14. Chapter 14 - Regina
Chapter 14 - Regina
T he snow has finally stopped falling. My stomach rumbles, urging me out of the warm bed. My bladder gets in on the act, forcing me to get up. I shiver at the cold, compared to the warmth of the bed.
Doing what I need to do, I brush my teeth and hair, pulling it up into a ponytail. Dressing in my warmest clothes and stuffing my wallet and phone into my pockets, I decide to see what this town has to offer.
After descending the stairs, my head turns left and right, trying to decide which direction to go.
Opting to head right and pointing my feet in that direction, it is a bit of a surprise that there is next to no snow in the alley.
Clearing the corner of the building, what seems to be the town square comes into view. There is a small gazebo in the center of a roundabout.
The buildings lining the main street are either brick or stone. My heart hurts a little, missing my brother and my best friend. Both of them would fall in love with this quaint little town.
Shaking off my melancholy, my feet start moving. Looking in the windows of the various businesses displays people moving about their day.
Across the street, I spot a grocery store with a small café attached on one side. Quickly crossing the street, I suppress a moan as the scent of coffee hangs in the air. A throat clearing has my eyes popping open.
“Sorry,” I say, as the heat of embarrassment floods my cheeks.
The older gentleman holding the door shoots me a wink before turning in the opposite direction. Making my way to get a cup of liquid nirvana, several people stop and stare at me.
Doing my best to ignore the stares, I order a large caramel latte and breakfast sandwich.
The girl behind the counter hands me my coffee, telling me to sit and that someone will bring my sandwich out as soon as it’s ready.
Sitting down at a small table in the corner, I people-watch to pass the time. Pedestrians walk down the sidewalk, many without coats. Seeing them in nothing but a T-shirt makes me shiver. It takes several moments for me to notice a pattern, there aren’t many women here.
The clink of ceramic against Formica moves my gaze to the inside of the store. My breakfast is in front of me. Before I can say thank you, the girl who dropped it off is gone. My jaw goes slack at the speed with which she disappears.
Gazing around the small café and the section of the grocery store, I can see, it becomes glaringly obvious, men are the predominate gender around here. Shaking off the confusing and somewhat disturbing thoughts running rampant in my head, I decide to be a little proactive.
Pulling the weather app up to check what the future holds, I suppress a groan when I see more snow is heading this way. My mind races on what to do next. I have my laptop, so working is no problem.
After finishing my breakfast, I decide to grab a few things for the apartment. There is a small kitchen to keep some groceries, alleviating the need to always go out.
Cleaning up after myself, I exit the café and grab a cart before roaming the aisles. Loading up on some junk food, soda, and coffee, I round the end of the aisle and accidentally run into another cart.
“Oh, I’m so…” My voice trails off as my gaze travels up the muscular chest, eventually meeting a pair of pale green eyes. A dusting of light stubble adorns the strong jawline. My fingers itch to run through the mop of shaggy, dark blond hair on top of his head.
“Sorry about that,” he says with a knowing smirk.
My mouth opens and closes several times, but no words come out. A deep voice comes from behind me, dropping a virtual bucket of ice water on me and shaking me out of my stupor.
“Crispin, nice to see you,” the semi-familiar voice is clipped, sending a chill down my spine.
The blond god in front of me is now grinning from ear to ear as his eyes bounce between me and the man behind me.
“Sheriff…” Crispin, the man in front of me, confirms my suspicion of the identity of the man behind me. His too-bright smile is making me nervous. After a silent standoff, Crispin and Chayce seem to have had a conversation, though neither of them uttered a word. Crispin gives a brief nod in my direction before walking away.
“Have a good day,” he says over his shoulder, winking at me as he chuckles.
My spine straightens as I turn around, my hands on my hips.
“Can I help you, Sheriff?”
The anger is obvious in my tone. Chayce ignores my attitude, looking down his nose at me.
“Why are you here?” he clips, jaw ticking in annoyance.
Rearing my head back in shock at his question, my anger grows.
“Do I need your permission to buy some groceries?”
Chayce pinches the bridge of his nose at my question. I don’t understand what his problem is. Speaking through clenched teeth, he bites off his words.
“I am not referring to the store. I mean, in town?”
My eyes narrow at him.
“Didn’t we cover this last night?” I bite back, meeting his hostility with some of my own.
Raking my eyes over Chayce, I take advantage of seeing him in the fluorescent lighting, since I didn’t pay attention in the doctor’s clinic. His chocolate brown locks are messy, as if he can’t quit running his hands through them. Chayce’s eyes are a coffee color that seems to blaze from within if the light is right. A small scar at the corner of his mouth adds character to the sharp jawline and straight nose. He is tall, around six and a half feet, if I had to guess. And don’t get me started on his body.
The man before me is hiding some serious muscle under his clothes. Great, now I am picturing him naked.
“When you are finished checking me out…” he says flatly, causing my cheeks to heat in embarrassment.
Refusing to give this guy the satisfaction of seeing me flustered, I square my shoulders and turn away from him. Placing my hands on the cart handle, I take two steps before speaking over my shoulder at him.
“Forget about me, Sheriff. I won’t be in town any longer than necessary,” I quip.
Turning the corner, out of sight from Chayce, I put a hand on my chest, hoping to calm my racing heart.
Quickly making my way through the store to finish my shopping, I manage to avoid crossing paths with Chayce again.
As soon as my sale is complete, my rapid pace has me back at the apartment and tucked inside in no time.
Why is this man affecting me so much?