Chapter 5 Cole
Our first stop, as promised, was Bubble Bubble, Hwan’s bubble tea shop, and Enzo’s part-time gig.
The exuberant owner with the colorful hair was a staple of this town by this point, akin to a landmark or a tourist attraction. I guessed it was a Mayberry Holm thing; having store owners with too much personality like Lilian and Hwan.
“Well, hello there! Welcome, welcome. Long time no see,” Hwan said, extending both arms and aiming for both Ella, who was hooked around my neck, and me.
His hair was parted in the middle and sparkled. One side was pine green while the other was a fiery red. I hugged him back and passed Ella to him, who wasted no time to touch his hair and try to play with it.
“To what do we owe this pleasure, boss?” Hwan asked.
I groaned.
“Hwan, it’s been at least a year since you stopped working at the Grill. When will you stop calling me boss?”
Hwan stared at me. Just when I thought he’d been offended, he smirked, and in a low purr, said, “Okay, boss. I will stop, boss.”
I rolled my eyes and looked at Hwan’s boyfriend, who was standing behind the counter, chatting with Enzo.
“And what would you like?” Parker asked me.
“Not tea, that’s for sure,” I said.
Parker raised an eyebrow, and Hwan huffed.
“You do know you’re in a bubble tea shop, right?” Parker said.
I almost retorted back, but as soon as I opened my mouth, I remembered this was supposed to be my taking-it-easy day, and I think that included not snapping back at people.
“Fine, I’ll have whatever is good,” I said.
“Everything we sell is good,” Hwan pointed out and walked behind the counter with Ella, passing her to Parker. “Isn’t she adorable? Just think it won’t be long now before we get our own little rugrat.”
I narrowed my eyes and processed what he’d said. I was about to ask them what they were talking about when I noticed the black and pink ring on Hwan’s finger and gasped.
“Is that what I think it is?”
I looked from one to the other, and even Parker smiled. It wasn’t a regular occurrence, which was why he felt like a kindred spirit.
“It sure is. He proposed!” Hwan said and extended his hand to show me the ring.
“What? When?”
Enzo glared at me.
“Remember the Halloween party you couldn’t attend because you were too busy working?”
I grimaced.
“That was, like, a month ago. Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Had it really been over a month since I’d seen these guys? I could have sworn I’d been into town last week.
Fuck. It was so easy to lose track of the days when I spent every hour working or sleeping.
I sighed. “I’m so sorry, guys. I didn’t realize,” I said. “Congratulations.”
Hwan smiled.
“And what is this about a kid I’m hearing?”
“Oh.” Hwan jumped. “Did you not know about that either? We’re going to be foster parents. We’re meeting our first foster kid tomorrow.”
“What? That’s amazing, guys. Congratulations. You’ll be fantastic parents,” I said, and both of them radiated so much joy, it was catching. I couldn’t help but smile either.
It was amazing seeing everyone around me moving on with their lives.
It was nice to see that not everyone was stuck in a loop like me.
It wasn’t as if I liked it either, but… I didn’t know how to get out of it.
Maybe slowing down on work like Enzo and my parents had suggested was the first step.
Maybe it was what I needed to finally feel something other than the pathetic sadness and loneliness that loved to creep up and keep me company whenever I wasn’t doing something. Whenever I stood still.
“Wild about Hwan and Parker, huh?” Enzo commented when we came back out and walked aimlessly along the waterfront, sipping on our bubble teas as Ella people-watched from her stroller.
“It is. But if anyone can handle it, it’s those two.”
“Oh, definitely,” Enzo agreed. “Should we stop by Mom’s for a bite?”
I shrugged and followed him away from the boardwalk, toward the busy Main Street.
It looked even more vibrant and decorated than it had only a day or two ago if that was even possible.
Christmas trees lined up along either side of the road, wrapped in off-white fairy lights that made everything look a hundred times more magical.
It was easy to forget the beauty of Mayberry, but times like these, the charm of my home island was unmissable. Even for a guy who could barely see past his nose.
We sat at Lilian’s café for half an hour and indulged in some Black Forest Friendship, which sounded a lot like something she’d made up on the spot rather than a real magical cake, but it tasted good so I didn’t care much about its “magical properties.” Simply being with my friend was enough to strengthen our friendship. I didn’t need any supernatural aids.
When we were done, I spent a few minutes wiping Ella’s face and hands as she’d decided to wear the chocolate off her plate as opposed to eating it. Once she was somewhat presentable, I put her back on her stroller and we walked out, with Lilian in tow.
“It’s so nice to see you boys hanging out! Like the good old days,” she said, glancing back and forth from me to Enzo.
There was a pang in my chest that felt a lot like guilt.
If I’d really been such a terrible friend everyone but me had noticed, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of a father I’d been to Ella all this time.
I had to fix it. I had to do something. Mom was right.
I needed to spend time with her before she grew up and resented me for being absent—not out of need but out of choice.
“It’s nice to be out and about for a change,” I admitted, only for Lilian to squeeze my cheek and slap me gently.
