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I squeeze the back of my neck as I nod my head. “Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault.”
Bren gets back to work, helping the customers that have gathered as I stare at the door. February Frost, my competition, just fled like she robbed the place. It’s definitely not how I imagined our first meeting would go. After I questioned her, she just ran. She didn’t say a word, she just sprinted out of here like I was chasing after her.
I was going to introduce myself before today, but moving back to town and opening a business has kept me extremely busy. I’d heard rumors she was pissed when I opened Mug Life, but I didn’t realize it was to this level.
What was she doing here?
Was she looking for top-secret coffee blends? Was she going to interrogate Bren? Was she going to try to screw up coffee orders to cause me to lose customers?
“Harrison.”
I come back to reality and notice my friend Paxton standing in line.
“Hey, man, how are you?” I hold out my hand and he shakes it.
He pulls me into a man hug, and as he releases me, he says, “Can’t complain. I’ve been meaning to come check out the place. Looks great.”
“Thanks. What are you doing on this side of the river?”
Paxton lives in Magnolia Ridge, another small town on the opposite side of the May River. It has the same charm as Magnolia Point, and up until two years ago shared a high school between the two towns.
He gazes in my direction, lifting a brow. “You’ve been back a month now, and I never got a phone call.”
I exhale deeply, running a hand over my face. “I’m sorry, Pax, but damn, I picked up my entire life to come back and open this shop. I haven’t exactly had much downtime.”
“I heard more from you when you were living in Saint Pierce, but if you want my honest opinion—”
“Not really.”
“Too bad,” he says, giving my back a hearty slap. “I think you’ve been hiding. You need to move on from your breakup, man. It’s time.”
He’s not wrong. I’ve been licking my wounds from my breakup with Hilary. Not because I loved her or that I’m missing her, but because failure is something I can’t handle.
Moving back to Magnolia Point was not in my plans, but there’s a sense of family here that I never felt anywhere else.
“Well, you gonna show me around?”
“Of course.”
I show him the makeshift stage near the front window of the store.
“Oh very cool. You have bands play here?” he asks.
I nod. “Yeah.” I’d like to do more. I’d love to host events, or have concerts. Business hasn’t been the best, but we’re still new. Still finding our footing.
“This is a great idea. Cool for a first date or something,” Paxton says, standing on the stage.
I take him to the back, showing him where everything is stored. Of course Bren nearly trips over herself when she sees Paxton.
When we were in high school, he was definitely the most popular guy at Magnolia High, and not for his athletic skills, which were impressive too. He’s a good-looking guy with dark hair and intense green eyes. Apparently features that have girls swooning.
At twenty-six, he still has the muscular body he did in high school. Not that I’m far behind.
After Bren is successful at saying hi or stuttering something similar, I show Paxton my office.
“Seriously?” He yanks my most prized possession off a shelf.
I laugh, pulling the shimmery-gold crown from his hands. “Give me that.”
