Chapter 4
Caleb couldn’t help but notice the way Rhys had fled from the business owners’ meeting.
He wasn’t going to give up, though. Now he had a reason to talk to Rhys other than just wanting to meet the beautiful man who also owned a coffee shop.
Agnes had grabbed him just as the meeting ended, saying she had the most marvelous idea.
She thought he and Rhys should work together on the competition instead of submitting two entries.
They could enter once for the town. Caleb wasn’t even sure that was allowed since you were supposed to enter for your own business.
Wouldn’t they have to put the entry under one of their brands or the other?
He decided to ask Agnes about details later.
There was no point in discussing it at all if Rhys wasn’t into the idea.
He sighed as he entered the tiny bathroom in the apartment above his shop. He had to fiddle with the faucet for a few moments to get the cranky shower to turn on. Who was he kidding? Rhys wasn’t going to be into the idea. He couldn’t even get Rhys to talk to him.
It was painfully obvious that he made Rhys nervous.
Tessa said Rhys was shy, but he seemed relaxed and open enough with his friends.
Was he that afraid that Caleb was going to take his business?
Was there anything he could do to reassure him?
Because not only was Agnes’s idea actually a good one, but Caleb would do just about anything to feel Rhys pressed against him again, like he’d been when Caleb stopped him from falling.
That moment when Rhys had relaxed into him had been heavenly.
He was amazed he’d been able to keep from getting hard and embarrassing himself.
Being anything other than friends with Rhys was a terrible idea, but that didn’t change how much he wanted it.
He stepped into the shower and let the hot water pour over him.
He needed a plan. Would it help if he and Rhys met when there wasn’t anyone else around, like early tomorrow before their shops opened?
He could take Rhys a drink and maybe a cinnamon roll.
Did he like sweets? He didn’t sell any sweet drinks, but everyone liked cinnamon rolls, didn’t they?
The next morning, Caleb headed down to the shop even earlier than usual. He wanted to get the basic business of prepping the shop for the day completed ahead of schedule so he’d have time to make a drink for Rhys and take it to him.
Based on what Rhys served at his shop, he wasn’t going to want the same type of drink Caleb made for Tessa or any of the other concoctions on his specials board. He needed to make something flavorful with a little bit of sweetness, but more subtle.
He considered making a dirty chai, but he wanted to do something more creative, so he experimented with adding honey and nutmeg.
It was good and might need to be added to the menu, but his instincts told him it wasn’t quite right for Rhys.
It had too many flavors competing for attention.
Rhys would want something quieter and even less sweet.
A salted honey latte or maybe a cappuccino. He guessed Rhys would want a drink with less milk, not more. He made one, tried it himself, performed a few tweaks, and then remade it. Rhys was going to love this.
Caleb put a lid on the cup and fitted a cardboard sleeve around it. For added protection against the chilly morning, he pulled out an insulated carrying case. He was determined that the temperature would be perfect when he arrived at Frost + Foam. Rhys would not want a lukewarm drink.
Why was he working so hard on this? He wanted to believe it was just because he was new in town and wanted to earn the respect of the other business owners. He wanted to fit. He wanted Frostwick Harbor to feel like home, and if he didn’t have friends, it wouldn’t.
He’d already started making friends. Tessa had invited him to sit with their group at last night’s meeting, but he’d declined because he’d already scared Rhys off. He’d made other friends around town too, and he’d joined a local beer league hockey team. So why did Rhys’s opinion matter so much?
He pushed that question aside, not sure he wanted to answer it. He needed to focus on his business. He’d told himself that going out with anyone needed to wait.
When one of his baristas arrived, he let her know he was walking over to Frost + Foam for a few minutes, and then he hurried out the door before he got any more nervous about his errand.
Caleb saw Rhys through the shop’s front door. He was standing behind the counter, flipping through a stack of papers. Caleb waited a moment, hoping he would look up and notice him. He absolutely did not want to startle him again, but eventually, he gave up and knocked softly on the door.
Rhys’s head flew up, and his eyes widened. Caleb worried for a moment that he’d dash into the back and pretend he hadn’t seen Caleb. But after a second of staring, Rhys walked slowly across the shop. Was he afraid he would trip again?
Caleb wouldn’t mind catching him. He’d been surprised how firm Rhys’s arms were when he’d gripped them to steady him the night before.
What would he look like under the baggy clothes he usually wore?
Caleb wanted to find out, but the last thing he needed was to create problems. He wasn’t even sure Rhys wanted to talk to him, much less…
He switched the insulated bag to his left hand and held out his right. “I’m Caleb.”
“Yeah, I know,” Rhys said. Then he blinked as if suddenly realizing that wasn’t what he was supposed to say. “I mean… I’m Rhys.” When he shook Caleb’s hand, tingles raced up his arm. What was it about this man? Why did he intrigue Caleb so much?