“Wonderful. Here. Have a little palate cleanser.” She pulled three wrapped candy canes from her apron and passed them around, but while Enzo and Ella dug right in, I just stared at the treat.
“Is this another spell? Because I’m all spelled out today.”
“No,” Lilian said, blowing raspberries. I raised an eyebrow. “Just some candy cane clarity, honey. Nothing fancy. The peppermint does half the job for me.”
I groaned and accepted defeat, only because I knew anything this woman made tasted delicious, and I did want something cool after all the rich Black Forest we’d had. What harm could it do, after all? Today was all about clarity anyway. Clarity I hadn’t had in years.
“Okay. Where to next?” Enzo asked after Lilian went back inside her busy café, and I looked around.
“The toy store, maybe?” I said, pointing a little down the road.
Enzo grimaced.
“You see the line, right? Those people are waiting to go inside because it’s packed inside.”
I bit my lip and kept looking around for the best place to get something for Ella.
“How about a bookstore? Maybe they’ll have some picture books.”
Enzo smiled.
“Now you’re talking. Books and Claws, it is.”
I’d heard of the place, not that I ever had been. It had been around for a year—or was it two?—but naturally, I’d barely set foot in there or any of the other cozy places that had sprung up lately.
We headed down the road, and before I’d even noticed them, Ella sat up in her stroller to point at the cats in the store window.
One was curled up in a perfect circle on a fantasy book about dragons, and another was sprawled all over the YA display.
A third one sat on the highest spot, next to a Hudson Bell romance, and watched that characteristic look of feline indignation, but it only made it look cuter.
“Kitty,” Ella said and looked at me.
I turned the stroller so she was fully facing the window display and crouched down next to her.
“That’s right, Ella. That’s a kitty. And that’s a kitty too.”
“They so cute!” she said, squinting her entire face, looking even more adorable.
“They are, sweetie. Come on. Let’s go meet them.”
Enzo led the way and held the door open for us as we escaped into the warm, cozy bookstore. I was at once inundated by the smell of vanilla, cinnamon, and… book pages.
“W-welcome,” someone stammered from behind the check-out counter, and I turned to look at a stunning specimen of a man.
He was tall, dark, and handsome, with shiny, curly hair and a glorious salt and pepper beard that begged to be caressed, to be nuzzled against. But even though he was unbelievably sexy, it was his smile that was his best feature. Big, wide, and kind. A smile that made me feel right at home.
“H-hi,” I stammered too.
“How…” The man started to speak and stopped as if he ran out of breath. He turned to Enzo, and that alone felt like a crime against me. “How can I help today?”
“Hi, Samir,” Enzo greeted him, and I swallowed a frog in my throat as I tried to breathe but found it nearly impossible. “I’m still working on that book I got last time.”
“Still? Hasn’t it been two months?” Samir put his hands to his hips and raised an eyebrow at Enzo.
“I know. I know. I’m a slow reader. I’m really enjoying it though.”
So was I. Enjoying the view, that was.
“Cole wanted to stop by though. I think… it’s his first time.”
“No, it’s not.” I shook my head a little too fast, and when I realized what I said, I let out a puff of air. “Erm, I mean, yeah. First time. Yes, it is.”
I managed to somehow pry my eyes away from sexy Samir and turned to Enzo, who was staring at me with an amused grin on his face.
“This is my best friend,” he said, still looking at me, “and brother-in-law, Cole. Cole is a workaholic.”
That snapped me out of it.
“I’m not,” I said, then I remembered today was the first time I’d had more than a couple of hours of being human, doing human things. I pursed my lips. “Okay, yes, I am.”
“Aren’t we all.” Samir chuckled, and the sound gave me goosebumps on the back of my neck and the small of my back. “And who is that little cuteness?” he cooed at Ella and came out from the counter to crouch down and greet my daughter, yet all I could think was how good he looked down on his knees.
Somebody save me.
“That’s my goddaughter, Ella,” Enzo said, and as Samir played with her, Enzo leaned in closer and whispered in my ear.
“Well, well. Like what you see?”
I side-eyed my friend.
“No.” I grimaced.
“Is that why you’re drooling?”
I reached up at my mouth to check. It was dry, but Enzo still chuckled.
“Whatever. Shut up.”
Enzo bunched up his shoulders and smirked. “I didn’t say anything.”
I rolled my eyes and tried to look at anything else than the gorgeous man at my feet.
“Do you have books for toddlers?” I asked before I did something stupid, like actually dribble on the man. I immediately regretted it, because he stood up, mere inches away and towered over me, making me shudder.
His cologne, a musky strong scent with sweet undertones, flooded my sense of smell, and I lost the ability to speak again. Good thing I didn’t need to. The last thing I needed was to embarrass myself further.
I think those clarity candy canes worked a little too well.
Because I was wide awake. A little too awake judging from the stiffness getting even stiffer in my pants.
“Sure thing. Follow me,” Samir said, and oh the dirty thoughts that crossed my mind were far too naughty to ever be spoken out loud.