20. Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty
Evalina
Thank goodness for Annie, who insisted I come in a little late to my own business, if only to get a few extra hours of much needed sleep.
After the events of last night, Dustin sure needed it to recover from the stress.
Guilt gnaws at my chest and layers on more anxiety, enough to drown me if I don’t think of something else, anything but the incident.
The problem is, whenever I think of something else, it’s Koa that fills my mind.
The man has made himself a fixture in our lives despite little to no encouragement on my part.
That alone is terrifying enough, but when I look at the relationship he has with my son, I can’t help but panic.
They were so sweet last night with Koa reading to him and Dustin drifting off to the sound of his voice.
That’s something I can’t give my son, not in the same way that a man can.
Annie and Dustin’s hushed voices drift to the front, and Dustin giggles.
I’m not sure what they are discussing in the back, but it certainly has something to do with me given Annie’s regular shushing.
Although I probably shouldn’t, I can’t help eavesdropping to make sure he’s actually all right.
Pressing my ear to the swinging door that leads to the bakery, I try to slow and quiet my breathing.
“Do you really think it can work?” Dustin asks.
“Your plan about Koa and your mom, or strawberry frosting on a blueberry donut? Because I think you’re going to be surprised by how bad that’s going to taste, kid.”
Dustin giggles again, no doubt doubling down on his frosting idea. It’s the other idea that’s got my attention.
“I think it will taste like fruity cereal.”
“Mmm, maybe. I guess we’ll see.” The clatter of trays muffles what they say next, then Annie asks, “What makes you think your mother likes Koa?”
“She smiles a lot when he’s around.”
Annie chuckles. “She’s probably smiling because you’re happy. Besides, you really shouldn’t try to get involved in matters of the heart, kiddo. You’re too young to worry about that stuff.”
“Why? I know he likes my mom. He’s always staring at her when she’s around, and Camden said that when a boy stares at a girl a lot, it means he likes her and wants to marry her or something.”
Annie laughs harder at this, but I’m intrigued. I’ve never noticed Koa staring at me, but to be fair, I haven’t been paying much attention. Life has been life-ing pretty hard lately, and I’m barely keeping my head above water.
“And how to you intend to get them to marry each other?” Annie pressing Dustin doesn’t bother me, but I wish he would have told me this instead of telling her.
If he had, then I could already be deterring him from such thoughts.
The very idea of me marrying a professional, ridiculously rich baseball player is not only outrageous, but well above anything I could hope for.
Add in the fact that he seems to truly adore Dustin, and it’s virtually impossible for my luck to be that good.
What am I saying?
The man could have any woman he wants, and here I am doing the calculations of the likelihood there are wedding bells in my future.
“For heaven’s sake,” I mumble and stop eavesdropping. I’m sure Annie will sway his opinion like any good friend would to spare him the heartache, and I’ll be sure to discuss it further with him in private tonight.
Marry a baseball player, indeed.
I’m packing up the books, finally admitting it’s time to start shutting this place down, when Koa saunters through the front door. He points right at me and smiles. “Have you found a new location for your shop yet?”
“Well, hello to you, too.” I push off the floor and wipe my hands on my apron. The lunch rush has come and gone…and he’s been the only person to enter. I think it’s officially over. People have moved on, and Sparkly’s is dead.
“Hello. Now, have you found a place?” Koa meets me in front of the bookshelves, moves a few boxes into a stack, and pulls out a chair for me to sit at one of the tiny tables I’d been using to sort books.
He sits across from me, perches his steepled fingers on the glass table like he’s about to make a pitch, and waits.
“No, of course not. I told you I planned to get a boring old day job and close this place. Remember?”
“You did, but what if I have a better idea?”
I lean on the table, sweaty palms pressed to the glass. I’ve had way too many things offered to me in my life not to walk cautiously into this conversation. No hopes, no excitement. There is no reason to believe Koa is my knight in shining armor.
“Such as?”
“What if I told you I know some delightful ladies who run a food truck in Charleston?” He arches his eyebrows as if that is enough information for me to work with.
“You want me to move to Charleston?”
He shakes his head, reaches into his pocket, produces a business card, and slides it across the table.
“No, of course not. Don’t be silly. Andrew’s sister Layne and her sister-in-law run a very unique food truck.
There was this cooking competition Layne and her husband won, well, he wasn’t her husband at the time, but—that doesn’t matter.
The point is, I asked Andrew to ask Layne if they might be willing to expand.
He called me this morning and said they would be interested in speaking with you about the possibility of running a truck here in Savannah. What do you think?”
