point, thankful he could only hear her heart, and not feel the reason it fluttered like crazy.
Damn it, Melinda! Get over the stupid dreams already! Just ahead, she saw Emily. Thank God. Good old predictable Emily…
Emily was stepping into the Wicked Muddy Café. They stepped in after her, hopping into the line, already filling up with caffeine-deprived early risers.
“Emily,” called out Melinda.
Emily’s lanky, dark auburn ponytail nearly took out three customers as she swung around to see who was calling her name.
“Melinda! William! What a nice surprise,” she greeted, moving back a few customers to stand with them. She gave Melinda a quick hug and allowed William to kiss her cheek, which turned rosy as she readjusted her glasses.
“It is always lovely to see your beautiful smile,” William told her.
“Isn’t he just the sweetest,” she replied. Her Georgian drawl seemed overly accentuated. “What brings you two out this morning? I can’t recall the last time I saw you both out this early.”
“We decided it was too nice a morning to have coffee at home,” Melinda lied, trying to catch a glimpse at Emily’s ring. It was hidden from view by the coffee mug and large purse Emily carried with her.
Emily eyed Melinda suspiciously. Since when did she ever want to go for coffee in a public place? She shrugged it off, happy to see her friends.
They arrived at the counter to order.
“Ah. Ms. Bookstore Manager. The usual?” the gruff looking woman behind the counter assumed.
“Predictable me,” Emily giggled, shrugging.
“Comin’ right up!” She glanced sideways shouting, “One wicked muddy, regular, crème horne, cut in half, don’t need a fork.” She grinned at Emily as she took her money. “You have a nice day now, Hun, ya hear?”
“Oh, you too, Grace,” Emily said with complete sincerity. “See you in the morning.” She grabbed her order, allowing William and Melinda to step up to the counter.
“I’ll have a wicked muddy coffee as well, please,” Melinda ordered politely. “But not regular, just crème, no sugar. And no crème horne. That much sugar and I’ll be trying to climb walls,” she tried to joke. “Not that I do that sort of thing,” she hastily rambled. “I mean, who could actually climb a wall?” Just shut it! Why do I try to converse with people …
The woman named Grace threw her an odd look and slapped down a paper cup filled with coffee so darkly colored that Melinda thought she’d need a cup twice the size to add enough cream to her liking.
“Cream’s over there.” Grace nodded toward the end of the counter.
“Oh, I just add it myself?” Melinda questioned, confused, since it had been added to Emily’s coffee for her.
“We find that people who don’t take it regular prefer to fix it themselves,” explained Grace. She walked away to grab another stack of paper cups.
“Okay then,” Melinda mumbled, heading to add her cream. When Grace returned, she asked William what he’d like to order.
“Nothing for me, thank you. Just the coffee for Ms. Howard if you please.”
Not even gruff Grace could ignore William Wakefield’s charms whether he intended it or not. She blushed as she took William’s money and handed him back his change.
“Please keep the change, dear lady. Good day to you.”
“You don’t be a stranger now,” Grace called out as he and Melinda departed the store.
“See Melinda, you’re making friends with the locals already,” he whispered.
“Yeah, um, I’m pretty sure she meant you, William. Not me.”
He shrugged as they stepped outside, where Emily waited for them.
“Can we walk you to work this morning?” William asked her, holding out his arm. She took hold and giggled again.
A twinge of jealousy pinched at Melinda. William never offered his arm to her. He used to now and then when they’d patrol together at night. It was the only time she ever left the house, sometimes for weeks on end. He’d
Damn it, Melinda! Get over the stupid dreams already! Just ahead, she saw Emily. Thank God. Good old predictable Emily…
Emily was stepping into the Wicked Muddy Café. They stepped in after her, hopping into the line, already filling up with caffeine-deprived early risers.
“Emily,” called out Melinda.
Emily’s lanky, dark auburn ponytail nearly took out three customers as she swung around to see who was calling her name.
“Melinda! William! What a nice surprise,” she greeted, moving back a few customers to stand with them. She gave Melinda a quick hug and allowed William to kiss her cheek, which turned rosy as she readjusted her glasses.
“It is always lovely to see your beautiful smile,” William told her.
“Isn’t he just the sweetest,” she replied. Her Georgian drawl seemed overly accentuated. “What brings you two out this morning? I can’t recall the last time I saw you both out this early.”
“We decided it was too nice a morning to have coffee at home,” Melinda lied, trying to catch a glimpse at Emily’s ring. It was hidden from view by the coffee mug and large purse Emily carried with her.
Emily eyed Melinda suspiciously. Since when did she ever want to go for coffee in a public place? She shrugged it off, happy to see her friends.
They arrived at the counter to order.
“Ah. Ms. Bookstore Manager. The usual?” the gruff looking woman behind the counter assumed.
“Predictable me,” Emily giggled, shrugging.
“Comin’ right up!” She glanced sideways shouting, “One wicked muddy, regular, crème horne, cut in half, don’t need a fork.” She grinned at Emily as she took her money. “You have a nice day now, Hun, ya hear?”
“Oh, you too, Grace,” Emily said with complete sincerity. “See you in the morning.” She grabbed her order, allowing William and Melinda to step up to the counter.
“I’ll have a wicked muddy coffee as well, please,” Melinda ordered politely. “But not regular, just crème, no sugar. And no crème horne. That much sugar and I’ll be trying to climb walls,” she tried to joke. “Not that I do that sort of thing,” she hastily rambled. “I mean, who could actually climb a wall?” Just shut it! Why do I try to converse with people …
The woman named Grace threw her an odd look and slapped down a paper cup filled with coffee so darkly colored that Melinda thought she’d need a cup twice the size to add enough cream to her liking.
“Cream’s over there.” Grace nodded toward the end of the counter.
“Oh, I just add it myself?” Melinda questioned, confused, since it had been added to Emily’s coffee for her.
“We find that people who don’t take it regular prefer to fix it themselves,” explained Grace. She walked away to grab another stack of paper cups.
“Okay then,” Melinda mumbled, heading to add her cream. When Grace returned, she asked William what he’d like to order.
“Nothing for me, thank you. Just the coffee for Ms. Howard if you please.”
Not even gruff Grace could ignore William Wakefield’s charms whether he intended it or not. She blushed as she took William’s money and handed him back his change.
“Please keep the change, dear lady. Good day to you.”
“You don’t be a stranger now,” Grace called out as he and Melinda departed the store.
“See Melinda, you’re making friends with the locals already,” he whispered.
“Yeah, um, I’m pretty sure she meant you, William. Not me.”
He shrugged as they stepped outside, where Emily waited for them.
“Can we walk you to work this morning?” William asked her, holding out his arm. She took hold and giggled again.
A twinge of jealousy pinched at Melinda. William never offered his arm to her. He used to now and then when they’d patrol together at night. It was the only time she ever left the house, sometimes for weeks on end. He’d
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