Page 54 of A Secret Chance
“And for your friend?” Muriel asked. Lauren knew that the question was less about coffee and more about who he was to Lauren.
“Muriel, this is my...,” she was going to say friend, but then decided against it. “This is Brock.”
“Well, hello, Brock. Welcome to Chance Rapids,” Muriel smiled. “Coffee?”
“Sure,” he flashed his megawatt grin at Muriel.
“Well, aren’t you cute.” Muriel poured Baxter’s coffee. “Lauren, find a way to get this one to stay in town.” Muriel laughed and walked away.
Lauren swore she saw crimson rising from the collar of his shirt. “Are you blushing?”
“She’s very forward isn’t she?” he laughed. “Geez.”
“She speaks her mind, that’s for sure.”
“Thanks for not outing me.”
“Oh, if I introduced you as Baxter Caldwell, you’d probably be wearing that pot of coffee right now.”
Baxter firmed his lips. “Does everyone in town hate me?”
“Everyone except all the drunk people at the Winter Carnival right now. But... they might hate you tomorrow when they’re nursing their hangovers.”
Baxter took a sip of the coffee and when his eyes looked like they were going to bug out of his head, she broke out into laughter. “I should’ve warned you.” She leaned across the table and whispered, “The coffee here is practically a solid.”
“Whoooo,” he blew out a breath. “I think I’m going to be up for the next three days.”
“Cheers.” Lauren held up her cup. He met hers and they both grimaced as they sipped.
The pause afterward was long and awkward. Lauren shifted the saucer around under the mug. “So...”
She started to say at the same time Baxter starting speaking. “What...”
“Go ahe—” Lauren started to say.
“You go—” Baxter said at the same time. The interruptive talk made the awkward silence seem welcome.
Baxter gestured to Lauren with his hand. “Ladies first,” he smiled. Lauren knew that a serious conversation was on the horizon and didn’t know how to broach the subject. Should she just jump right in? How are we going to not kill or sleep with each other? Was that a good opener? No. She shook her head. She didn’t want to jump into that conversation with him, what if it was over in a few seconds? They might never have the chance to sit across from each other like this again. She hated to admit it, but she felt like she could sit across from Baxter Caldwell and stare into his eyes all night.
“Not tree planting anymore?” That was the best she could come up with. Where was her wit when she needed it?
He chuckled. “Sometimes I wish I was.” He raised the cup to his mouth but set it down without taking a sip. He seemed wistful.
“Why?” she asked.
“It was simpler back then.” He stretched his legs out under the table and accidentally kicked one of Lauren’s boots. “Whoops, sorry.” He pulled his feet back to his own side of the table and sat upright. “I guess you don’t miss cleaning up after heli-skiers,” he said.
“I don’t,” Lauren said. “It might have been a simpler time back then for you, but for me, I was working two jobs and dealing with a lot of stuff at home.”
“Your mom’s cancer,” Baxter said.
Lauren raised her eyebrows. “How did you know?”
“We talked about it that night...”
Lauren knew that they had talked for hours but was surprised that she had opened up about her mom’s sickness. “She didn’t make it much longer after that,” Lauren whispered saving Baxter from the awkward position of asking whether or not her mom survived.
“I’m so sorry, Lauren.” Baxter reached out and took Lauren’s hand off her mug and held it gently in his.
