Chapter 21
twenty-one
Charlie
The Patch is buzzing with activity when I stroll through the doors.
The divine aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the sweet smell of cocoa and cinnamon permeate the air, instantly making my mouth water.
I find my friend sitting in her usual booth, poring over paperwork and taking measured sips from a steaming cup of tea.
“Working hard or hardly working?” I tease as I slide into the bench seat beside her.
Dee’s gaze collides with mine, and she releases a tired sigh.
Slipping her reading glasses off her nose, she takes a moment to fold them up and places them on the document she was in the process of filling out.
“I told myself I’d take a couple of days off to recover from the madness of tourist season, and I really hadn’t planned on coming in today.
But then Maggie calls in a frenzy, telling me there’s an issue with our supplier, so here I am, doing my best to ignore the growing line of customers and fixing shit to keep things running smoothly.
Promise you’ll slap some sense into me if you see me tying on an apron. Goddamn that bleeding heart of mine.”
I bark out a laugh and regard my best friend while a plan begins to form in my mind.
“I’ll do you one better,” I say, and Dee’s eyes light up with interest as she leans in.
“How about I go and place my order while you finish whatever you need to do to free yourself up. Then you’re coming with me to spend the rest of the day at my place.
We could go for a swim, slurp margaritas, slap some burgers on the grill for dinner, and end the day roasting s’mores around the bonfire?
To be honest, I could use a break from playing carpenter, myself, and we haven’t hung out in a while.
I miss you.” The stress lines around her ocean eyes soften, and a longing expression takes over her features at the mention of some much-needed R and R.
“You know what? That sounds delightful. Give me twenty minutes, and I should be good to go.”
“Perfect,” I say, grinning widely as I slide out of the booth. “It’ll be a while for them to get my order ready, anyway. I promised the guys I’d bring back coffee and treats.”
Dee arches a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “The guys?”
“Dave, Cole, and his very attractive, very much single friend, Maddox, who took me by surprise this morning when he answered Cole’s door in nothing but a pair of unbuttoned jeans.
The sight of all that smooth, golden skin and rippling muscle was almost too much for such an early hour. I’m telling you, I almost drooled.”
Dee nibbles on the end of her pen as she stares up at me with an almost dazed expression, most likely imagining the scene in vivid detail. She blinks a few times in rapid succession before a look of sheer determination comes over her face.
“Make it ten,” she tells me in a tone that has me joining the end of the line with a feeling of accomplishment and a knowing smirk.