CHAPTER 11
Ethan
I push open the door to Sugar & Spice, the bell above it giving a soft jingle that somehow sounds like Christmas morning.
The scent hits me first, freshly ground coffee beans, vanilla, and something warm and sweet, brownies cooling on the counter.
My brothers trail in behind me like a damn parade: Cas, Dex, and Jude.
I told them I wanted coffee in town. Didn’t invite them. They came anyway.
And then I see her.
Summer.
She’s by the window, serving an older couple who look like they’ve been married forever.
Her long black hair is half-tied up with a red ribbon, a few strands falling loose around her face.
The soft blue blouse she’s wearing hugs her curves, and that black apron sits perfectly against her hips.
My pulse jumps. Every cell in my body comes alive at the sight of her, like I’d been running on low battery for weeks and she’s the charge I didn’t know I needed.
My hands itch to hold her. My mouth waters just looking at her lips.
“Damn,” Dex whistles, dragging out the word like he’s savoring it. “Another Hawthorne’s got it baaaad.”
I kick him under the table as we sit. I make sure to choose the seat that gives me a clear view of the counter, of her. Cas laughs, Jude smirks, and Dex just leans back with that smug grin of his.
“Fuckers didn’t have anything else to do this morning?” I glare.
They only laugh harder.
Summer turns then, a coffee pot in her hands, the smile she gave that old couple still lighting up her face.
I swear that smile could thaw winter itself.
I’ve seen it a hundred times, but it still knocks the breath out of me.
That one dimple in her cheek makes an appearance, the one she probably doesn’t even know she has.
But when her eyes meet mine, the smile falters, just a flicker, and she replaces it with a polite, guarded one.
I know I took a step towards her yesterday, pushed her, she opened up and for a little while she let me see behind the walls she has around her heart.
But now it looks like she pulled those walls back up thicker and higher than before.
Most people would think she’s cold. Standoffish. Maybe even uninterested.
But I grew up watching Dad and Jude work with the horses no one else wanted, the wounded ones, the ones people labeled as “too difficult” or “too far gone.” Animals who didn’t know the difference between a gentle hand and a cruel one anymore.
They’d let you close one day, then shy away the next, not because they were stubborn, but because hurt rewired them.
Because trusting themselves felt dangerous.
Summer reminds me of that part, not the horse, but the fear. The flinch that comes from being taught love isn’t safe. The instinct to retreat the moment something feels good, because good never lasted where she came from.
She’s not pushing me away out of anger. She’s bracing. Protecting herself.
And that’s okay.
She needs patience. Consistency. Someone who’ll stay even when she retreats.
And I’m here. I’ll always be here.
“She doesn’t look happy to see you, bro,” Cas mutters under his breath.
Summer squares her shoulders, lets out a small sigh, and makes her way over to our table.
Now that she’s closer, I notice her sweater, soft knit, v-neck, the kind that looks warm and delicate at the same time.
My gaze betrays me and dips for a second, tracing the gentle line of her collarbone before I drag it back up to her face.
She keeps her eyes glued to my brothers like I’m invisible.
“Morning, guys,” she says. Her voice is warm, but there’s tension underneath, subtle, but I hear it. Feel it. “What can I get you?”
My brothers exchange looks, smirks forming one by one like a pack of wolves scenting weakness.
Dex leans forward on his elbows. “You look good today, Summer. That color makes your eyes pop.”
Her cheeks flush instantly, and I’ve never wanted to strangle someone who shares my DNA more than I do right this second.
“Cut it out, Casanova.” I kick Dex under the table again, harder this time.
He just laughs.
Cas, bless him, steps in. “Penny’s stopping by in a while,” he says casually. “I think she wanted to talk to you, Sum.”
I exhale, grateful that at least one of them has functioning brain cells.
Jude barely glances up from the menu. “Eggs on toast and a black coffee.”
Cas grins. “I’ll take a couple of those cranberry scones in the display case, and that caramel latte Penny got last time.”
Dex snorts. “You ordering chick drinks already?”
Cas shrugs. “Don’t judge. That thing tastes like heaven.”
Dex shakes his head, grinning. “Pancakes with maple syrup and a black coffee for me, darlin’.” He flashes Summer a wink.
I swear to God I’m two seconds away from putting him through the pastry case.
I clear my throat. “What’s today’s specialty?”
Finally, finally, her eyes slide to mine. Blue meeting brown. And for a moment, the air between us goes still. I hear the faint hitch in her breath before she starts listing the options.
“Uh, today we’ve got gingerbread muffins with vanilla glaze, cranberry-orange loaf, and our peppermint chocolate scones.”
Her voice wobbles just slightly, and I bite back a grin.
“You know what?” I say, not looking away. “Surprise me.”
She blinks. “To drink?”
Her voice goes a little squeaky. I have to force my mouth not to curve into a full smile.
“What’s your favorite?”
Her brows knit together. “My favorite?”
“Yeah.” I lean back, pretending like my pulse isn’t doing the damn rodeo. “Your favorite hot drink.”
She hesitates, and for a second, an honest, unguarded second, she holds my gaze again. There’s a spark there, whether she admits it or not.
“Oh. Um…probably the Sugar & Spice Latte. It’s got espresso, cinnamon, nutmeg, a little caramel.”
“Perfect,” I say quietly. “Bring me one of those.”
She nods too quickly, scribbles the order on her pad, then turns and retreats like her life depends on the distance between us. The red ribbon in her hair bounces as she walks away, and I can’t pull my eyes from it.
Dex chuckles low. “You’re screwed, man.”
Cas smirks. “He’s not even trying to hide it anymore.”
Jude mutters, “About time,” before sipping his water like this is all old news to him.
I ignore them. Every last one.
I don’t care if it takes a month, a year, or a damn lifetime, I’ll do whatever it takes to earn her trust. And when she finally lets me in, I’ll make damn sure she never feels the need to hide behind walls again.