Page 83 of All I Need

“Such a cool cat,” Walker teases.

“Shut up,” Grayson murmurs back.

“That’ll be $14.35, ple…” Harper’s words die off when she notices Grayson in the pickup and her face turns a bright shade of pink. “H… Hey, Grayson.”

“Hey, Harper. How’s it going?”

“Good.”

They stare at each other for a long minute, Walker looking back and forth between the two. He hands Harper a twenty and says “Here ya go.” She startles and reaches out to take his money.

“Right. Sorry about that, Dr. McKinstry.”

“Harper,” Walker chuckles. “It’s Walker. You know that.”

“Sure,” she mutters handing him back his change. When she leans out the window, I look at her closer. She has beautiful bright blue eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen eyes like hers before. Her lashes are long and dark and her skin is flawless. Her hair is pulled up and a visor with the words “It’s Always Doughnut Time” covers the front of her blonde hair. It isn’t hard to see what Grayson sees in her. She’s got that girl-next-door look going for her in a big way.

“How’s Grady doing?”

She beams at Walker’s question. “So good. He and Bri are buying a different place so they have more land. Apparently it was a big deal having to get it all sorted out with the University, ya know?”

“I bet he’ll like that. He seems like he would enjoy a little more space.”

“Yeah, for sure. Let me grab your order,” she says.

As soon as she’s gone Grayson blows out a breath.

I poke him in the shoulder. “She’s cute.”

Bless his heart, he blushes. “You think so?”

I decide to tease him a bit. “You don’t?”

“What? No. I didn’t say… yeah, she’s alright.”

“Just alright?”

He glares at me. “To think, I once thought you were so nice and sweet.”

I grin.

“Fine. She’s gorgeous, okay? I just don’t know how to talk around her. Usually I don’t have a problem around girls but I can’t help but stumble over my words when she’s around. She’s just so…”

His voice drifts off and I decide to let it go. He likes her. A lot. And it’s sweet.

Harper reappears and hands the box of doughnuts to Walker who then passes them off to me. I place the warm box on my lap and inhale the scent of fried dough deliciousness. Whoever invented doughnuts really should be honored somehow.

“Do you need a drink carrier?”

“Nah, we got it. Thanks, Harper.”

“Sure thing.” She hands him the orange juice which goes right to Grayson then we get our coffees.

Just before Walker rolls up the window Grayson says loudly, “How late are you working?”

She seems surprised by his outburst but in a very good way. “I’m done at two.”

“Okay, I’ll call you, if that’s okay?”

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