. It’s pretty embarrassing, but there’s just something about this woman that makes it all somehow seem normal. The way I turned down five cuts of meat before I was happy with what the butcher showed me. How I spent far too much time at the grocery store picking just the right potatoes and baby carrots. Even the length of time it took me to get ready tonight. I showered, scrubbing like I was trying to get evidence off my body. I tried on four shirts before I was satisfied with the look.
It is pretty pathetic.
Yet, when I opened the door and her gorgeous smiling face greeted me, I forgot about it all.
Her dirty-blonde hair is curled and hanging perfectly over her slender shoulders. The dark blue wrap dress she’s got on is hugging her perfect body and drawing my attention to her tits that are teasing me.
She’s stunning and having her walk around the house I grew up in is doing something to me, stirring feelings I’m not entirely sure I can explain.
I need to break this awkward silence if I stand any chance of getting that kiss I’ve been craving since she rejected me.
“How’s everything going with your shop?”
I should’ve asked sooner, but my mind has been too clouded with visions of feeling her pressed against me.
She lifts her eyes to me and I see the sadness I’m all too familiar with and it hurts my heart. “In a nutshell, it’s a disaster.”
I place my fork down and give her my full attention. “What happened?”
She shoves a potato into her mouth and shrugs. “Apparently, the leaking pipe was just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a problem with the foundation. There’s a family of raccoons living in the attic space, which has caused a lot of damage. Somehow it’s been missed but there’s asbestos in the walls and the floor.” Her eyes swim with tears, but she forces a smile as she blinks them away. “Mitchell says he’s not sure this is something he even wants to go forward with fixing. It would be cheaper to knock the place down.”
I reach over without thought, and grab her hand, squeezing it in mine. “Shit, I’m so sorry, February.”
This girl loves her shop, loves what she’s doing inside that pink gumball and she’s gonna lose it all. On the other hand, Mug Life is barely surviving, but I’m living my dad’s dream, not mine.
Life isn’t fair.
“When it rains, it pours, I guess.”
“Believe me, I understand that.” I run my thumb across her knuckles as I search her sad blue eyes. There’s more in there, I can see it. “What else is going on?”
She pulls her hand away and grabs her water, taking a sip. “Nothing,” she says, shaking her head.
“Really?”
“Why? What did you hear?”
My eyebrows dip as I stare at her. “What do you think I heard?”
She leans back in her chair and searches my eyes, trying to find the answer she’s looking for. “I’m not sure, but it seems people like to tell you things in this town.”
I chuckle as I get up and clear our plates off the table. “Would you like a glass of wine?”
“Please,” she says with a sigh.
I pour her a glass of red wine and grab myself a beer out of the fridge. As I sit down, I slide her glass toward her and she grabs it, taking a big sip.
“The reason people in this town tell me things is because they are like my family. They trust me, and in return, I trust them. It’s always been that way here in Magnolia Point.” I take a long pull of my beer as she runs her finger up and down the stem of her glass. “But no one has told me anything in regard to you.”
She closes her eyes briefly and shakes her head, obviously cursing herself for letting out too much information that she wanted to keep close. When her eyes open, there’s a mix between sadness and anger staring back at me. “Drake and Stella had their baby,” she whispers.
Christ, this girl can’t catch a break. “Damn, I’m sorry. But listen, when two assholes have a kid, it’s a known fact that the kid ends up making their lives hell. It’s karma I believe.”
