Chapter 4
Four
Reegan
My second full day in Amethyst Bay, and I was already getting bored.
Ashlyn had a few late appointments and said I was on my own.
I needed to explore. Ashlyn recommended checking out Daily Ritual, saying it was the best coffee shop in town.
She had a few choice words to share about the man who worked the counter, but she assured me the coffee was amazing.
As soon as I walked in, the scent of brewed coffee and fresh pastries hit my nose. I stopped and drew a deep breath, my stomach rumbling in anticipation.
I walked to the counter and waited for the person in front of me to order.
The woman was a little high-maintenance from the sound of it.
Very specific with her order, changing everything about it and not ordering from the menu.
The guy behind the counter rolled with it, smiling at the blonde woman before promising her everything would be just as she asked.
When she moved to the side and sat at a table for two, I stepped forward with a smirk. I’d worked in the food industry a few years and knew customers like her were frustrating but far too common to bother complaining about.
I was not going to do the same.
“Welcome to Daily Ritual. What can I get for you?” His voice was deep and smooth, the kind of voice that put me at ease and told me he was capable of handling not only difficult customers but anything thrown at him.
“Hi. I’ve never been here before, and everything looks amazing. Can you recommend a drink and something from the case?”
The man’s face lit up with his eager smile. “Yeah, of course. Do you have any allergies?”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“Anything you don’t like?”
I snorted. “Unfortunately, no.”
He chuckled, his gaze not straying from my face. He was a good man on top of kind. What in the world did Ashlyn not like about him?
“Our most popular drink is the Coach. All our coffees are named after local residents, and Coach is a great man.” The guy’s eyes dimmed just slightly. “It’s a black coffee with one cream and one sugar, with a splash of caramel syrup in it.”
“That sounds good.”
“If you’re a little more adventurous…” He trailed off and raised his eyebrows.
“I can be adventurous.”
“My favorite drink is the Harry.”
I winced.
He chuckled. “I know. Harry is a bad name for anything around food, but I promise it’s good. It’s basically a latte with a shot of espresso and steamed milk, but we added in peppermint and chocolate and a little something secret to bring out the flavors even more.”
“Sold,” I said.
He chuckled. “Perfect. If that’s your drink, I recommend something less powerful so you can enjoy the peppermint. Something like a sourdough quiche or a chocolate croissant.”
“What is sourdough quiche?”
“We use sourdough bread to make our quiche, so it’s sourdough, egg, and we have four-cheese or spinach and mozzarella.”
“Spinach and mozzarella,” I said, my stomach rumbling at the thought. “Thank you so much for helping me. I’m Reegan, by the way. I know I’ll be back.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Reegan. I’m Kannon.”
“Nice to meet you.”
I swiped my card, then moved to the end of the counter. As I was waiting for my food, the front door opened and Josh walked in. My lips lifted in a smile, and I waited for him to see me before I waved.
He scanned the small cafe quickly, his gaze skipping right past me. His focus landed on the small table where the blonde sat, and he went right to her without hesitation. He kissed her cheek, then sat down, their knees touching under the table in a way that was intimate and private.
I forced my gaze away, swallowing back the hurt I had no right to feel. He wasn’t mine. Just because he brought me coffee and flirted with me didn’t mean anything. I needed to remember that.
Kannon brought my food and drink to the end of the counter and set them in front of me. “I would have brought this to your table. You don’t have to wait for it.”
“Thank you. I’ll remember that for next time.”
“Enjoy, Reegan.”
“Thanks.” I carried my drink and snack to a table closer to the door where I could watch Josh and the blonde without them noticing me.
Apparently, I was a glutton for disappointment.
I sipped my coffee and groaned aloud. It was divine. The perfect mix of peppermint and chocolate while still having the hit of coffee that I needed at the end of a long day. Ashlyn was right about the place being spectacular.
Josh and the blonde were having a conversation that was definitely heated. I couldn’t hear it, but the way they talked, it was clear they knew each other well. When the blonde gestured, the massive diamond on her ring finger caught the light.
Married.
Wow, I was stupid. When Ashlyn said Josh had a daughter, I assumed he was divorced or widowed since she didn’t mention a wife. I should have asked.
But it didn’t matter. Especially not when Ash told me Josh was a good man but protective of his daughter. I thought he was a jerk. Right up until he brought me a cup of coffee and flirted with me.
