Chapter 5
Chapter Five
F aye blinked until the sleep cleared from her eyes. Sunlight was streaming into the room, and she lay there enjoying the sound of birdsong just outside the open window. A cool breeze drifted in, carrying with it the scent of salt, pine, and something faintly floral.
She stretched beneath the soft comforter, then sat up slowly, letting herself linger in the quiet. There was something magical about mornings here—something she hadn’t realized that she was missing until she’d come to Pride.
Slipping into jeans, a hoodie, and her worn hiking boots, she headed downstairs, grabbed a cup of coffee, and stepped outside.
Mist clung to the trees in the distance, and the trails that wove through the property called to her.
She didn’t hesitate.
The woods were lush with tall firs and tangled underbrush, and the soft crunch of twigs underfoot was soothing as she made her way down the pathway.
She wandered for nearly half an hour, letting her thoughts drift with the filtered light.
A squirrel darted across the trail. Somewhere high above, a hawk called.
The stillness steadied her.
Eventually, her stomach gave a low growl, and she made her way back to the house, brushing the dew off her sleeves as she walked.
She made herself a simple breakfast—eggs and toast with local jam—then stood at the kitchen sink sipping the last of her coffee, watching the clouds slowly float over the water.
She could’ve stayed there all day, but something inside tugged at her. The need for a little movement. A little community.
She hadn’t been into town much since arriving. And it had been days since she’d seen Nate—aside from that quick jog on the beach the morning before.
She wasn’t ready to admit that she missed talking to him. Not even to herself.
But she did think that a few hours surrounded by books and the smell of coffee sounded…nice.
And if Nate happened to be there? Even better.
She grabbed her bag and locked the front door behind her.
It was time to get out of her own head and around the townspeople that she had chosen to live among. She wondered if there had been rumors circling around about her moving there.
She’d kept to herself when she’d made a run into the store or had stopped in town to get gas. If she was really going to make Pride her home, she had to get out of her comfort zone.
And maybe, just maybe, she could let someone in.
The little brass bell over the Brew-Ha-Ha’s door jingled softly as she stepped inside. Warmth wrapped around her instantly—the scent of espresso, old books, and something cinnamon-dusted that made her stomach rumble despite her recent breakfast.
Inside, the shop was cozy and very inviting, with a mixture of charm and warmth.
Sunlight filtered through the front windows and pooled across the wide-planked floors.
A teenager with pink-tinted hair and a name tag that read Clover stood behind the counter, wiping it down with practiced indifference.
Faye stepped up to the register.
“Hi. Can I get an iced tea?” she asked, offering a tentative smile.
Clover gave a nod and punched the order into the tablet. “Black, green, or herbal?”
“Green, please. Light ice.”
“Got it.”
While Clover worked the machine, Faye turned to take in the rest of the shop.
The Brew-Ha-Ha was a coffee shop, a wine bar, and a bookstore all in one.
It was a place where the community could hang out, a comfort zone wrapped in warm lighting and mismatched shelves.
Wooden bookcases stretched along the side walls, crammed with everything from battered paperbacks to new-release hardcovers.
In the back, near the center of the shop, stood a circular stone hearth with a fireplace.
It was surrounded by four well-worn leather chairs arranged in a loose circle.
A colorful rug sat beneath them, softening the hardwood and giving the area a living-room feel.
There were small touches everywhere. Framed funny quotes about books and coffee hung on every wall. Behind the counter, a chalkboard hung overhead with the day’s specials written in loopy handwriting. There were even string lights stretching overhead, lighting the room with a soft warm glow.
Faye picked up her tea when Clover called it out, then she wandered slowly past the fiction shelves. Her fingertips drifted over spines as she walked, but her gaze kept tugging toward the windows.
Nate wasn’t here. Maybe he was on his break? That meant he was probably up at her place right now with the horses.
She purchased a newer book that she’d wanted to read and then sat down in a booth by the window that overlooked the main street of town.
And that was when she saw him.
He was crossing the street with an easy stride that ate up a lot of ground.
He looked so comfortable with himself and within the town, like he fit perfectly where he was.
He wore a dark gray T-shirt that hugged his shoulders, and his usual worn and damn-sexy jeans.
His head was tilted slightly, like he was lost in thought.
The moment he stepped through the doors, he looked up and his eyes locked with hers.
In that moment, her heart did a strange, fluttering skip.
He smiled—not the big or showy kind, just a real genuine smile, as if he was glad she was there. And in that second, everything inside her chest felt soft and entirely too exposed.
She turned the page on her book but her hand trembled just a little.
When he looked at her, she felt weak all over. Then he moved toward her and everything shut off—her brain, her breathing, even her heart seemed to pause for too long.
“Hey,” he said, standing next to the booth.
