Page 40 of Ashes of the Past
By lunchtime, I’ve finished the rest of the morning orders and swept the shop floor twice. The cooler hums softly in the background, and the faint strains of country music play from the radio on the counter.
The bell jingles again, and I look up to see Tabby, my part-time employee, breezing in.
“Hey, boss!” she says, hanging her bag on the hook by the door.
“Hey, Tabby. You’re just in time. I’m heading out for a bit.”
“Take your time. I’ve got this.”
I grab my bag and head out the door, the fresh air a welcome change after the stuffy shop. The café is only a block away, and the walk gives me a chance to clear my head. Or at least, it would if Jack didn’t keep sneaking back in.
By the time I push open the door to Rachel’s café, I’m thoroughly annoyed with myself.
“Brynn!” Rachel calls from behind the counter. “You look like you need a cinnamon roll and a vent session.”
I laugh despite myself. “You’re not wrong.”
Rachel grins and grabs a plate, sliding a cinnamon roll the size of my head onto it. She knows me too well. The smell of warm cinnamon and sugar wafts up as she sets it on the counter in front of me.
“Coffee?” she asks, already reaching for a mug.
“Please. The strongest you’ve got.”
I settle onto one of the stools at the counter and take a bite of the cinnamon roll, the sweet, buttery flavor melting on my tongue. Rachel leans against the counter, watching me with a knowing look.
“All right, spill. What’s got you looking like you’re about to implode?”
I hesitate, debating how much to tell her. Rachel’s my best friend, but the town of Hicks Creek is always listening. Still, she’s not the type to let me off the hook.
“Our new ranch manager is infuriating.”
“What’d he do?”
“Nothing.” I sigh. “Everything. I don’t know. He fired Lane. He kissed me.”
Rachel’s eyes go wide, and then a slow grin spreads across her face. “Oh, this is good. Go on.”
“It’s not good,” I groan, dropping my head into my hands. “It’s a disaster. He’s arrogant, infuriating, and completely off-limits.”
“And yet, here you are, blushing like a teenager.”
I glare at her, but she just laughs.
“It’s not funny, Rachel. The last thing I need is to get tangled up with someone like him.”
She tilts her head, studying me. “Maybe. But the way you’re talking, it sounds like you already are.”
I don’t respond, because what can I say? She’s not wrong. No matter how much I try to convince myself that he is the last man I’d ever want, I can’t seem to get him out of my head.
The bell above the café door jingles, and we both glance up as a group of teenagers strolls in, laughing and jostling each other. Rachel straightens up, giving me a knowing look.
“We’re not done talking about this,” she says, pointing a finger at me.
“Looking forward to it,” I mutter, but I can’t help smiling as I finish off the cinnamon roll.
Chapter Sixteen
Jack
