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No gloating, she reminded herself.
Today was supposed to be all about starting off right.
The morning rush made everything feel like it was going double speed. When she finally had the chance to breathe, she grabbed a plastic cup to get herself some water. The straw was placed for only a few minutes when the door opened, and Daniel swept into the café.
His face was flushed but whether from exertion or from anger she couldn’t tell. Her lips wrapped around the straw and she took a long, slow pull from her water cup. Daniel didn’t speak right away. He glanced around the café, noting the few customers who had opted to grab a book to read while they had their morning coffee.
Finally, he approached the counter where she stood and all she could do was smile brightly. “Hello, sir. What can I get for you?”
He kept his voice low, then his face broke into a smirk. “I can’t believe you actually did it.”
Leaning closer to him, she put down her drink then placed her hands on the counter. “I’m sorry. To what are you referring?”
Daniel shook his head mirthlessly. “You know what I’m referring to. We talked about this before we left this morning.”
“Oh.That.” Her lips quirked upward.
“You stole my customers.”
One brow lifted, but she remained calm. This was what she was built for. She could stay away from the emotional stuff and look at this logically. “It’s just business. You understand.”
His hands landed on the counter between them, and he hung his head. Finally, a soft chuckle erupted. “Yeah, I get it.”
“Then I’ll ask again. Is there something I can get for you?”
Daniel didn’t move a muscle. His head remained dipped so she couldn’t read his face. Was he still upset? Or was this good-natured side of him what she could grow to expect? It’d be nice to have an adversary who wasn’t always so cross with her.
When he finally lifted his head, he wore a grim smile. His eyes shot sparks toward her, threatening her with one glance. “This isn’t over,” he muttered. “You might have made a difference on your opening day. You might have culled some interest after that little party last weekend, but people will tire of you. People will still want to have a place they can stop by for a quick drink without needing any of this.” He motioned around him with one fling of his hand. “You’ll see. One day I will be the one who comes out on top again.”
Cold as ice.
That was how she felt in this moment. And she had to be. Because if she wasn’t then she wouldn’t have the guts to continue fighting the good fight. She bit down on her lips, pressing them into a tight line, but refusing to comment on his prediction.
He leaned closer once more, flashing that crazy smile of his. “I’m going to win.”
Megan didn’t quite know what possessed her to, but she leaned closer to him as well. There was probably a full three inches between their noses when she whispered, “Good luck.”
CHAPTERSEVEN
Two weeks.
That’s all it took for things to escalate further than they probably should have but Daniel was living his life by one rule and one rule alone.
No regrets.
Megan was a fighter—and he’d never admit it to anyone, but he admired her killer instinct.
Today was his first day off since Megan’s grand opening and he’d only taken it because Corbin had insisted that they needed a break from all the shenanigans from their competition. It wasn’t that bad, but Daniel had conceded when he’d overheard a customer talk about how delicious her pie was, and he’d blurted that she used additives when she was advertising the opposite. He hadn’t meant to say anything negative about his competition but the probably lie was out there before he could stop it. He was beyond annoyed at himself for his two seconds of bad judgment.
Corbin had been right to rein him in. That was why he’d decided to take a ride today. He needed to get out in the fresh air and clear his head after everything that had happened with Megan.
He was losing his cool which was something he’d vowed never to do. Daniel slid the bridle into place then ran his hands along the leather to clasp it. He murmured soft words into Diamond’s ear, smiling when her ears twitched back and forth.
This.
This was what he missed most when he was working in the shop all day long. Humans were great and all—though a little temperamental. But horses? They were perfect—especially Diamond. He grabbed the reins and led her out into the twilight morning. A stiff breeze tugged at his jacket and nearly pulled his hat off his head.
It wasn’t the best day to go riding, but it was all he had and he was going to take it.
