Page 21 of I'll Carry You
Travis was still behind the counter, wearing the bright blue uniform apron. After all these years of him stepping in whenever Bunny wasn’t around, it still made her laugh to see him in it. He was a mechanic and owned an auto detailing shop the rest of the time, a trade he had picked up from his father.
He frowned when he saw her and looked at the clock on the wall behind him. One dark eyebrow quirked. “What happened?”
Jen glanced around the café. Only a handful of customers were here tonight . . . their big rush was usually around lunch. Weekend nights attracted the occasional moms catching up over coffee and first dates, but rarely the dinner crowds.
She sighed and left her coat hanging on the coatrack. “I got dumped. If it counts after three dates.”
Travis winced, his warm brown eyes sympathetic. “Truth time?”
She nodded. It was their way of telling each other hard truths without the other getting offended.
“I didn’t like him anyway. Anyone who wears sockless boating shoes with pastel pants—there’s no coming back from that.”
A giggle erupted, and she curled her arms on the counter, pressing her forehead against the cool wooden surface. “Ugh . . . why do I always pick the worst guys?”
“Did you even like Brad that much?”
“No.” She chewed on her lip. “But right now, I’m willing to settle.”
“That’s your problem right there.” Travis pulled an éclair from the glass case and slid it toward her. “Be more like me. Miserable and alone, but completely confident in that decision.”
Her eyes met his, and she rolled them. “No. Your problem is you’re afraid of the girl you’re in love with. I don’t have that problem. I just have no one to love.”
She went behind the counter and grabbed a fork. Travis had shared his feelings about Lindsay with Jen years before, but they didn’t talk about it often. Travis and Lindsay had even hooked up once. The result? Now she could never hang out with her two best friends at the same time.
“I’m not afraid of her. I’m afraid of her family. And she’s afraid of mine. Until the Hatfields and McCoys decide to give it a rest, what chance do we have?” Travis grabbed a mug. “Latte or cappuccino?”
“Latte, thanks. And I think you’re both still being ridiculous. Also, if not her, I’m sure there’s a long line of women who’d appreciate you. If I met a guy who could fix my car and make me breakfast, I’d marry him tomorrow.”
Travis smirked. “You wouldn’t, though. Because despite your claims to the contrary, you don’t want to settle. You’re picky. You always have been.” The frother whirred to life, hissing steam and gurgling milk.
“According to Brad, I’m not that great of a catch.”
Travis’s face darkened. “What a prick.”
“He was mad because he heard from his mother that I kissed a guy during the play last night.” She summarized the situation with Jason briefly and added, “But it was nothing and meant nothing to me. He could’ve at least asked.”
Blinking at her for a minute, Travis studied her features. “I agree Brad was an ass. But...you’re sure it meant nothing?”
That warm feeling, the aching of her palms like her nerves were misfiring, resurfaced. Nothing. Jason, the douche who called for service and had hookups with strangers. Yeah, it meant nothing, right? “I’m totally sure.”
“Okay, well, don’t look now, but a guy is standing outside the café window looking at you. And for the last thirty seconds, I’m pretty sure he’s been trying to figure out whether to come in and talk to you.” Travis poured the espresso into the frothed milk and slid it toward her.
She couldn’t help but look. He was right. Jason was out on the sidewalk.
Their eyes met briefly, and she froze. Snapping her eyes back at Travis, she caught the hint of laughter in Travis’s expression. “Nothing, right? I told you not to look. Looks like he’s coming in.”
“What’s he doing here?” she muttered under her breath. She sipped her latte, wishing she hadn’t had that wine with dinner. It didn’t take much alcohol for her to get too chatty these days. Maybe the coffee would counteract it.
“He knows you work here.” Travis shrugged and walked back toward the kitchen.
“Hey, Jen.” Jason stood only a few feet from the doorway with his hands in his coat pockets. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
She turned toward him. “Well, I do work here. Except I’m not working today. I mean, right now. I was working earlier. And you know I work here, so I’m guessing maybe it might have occurred you’d run into me?” Yeah, she needed an upper. She took a big, hot swallow of latte, and it burned the roof of her mouth.
Choking it back, she tried to suck in some air to cool it down and looked around for a napkin. She coughed a few times, sputtering on coffee.Real elegant, Jen. Graceful.
Jason slid up beside her and pulled a napkin from the holder beside the register. He handed it to her. “You okay?”