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As she fidgeted in place, her gaze swept up the street and landed on the Smith brothers walking steadily toward her. Her heart seemed to jump into her throat at the sight. Garret was wearing a pair of light-wash denim jeans and

a long-sleeved teal blue tee. He was grinning in her direction and running a hand through his wavy hair.

In stark opposition was his brother, wearing a slim-cut navy jacket, dark jeans, and a determined frown on his sculpted face. He too was watching her, his amber eyes glued to her face. Her blood pressure jumped about ten points and she waved a hand at them, doing her best to be cool.

“Morning, doll.” Garret shot her a ten-watt smile and pocketed his hands.

“Hi.” She gazed up at him, her cheeks warming. “How’s it going?”

“Good, now that you’re here.”

That really made her blush. She giggled behind her hand and turned to his brother, who still wore a frown. “Good morning, Joseph.”

“You look beautiful today,” he said in a low voice, leaning in to hug her.

The sensation of his arms around her sent a thrill down her spine, chasing away her case of girlish giggles. As he pulled away, she wrapped her arms around her torso, suddenly feeling very warm and light-headed.

“Coffee anyone?” Garret draped an arm around her shoulder and the nerves were back. “I’m in need of some sustenance before we go to the parade. Michelle?”

She gulped, feeling the weight of him against her. “Sure, I could use a latte.”

“Joey?”

His brother plopped onto a wooden bench set outside the cafe with a scowl on his face. “No, I’m good. I already had a cup this morning. I’ll wait here.”

“Suit yourself,” Garret replied as he opened the door and motioned to Michelle. “Ladies first.”

She tucked her chin to her chest and went inside. The Home Again Cafe was a cozy place, with French chic decor. Someone had tacked colorful turkey decals along the walls and the very strong scent of pumpkin muffins coming from the kitchens made her want to drool. Booths lined the perimeter of the restaurant, with tables filling the rest of the floorspace. A counter stood near the front where they walked in, with a glass display of baked goods and the cash register. The restaurant hadn’t changed much in Michelle’s lifetime. It was still the place to bring a date on a Friday evening or grab a family meal after church on Sunday.

They gave their orders to the woman behind the counter and Garret paid. While they waited for their drinks, he led her to a small two-person table near the registers and pulled out a chair for her. The whole thing was starting to feel like a mini date. She tried not to stare at him as he took the chair across from her. It was strange to think that only yesterday she’d been determined to avoid him forever, and now they were sharing a table.

“How’s it feel being back in town?” Garret asked, raising his eyebrows. He was shredding a napkin in his hands, leaving tiny bits of paper all over the tabletop. “You’ve been gone, what, almost five years now?”

She nodded. “Close to that. It’s weird. Like nothing really changes. My dad is still the chief of police. My mom’s still working as a nurse. I’m not sure they ever have plans to retire and move. They like it too much.”

He made a face. “I’ll never understand that. When I graduate, I’m out of here. My friends and me have plans to go cliff diving in Jamaica and then catch a breeze to Patagonia, maybe drift on the Amazon for a while. Experience the real world. Small town life isn’t for me.”

She gave him a smile, her hands gripping her knees below the table. “Sounds fun. I’ve never really had the desire to go cliff diving or go to Chili. I’m a Midwestern girl through and through. I’m planning to move to KC when I get my teaching license. It’s not too far from home.”

“The best thing I can say about Kansas City is at least they have an international airport,” Garret said with a chuckle. “I could do without the rest of it.”

They sat in silence for a long moment. Michelle drummed her fingernails on the tabletop, desperately searching for a few topic. Her gaze wondered to the Cafe’s front windows. She could see Joseph pacing the sidewalk outside, his hands on the back of his head as if he were arguing with himself. Every once in a while, he’d glance at the front door and walk toward it, but change his mind and begin pacing again. It was an odd sight to see.

She had the sudden desire to bring him a cup of coffee. He shouldn’t be out there all by himself. It felt weird to be in here, chatting alone with his brother.

“Hang on, I’m going to get one more thing,” she told Garret, before leaving the table to approach the counter. Unsure what Joseph liked to drink, she ordered a tall black coffee and stuffed a few sugars and creams into her pocket. The coffee came at the same time their drink orders arrived, so she grabbed all of them and headed toward the door.

“For you,” she said, handing Garret his Americano and pushing through the door to the street.

Joseph was still doing his pacing, but stopped in his tracks when Michelle caught his eye and sent him a huge smile. The hard expression on his face melted and he smiled back at her, his eyes lighting up.

“I know you said you were good, but I got you a coffee,” she said, holding the cup out to him. “Are you a sugar man or a cream kind of guy?”

“Both.” He took the cup and then the condiments. With a funny look in his eyes, he smiled at her again. “Thank you, Michelle.”

“No problem.”

She wasn’t sure why she couldn’t break away from his gaze. There was something warm and inviting in his eyes when he smiled at her, like sitting before the large fireplace in her parents’ living room. She wanted to immerse herself in the feeling. But then Garret tapped her on the shoulder and the spell was broken.


Tags: Lacy Andersen Romance