hadn’t heard about Claire’s visitor last night already, they would now. He didn’t need to worry about leaving her at work. Once word spread, everyone would look out for her. Still, he hated to leave her here. He couldn’t be with her every second of the day, but he needed to know she’d be safe.
“Did they catch the guy?”
“Not yet,” Owen said. “I’d appreciate it if you made sure Claire isn’t alone in the shop and doesn’t go anywhere alone until they find this guy.”
“You know Owen, right?” Claire asked.
“Sure do. Don’t you worry. I won’t let her out of my sight. Can I get you anything, Mr. McBride?”
“No, thanks. And your husband generously gave me a C minus in his class. Please, call me Owen.”
Gayle smiled and her cheeks pinked. “He must have recognized your potential.”
“I didn’t make it easy on him.” In fact, he’d lived up to the badass McBride name for too many years and wondered how many other people saw something better in him back in the day when he’d been nothing but self-centered and cocky for no good reason.
“I don’t know any teen who makes anything easy.”
“Yeah, well, I especially went out of my way to make life hard on myself and anyone around me.”
“You landed on the right side of the law,” Claire said from beside him. He appreciated her support.
“We got a new shipment of books, and the order from that boutique you love came in, too.”
Claire’s face lit up and her smile transformed her face. She’d smiled at him this morning, but not like this. He wanted to see that carefree, excited smile on her face more often.
“Wait here. I’ll be right back,” she said.
He had work to do, but if she wanted him to wait, he’d wait.
Man, you’ve got it bad.
His gaze on her pretty bottom as she rounded the counter confirmed his thoughts. Hell yes, he wanted her bad. Like no one he’d ever dated, he felt drawn to her. She made him feel like a horny teenager, but also like a man who’d found someone special. The first he understood. The second scared him, but not enough to back off. Hormones won out over self-preservation. If Claire figured out just what kind of power she held over him, God help him.
She stood by the espresso machine, making some coffee concoction, and glanced over at him with a shy smile.
Maybe if they were both nervous about this situation it wasn’t all bad. They’d get through this awkward discovery period and find a rhythm and a comfortable companionship like his brother and Rain shared.
“Hey, can I borrow your phone?” he asked.
“It’s in the right pocket of my purse.”
He pulled the bag closer and found the phone, along with a pack of wintergreen mints, a dark brown hair band he hoped she never used to bind up the long mass of waves cascading nearly to her waist, and a chocolate mint protein bar.
He tapped from one screen to the next until he had her contacts list open. He added his name, address, and all his phone numbers: home, cell, office. He took his phone from his pocket and did the same, adding her home and work address and work phone number he took from the business card on the counter.
She set a tray with two cups in front of him and a white bakery bag.
“Here. Type in your home number and cell for me.”
She took the phone without a word and did what he asked.
“What’s all this?” he asked.
“Your assistant comes in on Saturday and orders a double-shot nonfat latté with an apple cinnamon muffin. Since you already had breakfast, I put a double fudge caramel brownie in the bag for you and”—she put her hand on the other cup—“this is an Americano. You’ll love it.
“Thank you for everything you did last night and this morning.”
Touched she remembered his favorite treat and made him a coffee, he took a sip of the drink and smiled. “It’s good. Thanks.”
“You’ll score points with your assistant when you bring that in.” He didn’t say anything, so she cocked
“Did they catch the guy?”
“Not yet,” Owen said. “I’d appreciate it if you made sure Claire isn’t alone in the shop and doesn’t go anywhere alone until they find this guy.”
“You know Owen, right?” Claire asked.
“Sure do. Don’t you worry. I won’t let her out of my sight. Can I get you anything, Mr. McBride?”
“No, thanks. And your husband generously gave me a C minus in his class. Please, call me Owen.”
Gayle smiled and her cheeks pinked. “He must have recognized your potential.”
“I didn’t make it easy on him.” In fact, he’d lived up to the badass McBride name for too many years and wondered how many other people saw something better in him back in the day when he’d been nothing but self-centered and cocky for no good reason.
“I don’t know any teen who makes anything easy.”
“Yeah, well, I especially went out of my way to make life hard on myself and anyone around me.”
“You landed on the right side of the law,” Claire said from beside him. He appreciated her support.
“We got a new shipment of books, and the order from that boutique you love came in, too.”
Claire’s face lit up and her smile transformed her face. She’d smiled at him this morning, but not like this. He wanted to see that carefree, excited smile on her face more often.
“Wait here. I’ll be right back,” she said.
He had work to do, but if she wanted him to wait, he’d wait.
Man, you’ve got it bad.
His gaze on her pretty bottom as she rounded the counter confirmed his thoughts. Hell yes, he wanted her bad. Like no one he’d ever dated, he felt drawn to her. She made him feel like a horny teenager, but also like a man who’d found someone special. The first he understood. The second scared him, but not enough to back off. Hormones won out over self-preservation. If Claire figured out just what kind of power she held over him, God help him.
She stood by the espresso machine, making some coffee concoction, and glanced over at him with a shy smile.
Maybe if they were both nervous about this situation it wasn’t all bad. They’d get through this awkward discovery period and find a rhythm and a comfortable companionship like his brother and Rain shared.
“Hey, can I borrow your phone?” he asked.
“It’s in the right pocket of my purse.”
He pulled the bag closer and found the phone, along with a pack of wintergreen mints, a dark brown hair band he hoped she never used to bind up the long mass of waves cascading nearly to her waist, and a chocolate mint protein bar.
He tapped from one screen to the next until he had her contacts list open. He added his name, address, and all his phone numbers: home, cell, office. He took his phone from his pocket and did the same, adding her home and work address and work phone number he took from the business card on the counter.
She set a tray with two cups in front of him and a white bakery bag.
“Here. Type in your home number and cell for me.”
She took the phone without a word and did what he asked.
“What’s all this?” he asked.
“Your assistant comes in on Saturday and orders a double-shot nonfat latté with an apple cinnamon muffin. Since you already had breakfast, I put a double fudge caramel brownie in the bag for you and”—she put her hand on the other cup—“this is an Americano. You’ll love it.
“Thank you for everything you did last night and this morning.”
Touched she remembered his favorite treat and made him a coffee, he took a sip of the drink and smiled. “It’s good. Thanks.”
“You’ll score points with your assistant when you bring that in.” He didn’t say anything, so she cocked
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