Cass
Ibarely had time tostop since the store opened. Donations for the book drive were steadily coming in, and even some tourists were purchasing books for the charity. When the store had finally quieted down, I grabbed a coffee and another box and started filling up some of the empty spots on the shelves. When I was finished, I took out my laptop and sat down behind the counter. I needed to get some writing done, and while I waited for the next group of shoppers, I couldn't think of a better time. I was working away when someone caught my eye. Brody walked by the front window and up to the door, the little bell ringing to let me know someone had come in.
“Hey! I brought you lunch.” Brody strolled in, holding up a small brown bag. There was no mistaking the smell of what that small bag contained.
“That isn't what I think it is, is it?” I inhaled deeply again, the smell of pho soup making my mouth water.
“Sure is! I remember how much you love the stuff. I was just on my way back into town and passed this little restaurant. You'll probably have to warm it up a bit.”
I walked over, took the bag from him, and headed into the small kitchen. I couldn't wait, my stomach was already grumbling.
“I haven't had this in ages.” I had practically lived on this stuff after Jackson had died, it was the only thing that was easy on my stomach. It was my favorite comfort food, and since Brody had loved the stuff just as much as I did, he never minded going.
I popped the container into the microwave and entered in the time when I heard the bell ring out front. I poked my head around the corner to see who it was.
“Hey, May, I'll be right out, just warming up some soup.”
“Take your time, dear, I'm just going to browse.”
“Okay. There are some new releases in the Romance section I think you'll love,” I called back.
“Wonderful, dear, thanks.”
Going back to the kitchen, I removed the soup from the microwave, stirring it and placing it back in to heat it some more. “Thanks for the soup, Brody. You must have read my mind because I forgot to pack a lunch this morning.”
“No problem, Cass, figured you might be hungry. You look a little on the lean side to me.”
“Yeah well, most days, I don't have much time to eat anything.”
“You should make time.”
I grabbed my purse from the floor, ignoring Brody's comment. I dug through it, looking for my spare key. When I couldn't find it, I thought for a second and remembered I had left it sitting on the counter in the kitchen.
“Dammit, I forgot the key.”’
“That's okay, Cass, I can just swing by after you get home. I have a bunch of things to get done, anyway.”
“No, no, here, take my key. I normally get home around seven-thirty. If you’re not going to be home, make sure you leave the back door open so I can get in.” I removed the key from my key ring and held it out. Our eyes locked as his fingers grazed my hand as he took the key, and I swallowed hard. “Don't let Missy out, she doesn't go outside anymore.”
“No problem, Cass, I can do that.”
The back door opened, and I heard Ray's heavy footsteps coming toward the kitchen. I closed my eyes and blew out a breath. I hadn't had a chance to speak with him this morning, and this was certainly not how I wanted him to find out.
He came around the corner, and as soon as he saw Brody, the smile fell from his lips. His gaze darkened as he walked over, leaned in, and met my lips, but my eyes never left Brody's.
“How's your day going?”
I met Ray's eyes and gave a forced smiled when he pulled away.
“Good, been busy. I'm tired.”
“Well, if you weren't staying up all hours of the night wasting your time working on some silly story, you wouldn't be so tired.”
Brody cleared his throat to say something, but I gave him a look, silencing him before dropping my eyes to the ground. I was trying to get used to Ray's reactions and thoughts about my writing. If we were going to be together, I needed to get used to the fact he wasn't going to be supportive, no matter what, and nothing would ever change his mind. The microwave beeped again, and I removed the soup and set it on the counter.
“What’s that?” Ray questioned.
“Soup, Brody brought me lunch,” I smiled and winked in Brody's direction. Brody smiled back.