Page 22 of A Shore Fling
I come upon an area with some shops, but at the early hour there’s only one that’s open: Laugh A Latte. I moan softly at the thought of coffee, and pull the door open. I’m barely inside when the woman behind the counter calls out, “Good morning. What can I do for you?” Her smile is warm and welcoming.
“Good morning. I’d love a large, hot coffee with cream to go.” I glance up at the board on the wall with all the items listed. “And a blueberry muffin, please.”
She gets right to taking care of my order while my eyes sweep around the inviting interior. With the soothing blue-toned walls and beachy artwork, it’s everything a coastal coffee shop should be. The tables and chairs are a mismatched compilation of styles and wood varieties.
“Here you go.” She sets my items down on the counter in front of me. After punching some keys on the cash register, she tells me my total. I hand over some cash, waving away my change.
“That’s for you.”
“Thank you. How long are you visiting for?”
“I’m here through the end of August.”
“Nice. This must be a big change from New York,” she says.
My eyes go wide. “Are you psychic?”
She grins. “No, but when you ordered yourcawfee,it kind of gave it away.”
I laugh. “Oh. I forget I have an accent.”
“I think we’re all guilty of that,” she reassures me. “I’m Ginger, by the way. Welcome to Havenport.”
“Thank you. I’m Nina. Your shop is adorable.”
“Thanks. It’s a labor of love.”
“Where did you find the tables and chairs? They’re antiques, right?”
She nods. “I found them at various flea markets. I wanted to give a nod to the history of this area.”
“Well, you did a fantastic job. The vibe is so welcoming.” Ginger’s warm personality also plays a large part in that. I take a sip of my coffee and then hum with pleasure.
“I’m glad you think so. I hope you come back and visit again.”
Opening the door, I look over my shoulder as I step outside, calling out, “You can count on it.” I turn the corner and slam into a brick wall.How’d that get there?Miraculously, my cup is still intact.
“You gotta be kidding me,” the wall exclaims, moving backward.
Recognizing the voice and sarcastic tone, I brace myself before I look up to find Travis frowning at me. Unfortunately, his disappointed expression is also familiar to me. “It’s nice to see you too, harbormaster.”
“It’s good to see you create chaos wherever you go,” he utters between smirking lips.
“Maybe it’s only when you’re around.” I wiggle the fingers on my free hand, as if I’m casting a hex on him.
His expression is dubious. “I find that hard to believe.”
I shrug. “I guess time will tell. Enjoy your day.” I start to walk away.
“You’re not taking the boat out, right?”
Continuing forward, I hold my middle finger up over my head. I hear his deep chuckle, but I refuse to look back. Though I’m tempted to get another look at the way his dark-blue polo shirt molds over his broad shoulders and rock-solid chest. But I won’t give him the satisfaction. Besides, no matter how handsome he is or how great his body is, I’m here to relax and simplify my life. And God knows nothing is more complicated than a man.
By the time I get back to the cottage, my phone is vibrating with texts and calls. It figures the wifi isn’t spotty now, and it seems like my email has been read.Oh shit.I panic for a few seconds. I might as well get this over with before I eat my muffin and finish my coffee. Yanking my phone from my pocket, I open the texts.
Jonathon: Are you fucking kidding me? This better be a joke, Nina.
He’s as upset as I figured he’d be.
