Chapter 4 #2
But he couldn’t do anything until he fulfilled his uncle’s squirrelly stipulations. He looked around the apartment again.
Considering the state of this place and the shop downstairs, thirty days probably wouldn’t be enough. He would need some help,
and there was only one person he could ask.
Via stood behind the counter at Pawsitive Vibes, cleaning the coffee station. She returned from Bennett’s office over two
hours ago, and after taking off her jacket and composing herself in her office, she was ready to put Earl, Leo, and Second
Chapter behind her and focus on work.
But herding cats was easier than forgetting what happened in Bennett’s office, and she was an expert cat herder. She was still
reeling from confirming that Earl had planned to give her Second Chapter. Not give, exactly. She knew that. When he’d offered
to let her buy her half of the building and apartment at an almost rock-bottom price, she’d been surprised and grateful. It
had tapped her out, but it was worth it. She had no doubt he would have sold her his business at a reduced rate, too, when
the time came. Not that it mattered anymore.
Birdie sidled up to her, holding a stack of new coffee cups. “You okay?”
No use denying that she wasn’t. Birdie wouldn’t let her, even if she tried. “Why didn’t Earl tell me about his nephew? I thought we were close friends.”
She unwrapped the stack. “No one knew, not just you. And everyone is allowed a secret or two.”
She nodded but didn’t agree. Trevor had kept so many secrets from her during their five-year relationship, and the biggest
one ended up making her look like a fool. To her family, friends, and herself. If she’d only been smarter, on her guard more—
Birdie set the cups next to several bottles of coffee syrups. “What do you think will happen to Second Chapter?”
A soft chorus of meows kicked up as the bell over the front door rang. Toffee and Luna always liked to tell customers hello
and goodbye, usually from their seat in the window. They did love to sunbathe.
Via put the mugs into the sink and switched on the tap. “I don’t know.”
“Maybe Leo will run it himself?”
Via scoffed. “Does he look like a bookstore owner to you?”
“I didn’t know they had a particular look. Earl sure didn’t.”
Another meow pierced the air. Loud and insistent. Via didn’t have to look up to see it was Sir Meow, sitting in front of the
side door directly across from the cat lounge that led to the apartment stairs.
“He’s been there ever since you left for Bennett’s,” Birdie pointed out.
“He must think Leo’s upstairs.” She sighed. “I’m sure he’s long gone by now. He couldn’t wait to get out of here.”
“Meow!” Sir said again. Then two more for good measure.
Via frowned. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with him.”
“Leo?” Dora said, arranging the hand-painted greeting cards she made on a rack in the merchandise section.
“I’m talking about Sir.” Although now she was wondering what she was going to do with Dora.
Even though she’d explained what happened at the meeting with Bennett, along with telling her that Leo didn’t even respond to her pleading with him not to ruin Earl’s shop, Dora’s opinion of him hadn’t changed.
Just the opposite—she was thrilled at the prospect of Leo sticking around.
“He’s never acted this way before,” she said as Sir expressed two more plaintive cries. “Maybe I need to take him to the vet.”
They both looked at him. Now he was flopped on the floor on his side, his paw touching the bottom of the door.
“Are you sure Leo isn’t up there?” Dora said, joining her and Birdie behind the counter. “His car is still parked outside.”
“It is?” She hadn’t thought to check the parking lot.
The bell above the café door chimed again, and Luna and Toffee meowed hello. This time Sir joined in. As soon as Via looked
up, she saw him dash to the front of the café—something he rarely did. Usually he would give whoever was coming inside a bored
glance.
“Well, now we know for sure Leo isn’t upstairs,” Dora said.
Via froze, her hands still in the soapy water, the faucet still flowing. That wasn’t the only thing running. Her pulse was
doing the cha-cha as the door closed behind Leo. She should have been wondering what he was doing here, since her café was
the last place she expected he’d want to be. Instead she couldn’t even think straight. He’d changed into a sweatshirt with
Harvard emblazoned in huge crimson letters on the front, and perfect-fitting khaki pants. She was tempted to meow herself.
He caught Via’s gaze, the corner of his exquisite mouth lifting ever so slightly.
Birdie gave her a friendly bump with her hip. “You’re staring.”
She jerked her eyes from his, inwardly groaning. This was the second time he’d caught her staring at him. No, the third. There wouldn’t be a fourth. She muttered to Dora, “Find out what he wants.”
