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It could be a few weeks or a couple of months.
All I knew was that my time with her was limited, and I wanted to spend every damn second with her, which was why my crazy work schedule was seriously stressing me out.
But even with all that stress, I was managing it. And that was something I hadn’t been able to say in a long time. My morning runs were enjoyable—not the grueling marathons I usually put myself through when shit hit the fan.
Rolling into my day off, I had been in such a good mood, that Sheriff Hayes couldn’t even bring me down. But, two unplanned visits in a month—what was this guy up to?
When I’d tried to ask him, he’d just changed the subject and tried to shove baby photos in my face.
I’d simply smiled and then told him to have a nice day.
Pretty sure I scared the shit out of him.
I’d woken up this morning, feeling eager and somewhat anxious at the same time. I knew it’d only been a handful of days since Curtis had left, but I felt like my time with Marin was finite.
And I wanted to make the most of it.
We decided on an early start that morning. Or I guessed I did.
She had mostly groaned a yes at the idea.
I picked her up around eight, and after I made sure she’d locked the door—she didn’t need any more unwanted house guests—we headed out. The sun was bright, and the weather was unseasonably warm for early November. I tried not to stare as I pulled out of her driveway and headed down the road, but it was damn difficult. She was wearing a dress again, and one glance at those bare legs had me almost going headfirst into a ditch.
“Have you eaten?” I asked, giving her a quick glance. “Do you want to grab coffee?”
A tiny smirk formed at the corner of her mouth. “I’m afraid to use any appliance in my house after the pilot light issue, so, no, I haven’t eaten. And, yes—the answer is always yes when it comes to coffee.”
“Well, let’s get you coffee.”
A few more blocks down the road, I pulled into the familiar parking lot. There were a few more cars this morning, but I managed to find a spot, and we both hopped out. As we got to the door, I pulled it open, letting Marin go ahead. As she slipped passed me, I placed a hand on her waist and followed behind her.
Her lips parted in surprise as she looked up at me.
What?I mouthed, feigning innocence.
We were “dating” after all. I could see the amusement in her eyes as her lips turned upward. When she leaned in, giving her silent approval, I almost threw my fist in the air like I was the fucking king of the world.
But I didn’t. ’Cause I wasn’t an idiot.
“Morning, Captain Green,” Janet said as we walked up to the counter.
“Morning,” I answered, noticing the way her eyes lingered on Marin and then to the possessive hand that was wrapped around her.
“This is Marin,” I said, realizing what she was waiting for. “She lived in Ocracoke for a short time a few years ago.”
Janet nodded. “Yes, I remember. You used to come in here often.”
Marin nodded. “On my morning walks, yes.”
I didn’t know how many times we’d run into each other here, never saying more than a friendly hello.
Well, she said a lot of hellos. I gave a lot of manly nods.
The first time I’d ever said a word to her was the day I stepped up to pay for her coffee. It was also the last.
Until that night in her house a couple of weeks ago.
Janet gave Marin a warm smile and took our orders. This time, Marin let me pay.
