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“It is.” Kingston drew back his free arm and landed a fist in Samuel’s gut.
Samuel doubled over with a gagging gasp.
“Brutal.” Sadie sounded awed.
“Sexy.” So did Anne.
Humiliating. Or was it? It was definitely stupid.
Samuel stumbled away, muttering something about suing the store until it crashed and burned.
“You just destroyed your café, Day One.” I wished I could be as impressed as Sadie and Anne. I was grateful, though. Was that wrong of me?
“You sound too much like Owen. I say there’s no such thing as bad publicity. I have to handle this—don’t leave.” Kingston flashed me a smirk, and was gone.
I missed that look.
“Tell me you’re not swooning at least a little on the inside,” Sadie said.
I faced my friends again. “I thought you were on my side.”
Anne fiddled with the paper sleeve on her coffee cup. “We are. Never doubt that. And sometimes that means telling you you’re wrong. You haven’t taken your eyes off him for more than a few minutes at a time. I’m surprised he snuck up on you.”
“He just risked his entire store to stick up for you. Do you still think he wants anything from you besidesyou?” At least Sadie was consistent in her argument. “Do you really want to leave?”
I wanted this to be better. The hurt wouldn’t magically evaporate, but I believed that Owen and Kingston were sorry. That they wanted to move forward. And Owen was right—their actions were only worth it for someone who mattered to them. None of this was worth their time unless they actually cared about me. “No.”
“Sorry about that.” Kingston was back, apron gone, and a baseball cap pulled low. “The leaving you alone, not the other thing. I won’t apologize for shutting up that loudmouth fuck. Anyway, I need to make myself scarce. Join me?” He nodded toward the same door Owen took me through earlier.
I was out of arguments. I followed him into the empty hallway, along with Sadie and Anne.
“You’re staying?” Kingston asked. “I’ll drive you home.”
I was staying. I turned to my friends. “I’ll be okay.”
Anne nodded.
Sadie stepped past me, and stopped when she was toe-to-top with Kingston. She was at least a head shorter, but she focused a frighteningly fierce glare on him. “You met Luke? The Marine?”
“I did,” Kingston said.
“If you hurt Lyn again, at all, if you make her doubt anything, what Luke could do to you will pale compared to what I will.” She spoke with so much assurance I didn’t doubt she would make good on the threat.
I loved my friends.
“I don’t doubt it for a second.” Kingston was serious. “And I’d deserve it.”
“Damn right you would.” Sadie squeezed my hand. “Call me if you need me, Lyn.”
I was smiling in spite of myself. “I will. Thank you.”
Anne and Sadie left.
Kingston offered his arm. It didn’t matter that we were probably only walking the short distance to the café office, I fitted my hand in the crook of his elbow. More of my doubt flitted away at how right the contact felt.
Owen was already—still?—waiting in the office, when Kingston pulled us inside and shut the door.
Kingston dropped to his knees. “I’m so sorry.” He looked the way he had the day we went up to the lake. “I miss you. I want you in my life. I’d do anything in my power to make this right. Just tell me what. Jewelry? A lifetime supply of whipped cream? Beat up another ex-boyfriend?”
