Page 98 of You've Got Male

“Me?” He pulled back. “Sweetie, this is all because of you.”

Evie was one word away from crying. This could be their saving grace. Their long shot. Business was already booming and they were finally making more than they were spending, and a good part of that was thanks to Jonah for helping her streamline the back end of the business and encouraging her to look at different options to really leverage the shop’s name. Camila’s ClickByte posts were getting traction, and even Moira’s Get Grinding cards were helping to introduce new customers to their specialty coffee and beverages.

Then there were the You’ve Got Male groups who had grown into book clubs and lunch meetups, which had doubled the food side of the business. Grinder was, once again, the place to be.

“Wealldid this,” Evie said, a little choked up.

“Your father and I know how much you’ve sacrificed to help us this past year,” Moira said, tucking Evie’s hair behind her ear like she used to when Evie was little.

“That’s what family does,” Evie said.

“Not all families,” a man in his early thirties who could double as a Gap model said. Then he reached out a hand. “Abe. I’m with Moira.”

Evie looked at her mom, who shrugged. “He’s thirty-six, so technically he’s over the age limit. And he’s right. Very few people would give up what you have for their family. Which is why we’re promoting Julie to general manager and hiring a new assistant manager.”

She choked. “We can’t afford that.” She’d worked tirelessly to get them in the black and in one swoop her parents were going to land them back in trouble.

“We can now,” Lenard said and looked at Jonah. “Seems your man here once managed the investments of the food and beverage buyer for the University of Colorado. Your mom and I met with him after the cheer competition and guess who is the new supplier for all the U of C campuses?”

Evie looked around the room and back at Jonah. “You did that for us?” she asked him.

“I did that for you,” he clarified.

Her heart’s response to that single word was to roll over and show its soft underbelly. “Why?”

He cupped her cheek. “Because you do a lot for the people in your life and I wanted someone to do something for you.”

Her knees turned to vapor. “And that someone was you?”

“That someone was me,” he whispered.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Jonah

Jonah hadn’t felt this right, this content in years. Watching Evie work the crowd, seeing how happy she was made by the outpouring of support had him wanting to make her happy every day. And if he played his cards right, that could be a reality.

But was he ready for that kind of reality? Evie’s life was as full as a Thanksgiving plate at a buffet, which meant she could call it quits at any moment. Every person in his life had called it quits and it was a gut-hollowing feeling he never wanted to experience again. He should be protecting his heart instead of putting it on a silver platter for her to carve up.

But it was too late for that. Jonah was in too deep to find his way back. He just wasn’t sure how deep Evie’s feelings were. Oh, he knew she liked him, but did she think about him in terms of forever—like he did her?

Did you just say forever, man?

Tension crept up his spine, but he wasn’t sure where it originated from. Was he more afraid that they’d end things aftertheir usefulness for each other came to a close, or that if she did bail he might not be able to come back from the loss?

“Hey,” a sweet voice said as a gentle hand rested on his arm and all that tension evaporated at the feeling of her warm skin on his. Yeah, he had it bad.

“Hey,” he said back, and without even thinking about it he pulled her in for a hug. A long cheek-rested-on-her-head, hands-spanning-as-much-of-her-back-as-possible kind of hug that was filled with equal parts question and promise.

She must have sensed the knot of emotions roiling in his stomach, because she tightened her arms around his back, locking her hands behind and pulling him flush to her so that not even air could penetrate their bond. That simple gesture was all the clarity he needed.

He didn’t know when it happened or how it happened, but he loved her. The heart-and-soul kind of love that tied every string he had around this beautiful woman’s heart. He was hers to save or destroy.

“Jonah?” she whispered, concern in her voice.

“I’m good,” he said. So good he pulled back and gave her a kiss to prove it.

She smiled up at him. “Can you help me in the office? I need to get something really quick,” Evie asked. “I can’t seem to reach it.”

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