Page 2 of Marrying Chrissy

The small town of Clearwater, Texas, had a large number of coffee shops, but the prime location right on the town square made Clearwater Coffee one of the local favorites. Besides, now that the July temperatures were only rising, everyone looked for an excuse to step indoors and enjoy the air conditioning. Iced coffees were a frequently requested beverage.

The bell above the door rang as another customer came inside. Chrissy shooed Nina away. “Go take your break. I’ve got this one.”

Nina smiled appreciatively and went to sit down with a muffin and her cell phone.

Chrissy watched as Wyatt approached the counter. A frequent customer, Wyatt was all business. He typically came inside, ordered the same thing, and was on his way again. They often exchanged pleasantries and the occasional joke, but Chrissy didn’t think she’d ever seen him take a seat and relax.

He was speaking on a phone as he approached her, which happened to be one of Chrissy’s pet peeves. In fact, she made a point of never placing an order until she was off the phone. It seemed like the polite thing to do.

Wyatt used his shoulder to keep the phone against his ear. With one hand, he took his wallet out. With the other, he grabbed a chocolate bar off a display on the counter. “Yes, I realize that. I’m going to be there. I’m bringing a gift, and I’ve already talked to Violet about pitching in for the flowers.” When he really looked at Chrissy for the first time since he entered, his eyes widened a little. He pointed to her hair and gave her a thumbs-up. Someone on the other end of the line must have said something because he sighed a little. “I don’t know what you want me to do about it.”

He noticed her change in hair? That surprised Chrissy, since he usually just breezed in and out of the coffee shop without lingering. You’d have to be dead not to notice him with those bright green eyes, sandy brown hair, and biceps that looked like they might split a t-shirt if he flexed his arms.

Chrissy mentally shook the image from her head and focused on her job. Wyatt lowered the phone and whispered his usual order. Chrissy nodded, added up his total, and accepted the cash he offered.

He was still talking on the phone when he moved away to wait.

Chrissy started on his coffee, thankful for the distraction. Not only from thinking about his muscular arms, but also about the financial mess waiting for her at home. Emma was probably in the middle of her interview right now. She wanted to wish her sister good luck, but only if the job would replace the one she had now.I don’t even know what to pray for, God. All I want is for Emma to stay healthy.

She finished Wyatt’s coffee, put the lid on it, and moved to the counter to hand it to him. Good grief, the guy was still on the phone. Now he looked frustrated, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Mom, this really seems overboard.” He reached for the coffee, and as his hand closed around the cup, his fingers rested on top of Chrissy’s. Wyatt looked at her face, and his eyes lit up. “You know what? I’ll bring a date if it means you and Dad stay off my case and let Gran enjoy her night. Yeah.” His gaze went to Chrissy’s name tag. “Her name’s Chrissy. Of course I’m not bringing a total stranger. We’ve known each other for months.” Wyatt winked at her.

Chrissy’s jaw dropped. What? Surely he was joking. Only then did she realize they were both still holding onto his coffee cup. Suddenly, the feel of his fingers on hers had her heart rate shooting through the roof. She jerked her hand away as though some of the hot beverage had spilled over the side.

She busied herself cleaning the counters and expected Wyatt to fly out of the shop like he normally did. Instead, he finished his phone conversation, hung up, and then turned to look at her.

With a serious expression on his handsome face, he opened his mouth and asked the last question Chrissy ever expected.

“How would you like to go with me to my grandmother’s 90th birthday party?”

~*~

As soon as the words left Wyatt Tabor’s lips, he wanted to take them back. Okay, maybe that wasn’t the whole truth. More like he wished he wanted to take them back. As it was, he had four days before Gran’s birthday, which wasn’t a whole lot of time to drum up a date he didn’t know he needed until five minutes ago. Of course, it’d be easier if his family would simply quit treating his lack of a love life like public property.

The way Chrissy was staring at him with her pretty light brown eyes, it was clear she had no idea what to think of his question. Finally, she looked around the room. “Are we on camera? You’re trying to prank me or something, right?”

Wyatt smiled. “No cameras.” He observed Chrissy for a moment and admired the combination of her short stature, colorful streaks of hair, and a smile that seemed to always brighten his day. She was adorable—he’d always thought so. He avoided the dating scene like the plague, but if it were his thing, he’d be interested in asking Chrissy out. Still, he wasn’t sure what Gran would think if he walked into her birthday party with a date who had purple streaks in her hair. Not to mention the brightly-painted nails, rings on every finger, and the tattoo on her wrist.

He’d noticed the tattoo months ago. It was a vine that encircled her wrist with two tiny heart-shaped flower buds and one bloomed rose along it. He wondered more than once about the significance of the ink.

No, this wasn’t Gran’s ideal date for Wyatt. It wasn’t Mom or Dad’s, either, which did make the idea even more alluring. On the other hand, it was either bring Chrissy, or show up with no date at all. He wasn’t going to win either way, but at least going with Chrissy would change things up a little.

Chrissy must have found her voice because she cleared her throat and crossed her arms. “You’ve known me for months?” She gave him a firm look that dared him to clarify his words.

“Technically, it’s true. I’ve been coming in for coffee ever since someone recommended this place to me before Christmas.”

“Ordering coffee from me several times a week doesn’t mean you know me.” Her hands moved to her hips. “Don’t you have a girlfriend you could ask? Or a coworker?”

She seemed to realize the ridiculousness of her question. He wouldn’t be asking his coffee barista if he had an alternative.

He could never understand why Mom had to be so obsessed with his love life. He’d been open to the possibilities of falling in love and living happily ever after. He’d even tried it once. He’d met someone he was crazy about, thought he’d fallen in love, done all the right things, and gotten engaged. And for what? To have his heart stomped into the ground. One would think that, after seeing their son dumped over money, his parents would have a little sympathy and give him some space. Instead, Mom insisted that all Gran wanted for her birthday was to see Wyatt find a girl to spend the rest of his life with. While that might be partially true, he wasn’t stupid. She and Dad had other motives, and it had nothing to do with Gran’s happiness.

The last thing he wanted, though, was for there to be drama on his grandmother’s 90th birthday. If bringing a date to the party made Gran happy and kept his parents from broaching the subject in front of the rest of the family, it’d be worth it.

Chrissy had always come across as a nice, caring person, and he had a short timeline. He couldn’t think of anyone better to ask. “It’s a long story. Give me a chance to explain it to you.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’ve got to run. What time are you off work?”

“Four.” The moment the word was out, she pressed her lips together.

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