“Hey.” She smiled.
“Checking the place out before you commit?” he joked.
“It seemed like a good idea.” She chuckled and motioned to the booth. “Got time to sit?”
He glanced over his shoulder and waved toward Clover before sitting down across from her.
“I’ve been wanting to read this one.” He tapped her book. “Any good?”
“I haven’t started yet, but I’ll let you know.” She set the book aside.
Nate leaned back against the booth, stretching one arm along the back of the seat like he had all the time in the world.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. It wasn’t awkward. Just… easy.
“So,” she started, “how long have you been running this place?”
He followed her gaze around the Brew-Ha-Ha.
“Little over a year and a half now. My folks asked me to take it over when they decided to semi-retire. They said they wanted to travel more and slow down. So far, they’ve taken more than half a dozen trips or cruises.
They’re leaving to take a cruise in Europe next week.
They’re meeting up with Juliette and Max in Italy for a few nights.
” He gave a short laugh. “They really haven’t slowed down at all.
If anything, they’re doing more now than when they ran this place and when we were kids. ”
She smiled. “They’re enjoying themselves.”
“At first, I figured it’d be temporary, working here,” he went on, looking toward the fireplace in the back like he was seeing a different version of the shop. “But I ended up liking it more than I thought I would.”
“What were you doing before this?” she asked.
He smiled again, that boyish tilt to his grin doing things to her insides she didn’t have names for.
“I was going to college in Portland and working part-time at the bookstore on campus. I was taking business classes and had just started some law courses. I thought…” He shook his head lightly.
“I thought I wanted to be some high-powered attorney. I even wore a suit and tie every day.” He reached up and shifted the neck of his T-shirt.
“I took a few debate classes way too seriously.”
She blinked. “You? In a tie?”
“Hey,” he said, pretending to be offended. “I look pretty damn good in a tie.”
“I remember seeing you in one at the wedding,” she murmured. “You looked… uncomfortable,” she finished after a beat.
“I was.” He tilted his head. “The dress and shoes you were wearing looked a lot more comfortable.”
She laughed. “They weren’t. I had to strap myself into both. I could only eat a sliver of cake for fear the seams would burst.”
He was smiling at her. “Well, you wouldn’t have known it. You looked amazing.” He watched her for a moment longer before his expression softened.
“What changed?” she asked. “Why aren’t you still in school?”
“During the second year of college, I realized that I didn’t have the patience for law and for sitting indoors all day. And arguing all the time was taking a toll on me. It started to wear me down.”
“So you came home?” she asked, as if trying to fill in the pieces of a puzzle.
“That’s when my folks asked me to take over.
” He nodded slowly. “The Brew-Ha-Ha was always kind of the family heartbeat. My aunts started it long ago, then my parents bought them out and took over after they married. And now…” He motioned toward the counter where Clover was wiping down the pastry case. “I guess it’s all mine.”
“You sound like you’re still deciding if that’s a good thing,” she said, careful with her tone.
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he leaned forward, elbows on the table, his fingers folding into one another. “Some days, I love it. Others…” He paused. “I wonder what would’ve happened if I’d stuck it out in Portland.”
“And?”
“I probably would have ended up in a glass tower, ten floors up and completely miserable.” He winked at her.
She smiled softly. “So this is better.”
“Yeah.” The heat in his gaze was steady. “Especially lately.”
Her heart gave another one of those little traitorous skips. He obviously noticed. She saw it in the way his mouth curved just a little. He was purposely baiting her, making her body respond to him.
She broke the moment by picking up her glass and taking a long sip of her tea.
“I guess we have something in common,” she said, eyes on the condensation sliding down the glass. “We’re both still figuring out what comes next.”
He nodded, then stood slowly. “Well, we’ll figure it out while serving caffeine and pastries. Sound fair?”
“Fair. Thanks for sitting with me. I know you have to get back to work,” she said when a group of women with kids came through the door.
“Thanks for being here,” he said, and there was something in his voice that made her feel seen—like he wasn’t just talking about the coffee shop.
She watched him walk behind the counter, calling something out to Clover as he passed.
And Faye realized that her time in Pride looked a lot more promising than she had been expecting.
Later that night, as Faye lay in bed staring up at the shifting shadows on the ceiling, she reflected on the conversation. She’d spent the afternoon at the Brew-Ha-Ha, watching him work—and it had hit her just how much of a flirt he was to all women.
At first, it had made her stomach twist.
But the longer she watched, the more she realized it was just part of who he was.
Nate charmed everyone. She doubted it meant anything to him.
It was like an act. But every time their eyes met across the room, she could see the difference in the way he treated her.
Something in her chest knew that he felt differently about her.
No matter how many times she tried to convince herself not to read anything into his flirting with her, her hopes couldn’t help but rise.