Chapter 5
Five
Just as he promised the night before, Ryan picked me up at eight a.m. on the dot. Not a minute before or after, and I was waiting by the door. I set my alarm and backup alarm extra early to make sure I was ready in time.
The temperature dropped overnight, so I opted to wear black ripped jeans and boots today with my favourite pink and black sweatshirt.
My hair is tied up with a matching pink scarf, my curtain bangs look cute, and the black wing of my eyeliner is perfect, if I say so myself.
I am determined to make today a better day than yesterday.
I even triple-checked that I have my wallet in my bag.
Not that it would be smart to go any further into overdraft, but I have it.
“Good morning, Pretty Boy. Did you sleep well?” I ask cheerfully as I buckle up my seatbelt.
He is wearing black slacks with a light grey button-up, but no glasses today.
That’s disappointing. I didn’t know I had a thing for glasses until I saw him wearing his.
It’s a good thing he doesn’t wear them every day, or women would throw themselves at him.
“Don’t start. It’s too early and I haven’t had a coffee yet,” he grumbles as he drapes his right arm around the back of my seat and turns his head over his shoulder to back up, his left palm expertly turning the steering wheel. Who knew simply backing up could be so hot? Not this girl.
“So, this is Ryan undercaffeinated.” I snicker, as I lean back in my seat and get comfortable. “Good to know.”
“Sorry,” he mumbles as he shifts gears, and we head down the driveway towards the village.
“No need to be.” I raise a hand to dismiss him. “Can I be the DJ?” I ask, already connecting my phone to the truck’s Bluetooth.
I hear Ryan take a large breath and slowly release it before he mutters, “Sure, go ahead.”
“Any requests?” I ask, glancing over at him. “What’s your favourite kind of music?”
“Whatever you choose will be fine.”
“Come on, you must have a favourite. Everyone has a favourite genre.” Turning my body in the passenger seat, I face him fully. I would love to reach over and mess up his perfectly styled brown hair, but I resist.
“I still mostly listen to what I did in the ’90s and early 2000s, but I enjoy some of the newer rock as well.” He shrugs, keeping his eyes on the winding road.
“Excellent. That’s a great era,” I say, choosing a Green Day song. I see the side of his mouth quirk as he lightly taps his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat. “Do you listen to country music?”
“Only if I’m with Carson, and I’m forced to,” he snorts, checking his rearview mirror. “I don’t hate it, but it’s not my first choice.”
“Same. Look at us having something in common. Who knew?”
“Yep.”
“So, what did you do when you got home last night?”
“What’s with all the questions?” he asks, glancing over at me.
“Don’t be grumpy. I’m just making conversation.” Last night was one of the few times Ryan and I have spent over fifteen minutes alone. Our friends have always been there as a buffer, and I must admit I am more than a little curious about him.
I know he is a respected therapist, and that he moved to Emerley around the same time as I did.
He doesn’t have any family living locally.
I never see him around town unless he is out with us as a group.
Carson probably knows him better than anyone, which isn’t surprising. Carson is everyone’s friend.
He says nothing, but I can’t help but grin when I hear him quietly humming along to the music as he drives us towards the village.
There’s very little traffic on the way, but once we arrive downtown, there are more signs of life. Cars line the main street, shop owners are visiting with one another on the sidewalk, and there is a group of moms out early pushing strollers trying to get their steps in.
“Do you want me to drop you off at the shop, or do you want to go to Maggie’s with me?”
“Maggie’s. After the great spill incident yesterday, I deserve a coffee do-over this morning.”
He pulls into a spot out front of the bakery and slowly turns to look at me in confusion. “The great spill incident?”
“It was the highlight of my terrible day.” Undoing my belt, I climb out of the truck. I hear him draw out the word okay before I shut the door.
On the sidewalk, I wait for him as he walks around his truck. “Come on, grouchy, let’s get you some coffee.” Grabbing his hand, I pull him through the door.
The heavenly scent of coffee fills the air with undertones of cinnamon and sugar.
Ryan looks down at his hand clasped in my smaller one and furrows his eyebrows before gently pulling away.
Unbothered, I check out the busy bakery and wave at familiar faces.
I’m certain people will talk about Ryan and me arriving here together before nine a.m. Brian Marshal, who is sitting at his usual table with a group of gossipy old men, will probably have a lot to say about it. Let them talk; I don’t care.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” Maggie calls to me from the bakery display case as she arranges eclairs.
