closer again. “Chloe—”
“I‟ll make cupcakes today,” Chloe said desperately. Please don’t ask, please don’t ask.
She felt like a bomb ticking down to detonation. “You know you‟re working on taxes and you always feel better afterward if you have some of my cupcakes.” Marguerite studied her another long moment. “Chloe, you will start taking care of yourself, or I will make you move in with Tyler and me and do it for you. Are we clear?
I love you, and I won‟t tolerate this much longer.” She nodded at the girl, gave her another even look and disappeared into her office, though she left the door open.
“I don‟t know how,” Chloe whispered. That was the crux of it all, wasn‟t it? She had no answers, and she‟d always been so very sure of herself. She needed something different, something to give her that confidence. She just couldn‟t figure out what the hell it was. Clinging to the cliff edge by her fingernails was hard enough; she couldn‟t begin to think of how to pull herself back up. A plethora of hands might be waiting, but something inside her head crawled into a ball and wouldn‟t reach out.
Like Brendan. She loved the kiss, but if she thought beyond that, the anxiety rose.
Damn it, damn it, damn it. A gorgeous, wonderful guy was interested in her. What was the matter? Why couldn‟t she fix what was broken?
Gen had moved to take over the brewing that Marguerite had started, but she gave Chloe‟s lower back a gentle caress as she passed, thankfully saying nothing further.
Chloe shifted her attention back to the counter and stared at the list of specials.
Something pleasurable, safe, part of the routine. She loved seeing what Marguerite had put together to offer their customers each day. Loved how she always wrote it down in careful calligraphy, on different types of stationery. This one was a gray mist, with the hint of shadowed fairies and silky daisies behind the writing. Even though the list‟s only purpose was for Chloe to copy it to the white board, it was a ritual. Marguerite understood the power of ritual, as intuitively as she anticipated what teas would be needed each day to best meet the needs of her clientele.
That intuition was probably why Chloe wanted to be so far away right now…and yet she needed to be here too, more than she needed to be anywhere else. Except, perhaps, in Brendan‟s far-too-open arms.
* * * * *
He arrived right at closing time. Chloe‟s heart leaped foolishly in her chest, even as her hands shook a little, pouring out the tea for the Dupont party. They didn‟t notice though, because the all-female table was watching Brendan come up the front walkway.
He was bearing gifts.
As he stepped in, she saw it was a theater mask. It had the face of a cat, with long winsomely curled whiskers and tufted ears. When he found her, obviously looking for her, he gave her a smile and came right over, reaching for her hand to give it a quick, caressing squeeze. A female wave of amiable yet gratifying envy pulsed at her back.
“Hey there. Thought about you today.”
“Oh sure. Until the next psychotic woman calls you in the middle of the night. Then I‟ll be old news.”
“True. But I‟m a live-in-the-moment kind of guy.” He gave her another squeeze as Marguerite came from the back. Chloe noted he straightened, dipped his head respectfully to her. There was always an odd formality between them, but yet she knew they were very close. The mystery thankfully distracted her from her momentary discomfiture.
Marguerite offered a tray. “How about a cupcake? Chloe made them at lunch.” Brendan considered. “Has Mas…Tyler had his share yet?”
“Yes, the alpha wolf has had first pick, and is probably nursing a sugar crash for his incurable sweet tooth.” She pushed the tray at him. “Take this in the kitchen and see if you can help Gen loosen the lid on the Darjeeling. What‟s the mask for?”
“A surprise for Chloe.” He winked and
“I‟ll make cupcakes today,” Chloe said desperately. Please don’t ask, please don’t ask.
She felt like a bomb ticking down to detonation. “You know you‟re working on taxes and you always feel better afterward if you have some of my cupcakes.” Marguerite studied her another long moment. “Chloe, you will start taking care of yourself, or I will make you move in with Tyler and me and do it for you. Are we clear?
I love you, and I won‟t tolerate this much longer.” She nodded at the girl, gave her another even look and disappeared into her office, though she left the door open.
“I don‟t know how,” Chloe whispered. That was the crux of it all, wasn‟t it? She had no answers, and she‟d always been so very sure of herself. She needed something different, something to give her that confidence. She just couldn‟t figure out what the hell it was. Clinging to the cliff edge by her fingernails was hard enough; she couldn‟t begin to think of how to pull herself back up. A plethora of hands might be waiting, but something inside her head crawled into a ball and wouldn‟t reach out.
Like Brendan. She loved the kiss, but if she thought beyond that, the anxiety rose.
Damn it, damn it, damn it. A gorgeous, wonderful guy was interested in her. What was the matter? Why couldn‟t she fix what was broken?
Gen had moved to take over the brewing that Marguerite had started, but she gave Chloe‟s lower back a gentle caress as she passed, thankfully saying nothing further.
Chloe shifted her attention back to the counter and stared at the list of specials.
Something pleasurable, safe, part of the routine. She loved seeing what Marguerite had put together to offer their customers each day. Loved how she always wrote it down in careful calligraphy, on different types of stationery. This one was a gray mist, with the hint of shadowed fairies and silky daisies behind the writing. Even though the list‟s only purpose was for Chloe to copy it to the white board, it was a ritual. Marguerite understood the power of ritual, as intuitively as she anticipated what teas would be needed each day to best meet the needs of her clientele.
That intuition was probably why Chloe wanted to be so far away right now…and yet she needed to be here too, more than she needed to be anywhere else. Except, perhaps, in Brendan‟s far-too-open arms.
* * * * *
He arrived right at closing time. Chloe‟s heart leaped foolishly in her chest, even as her hands shook a little, pouring out the tea for the Dupont party. They didn‟t notice though, because the all-female table was watching Brendan come up the front walkway.
He was bearing gifts.
As he stepped in, she saw it was a theater mask. It had the face of a cat, with long winsomely curled whiskers and tufted ears. When he found her, obviously looking for her, he gave her a smile and came right over, reaching for her hand to give it a quick, caressing squeeze. A female wave of amiable yet gratifying envy pulsed at her back.
“Hey there. Thought about you today.”
“Oh sure. Until the next psychotic woman calls you in the middle of the night. Then I‟ll be old news.”
“True. But I‟m a live-in-the-moment kind of guy.” He gave her another squeeze as Marguerite came from the back. Chloe noted he straightened, dipped his head respectfully to her. There was always an odd formality between them, but yet she knew they were very close. The mystery thankfully distracted her from her momentary discomfiture.
Marguerite offered a tray. “How about a cupcake? Chloe made them at lunch.” Brendan considered. “Has Mas…Tyler had his share yet?”
“Yes, the alpha wolf has had first pick, and is probably nursing a sugar crash for his incurable sweet tooth.” She pushed the tray at him. “Take this in the kitchen and see if you can help Gen loosen the lid on the Darjeeling. What‟s the mask for?”
“A surprise for Chloe.” He winked and
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