Chapter 3
Steam, Sass, and a Secret Baby
MILLIE
Harlow bursts out from the back room, dramatically fanning her face with her hand as though she’s just witnessed a fire.
“My oh my, babes, that man was HOT! I was waiting to dial Asher down at the fire department to put out a smoke show. It was that hot.”
I roll my eyes because I already know where this is headed. “That man was irritating, is what he was,” I respond flatly, my voice carrying a touch more sarcasm than I intended.
Sure, I’ll admit it—he was tall, dark, and undeniably handsome, but the way he carried himself with that gruff attitude made me want to pull my hair out.
And don’t even get me started on how he called me “Bumper” like I was some kind of joke.
But Harlow, being Harlow, sees things only through the rose-colored lens of her romance novel fantasies.
“Yeah, irritatingly tall, dark and handsome! So what if he’s a grouch? He has all the best qualities of the men in romance novels.” She says with a wink. I can practically see the heart-shaped bubbles forming in her eyes as she fantasizes about him.
I can feel a sigh bubbling up in my chest. “Fine, but we haven’t finished talking about this. I’m calling Melanie and setting up a girl’s night tonight.” Harlow declares, already heading towards the phone.
Ugh, girl’s night. As if I don’t already have enough on my mind. I know exactly what’s going to happen tonight—Harlow’s going to dissect every little detail of the encounter, turning it into some over-the-top love story, and Melanie will probably encourage her.
Great.
It’s not like I’m emotionally available for some random, grumpy guy anyway. I have my hands full with the café, my dreams, and, well, life.
I don’t need someone who seems like a ticking time bomb of brooding intensity, ready to explode.
“I’ll call you later, Mills. Get your mind right, because tonight’s all about the girl talk!” Harlow’s voice fades as she heads out the door, and I’m left standing in the quiet aftermath of our conversation.
I love my two best friends. I do. But sometimes I wonder if they’re too much.
Especially after my last disastrous relationship with Connor—the captain of the Delaware State University’s hockey team.
That had been a mess of epic proportions.
I spent a lot of time wondering what I missed, what I ignored, and how I let myself fall into something that ultimately crushed my confidence and sense of self.
The morning flies by as I work through the usual hustle and bustle of the café.
Customers trickle in, and I take the orders with a smile, my mind occasionally wandering back to the man from this morning.
It’s easy to think about him—about the look in his eyes, that strange mix of annoyance and…
something else. He’s been creeping into my thoughts more often than I’d like to admit, and I can’t shake it.
What was up with his attitude? What was the deal with that coffee? Was it about my writing my name on his cup, or was there something deeper I didn’t get?
When the café closes at noon, I grab my cleaning supplies and head to the back to wash the dishes.
Afterward, I retreat to my office to take care of some business.
I check on the deliveries, place an order for ingredients to be shipped in a few weeks, and then, on a whim, I decide to buy the industrial stand mixer I’ve been dreaming about to make the pastries.
It’s a little indulgent, but I deserve it.
I’m in the middle of confirming the order when suddenly, a loud bang echoes from the front of the store.
What the hell? The construction workers know to use the back entrance. Did they forget?
Curious, I walk to the front and stop dead in my tracks when I see none other than the man from this morning storming past me. He barely acknowledges me as he marches inside, as though he owns the place.
I freeze for a moment, my brain catching up. And he calls me “Bumper”?
“Excuse me?” I say, unlocking the door to let him know we are closed, but he just pushes right past me. I’m about to tell him to get out when he storms toward the counter, practically shoving a now-empty coffee cup in my face.
“What made you think putting your name on my cup was a good idea?” he demands, his voice low and seething.
I blink, surprised. This guy is seriously worked up about this?
“You kept calling me the wrong name, so I wrote it down so you wouldn’t forget,” I reply innocently, trying my best to maintain a calm demeanor. But honestly, I’m getting a little tired of this. Why is he so pissed off about something so trivial?
“Bumper,” he growls, “I know everything I need to know about you.”
If he thinks he knows me, then he’s got another thing coming. What gives him the right to barge in here and start yelling at me?
“You don’t know the first thing about me, Mister,” I snap back, my voice filled with venom.
His eyes narrow, and then he does something that completely catches me off guard. He talks—like in a normal talking voice. I can hear the anger shift into frustration, maybe even a little exhaustion.
“No, but that coffee was for my Ma. I got her coffee because she is staying at my house helping take care of my infant daughter while I work the midnight shift,” he explains, his tone softer now, though still clearly annoyed.
