5
Ollie closed the Coffee Café door behind him and scanned the occupants, not seeing anyone he knew.
Good.
He was about to step out of his comfort zone and didn’t want any witnesses to hassle him about it later if it didn’t go as planned.
He’d deliberately picked a day he knew Kaylie—his sort-of sister—wasn’t working.
He’d never be able to go through with it if she were watching him.
And she’d probably insert herself into the conversation.
Kaylie’s aunt Pearl was bustling behind the counter, making drink orders, but he didn’t mind her. Pearl kept to herself.
He paused for a moment, watching Emma Chambers ring in a customer’s order. He’d never officially met her, but he’d seen her a few times around town. Kaylie had hired her three weeks ago and was very pleased with her new employee. Her name came up frequently in their house.
“Emma is so quiet,” Kaylie had said one night at the dining table over her aunt Mercy’s lasagna. “She’s great with customers and knows how to hustle, but she seems lonely.”
“Not surprised,” Mercy had answered. “The teenager has been through a lot. Her parents are dead, and she’d been living alone for months. Then she was kidnapped and held hostage. She’s witnessed some horrible tragedies.”
Ollie had stopped eating, his gaze locked on his plate.
I get it.
He’d lived alone in the middle of the woods after his grandfather’s murder. He’d grown up believing his parents were dead. But that hadn’t been true; he’d met his birth father, Devin, last year and was now a big part of his life. He glanced at Truman as the police chief took a drink of iced tea.
But he’s been my father figure for the last few years.
Kaylie wasn’t his sister and Mercy wasn’t his mother. But the four of them had chosen to be a family.
Emma’s alone.
He knew she was living with Detective Noelle Marshall, but he figured Emma had to be a bit intimidated by the woman.
He was. Noelle was the most confident woman he’d ever met.
She was always kind to him, but he swore her gaze saw deep into his heart, and it felt as if she could also read his thoughts.
“I invited her to go out to the club with me and three friends last Friday night,” Kaylie had continued. “But she turned me down.”
“Not surprised,” Ollie had muttered and instantly regretted it as Kaylie glared at him.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she’d snapped.
“You talk too much,” he’d said before he could think. “You and your friends all talk too much. You probably scare the hell out of her.” He looked at Mercy. “You’ve said Emma takes care of animals, right? And visits Furry Friends Rescue? She probably appreciates quiet.”
“You’ve never even met her,” Kaylie had said. “How would you know?”
“I listen. If you want to get to know her better, invite her over the next time you get a litter of foster kittens. That’s probably more her thing than going to some noisy underage club with you and your friends.”
Inside the coffeehouse, he moved to the line to order his drink, listening and watching Emma.
She was petite and had her blonde hair in two braids. She smiled a lot, and her light-green eyes were very friendly. It appeared to him that she liked her job. She kept the line moving, and suddenly it was his turn before he’d even figured out what he wanted to say to her.
“I’d like a large iced hot chocolate,” he said.
“An iced mocha?” asked Emma.
“No, just chocolate.” He’d never acquired the taste for coffee. He drank it if he had to, but he preferred something just sweet.
“Got it,” said Emma. “Have you tried our Mexican chocolate drink? It’s got cinnamon and just a hint of cayenne.”
He hadn’t. In fact he’d never heard of it. “That sounds awesome,” he told her. “I’ll have that.” He scanned the board above her head, not seeing the drink listed. “Kaylie never told me she had that.” He looked back at Emma to find her staring at him, a curious look in her eyes.
“You’re Kaylie’s brother.”
Sort of.
“Yeah.”
Her expression cleared. “Ollie, right? I’ve seen you on Kaylie’s Insta.”
“Yeah.”
Way to keep the conversation moving.
But he was slightly distracted, wondering which photos Kaylie had posted and if he’d looked like a dork. He’d tried social media for a while but stopped checking his accounts. It wasn’t for him.
“She’s said you’re studying to become a teacher.” Emma tapped on her register, entering his drink.
“That’s the goal,” he said. “Trying to get my core classes out of the way at the community college.” He paid with cash and dropped a dollar in the tip jar.
“That’s cool. I’ll probably take some classes there this fall.” She grabbed a large plastic cup, gave him a quick smile, and stepped away to start his drink.
He stood frozen. Her smile had lit up every nerve in his body. In a good way. He finally managed to move to the other end of the counter, where finished drinks appeared.
“Hi, Ollie,” Kaylie’s aunt said as she set out an order of scones and coffee for another customer.
“Hey, Pearl.”
Her contemplative gaze went from him to Emma, who was working on his drink, and back again. She raised a brow but said nothing.
Am I so obvious?
Emma set down his iced hot chocolate and gave him a smile that punched him in the stomach this time. “Here you go, Ollie. Let me know what you think.”
He grabbed the cold cup and spoke up before he lost his nerve. “Would you like to go for a hike around the lake this afternoon?”
Emma held his gaze, her green eyes huge in her delicate face. He knew Pearl was watching, but he kept his focus on Emma.
She’s really pretty. She reminds me of an elf in a fantasy-world video game.
He gamed a lot.
“Sure, I’m done at one. Can you come back then?”
“Yeah.” Inside his head, he leaped and punched the air with his fists.
Success!