Chapter 47Cade
Cade
“How did you make out with the Mind Haze?” I ask.
My customer lifts his camouflage hat, running a hand through his shaggy, brown hair. “I’m usually not a big fan of hazy IPAs, but this one is definitely the best I’ve tried.”
I grin on a nod. “Glad to hear it. I’m a milkshake IPA guy, so if I want something with a fruity flavor, that’s always my go-to.”
“Oh yeah?” He lifts his glass to his lips. “What’s in that?”
“Guava, mango, ripe pineapple, vanilla beans. It’s definitely on the sweeter side, but it’s balanced nicely.”
He bobs his head. “Let’s do that next.”
I tap the bar top. “You got it.”
As soon as I slide up to the clean drinking glasses, I pluck one off the stack to return to the tap faucets. On my spin, I catch sight of a familiar brunette behind the end of the bar.
“You made it back,” I say, pouring the thick beer.
“Me and my friend did, actually. She just walked off to take a phone call.”
I smirk, answering her as I slide my customer’s beer toward him. “I guess it’s safe to say there’re no issues with the beer.” Then I point to the drink in front of me, acknowledging Camouflage Hat. “Let me know what you think. Enjoy.”
He raises his fresh glass to me, and then I’m wandering to the brunette.
“Thanks for coming in again. I really appreciate it,” I say.
Her smile beams as she plants her elbows on the counter. “You deserve the business. I was just waiting for a recommendation.”
I pivot to gesture toward the man I just served. “Milkshake IPA. Always my go-to. Especially if you’ve got a sweet tooth.”
“Great,” she says, raising her posture. “Let’s try it.”
She’s not hard on the eyes. Petite with long brown hair styled in soft waves. A smile that tells me she enjoys the sight in front of her.
But there’s a standard I hold, and it’s impossible for me to recognize this woman as stunning. Because the definition of beauty is subjective now. And I dare someone to tell me Olivia isn’t described next to the word in every goddamn dictionary.
My body moves behind the bar, weaving between my employees to carry out my job responsibilities. My hands and legs shuffle under the dusky lighting, but my head and heart are cemented in one place.
Her.
The woman I saved all those months ago.
It’s wild to wrap my mind around the fact that Olivia is the same person.
Is it possible my heart knew it loved Olivia before I even stepped in?
Were all the mishaps and delays that night life’s way of bringing my heart to the one person it wanted to give itself to?
Could I have loved Olivia before I even met her, just as much as she loved me before we officially met?
Honestly, I believe anything is possible.
Because if the universe was able to form a human being as astonishing as Olivia, there’s nothing it can’t make happen. There’s nothing more magical than Olivia Sawyer’s existence.
God, what I’d give to see her sparkling green eyes again.
“I know why this is your go-to.”
The brunette’s voice cuts through my thoughts as I wipe down the bar top.
“I typically try not to steer my customers wrong,” I joke.
“Nice tattoos,” she coos.
I smirk as I briefly peer down at my inked forearm. “Thanks. I could do without some, but you live and you learn.”
“Not at all.”
My head jerks to see her leaning over her crossed arms, the neckline of her crop top angled purposefully. “You’re just saying that because my recommendation was good. If it wasn’t, you’d be judging them.”
She grins, shaking her head. “No, that’s not true.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name. I feel sort of rude not knowing a loyal customer’s name.”
“Kayla.”
“Cade.”
Her teeth ghost her bottom lip, but my attention diverts to the rag under my palm. “Is that a motorcycle scar?”
“Oh,” I pipe up, my eyes finding the battered tissue on my left forearm. “No.”
“Ah, I just assumed. I’m sorry,” she apologizes.
My head stays angled down as I shake my head. “No, it’s fine.”
Behind this scar, memories are dug up, each one revealing a treasure that resides in my soul.
Olivia strutting into my brewery that morning with a black cup of coffee, dressed to the nines to grab my attention.
Olivia demanding to sit with me when I was all by myself at The Grind.
Olivia driving me insane with those damn Post-it notes.
Olivia and I escaping from here to find a slice of solace under a spreading tree.
Olivia stripping down to a lingerie set in my office.
Olivia smearing my lips with ice cream. Olivia risking it all to share the truth with me, only for us to make passionate love in the midst of the rain and mud.
Olivia.
Olivia.
Olivia.
With Olivia, there is no threshold for living. The limit isn’t the sky, but instead, stretches above the clouds.
To the stars.
It’s impossible to describe how irrevocably in love with her I am. And as my gaze continues to bore into my scar, I see all the reasons I wear it. Just as much as Olivia has left a mark on the outside, she’s left a permanent one on the inside.
Olivia is my forever.
I return my eyes to Kayla, and even though I know why she’s sympathetic, it doesn’t make an ounce of sense to me.
What happened to me brought the most beautiful woman into my world, and for that, there’s not a single piece of torn skin I’d trade.
I’m already restored.
“Don’t be,” I confess. “I’m not.”
A stroke of warmth sweeps over the side of my body, my skin humming as I lift my head. My eyes carefully scan over the sea of bodies around the bar, only to land on the glass entrance.
She swings the door open, her black thigh-high boots kissing the finished concrete. Her soft curls fall over her shoulders, cascading down the long sleeves of her short white dress.
My breath tangles as my gaze drags over her, the flowy hemline of her garment pitching a tent in my stomach. Not because she looks undeniably gorgeous, but because she looks like her .
The woman I imagined when I first read her letter. When I received that feather.
An angel on earth.
Muffled conversations drown out. Movements of patrons and employees distort, blurring until my attention is channeled to one single person.
There they are.
Those stunning mint eyes glitter under the light fixtures.
We both stare through slightly parted lips, settling on each other’s faces. Making sure we haven’t changed. Making sure our love hasn’t faltered a beat.
Olivia’s lips curl up as she tucks her hair behind one ear, revealing the Black-Eyed Susan I left for her. Somehow, I know this is her way of telling me she’s stronger than she was yesterday.
Something is different.
I hold up a finger, and she nods her head as she remains idled in place.
“I actually have to go, but thanks for stopping in again,” I tell Kayla before exiting the bar.
She smiles in assurance, her head following my path. “I’m sure we’ll be here more.”
I toss a small grin before walking the straight path to Olivia. This time, it’s so easy to get to her. No tangled roads or surprise turns.
Just a route and a destination.
“Hey,” she says softly.
God, I’ve missed that voice.
“Hey,” I answer, burying my hands in my jeans pockets. “I take it you went to go get coffee.”
She smirks. “And a cinnamon bun.”
I wag my head, eyes squinting teasingly. “No, we can’t forget that.”
She quietly chuckles, drinking me in for several seconds as I do the same. “Your menu’s changed,” she states.
Her amused expression settles my brief confusion, and I pivot my head in the direction of the bar. “The Liv’s been a fan favorite.” My throat rolls, eyes returning to her. “Can’t say I’m surprised at all.”
“No?” She cocks a brow as her chin angles up.
I shake my head, licking my lips before my voice is just above a whisper. “Someone would be crazy not to give it a chance.”
Her green irises flood with nirvana, those glossy, pink lips flexing into a smile. “Take me somewhere,” she says.
“Take me somewhere.”
I’m transported back to that night. The night she came into my brewery and I told her I had a girlfriend. But in true Olivia fashion, she asked me to take her somewhere anyway.
It was so innocent. Pure.
Real.
And I know exactly where she wants to go.
My mouth flicks up at the corner. “Let me get my coat.”