“Good morning, Auntie. You look pretty today.” She winks at me from behind her wide-framed glasses. She must have a dozen pairs of glasses that she coordinates with her many colourful smock dresses and tights. Today they are red—my favourite colour.
“And good morning to you, Ryan,” she says, joining us at the counter. “Thank you for bringing my girl into town this morning.”
“It wasn’t a problem. I drive right past your driveway twice a day.” He smiles at her wide enough to make his dimples pop.
“I suppose you do,” she says sweetly, her eyes twinkling. “Would you like your usual?”
“You have a usual?” I scrunch up my nose as I look up at him.
“Yes.” He dips his chin and shoves his hands in his pockets. “I’m here almost every morning.”
“And what would you like, Beck?” Aunt Maggie asks me. “You change your order daily.”
Tapping two fingers on my lips, I check out the display behind the glass. There are dozens of options to choose from, all of them delicious. Ryan shifts from leg to leg impatiently.
Turning my head, I narrow my eyes at him. He checks his large gold watch, ignoring me. Turning my attention back to Maggie, I ask, “May I have a black forest cupcake and a large iced white chocolate mocha with extra whipped cream and cherries, please?”
“Absolutely. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” She spins around quickly, her knee-length dress twirling, as she rushes to prepare our orders. It’s hard to believe she is my father’s sister. She’s so loving and cheerful, and my father’s…not.
“You can’t just eat that for breakfast.” Ryan wrinkles his forehead, interrupting my thoughts.
“I can and I will,” I answer, grinning up at him. “Cupcakes are my favourite, and I will make no apologies for starting my day with one. Chocolate and cherries together, even better.”
He scratches his eyebrow and dips his chin. “There is zero nutrition in it, though.”
Shaking my head, I say, “Nope, and I don’t care. I want what I want.”
I check my phone while we wait for Aunt Maggie to return to the counter with our breakfast. Sighing loudly, I see I have one missed call and three text messages since I left the house. Awesome. I can’t wait to deal with that.
“Is everything okay?” Ryan asks, lifting his chin towards my phone.
“Yeah. Totally fine,” I reply, staring straight ahead. It would be nice to confide in someone and get their opinion, but I don’t need to drag anyone into my bullshit. Especially Ryan.
Aunt Maggie returns a moment later with our orders.
“One iced coffee and a cupcake for my girl. And one large black coffee and an avocado and egg white sandwich on toasted multigrain for you,” she says, pushing his order towards him. “On the house for helping Beck yesterday and giving her a ride to town this morning.”
“That’s your usual? Is that even on the menu?” The contrast between our two orders is laughable. I try not to giggle and fail. Ryan rolls his eyes and shakes his head.
“It’s unnecessary. I don’t mind helping, but thank you,” he says, putting his wallet back into his pocket.
When I try to hand her a crumpled five-dollar bill, she subtly shakes her head. “My treat.”
I mentally try to track how many “treats” Maggie has given me lately. It’s a lot. Too many.
“Thank you, Aunt Maggie.” I blow her a kiss. “I may need a ride home after work if that’s okay with you. I’ll know better after I call Dillon at the garage and see what’s going on with my car.”
“You know where to find me, Sunshine.”
Ryan opens the door for me, and we meet on the sidewalk. The morning is still cool, but the sun feels warm on my face.
“Do you want me to drive you the rest of the way?” he asks, gesturing towards the truck.
“Nah, it’s not that far of a walk, and you need to get to work. I have more than an hour before my first client arrives.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am,” I say, lowering my sunglasses over my eyes.
“Okay, well, I guess I’ll see you,” he says as he walks towards his truck. “If you need another ride, let me know. You have my number, right?”
Winking, I say, “Group chat.” I’m guilty of being an over-texter. I have a lot to say; I can’t help it.
“Right. How could I forget?” He shakes his head and snorts. “Have a good day, Beck.”
Standing in place, I watch him pull out onto the street and drive away.
I’m about to continue walking towards Inkfluence when I catch Brian watching me through the window.
Raising my hand, I smile and give him a little finger wave.
I would prefer to give him the middle finger for being such a meddling asshole, but refrain.
Not even he can ruin my good mood this morning.