Wait—he has a baby? What else is this man hiding? Surely, the brooding exterior had me thinking he was just a typical bad boy with commitment issues, but a baby? That changes things.
Doesn’t it?
Before I can think too much about it, the door opens, and Josh Jacobs strolls in all smiles.
“Gab! Are you checking out Mil’s new cafe? She’s been dreaming about this since we were in high school,” Josh says, oblivious to the tension in the air.
Leave it to Josh to blurt out my life story to a random stranger.
“No, Gabby was just leaving,” I mutter, cutting him off. My patience is thinning, and I can feel the heat rising in my face.
Josh, ever the joker, snaps his attention to the man behind me. “It’s Gabriel, NOT Gabby,” he corrects, sounding genuinely amused.
Great. Now I have two men to deal with.
I turn to Josh, trying to change the subject before things get even more awkward.
“Hey J, how is the search for a new partner going? Have you found someone to take Sam’s place?”
Behind me, I hear Gabriel snicker, and I don’t even want to look at him right now.
Josh grins, glancing between Gabriel and me, clearly enjoying the discomfort in the air. “Yeah, they got a transfer from New York,” he says casually.
I beam at the news. “That’s great! Who is it?”
Josh lets out a dramatic sigh as if he’s about to drop a bomb. “It’s Gabby,” he says, giving me a wink.
I stand there, frozen for a beat before my brain catches up.
“Wait, what?” I blurt out, my voice rising in shock.
Later that night, as I walk into Harlow’s house, I’m already bracing myself for the onslaught of girl talk that is sure to follow. As soon as I step inside, I announce dramatically, “Honey, I’m home!”
Harlow and Mel tumble out of Harlow’s room, giggling, clearly mid-conversation about something ridiculous. Mel’s the first to run up to me, pulling me into a hug.
“Hey, girly pop! I need the truth about this morning. I know Har is blowing it out of proportion.”
Harlow scoffs from behind us, clearly having her own version of this morning’s events in her mind.
“Where to begin?” I sigh, collapsing onto the couch.
“Gabriel-”
“Excuse me? When did you learn his name?” Harlow interrupts, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“I’m getting there, be patient!” I giggle, shaking my head at my best friend’s enthusiasm.
I tell them about the awkward encounter this morning, the coffee cup, and how he stormed back after closing to yell at me.
“Why would that bother him?” Harlow asks, trying to process it all.
“Well, apparently his mom is staying with him while she takes care of his infant daughter,“ I explain, feeling a little surprised by how much I’ve opened up to them about this strange encounter.
“Wait—he has a daughter!” Harlow nearly yells. She’s practically bouncing in her seat now.
“Yeah. Or so he says,” I add, unsure of what to make of it all.
Melanie, who hadn’t been there this morning, is taking it all in with wide eyes. “He’s got everything going for him. He’s sexy, grumpy, and a dad. WAIT! Does this kid have a mom? That may cause some trouble for you, but I’m sure you’ll handle her just fine.”
I stare at her, blinking, trying to process what she’s saying. What?
“Why would the baby’s mom have anything to do with me, and why would she cause me trouble?” I ask, confused.
“Well, obviously she would cause you trouble because you would be dating her baby daddy,” Harlow states matter-of-factly.
I just stare at her for a second, trying to wrap my head around the idea. And then I snap back to reality.
No way.
I shift the conversation to something lighter. “Okay, Har may know what this guy looks like. But Mills, tell me—what do you see when you look at him?” she says, changing the subject.
I hadn’t thought about him in that way, but now that they’ve put the idea in my head, I guess I noticed a few things.
“Well, he’s tall for starters. He has long black hair, silky, and these eyes that are dark brown with flecks of gold, like when you stir cream into coffee.
His arms are enormous, and I thought I saw a tattoo peeking out from his sleeve.
In his uniform, he looks like a snack, but when he’s just…
relaxed? Casual? He’s a five-course meal. ”
Harlow and Melanie stare at me, wide-eyed.
I shift uncomfortably in my seat, realizing how much I just revealed.
“Oh girl, you are down bad for this man,” Melanie says with a knowing grin.
And just like that, I feel the heat rise to my cheeks. Maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m too curious about Gabriel.
Harlow clasps her hands together, her grin growing wickedly wide.
“Honestly, babes, this is the exact Hallmark vibes I was talking about. The mysterious stranger with a secret past, the surprise baby, the grumpy exterior hiding a soft heart It’s all a classic recipe for a small town love story!
I’m telling you, Mills, this is exactly the drama that makes people binge-watch holiday movies and swoon over every cliché. ”
I roll my eyes again, but a smile tugs at the corner of my mouth.