Page 41 of Echoes of You

I swallowed the burning need and climbed back into my SUV, headed for the station. Parking in a spot at the back of the lot, I slammed my door with a little more force than necessary. I had to get the pent-up frustration out of my system somehow. Maybe I could talk Holt into sparring with me later.

Moving toward the front of the station, my steps faltered as I caught sight of someone rounding the corner across the street. Dan glared at me and flicked up his middle finger. I rolled my eyes. He really was a toddler having a hissy fit. I didn’t need his garbage on top of everything else I was dealing with: worry about Maddie, and the worst case of blue balls known to man. I definitely needed that sparring session.

13

MADDIE

The dinof conversation and people enjoying breakfast filled my ears as I stepped into The Brew. A harried-looking Aspen wove through the tables. “Oh, thank God you’re here. We’ve been slammed all morning.”

“What do you need?” I asked as I hurried deeper into the café.

“Do you know how to use a cash register?”

“After-school jobs since I was twelve. I’ve got the cash register covered.”

Aspen beamed. “You’re my new favorite person.”

“That was easy.”

“Easy to please over here. If you could take orders and get people checked out, that would be great. Joe’s in the back working on breakfast orders.”

“Sounds good.” I rounded the bakery case and set my purse in a back cabinet, slipping my phone into my pocket. There was already a line a few people deep, and I quickly got to work.

It only took me a couple of tries to get used to the register and credit card system. Thankfully, the tourists were patient and kind. I shut the cash drawer and looked up. “What can I get for you?”

My gaze locked with an amber one that had a hint of hardness to it. “Hey, Dan.”

He scowled at me. “Heard you were back.”

No “welcome home” or “good to see you.” Butnicewasn’t a word I’d ever use to describe him.

“I am. Got back just the other day.”

“I bet Hartley is already panting after you like a rabid dog,” he scoffed.

I stiffened. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, please, Nash has always been desperate to get in your panties.”

If Dan only knew how wrong he was. “Nash and I arefriends. You might try it sometime, but that means you’d actually have to show some decency to another human being.”

Dan’s eyes hardened. “Watch your mouth, you little—”

“That’s enough,” Aspen snapped, moving toward the counter as she glared at Dan. “You talk to the staff like that again, and you’ll be banned from this establishment.”

His dark gaze snapped to Aspen. “What happened tothe customer is always right?”

“Not when they’re being borderline abusive to staff, they’re not.”

Dan’s jaw ticked. “I don’t need this crap. Your coffee sucks anyway.” He turned on his heel and left.

I released my grip on the counter, my hands trembling.

Aspen sent me a worried look. “Are you okay?”

I nodded but knew my forced smile wasn’t exactly convincing. “He’s always been a piece of work.”

She glanced out the windows at the front of the café. “He’s never given me the warm fuzzies. Hopefully, he doesn’t come back.”

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