Maybe he wasn’t flirting. Maybe he was just being friendly.
Maybe my ability to understand men went out the window with my last relationship. God knew I hadn’t trusted myself since Landon ended things.
Not that I blamed him. Landon deserved to be happy. I should have ended things when I decided I didn’t want kids and knew he did. It was hard to accept that the man I’d spent years fitting my life around wasn’t really the one for me. He was right for someone who wanted kids like he did.
I was the one who stretched the truth because I didn’t want to be alone.
Smashing success.
I ate my sourdough quiche and finished my coffee while Josh and the blonde woman continued their conversation. Josh and his wife. Another man who knew what he wanted, and it wasn’t me.
With my plate and mug empty, I carried both to the counter and thanked Kannon for his recommendations.
“Good?”
“Amazing. Thank you so much. I will definitely be back soon.”
“That’s what we like to hear. Thanks for coming in, Reegan.”
“Bye, Kannon.” I headed for the door, pausing to let someone in before I stepped back out into the afternoon sunshine. I glanced once more at Josh and his wife, then pushed him from my mind and set out to explore my hometown for the summer.
Amethyst Bay was beautiful. A small mountain town set along the shore of Lake Champlain. It was quaint and quiet and easy. In many ways, it reminded me of MacKellar Cove. Nestled against the shore of a body of water with a little town that sprouted up and made a home for a lot of people.
Ashlyn said it was alive in the summer but quiet in the winter.
I smiled at the thought as I wandered along an empty stretch of the sidewalk.
It was quiet in the summer, too. Quieter than I was used to.
Then again, my summers the last few years had been spent as a nanny to the only child of MacKellar Cove’s most famous resident.
Trent MacKellar’s family founded MacKellar Cove, and he ran from it as soon as he could.
He only returned when he got Finley, a local who didn’t know who Trent was, pregnant.
Their love story was one that gave me hope, but it also reminded me how lonely I was in MacKellar Cove.
I was always on the outside, invited to the events the MacKellars hosted but not really part of their group of friends.
Not really one of them. And when Landon’s wife started hanging around with the group, I knew for sure I needed to keep my distance.
Casey was sweet, but the ex hanging around was never a good idea.
A brick building next to me captured my attention and brought my thoughts back to Amethyst Bay. A library. I smiled. Reading was one of my favorite pastimes, second only to taking pictures. With so much free time on my hands, a book or two would be a nice distraction.
Especially since Josh wouldn’t be.
I walked inside, the familiar scent of books making me sigh with relief. It was like being home. Wherever I was, if I could find a book, I could find home.
“Welcome,” a woman said from behind the desk.
“Thank you.”
She smiled in a friendly way. She was pretty and dressed in a loose top that flowed around her. Her blonde hair fell in gentle waves down her back. A pair of glasses rested on top of her head. Her amber eyes reminded me of a cat. Sharp and assessing.
I continued into the library, finding the fiction section easily.
It was a small space, only slightly bigger than Ashlyn’s entire house.
Shelves lined the walls with windows above them to let in the afternoon light.
In the middle were more shelves, taller to hold more books.
I strolled down the aisles, looking for something that grabbed my attention.
I grabbed a book and read the back, taking care to put it back in its place when I decided against it. After fifteen minutes, I had five books to take back to Ashlyn’s house.
“All set?” the librarian asked.
“I am, thanks. I don’t live here, though. How do I check these out?”
“I can give you a card. We have a lot of campers here.”
“I’m not a camper. Well, not really. My friend lives here, and I’m staying with her for the summer.”
“Who’s your friend? Maybe I know them.”
“Ashlyn Whittier.”
“The real estate agent. I know Ashlyn. She has a card. Do you want to use it?”
“Oh, sure. If that’s okay?”
“Of course. I’m Brinley, by the way. I love your top.”
“Thanks,” I told her, running my hand over the blue daisy-printed top. It was an impulse buy last time I was shopping, but the daisies made me happy. “I’m Reegan.”
“Nice to meet you, Reegan.” Brinley scanned the books and slid them across the counter. “You’re all set. We don’t have late fees anymore, but Ashlyn will get an email with a due date. If you can have them back by then, it’s great. If not, she can renew them online.”
“I am on vacation, so I have a feeling I won’t have any trouble returning them on time.”
Brinley chuckled. “Sounds good.”