Page 85 of Stuck with my Boss Daddies

I slipped behind the counter, tying my apron as I glanced around.

Samuel was in the back room, but Adam was nowhere to be seen… probably making a delivery or sweet-talking a supplier into giving us a discount.

And Kai… Kai was watching me.

He stood near the espresso machine, arms crossed, gaze sharp. He didn’t say anything right away, just took me in.

I swallowed. “What?”

His brow furrowed. “You okay?”

Damn.

I should’ve known he’d notice.

Kai didn’t waste words, but he saw things—small things, things most people overlooked.

Especially when it came to me.

I forced a smile. “Yeah. Just didn’t sleep great.”

His lips pressed together like he didn’t quite believe me, but he let it go.

“Alright.” He turned back to the machine, hands moving quickly as he started pulling a shot. “You wanna talk about everything?”

I blinked. “Everything?”

He shot me a look. “The festival. Working together. And… everything else.”

Oh.

Everything else.

My stomach flipped for an entirely different reason now.

I stepped closer, lowering my voice.

“You mean the fact that I agreed to help at your cake stand, or the fact that we’re…” I hesitated, searching for the right words, “in the middle of something new?”

His jaw tensed, but his voice stayed level. “Both.”

I bit my lip, fingers curling around the edge of the counter. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Kai.”

It was the first time I’d admitted it out loud.

Kai finished making the espresso, setting the cup aside before facing me fully. “Neither do I.”

That surprised me.

He always seemed so sure of himself. Calm, controlled.

But now, there was something behind his eyes that looked a lot like conflict.

I exhaled. “I wasn’t expecting… any of this. Coming back to Medford, getting involved with you, Samuel, Adam…” I swallowed. “It’s a lot.”

Kai nodded slowly, studying me. “You like all of us.”

It wasn’t a question. And it wasn’t a judgment either.

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