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Chapter Thirty-Two
‘He just carried you out of here?’ A
‘Yep.’
‘Over his shoulder, or like a bride?’
Jeanie tapped her pen to her lips. ‘It was more that I was climbing him like a tree and the tree grew legs and started walking.’
A
‘Exactly.’
Hazel rolled her eyes and took another sip of tea.
‘I just can’t believe I missed it!’
It was after-hours at the café, and A
‘It was pretty romantic,’ Jeanie said with a smile she knew must be dreamy and ridiculous, but she couldn’t seem to help it. ‘And then we went back to his place and spent the whole day—’
‘Nope!’ Hazel held up her hands as though she could physically stop Jeanie’s words from reaching her. ‘No way. That’s where I draw the line. I ca
‘Okay, okay. I won’t get into the details.’
‘Thank you.’
‘I’ll just say he was very good at it.’
‘Agh!’ Hazel covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.
A
Jeanie nodded and peeled Hazel’s hands away from her ears. ‘No details. I promise.’
Hazel blew out a long dramatic sigh of relief. Jeanie smiled thinking of the first time the two women had come in to warn her about Logan, and, she now realized, tried to protect their friend’s heart. It made her more than happy to know that not only did Logan trust her, but his best friends did as well.
A sharp rap on the front door startled them all.
‘Who on earth?’ A
A tall figure in a black raincoat stood outside the door. Rain ran in streams down his hood and the wind crashed into him from the side. Jeanie was proud of herself for thinking it might be a murderer for only a second before realizing it most likely wasn’t.
The figure raised a hand in greeting.
‘Noah,’ Hazel breathed, recognizing him first.
‘Oh!’ Jeanie hopped down from her seat and hurried to let him in. ‘Noah, what are you doing out there?’
Noah came in with a rush of wind and rain, his entrance making an instant mess of the café floor. He pushed down his hood and gri
‘I was looking for you,’ he said, his gaze now fixed on Hazel, and Jeanie didn’t miss the blush that was slowly creeping up her friend’s cheeks.
‘You were?’ Hazel’s eyes were wide behind her glasses. ‘Why?’
Noah’s grin slipped, some of his usual confidence faltering in the face of Hazel’s shocked question.
‘I ... uh ... was hoping that book I ordered had come in.’
‘And you needed it right now?’ Hazel asked, gesturing toward the storm out the window.
‘Well, I was pretty excited to read it.’
A
Hazel sighed and grabbed her coat from the back of her chair. ‘I did get some orders today. I guess we could go check.’
‘Great.’ Noah rubbed his hands together in excitement and Jeanie had to bite down on her own giggle.
‘Come on.’ Hazel flipped up her hood and headed for the door. ‘See you guys later,’ she said over her shoulder and Noah followed her out into the rain.
A
‘I think they’re cute.’
A
‘That’s so romantic!’
A
Jeanie laughed, climbing back onto her stool. ‘And what about you?’
‘What about me?’
‘You and Mac.’
A
‘Right. Sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.’
‘Stop smirking, Jeanie.’
‘I’m not smirking.’ The laughter was clear in her voice.
A
‘Of course. I plan to.’ She took a bite of a snickerdoodle and gri
It was lovely.
‘Where is he?’ Aunt Dot stormed into the café on a quiet afternoon in November, her wool wrap flying out behind her like a cape.
‘Aunt Dot! You’re back!’ Jeanie ran around the counter to greet her. Dot pulled her into a patchouli-scented hug, one of her enormous earrings smacking Jeanie in the face. Jeanie breathed in memories of her childhood visits here. The Pumpkin Spice Café and weekends with Dot used to mean freedom and fun and endless cups of ci
Her aunt’s strong grip remained on Jeanie’s arms as she pulled away from their hug, holding her niece still as she inspected her.
‘You’re happy?’ she asked, her face softening as she took in Jeanie’s smile.
‘Very.’
Dot nodded, the starfish dangling from her ears swinging to and fro. Her salt-and-pepper hair was swept up into a topknot and she sported a golden tan. She even smelled like coconut. But Dot’s face was anything but relaxed. In fact, her expression had slipped back into the determined one she wore when she first burst through the door.
‘It looks beautiful in here.’ Her aunt turned her attention from Jeanie to look around the small space. She tucked her arm through Jeanie’s. ‘You’re keeping the place up nicely.’
Jeanie flushed with pride, temporarily forgetting to ask what was bothering her aunt. ‘Thanks.’ For the past few weeks without Norman, Jeanie had been perpetually worried she was one false move from ru
Maybe Dot had known that all along.
Adelyn, one of the café’s newest baristas, smiled from behind the counter. ‘What can I get you?’
‘Peppermint tea, please,’ Aunt Dot said, her gaze still flitting around the room. She was practically vibrating with nervous energy, and peppermint tea was another sign her aunt was keyed up about something. Dot always claimed peppermint calmed her nerves. And she was looking anything but calm at the moment. Jeanie had never seen her like this before.