Page 15 of True North

“Ha—” My voice breaks.

I can’t.

My hands tremble. I wring the apron between my fingers, trying as hard as humanly possible not to cry. I slam my shoulders back and slip over the sea of coffee, rushing behind the counter and into the supply room. The door slams behind me, and I slide down the wall.

“He’s...” I pull my knees into my chest. It’s like not one day went by. The feelings that I had for this man haven’t changed one iota. At all. A hot tear carves a path down my cheek. I swipe it away.

Nope, we are not doin’ this.

“I’m okay.” I suck in a huge lungful of air. I knew I would run into him eventually.

Never in my wildest dreams would I think he would still have that effect on me.

And then, oh my god, he walked in.

Technically, I walked to him. Still...

And I?—

I am rebuilding. Not sinking back into something so serious. I need to be me for a while. Not the girlfriend. Not Louisa Masters the career woman. Just me. Just Lou.

It’s been a long time since anyone’s called me that...

Only one person ever did.

And... I dropped a pot of steaming coffee at his feet.

I push to my feet, determined to have a do-over.

Let’s do this again.

I can be friendly, right?

I open the supply room door, and Cynthia walks in with the mop and bucket. “You okay, love?”

I wipe my hands on my apron, like it needs fixin’.

“Uh huh.” My voice is too high. She raises an eyebrow like she doesn’t believe me. Heavens,Idon’t believe me.

“Your area’s all cleared up. But you might want to service that booth. He’s a regular, and a good one.”

Of course he is.

“Sure, on it.”

I blow out a breath and clear my throat, hands sweeping over my hair. Cynthia shoots me a sly look. “You look fine, Louisa. Go get him, tiger.”

“Ugh, not helping.”

She cackles and disappears around the corner with a mop and bucket. I walk through the swinging doors and to the counter. I glance around the diner. The end booth is empty. Shit. The doorbell chimes. The hat and the back of a work shirt slip through the door and vanish.

Double shit.

I pull off my apron and hunt for Lisa. I find her at a table in the middle of the checkered floor. I’m by her side a second later. “Hey, can you cover for me for five?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” I fly out the doors and spill onto the street. Desperate to find the hat, I swivel my head, searching for it.

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