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My eyes prickle and I have to fight the urge to sniffle them back. “That’s so sweet.”
He shrugs.
“I think that you should come up here more often.”
The steaks sizzle when he places them on the hot grill. He closes the lid before saying, “Yeah?”
I nod. “Yeah. I hope I’m not overstepping here, and I love that you come up here to remember her, but I think only doing it around her birthday makes it sad in a way. This place shouldn’t be shrouded in gloomy bad memories, but some light ones too.”
He looks at me, his stare intense, for a few seconds before he says, “You’re not overstepping. And I’ve never thought of it that way. But I see your point.”
I open my mouth to suggest that he make his time up here more regular regardless of work when he changes the subject.
“So what were you looking at real estate in Alta for? You planning on moving?”
“Oh, gosh no. That would be crazy. I love Felt. I’m looking to open an upscale coffee shop. Honestly, I’d do it in Felt, but Ally pretty much has the market cornered on coffee in town.”
“And Alta doesn’t?”
“There are some coffee places up there, but their menus are limited. My vision is much deeper than grabbing a mocha or an americano on your way to work.”
“Tell me about it?” he asks.
“Well, first it’s all in the beans. Sure you can buy preground beans from the grocery store, but those have ground-up cockroaches in them—eww, I know—and they’re acidic as hell. I’m looking to source more exotic beans from around the world. Then comes the brewing. There’s the standard way to brew coffee, but then there are other variations of espresso, French press, and so on. After that you have the specialty drinks, infusions, and additions. I have a whole menu of new spins on coffee classics that I’ve tried out and approved.”
“You’ve put a lot of work into this, haven’t you?”
I laugh. “Only the last three years of my life. Ally took me on part-time while I was going to college online. I finished my degree, and she sat me down and asked me what I wanted to do with my career. The only thing that made sense to me was coffee so I ran with it. One day, there will be an artisan coffee shop with my name listed as owner. I just have to find the perfect space and then open it. Eventually, customers will fall in love with what I make them and I’ll be a success.”
He chuckles. “If you build it they will come sort of thing?”
“Yep. Pretty much. If you want to get technical, I can show you my business plan, sample menu, and all of the business-y crap that I’ve had to learn about over the last few years.”
He shakes his head at me. “Nah. That’s okay. It sounds like you have it all figured out. Ally’s okay with you doing this? Most business owners wouldn’t be, right?”
I nod. “She’s been really encouraging, and she showed me the ropes for creating all the aforementioned business-y crap over the years. She knows that I won’t be in direct competition for her customers, and even if I was she knows that I won’t be happy managing the bakery for the rest of my life. She knows that I want more.”
“Hmm. Sounds like a lot of work for a cup of joe,” he says.
“Just you wait, Boone. One day I’m going to hand you a specially crafted signature coffee and you’re going to weep tears of joy over it.”
“Let’s not take it that far. Sure, I like coffee, but not enough to give up the ease of ground-up cockroaches in exchange for grinding my own beans.”
“Ewww. You’re such a boy.”
He grins at me before plating the steaks and turns to me. “Let’s eat.”
* * *
The last of dinner dishes are on the drying rack when Boone pulls his phone out and clicks on some music. It’s quiet, and the beat of it is impossibly slow.
He turns me to face him and pulls me into his arms before brushing a light kiss over my lips. All day long if the option to touch me arose, he took it, and I don’t know what to think or to feel other than giddy. I may have developed a massive crush on him at the speed of light, but I don’t know what’s going on in his head, and that’s making me hesitate more than I normally would.
I’m nearly thirty years old. I’ve been in this game long enough to know what I want and how to ask for it. And I want Boone.
I just hope that he wants me back.
“Is this okay?” he asks, watching me while we sway around his kitchen.