Rhys jerked his hand back as if he felt those tingles too. “Sorry, I’ve been setting up. My hands are damp.” He rubbed his hand on his jeans as if to dry it off. I didn’t mind his sweaty hands. I wouldn’t mind them touching me in other places.
“I brought you a drink,” Caleb said. He lifted the insulated bag to show him. Rhys shifted his eyes away, looking uncomfortable. “Just try it and tell me what you think. I didn’t make it as sweet as a lot of my drinks. I figured you wouldn’t like that.”
Rhys met his eyes again. “You did?”
The surprise on his face made Caleb want to do a lot more special things for him. Had Rhys thought he’d be that oblivious to someone’s tastes? “It’s not too hard to guess what you like based on what your shop sells.”
“Oh, right.”
Caleb walked to the counter, set the bag down, and lifted the drink out. “Here. Taste it.”
Rhys accepted the drink and held it in both hands, seeming to enjoy the warmth coming from it. “It’s the perfect temperature.”
Warmth spread through Caleb’s chest as he nodded. “I did my best to keep it warm for you.”
“Thank you.” His smile weakened Caleb’s knees. It was the first time he’d seen Rhys look that happy.
Rhys took a careful sip, and his eyes brightened. “That’s… That’s really good. I would dial in the grinder to make a slightly coarser grind and relieve the tinge of bitterness on the finish, but I know your shop is not… I mean. Oh shit.” He closed his eyes and blew out a breath.
Caleb sank his teeth into his lower lip to keep from laughing as he took a step toward Rhys and laid a hand on his arm.
He might have been offended if someone else said the same thing, but Rhys managed to look adorable while giving him pointers.
“It’s all right. I know what you mean. Your shop is all about the science of coffee, and mine is a little bit more… relaxed.”
Rhys frowned as he looked back up. “I’m not good at relaxed.”
“Yeah, I kind of got that.”
“Shit. I’m sorry. You should probably stop trying to talk to me. I’m just a mess.”
“Maybe I don’t mind messy.”
Rhys licked his lips, and Caleb didn’t try to hide the way he was watching his tongue. He wanted to flirt more and see where things could go, but that was a dangerous game. Friendship. That was what he needed to focus on.
There had to be other hot guys in Frostwick Harbor, although maybe looking out of town would be better until he got his business off the ground.
Hookups were all he should be looking for, and hooking up with Rhys would be a disaster.
But something about the way Rhys was looking at Caleb told him he might be more interested than he’d suspected.
He was probably about to ruin any interest he had with his question. “So I was talking to Agnes—”
“How was opening day at—”
They laughed as their questions collided. “Opening day was amazing. I feel really lucky to have found a place here. The town is really great.”
“Congratulations, and yeah, Frostwick Harbor place is awesome—most of the time, anyway, when people aren’t all in your business.”
Caleb nodded. “I bet that can get annoying.”
“Yeah, what were you saying? I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
“It’s fine. I talked to Agnes after the meeting last night, and she suggested we work together on our festival entries instead of each of us entering our own drink.” Rhys looked like a deer in headlights. “It’s just an idea. We don’t have to.”
“I… um… I’m not sure if—”
Caleb held up a hand. He could tell Rhys was panicking. “Why don’t you think about it? You don’t have to make a decision now.”
“Cloud Nine should get the full spotlight if you win. I mean, I guess that’s what you’d want. I don’t think—”
Rhys was interrupted by Tessa walking through the door. Her smile widened when she saw Caleb. “So you two finally had a chance to talk.”
“We did,” Caleb said. Things had gone more smoothly than he’d expected.
Rhys had liked the salted honey cappuccino, and he hadn’t run or shut Caleb down absolutely when he’d asked about working together.
It wasn’t like he’d expected Rhys to jump at the idea.
He shouldn’t feel disappointed, even though he did.
“Did he bring you a drink?” Tessa asked, gesturing toward the Cloud Nine–branded cup on the counter.
Rhys picked up the cup, looking at it like he’d forgotten it was there. He took another sip as he nodded. “He did, and it’s… It’s good.”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Of course it’s good. I told you his drinks were amazing.”
“Yes, but you—” Rhys cut himself off.
Caleb was sure he’d been about to criticize Tessa’s tastes and thus Caleb’s. That should annoy him, but once again, he found it endearing. What the hell was wrong with him? He was working hard to be warm and welcoming to everyone, but he shouldn’t enjoy someone making fun of his drinks.
He likes the drink you made for him.
That thought made Caleb’s smile return. “I should get back to Cloud Nine. I’ll see you both later.”
“Bye,” Tessa called.
Rhys gave him an awkward wave that only made him want the man more.