Chapter 4
4
I ’m not sure what won my heart first, that adorable mug wall next to the counter or the hand drawn artsy menu board, but the creamy goodness of the café au lait sealed the deal . ~ Customer 4 Life
T wo days later, he still basked in the glow of Ginger’s compliment.
You’re kind of a hero tonight .
Her words had played in his head like the sweetest melody all weekend long. He’d gone to bed early that night after the storm just so he could fall asleep with her voice still fresh in his memory.
Too bad I’m not her hero twenty-four seven .
He shook his head at the thought.
Get real, you sap . There’s never been the slightest hint that she was interested. Maybe an occasional stare when he glanced her way, but he attributed that to keeping an eye on his dogs who loved an attentive audience. Sometimes they got a little enthusiastic.
Cal headed down the sidewalk toward Coffee Loft’s patio for his midday break. Wispy cotton clouds drifted across an autumn sky of robin’s-egg blue, a stark contrast from the other night. Sticks and leaves still littered the sidewalk, but most of the debris had already been cleared by Greenhaven’s city workers. He’d heard that a microburst had caused much of the damage in the downtown area, not an actual tornado. He counted Greenhaven as lucky since some of the surrounding towns had experienced more severe weather.
He claimed his usual table in the far corner of the patio so he could watch people coming and going along the sidewalk. His newest foster, Lola, looked up as if wondering why they’d stopped walking. He scooped her up and settled her in his lap. Inside, Ginger’s faint outline bustled into the lobby to serve drinks. His pulse stuttered with the tiniest glimpse of her.
Ever since the day almost two years ago that he’d stopped at Coffee Loft’s walk-up window on his way home from the park, his visits had become as regular as the chiming in St. Anne’s bell tower down the block. The quirky vibe, the hometown friendliness, and the oversized patio, shaded underneath two overarching redbud trees, called his name.
And Ginger had caught his attention instantly when she delivered his drink to the table on that first day. The Lab mix he’d fostered at the time thought Ginger was stopping by to say hello. He’d come out from under the table where he’d parked himself, hitting the underside of the table with his immense head, and upended the hot drink across the surface and onto the front of Cal’s shirt and pants. It was hard to say who’d been more horrified, Ginger or him. He’d scored a profuse apology and a twenty-dollar gift card, but that was kibble compared to the heady mix of sharp-witted banter that followed. She was graciously apologetic, even though the fault lay squarely on him for bringing the dog.
His first impression came by way of her perfume, a scent he could only describe as Instant-Crush-in-a-Bottle. Her dark-haired beauty entranced him, but what he admired most was her commanding presence. Coffee Loft hummed along day and night like a bustling, stream-lined machine, thanks to her. As a business owner himself, he knew the dedication and drive it took to keep things running. She was always there, working the counter, cleaning tables, and greeting customers like they were family, with a ready smile and engaging chatter.
Despite the promise of their first encounter, coffee-soaked clothes aside, it’d become clear that Ginger wasn’t interested in anything more than a hey-how-are-you-thanks-for-coming-in-have-a-nice-day kind of relationship. She was all business. And that made her all the more appealing. Call it a sweet challenge, or part of his business acumen of troubleshooting software problems, but her disinterest spurred him on. He was a likable guy, he’d been told. How could she resist?
But despite wishing for more, he lay low. The possibility of jeopardizing their coffee-fueled relationship stopped him from making a move. That, and plain ol’ nerves. He could chat up a storm in casual settings, but anything romance-wise, he wasn’t so smooth.
Lola settled at his feet when he set her down again to answer an e-mail on his phone. He’d almost finished replying when a pair of strappy black sandals appeared near his feet. Toes painted amber, with a heart outlined in tiny clear gemstones on each big toenail, made him smile. He looked up.
“Ridley has shrunk,” said Ginger, glancing down at the corgi-bassett mix.
Cal laughed. “Ridley’s taking it easy on his dog bed at home. I’m acclimating Lola to my favorite hangout.”
“You have two fosters now?”
“I’ve had as many as five at a time. I wouldn’t repeat that again unless someone was desperate.”
“Aren’t they all desperate?”
Cal glanced at her, trying to gauge if she was sincere, but she gazed back at him with a neutral expression. Her green eyes shone brighter in the afternoon light. If only there was a polite way to stare.
“Yes, you’re right. But Lola was found cowering behind a dumpster during a thunderstorm. That counts as an emergency.”
“Oh, that poor little thing.”
Ginger pressed a hand to her heart and gazed at Lola with knitted brows. She didn’t reach down to pet her, even as Lola took a tentative step forward to sniff her shoe. But Ginger appeared to be thinking heavy thoughts, judging by her fixed look.
“If you’re looking for a new furry friend, Lola’s a gem. She’s the perfect lady except for a bizarre aversion to squeaky toys.” He wouldn’t mention that Lola cowered at the sound, piddling wherever she stood without discretion. “And her adoption fee is only one hundred seventy-five.”
That snapped Ginger back to the present. “Oh, gosh no. I don’t have time for a dog.”
