Chapter 4 #3
Dora’s statement yanked him out of his covert observation of Via, only to see from her sneaky smile it wasn’t so covert. “Plans
changed,” he mumbled.
“I’m going on break,” Via said quickly, looking at Dora. “Can you cover for me?”
Dora’s face lit up. “I’d love to.”
Via rolled her eyes, then turned to Leo. “Do you want something to drink? I’m making a chai latte for myself.”
He nodded. “Coffee, black.”
“I’ll get those for you.” Dora was already behind the counter. She gave Via a little shove. “Go take your break. Time’s a’wasting.”
Another sharp squint at Dora, and Via moved left of the coffee station and went to him. “Follow me,” she said, and they entered
the cat lounge.
He’d never seen anything like it. Several four-top tables were in the center of the expansive space, surrounded on the perimeter
by cozy, cat-friendly furniture and comfortable-looking cats.
She gestured to the one empty table in the lounge. The others were occupied by customers. When he sat down, a tawny-colored
cat immediately jumped in his lap.
Via hurried to Leo. “No, Toffee. You can’t sit there.” She bent over to pick up the cat, and in her haste, her chest brushed
his shoulder. “She’s overly friendly. Sorry about that.”
Leo wasn’t. Not one bit.
He shut down the thought. Caffeine. That’s what he was missing, and once he got some, he’d rein in all this noticing he couldn’t seem to stop doing when he was around her.
She set the feline on the ground, gave her a soft pat on the head, and sat across from him. “I thought Sir was the only one
who had a crush on you, but you’re a cat magnet. They always seem to be drawn to people who don’t like them.”
“I never said I didn’t like cats.” He preferred dogs but cats were fine.
“I guess you’re not all bad then.”
Considering the bright glint in her pretty eyes, he didn’t take her comment personally. He also liked a little bit of edge,
and Via definitely had that.
He glanced over her shoulder to see Dora and Birdie watching them, smiling and whispering to each other. Past time to get
to the point of their meeting. “Via—”
“Leo—”
She smiled, and warmth vibrated through him. This time, he couldn’t stop from smiling back.
“Black coffee,” Birdie said, placing his drink in front of him. He’d been so focused on Via’s smile, he hadn’t seen her approach.
“And a chai latte for Smitten Kitten. Sir is in time-out, by the way. He kept trying to escape and see . . .” She glanced
at Leo again. “Harvard Boy.”
Via slid in her chair. “Birdie . . .”
“Enjoy!” She gave them two thumbs-up and left.
“Smitten Kitten, huh?” Leo smirked.
“She likes her nicknames,” she said. “Last week she christened me Meow Mix. Obviously I’m not cat food, so the names don’t
mean anything.”
“She was accurate with mine. Minus the boy part.” He took a sip from his cup. Ah, that hit the spot.
“Proving my point.” Her cheeks turned a soft rosy color.
Which had him wondering . . . Was she smitten with someone? Or was it just a play on words like she was claiming?
Toffee jumped onto his lap again. When Via started to get up, he waved her off. The cat was already settling into a loaf.
“It’s okay.”
Her head tilted, as if she was surprised by his answer. “Let me know if she’s bothering you.”
“Will do,” he said.” Toffee started to purr. “About Second Chapter—”
“Are you keeping it?” she asked in a hopeful tone.
“No. I’m selling.” An idea occurred to him, and he was dumbfounded he hadn’t thought of it earlier. Then again, he hadn’t
exactly been on his game since finding out about the inheritance. “Interested in buying it?”
“No.”
The response was immediate. Strange, considering how upset she was about the will and her insistence he didn’t “ruin” the
business.
“Why are you still here?” she asked. “You could have gone back to the land of palm trees and superstars by now and handled
things from there.”
He knew a deflection when he saw one, so he drank his coffee again, gathering the right words. No need to tell her about Earl’s
stipulations. “The shop and apartment need cleaning up.”
“You could hire a company to do that.”
If only. “There might be some valuable books among the hundreds—”
“More like thousands.”
He nearly winced. How was he going to find ten particular books among so many? But he was getting ahead of himself. “I also figured it would be best if I went through Earl’s personal effects in his apartment.”
Via paused, not looking so guarded now. “I wanted to do that while the will was in probate. But I only got as far as tackling
the fridge.”
So that’s why it was so clean. “Thanks.”
“It wasn’t much. When I tried to finish the kitchen I . . .” She averted her gaze, her grief palpable.
And although he sympathized, it was the opening he needed. “I could use your help again. I know it’s a big ask, but Bennett
said you knew Earl better than anyone.”
Via reached down and picked up the black cat she’d shooed away earlier. She held the animal close to her, almost protectively.
Her gaze went to his sweatshirt. “Are you actually a Harvard boy?”
“Undergrad and MBA from Harvard Business School. Summa cum laude.” Geez. Why did he add that last part? He sounded like he
was bragging, although he was used to tossing around his bona fides to reassure clients he had the pedigree to manage their
multimillion-dollar accounts. Who cared about that in Pecan Corner?
“I thought so.”
Curious, he asked, “Why?”
“Your sweatshirt’s old, for one thing. Not vintage, but it looks well worn. Well loved, even. You’re from California, your
car costs a mint, your suit is expensive. It’s easy to connect the dots that you’re Ivy League. What business are you in again?”
Toffee jumped out of his lap. Apparently business conversation bored her. “When did this turn into an inquisition?”
“If I’m going to help you, I need to know more about you.”
He sat back in his chair, surprised she’d agreed so easily. Almost too easily.
As if she read his mind, she said, “I have a vested interest.”
And he should have thought about that too. The sale would affect her professionally and personally. “Fair enough. I’m thirty-one, six foot two, a hedge fund manager, and I like long walks on sandy beaches.” He raised his brow and lifted his coffee cup.
She chuckled and set the cat in her lap.
The ice was cracking. “What about you, Octavia Dalton? I already know you like cats, running a café, and chai lattes. Anything
else I should be aware of?”
“I’m twenty-nine, five foot nine, and prefer mountains to shores. Unless it’s Lake Erie.”
“What’s so special about Lake Erie?”
“It’s one of the Great Lakes. Also the biggest tourist attraction in Northeast Ohio. You haven’t experienced it fully until
you’ve seen an autumn sunset over the lakeshore.”
He’d seen plenty of sunsets over the Pacific at Huntington Beach, a short drive from his house in LA. They were indeed breathtaking,
and he couldn’t imagine Lake Erie could compare.
His gaze went to her hands, which were cupping her mug. No wedding ring. He assumed she lived alone too. There hadn’t been
anything in the parts of her apartment he’d seen that reflected a man living there.
The bell chimed above the door and several customers entered to the tune of multiple meows. Luna dashed toward the front,
along with Toffee.
“My break is over.” Via stood, her attention diverted. “Feel free to finish your coffee.”
“But—”
“We can discuss this later.”
“When?” Hopefully she didn’t detect the urgency in his tone. Just in case, he leaned back in the chair and took a casual sip
of his drink.
“Tonight, after work. We close at five.” She smiled. It wasn’t directed at him, but at the customers she was moving to greet.
He relaxed a little when she was out of view. At least she agreed to help him. And whatever she was willing to do, he would
take it.