Page 16 of Unexpected Love
“Probably because when we met, I had the worst combo of perm and post-breakup haircut.” I can’t help the eye roll as I make that statement. “My sister-in-law teased me mercilessly about how it added ten years on me.”
And Nancy had. So much so that it gave me a mini complex, and I stopped going to the salon altogether and have been letting my hair grow ever since.
“Okay, so let’s get this discussion started,” I prompt, changing the subject off of me and trying to be respectful of their time. For the next hour, the discussion takes flight and then makes left turns that lead to belly-aching laughter. And with every smile shining back at me, my excitement for hosting this event at my own shop grows.
“Wow, someone looks like she could use a good dose of fun,” Kylie mutters from beside me. I glance over at Lissette behind the counter. The pinched look that she doesn’t bother hiding as another round of hoots goes up douses my merriment like being dunked with a bucket of cold water.
“Are you guys done yet?” The male voice from behind startles me. Nate, Jordan’s sweetheart, passes behind meand perches on the arm of her chair, leaning over and dropping a kiss to her hair.
“Hi, honey.” She beams at him. “Yes, we’re wrapping it up. You guys find all the things next door?”
One more glance at Lissette, and I wonder again if she’s just been humoring me this whole time about the book club and opening my own shop. I don’t want there to be competition between us, though it feels like that’s the direction we’re headed.
I paste on a smile to hide my unsettled thoughts as everyone gathers their things, stopping to help me clean up as they do. And that’s the thing. This group takes care of each other. They always seem ready to chip in and help, so something as simple as hosting a book club isn’t a burden.
Why Lissette can’t see that, I don’t understand. But she’s complained every month since we began.
But not for much longer.
With hugs all around and fresh to-go cups, the group disperses. I take an extra minute to fluff the pillows on the couch because Lissette has complained in the past about them, specifically after book club, and zero other times.
A throat clears behind me, and I’m snapped back to reality.
A glance over my shoulder delivers the worst kind of surprise. It’s Cal from the other day. The guy who never gets the tab. The one with the unexpected toddler and who refuses to change a dirty diaper. I scoff internally, becausemen, but paste on my most professional smile.
His brown hair is a touch too long, and from the looks of it, he’s been running his fingers through it. His clothes are rumpled, and the little girl braced on his hip is in pajamas. They both sport matching remains of whatever she ate for breakfast, his as a swipe on the shoulder of his T-shirt, hersas a swipe through her hair, and they’re regarding me with matching blue eyes. The baby’s eyes are bright, but he’s got bags under his.
“I wanted to thank you for getting me that babysitting info,” he says.
Oh. “Sure, no problem. Can I get you anything?”
“No, that was it.”
I’m being rude. I know it. My mood is in the shitter after Lissette’s behavior.
“Okay, well…” he says at the same time the little girl points at me and says, “I go.” Or maybe it was “Hey girl”?
“I wish I could figure out what she’s saying,” he admits. He looks exhausted, and for half a second, I feel bad for him. I could try a little harder to be nice, especially since he’s not the reason for my bad mood. He’s clearly in over his head right now.
“Sometimes toddlers just babble while they figure out how to make words. She’ll get it.”
He shifts her from one arm to the other, and I don’t miss the way she clings to him. The sight tugs at my heartstrings. I’m not typically a baby lover, but this little girl is adorable and so clearly latched to him, I can’t stop the heartwarming.
“So, Nancy was able to help you? She’s going to babysit for you?”
He sighs and rubs the little girl’s arm. It’s an unconscious movement, and it tugs at my heartstrings even harder. “She’s going to keep her during the days when I need help. I work a twenty-four hours on, forty-eight hours off schedule. But she thought it might be good for Charlie to have some routine, so we’ll do regular hours every day during the week. I still have to figure out the overnight part.”
I become aware that I’ve been staring at the two of them. Maybe I’m a little exhausted as well if this guy ispiquing my interest. I break the trance I’m in and glance around the coffee shop as if checking on the other customers.
“Anyway,” he continues, and I shift my attention back to him. He swallows and won’t make eye contact. “I can tell you’re busy. I just wanted to say thanks again.”
He leaves with the little girl babbling, and I feel like a jerk as I watch them through the front windows as they make their way to his car before he loads her into a car seat.
He was being nice, and I let my stress leach out onto him.
I finish my shift at the Daily Brew in a confused flurry. Pretty soon, I’ll be able to work only for myself, but right now, the extra cash comes in handy, especially since every dime I’ve managed to save is tied up in opening the new store. The large check that I wrote to the contractor for materials was a hit to my savings—one I’d planned for, but a hit nonetheless. The other half of the payment will be due once construction is complete.
I head to the new shop, my attitude one hundred percent improved with the prospect of seeing progress. I’m hoping to catch the guy and that he’ll have a timeline so I can plan on when to have my supplies ordered. Since I had the early shift, I’ve got at least six or eight hours that I can work in the shop before I crash.
