Page 89 of Defensive Desire

But also… something I could actually lose if the trade rumors are true.

Chapter Twenty

Emma

Two days after our return from the cabin, I unlock the front door of Chapter & Grind, breathing in the familiar scent of a gorgeous Iron Ridge morning.

Everything looks exactly the same, like it has for years now.

The wooden floorboards still creak, the vintage register sits patiently waiting, and the espresso machine gleams in the early sunlight streaming through the windows.

But I feel irrevocably changed.

My eyes drift across the street to Summit Café, the SOLD sign in its window a reminder of how quickly things can shift. Clara's finished, and with the trade rumors surrounding Logan, I can't help but worry about what other changes might be coming.

The thought sends a familiar ache through my chest.

I'm trying not to dwell on it, on what might happen if Logan gets traded, but it's hard when everything feels so precarious, so wonderful, and so terrifying all at once.

Logan loves me.He says we'll figure it out together, no matter what.

I move through my morning routine, checking inventory, grinding beans, setting out the day's pastries as I think about the Arena Experience Day and everything that still needs doing.

While I work, my mind keeps circling back to the mountain. To Logan's brothers. To the way he held me after I confronted him about hiding the trade rumors. To what it felt like when he promised we'd face whatever came next together.

The bell above the door chimes at precisely 7:45, fifteen minutes before official opening. I look up, expecting Mrs. Henderson, who always arrives early for her morning latte.

Instead, my mother stands in the doorway, clutching her pristine handbag like a shield.

"Mom," I say, unable to hide my surprise. "This is... unexpected."

My mother looks distinctly uncomfortable, eyes darting around the café like she's cataloging potential health code violations. "I was in the area for the garden club. Thought I'd stop by."

I raise an eyebrow. The garden club meets on Thursdays. It's Tuesday.

Andit's before 8AM.

"Is that right? Any particular reason?" I ask, my back stiffening slightly.

She hesitates, then sighs. "Melanie mentioned you were away for the weekend. With your hockey player friend."

"Myboyfriend,Logan," I correct automatically. "His name is Logan."

"Yes, well." She steps further into the shop, running a finger along the counter's edge. "I stopped by over the weekend but you weren't here. I just wanted to see if you were back safely."

The statement hangs in the air between us, its simplicity masking layers of unspoken meaning.

My mother has never just "stopped by" before. In three years of owning Chapter & Grind, she's visited exactly twice—once for the grand opening and once when Dad insisted she should.

Three times if you count this weekend while I was gone, according to Grandpa Walt.

The thought makes my stomach tighten.

What was she looking for? Proof I'm failing? Evidence that Logan's just another mistake?

I watch her now, fingers drumming against my counter like she's counting down the seconds until she can leave again. But there is something different about her expression today… less judgment, more... worry?

It doesn't fit her.

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