16. Cammi
Chapter Sixteen
CAMMI
I let myself steal a glance at him and felt butterflies spiraling in my belly. I was dripping wet, the absolute opposite of sexy. But my body didn’t really think about much when it came to Elias. With the chill in the air, he exuded a cool, but easy masculinity that I wanted to wrap around myself.
The drive was quiet, and I bit my tongue several times to keep from thanking him too much. “I don’t know what to do about my windshield,” I finally said with a frustrated sigh.
“You’ll get it fixed. I took a look at it when I tied the tarp down. It’s just the glass. It’ll be all right. Insurance actually makes it easy to get windshields repaired. If you have a regular mechanic, call them. If you need a suggestion, I can scare up the number of the place we use at the resort.”
“I’ll call my insurance company tomorrow and go from there. Thanks again.” I paused before blurting out. “I seem to be thanking you a lot. I promise I’m not always an accident waiting to happen.”
“Shit happens to all of us. I’m sure you’ll get to return the favor someday,” he replied easily.
“Do you want to get pizza?” I asked impulsively.
He slowed to a stop at the intersection just before he would turn onto the road that led toward my place. His eyes slid to mine. “Darlin’, I’ll never say no to pizza.”
My lips curled into a smile. “Head to Glacier Pizza then. It’s on the way.”
Moments later, the neon sign for Glacier Pizza loomed through the rain. “My treat,” I said when he stopped in the parking lot
He started to protest, but I shook my head firmly. “You fixed my tire for free, gave me a ride home and back the next day, and you had the foresight to put a tarp over my broken windshield. Let me get the pizza. You wait here.”
Glacier Pizza was a local and a tourist favorite. I pushed through the door. Although the crowd was thin, there were still a few scattered customers, and it was cozy and warm in here. This was a basic, no frills restaurant with amazing pizza. A massive brick oven sat in the center of the space with an open kitchen and counter encircling it. Customers could watch the pizza process while sitting at the stools by the counter, or relax in the booths lining the walls. There were photos from locals and tourists lining the walls, along with license plates from all over the country.
I hurried over to the counter, asking the young man, Ryan, behind the register, “What large pizzas do you have ready to go?”
That was one of the best things about Glacier Pizza. They kept pizzas ready to sell by the slice or full size. You could order your own choices, but everything they made in their wood-fired oven was delicious.
The guy turned to stride toward the back of the kitchen to check. I quickly texted Elias.
Are you picky? Will pepperoni work? Or are you vegetarian or vegan? I added a wink emoticon after that. Somehow, I seriously doubted Elias was vegetarian, much less vegan.
He replied almost instantly. I love pepperoni, but I like vegetables too. I’ll take whatever they have and whatever you prefer.
Ryan returned to the counter and cast me a quick smile. “All we’ve got left is pepperoni and plain cheese. We’ve had a run on the ready-made stuff.”
“I’ll take two large pepperonis if you have enough.”
A few minutes later as Ryan was ringing me up, I asked, “How are things at the store?” I was referring to the outdoor gear store his older brother Eli owned and where he also worked. Ryan did as many Alaskans did and worked multiple jobs. He picked up hours here, worked for his brother, and was also training to be a hotshot firefighter.
“Not so busy yet, but give it a few weeks and things will start picking up. Winters are our quiet time, which is why I work more here,” he replied with a quick smile.
“I’m sure Eli would keep you busy if you wanted more hours,” I returned as I put the change in the tip jar by the register.
Ryan gave an easy shrug. “He gives me plenty of hours, but I like money. I work forty hours there and then do three nights here. I’m saving up for a truck.”
“You’re a good kid.”
Ryan cast me a faux glare. “I’m not a kid anymore, Cammi. I’m twenty-one. I can legally drink.”
I flashed him a smile. “Okay, okay. You’re not a kid, but don’t be stupid about alcohol.”
He rolled his eyes and waved me off. In the time I’d gotten to know Ryan, mostly through knowing Eli and his wife Jessa, I’d learned he was old for his years. He was reliable and responsible, and I kind of wished maybe he could just be irresponsible for a little bit.
“Stay dry,” I called as I left and dashed under the awning into Elias’s truck.
He looked at my hands as I set the two boxes of pizza on my lap. “Two boxes?”
“You can never have too much pizza. Plus, leftover pizza for breakfast is the bomb.”
Instantly, I realized I wanted to offer leftover breakfast pizza at Misty Mountain Café. It wouldn’t be true leftovers, but I could advertise the concept. I reached for my phone and quickly typed the idea into my notes.
I felt Elias’s gaze on me and glanced over. “What?”
“I’m not going anywhere until you buckle up. What’s so important you need to jot a note down right now? Color me curious.”
I suddenly felt a little shy. Only Susie and Tess knew I was actually taking the steps to seriously consider buying the café. But Susie said my numbers looked good, so maybe I had a real shot.
“I had an idea for breakfast. I’m looking into buying Misty Mountain Café because the owners are selling. I’ll be able to make a lot more stuff there, and I thought it would be fun to have fake leftover pizza for breakfast. What do you think?”
It was quiet for so long that I started to feel foolish, but then a smile slowly unfurled from one corner of his mouth to the other. “That’s fucking genius. Now, buckle up and let’s get you home so we can enjoy that pizza.”
It felt as if my heart was actually smiling. Elias wasn’t the kind of guy to hand out compliments easily. If at all.