Page 86 of You Had Me at Merlot

“Blueberry latte, please.”

Jamie nodded. “We can do that. Anything else?” she asked as she wrote up the order on the side of the cup.

“You.”

Her writing hand went still. She looked up in question, trying to make sure she’d heard the word correctly and understood its meaning. She tilted her head.

“I’m here for you.”

Still not quite caught up, she looked at Leo, who offered a knowing smile. “Why don’t you go talk to her?” he prompted. “Shannon can take the line.”

“On it, boss. Take a break,” Shannon said, also grinning. She stepped up to the register and greeted the next customer.

“Should we?” Jamie gestured to the door with her chin.

“Let’s take a walk.”

“Sure. We can do that.”

“The woman of Jamie’s dreams had returned,” the voice-over said. “But what did she have to say?”

Jamie’s entire body tingled, but her thoughts were still jumbled. Words weren’t stretching into sentences properly. But she walked across the room anyway, one foot in front of the other. She noted her regulars swiveling to watch the action. Genevieve’s eyes were wide. Marvin tossed an encouraging fist in the air, but the room slowly faded to the edges of her awareness. Warmth blossomed in her chest, and extra energy coursed. It was starting to feel like dawn after a very longand dark night. She couldn’t quite believe it. Leighton was back. She was right there in the bar.

“I’ll work on that latte while you’re gone,” Leo called.

“Thanks, Leo,” Leighton said, opening the door for Jamie and waiting for her to pass through first.

They walked a few feet in silence before Jamie found her first question. “Where have you been?”

Leighton smiled and shook her head. “On a strawberry farm in California, if you can believe that.”

“I can. That sounds peaceful. Was it what you needed?”

“To figure out what matters? Yes. It was.” Leighton looked over at her as they paused on the corner for the light to change. “I ended the engagement before I left town.”

“I heard. Clarissa saw a blurb about it on social.”

“Yeah, Helen was good about putting the word out there pretty quickly.”

“I was…shocked. But also not.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. It was all wrong. I was in love with someone else.”

“Oh.” The butterflies joined together to create a flutter festival in her midsection.

“She knew it, too. She’s said as much since then.”

“Oh.” The light changed, and pedestrians around them crossed the street, but they stayed right where they stood. “I don’t know where your head is at, Jamie. But I’m really sorry I left your apartment the way I did. I should have been more rational. I should have stayed to talk things out.”

“I blindsided you. It’s partly my fault you fled.”

Leighton touched her hair just as a ray of sunlight caught her eyes. Stunning. Always had been. “You were being honest, and it must have been hard for you. The problem was…”

“Yeah?”

“Those words were all I ever wanted. That’s the important part.”

Jamie stared up at Leighton, searching her eyes. “It’s always been you, Lay. Always.”

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