“And…there’s the cat thing, right?”
“Yes, that.” Ginger’s shoulders settled as she looked at him. “What can I get you today?”
His usual was a café au lait. He was a creature of habit who rarely wavered, but Ginger asked anyway. It offered the right amount of kick without the bitterness of straight coffee or the sweetness of the sugary drinks. But for some reason, change was on the menu today.
“Iced vanilla latte today, half sweet, please.”
“Feeling adventurous, I see.” Ginger’s smile told him she liked this idea.
“It’s a nod to Lola. We found out she was pregnant when we brought her into the shelter. She had three pups who have already been adopted. They were the Coffee Crew. She’s Lola Latte. Her pups were Mocha, Brew, and Frappe.”
“That’s adorable.” Again, she paused and looked down at Lola like something else was on her mind. Did she need him for something and was afraid to ask? He’d made it clear he was happy to help. Maybe he should remind her the offer still stood.
“I’ll get that latte for you right away.” Ginger disappeared back inside before he could speak up. Another missed opportunity. Story of his life.
While he waited, he let Lola wander to the end of her leash. The dog zigzagged on a scent trail, ending at a chair occupied by a woman reading a book with her back to Cal. Lola sat and looked up expectantly at the woman as if she held a treat.
“Well, hello there,” the woman said as she glanced down, reaching to scratch Lola’s neck.
Lola responded by putting two front paws on the woman’s chair. Her hind end wiggled.
Cal got up to get Lola away from the woman. The dog was still getting used to her leash, so Cal hesitated to tug on it at all. He scooped her up in one arm.
“Sorry to bother you,” he said.
The woman closed her book and turned to look up at him. “No bother at all. What a sweetie.”
“This is Lola.”
Lola squirmed so much to get close to the woman that Cal had to set her down again lest she fall out of his arms. Lola promptly scurried up to rest her paws on the woman’s lap again.
“She’s a little short on manners, but we’re working on them.” He tried to gently pull Lola away, but the woman protested.
“Really, it’s okay. I love dogs.” She tucked her hair behind one ear and smiled.
“I never know how much is too much. Not everyone likes dogs.” Cal tried to ignore the fact that the woman’s gaze hadn’t left his face since he apologized. “But she’s on a mission to make friends wherever she goes.”
“How old is she?” The woman finally broke her gaze to ruffle Lola’s back.
“We think she’s around three years old.”
“We?” She looked boldly at his left hand as he stood there with his thumb hooked into his front pocket.
“The staff at Hearts Fur Love Rescue. Lola is my foster dog.”
She got all melty like women usually did when he told them he volunteered at a rescue.
“That’s ah-mazing! Bless you for doing that!” Her voice rose an octave with overdone enthusiasm. She was definitely flirting with him.
Ginger cleared her throat at the same time he heard the ice cubes in his drink rattle behind him. He turned and caught her frown before Ginger turned it right side up when she looked at him.
“Here you go. Enjoy,” she said.
“Thank you.” He led Lola away from her new best friend to follow Ginger. Now was the time to ask before she got away again.
“Hey, Ginger?”
She’d hurried across the patio so quickly he’d almost missed his chance. With her hand on the door handle, she stopped. “Yes?”
He nodded to the doors. “They look good. You got them replaced quicker than I thought you would.”
“The window company guys came this morning.” Ginger let go of the door. Her fingers wandered to the chain around her neck where she toyed with the silver ‘G.’ “I was a bit surprised myself since there were so many boarded up doors and windows downtown.”
“So…do you need me to do anything else?” He rubbed his ch in, a nervous habit. She’d always made him a little self-conscious. Something about her eyes, freezing him in place when she looked his way. He was helpless when she did that.
His question seemed to soften her a bit. Her gaze flickered over him, resting on Lola at his feet. The little dog wiggled when she noticed she had an audience again. This was perfect. Lola had turned into a regular social butterfly right before his eyes this last hour. A socialized dog was an adoptable dog.
“I don’t think so.”
“Okay, well, if you change your mind.”
Ginger knelt down and held out her hand to Lola. The dog licked Ginger’s fingers, which brought a smile.
“Actually, there might be something. But I have to get back inside since Jace called in today. I’ll reach out soon, okay?”
“You bet.” Keep it casual, keep it cool.
Ginger’s fingers fell away from her necklace as she stood. “Perfect. I’ll be in touch.”
As she left him standing on the patio, he stood transfixed by the way her ponytail danced across her back when she opened the door. Faint notes of her perfume carried toward him on the breeze. Vanilla and…something floral ?
He rubbed his jaw. The condensation from the iced drink dampened his skin. The iced vanilla drink.
Idiot .
Lola nudged his leg as if to confirm that sentiment.
“Don’t even tell me that I’m mistaking the patchouli oil I massaged into you earlier for a ladies’ perfume,” he whispered .
Lola’s ears perked, and she whined.
Across the patio, the woman who’d flirted with him earlier wore a hopeful expression. He took that as a sign that he should leave.
She’d be in touch, Ginger had said.
And I’ll be holding my breath until then .