“I’m sure he wants you, because he’s heading your way.” She grinned and left, giving Leo a friendly nod as she passed him,
totally ignoring Via’s request. And now Birdie was standing next to her, a big smile on her face. Even Sir Meow was in on
it—when Leo stopped at the counter, he sat on his left shoe.
Leo glanced down. Moved his foot away from Sir. The cat followed, sat on it again, and meowed.
“Glad to see you upright and looking well, Leo.” At his confused look, Birdie shifted Sir and held out her hand. “Birdie Gunnerson.”
“She helped me get you to the couch,” Via explained.
“Oh,” he said with an appreciative nod. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” When Sir meowed again, Birdie walked to the front of the counter. “I’ve got him,” she said, scooping him up. He
immediately squirmed and stretched toward Leo. “I’ll take him to the back and leave you two alone.”
“Birdie—”
But she was already gone.
“Sorry about that,” she said, wiping her hands on a towel and doing everything in her power not to even glimpse him.
“For what?”
“Sir’s behavior.” She almost threw Birdie and Dora into the mix. This was the first time the two of them had ever made such
a fuss about a guy before, and it was getting annoying. “He usually isn’t so clingy.”
“Oh.”
His distracted tone had her looking at him again. He was staring at the cat clock on the opposite wall, a flash of uncertainty in his eyes. And because customer service was ingrained in her regardless of the customer, she asked, “Can I help you?”
He blinked, then looked at her again. The uncertainty was gone and he was unreadable again. “We need to talk.”
The strong scent of coffee mixed with warm spices had hit Leo when he walked into the café. So did something else. Soft heat
from Via’s eyes. It was the only descriptor he could find to explain the way she’d looked at him when he first arrived. He’d
seen the same expression when he woke up to her fingers in his hair, and again when he saw her looking at him in Bennett’s
office at the start of their meeting. It was triggering some heat of his own.
But he was used to being direct. He didn’t like games, and when he dealt with his clients, he always operated on the premise
of being up front and forthright. And any attraction he’d felt for her evaporated as Via’s eyes narrowed at him.
He felt something brush up against his pants leg. A black cat rubbing the side of its face on his calf. The khakis weren’t
cheap but not as expensive as his suit either, so he didn’t go ballistic. He was still a little embarrassed by his overreaction
in Via’s apartment.
“Luna,” Via said, then made a shooing noise. “Leave him alone.”
Unlike Sir, the cat listened and moved off. Leo glanced up at Via again. Now her arms were crossed. Once again they were getting
off to a great start.
“We said everything outside Bennett’s office,” she insisted. “At least I did.”
He wasn’t used to asking for help and he didn’t want to do it now.
Once again, Uncle Earl gave him no choice.
Still, he’d second-guessed himself twice in the apartment and a third time on the stairwell, thinking if he worked almost around the clock, he’d have the bookstore cleaned up, the ten books found, the apartment in decent order.
But he still had the task of learning about Pecan Corner, and while he could do all of that on his own, it was impossible given the time frame. “I . . .”
Her arms uncrossed, and now she looked a little concerned. “You’re not going to pass out again, are you?”
“No.” A sandwich and two glasses of water wasn’t much of a lunch, but he’d figure out dinner later. He didn’t have much of
an appetite anyway. “I need to talk to you about Second Chapter.” Finally.
Her brow quirked. “Really?”
He scanned the foyer. “Can we talk somewhere?”
“We could go to the lounge—oh, wait, you’re allergic.”
Uh-oh. That had been a fib. No, an outright lie. He wasn’t allergic to anything, as far as he knew. At the time, he wanted
her cat to leave him alone and that seemed to be the quickest way. He was fine going to the lounge, whatever that was. “I,
uh, took some allergy medicine.”
She tilted her head at him, and he couldn’t tell if she suspected he wasn’t telling the truth, was deciding to talk to him
about the shop, or both. Then she nodded. “I’ll hear you out after I finish up.”
He almost smiled with relief but pulled back. He never entered a negotiation showing his cards and he knew this discussion
with Via would definitely be a negotiation.
Her sister appeared. “Hello again, Leo.”
He was struck by how much they looked alike.
He also noticed subtle differences—Via was slightly taller.
Her eyes were a lighter amber color, almost golden.
Although she was slightly bent over the sink rinsing off a coffee mug, he had a full view of her.
She was wearing a form-fitting orange-, teal-, and purple-striped sweater with the sleeves pushed up a few inches past her wrists.
Without thinking, his gaze traveled the length of her, taking in those captivating curves.
“Via said you left for California.”