I blink a few times, unsure how to process any of this. Looking down at the business card, I note that Layne Langley is a tailgating extraordinaire who offers one-of-a-kind dishes on wheels.
“I…don’t…” I look back up at Koa, whose grin is so wide I almost can’t stand to tell him the next part. “I have no idea how to cook. Literally, donuts and coffee are all I can make. My lunch sandwiches aren’t anything special.”
“Right, they know that. Thing is, they’re literally willing to consider a different menu for Savannah.
A dessert truck for events, venues, that kind of thing, assuming you’d be willing to learn to make more than just donuts.
Nothing crazy. They’re thinking like cake pops, crispy cereal bars, some specialized cookies, and other easy to make things. ”
“How…What…” My mouth flops open and shut like a largemouth bass, but even my stupefied mind knows I’d be an idiot to pass this up.
“I can set up a meeting with them at my place if you want. No pressure. Meet them, talk it over, see what you think, and go from there.”
“I wouldn’t know the first thing about a food truck business.
” I cover my face with my hands and groan.
It’s possibly the best offer I’ve ever had, but how can I possibly front the funds for such a thing?
Franchises cost money, and that is one thing I’m short on these days.
I drop my hands back to the table and pick up the card.
“Koa, this is probably the sweetest, kindest thing anyone has ever done for me, but it’s way out of my price range.
I can barely make rent on this place. There is simply no way I can buy a van and—”
“Wait, what? I’m sorry, no, you misunderstand. If you sign on with them, you’ll be a partner, Evalina. I don’t think you know how big their business is. Shoot, even I didn’t until Andrew told me this morning. They’re booked out for three years.”
“Three—” I almost choke on my own spit. “Three years? Koa! This card says Layne Langley is a professional chef! An actual, culinary school graduate! I make fried dough circles, and half the time I burn them!”
Koa shakes his head and leans in close. “The chance of a lifetime is sitting right in front of you. Are you going to take it or let someone else snatch it up?”
Lord have mercy on my pitiful soul, but I can’t help thinking his statement has a double meaning.
I push out of my seat and begin my regular decision-making routine—pace until I’ve convinced myself it’s all a bad idea, go back to my usual default, and forever stay in the safe zone.
I mean, I have to. I’m a mom, and safety is a requirement when it comes to providing for my son.
I can’t afford to take chances, not like Koa can.
He steps in front of my path and grasps my arms, gently enough, but I still wince since the bruises Nick left will take some time to heal. Koa releases me as if I’ve scorched his fingers. “Sorry, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. A little bruised from—”
Koa lifts my sleeve and his jaw clenches. “I didn’t see how bad this was last night, but it’s probably good I didn’t, or else Nick would be in a full body cast right now.” He releases my sleeve, but that jaw stays tight, frustrated, angry. “Evalina—”
“Call me Lina,” I blurt. I can’t say why, but it feels right.
It’s about time he calls me what all my other friends call me, but who knows why I felt the need to interrupt him to inform him that he has rights to call me by a nickname.
Oh yeah, distraction from the oh-so-very-closeness of his face to mine.
Straight up, no doubt about it, kissing close.
“Meet with them, Lina. You owe yourself and Dustin the chance to do what a lot of people can only dream of doing. It’ll work, I know it.” He steps closer, and sweet clover honey, my brain scrambles.
“Wh-why? Why do you think it will work?”
“Because you are too stubborn for it to fail.” He grins, leans in to whisper, “And I intend to annoy you until you say yes.”
“Y-yes?” My stupid voice is wispy and soft. My palms sweat and my fingers tremble. “Yes to what?”
“The business arrangement…and other things.” He’s palming my face now, and I have every reason to believe I’m about to experience the most amazing kiss of my life, then Dustin shoves through the swinging door, spies Koa, and loses his marbles.
“Koa!” Dustin climbs over the counter to get to his idol, but Koa seems equally as excited to see him. He catches Dustin just before my child face-plants over the counter, and the two immediately dive into a conversation about baseball.
I went from almost kissing Koa to blankly staring at the back of his head while he gives all of his attention to my son.
This is it. This is the moment, the very nanosecond that Koa Keaton steals more than bases.
Somehow, he found the formula. He worked it out, got the right answer, and has presented it to me on a silver platter.
It was always about my son, and for Koa, Dustin is more than the key to unlocking my heart.
It’s not about that for him. He genuinely cares for my son, enough to completely forget I’m even in the room with them while they talk and joke around.
Dustin leads him to the back room to taste-test the blueberry donuts with strawberry frosting, and I know. I just know as if God Himself has imprinted it on my brain.
Koa is the one. If only I’m brave enough to let it happen.