Page 20 of Wreck Me

Kinsey: Want to meet for some coffee?

Do I want to do that? My sister is on summer break, and I really should be soaking up some time with her, but I just want to work this tension out of my system to clear my head. Guilt eats at me as I war with what to do. Shit.

Me: Yeah. Meet you at Bean Haven in twenty?

Kinsey: See you in a bit!

After taking a quick shower and doing my business, I pull on a pair of fitted khaki shorts, a navy blue short-sleeve button-up shirt, and my white Converse. Bean Haven is an Aspen Ridge staple. My brother Liam’s wife, Hannah, owns the place and makes the best baked goods in the state. She closed for two days a few weeks ago because of some personal things she had going on, and the town nearly lost their shit. She keeps us all fueled with her coffee and pastries.

As I approach the storefront, I nearly groan out loud. Hannah’s grandmother, Mrs. Nettie, sits outside at her little table that is placed there just for her during the summer months, with her little dog in her lap. You never know what you’re going to get with Mrs. Nettie. You’re either on her good side or this creepy ass other side she lets out sometimes.

“Hi, Mrs. Nettie. How are you and Winnie today?” I greet her, giving her what I’m hoping is a charming smile.

“Don’t you hit on me, Carter Hayes, or I’ll call your momma!”

My eyes bug out of my head. So, wild and crazy it is.

I gasp, pulling my hands over my heart to mock horror. “Mrs. Nettie! You hurt my feelings! Now, why would you want to break my heart first thing on a Monday?”

“Oh, don’t give me that garbage! You Hayes boys are all trouble. Except for Liam. Liam’s the good one.”

“Your secret is safe with me, Mrs. Nettie. I know you have to say that because he’s married to your granddaughter,” I say with a wink.

“Psh! The day you settle down, Carter Hayes, is the day I will let you give me that smooch you’ve been trying to get!” I laugh at her, reaching over to scratch Winnie’s ears before pulling the door to the shop open.

Walking into Bean Haven, my sister, Kinsey, is already chatting with Hannah at the counter. Her light brown hair is worn up in a messy bun, her face bare of any makeup. She’s such a perfect mix of both of our parents. Our mom’s soft facial features and petite stature, our dad’s hair color and blue eyes. She’s wearing a pair of cutoff shorts that I think are way too short and a loose-fitting Aspen Ridge Distillery T-shirt.

“Hey, little sis. Hey, Han.”

“There he is! Why do you look like someone kicked you while you were down?”

“Nah. I just got a lot of work stuff on my mind. What about you?”

“Well . . .”

“Oh, shit. So this wasn’t a ‘I just want to spend time with my brother’ coffee date? You’ve got some shit you’re gonna try to pullme into.”

“Okay, I really need help. I can’t live with Mom and Dad anymore, Carter. I love them so much. They’re so amazing for letting me move back in after college. But I need out.”

“Ugh. I get it. But, what do you need me for?”

The bell to Bean Haven chimes, and Kinsey and I both turn our heads to see our brother’s best friend, Reid Knight, bend his head to walk through the door. Reid’s been Sawyer’s other half since Sawyer was in college at the University of Washington. He brought him back to Aspen Ridge with him one summer, and he never left. He owns a tattoo shop a few blocks down from Bean Haven. The man is covered from neck to . . . I’ve actually never seen the man in shorts, so I don’t know how far down the damn things go, but on every inch of exposed skin, he’s got ink. Ivy has nicknamed him Drogo because of his long hair and massive size, and I don’t disagree with her.

Reid walks over to our table as he makes eye contact with us before placing his order with Hannah.

“Hey, man, how are ya?” I ask.

“Life’s decent. How are you?”

Oh, I’m just dreaming about fucking the shit out of the man who’s taken over all my headspace, but you know, life’s a peach.

“Everything’s good over here,” I reply, my voice falling flatter than I mean for it to.

“Kinsey?” he asks her. My sister smiles coyly at him, and I have to squint my eyes at her. She had better not be flirting, I will shut that shit down so fast. She is not allowed to flirt. No boys. Even if there isn’t anything about Reid that is boyish. He’s definitely a man, just maybe like a superhuman one.

“Everything’s okay. Happy that summer is here. You want to join us?”

“Yeah, that’d be great, shop doesn’t open till four, so I’ve got plenty of time to kill.”

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