Shit.
I wipe at my face and stand from the floor as Leith walks up to the counter. “Hell, I’m sorry it took me so long to come in.” He thumbs toward the door. “A tour bus got stuck in a ditch just outside of town, and we all went out to help.”
“We?” I ask, just as Lachlan comes through the door, huffing.
“Are there butteries left?” he asks in a panic.
“Och, Fergus, out of the way,” Shona says as she steps into the coffee house, followed closely by Hamish, Alasdair, and . . . Isla.
“There’s still butteries!” Leith shouts down the line.
The little line cheers, and—God help me—I start bawling like a baby.
The community has shown up for me. At least there are some people out there who appreciate the hard work I’ve put in.
“Lass, you okay?” Leith asks.
I nod and wipe at my eyes. “Yes, sorry.” I take a deep breath. “Just . . . no one came in, and I just thought . . .”
“Aye, we’ve been legs deep in mud all morning. There was a landslide just outside of town, and a tour bus got stuck. All the other tour buses had to divert for the day, but we’re all cleaned up now, and the road is good to go. Trust me, I would have been here sooner after yesterday’s buttery.” He pats his stomach. “We might be personal trainers, but we don’t mind a little buttery on the bones.”
He winks as Lachlan slings an arm around his neck. “And butteries aren’t the only things we’ll shred.”
“Well, thank you,” I say, smiling through tears. “Would you like a drink too?”
“Tea, please. Earl Grey.” Leith nods to one of the tables. “Gotta grab a table before Shona can.”
“Och, that’s very gentlemanly of you,” Shona calls out.
They all laugh, and so do I as I prepare their orders, which I spend the next few moments filling. Hamish cleaned me out of the tattie scones, said he was going to take them to the locals who helped with the cleanup.
By the time Isla comes to the counter, I have two butteries left and a few slices of cake. She smiles kindly and reaches out to take my hand. “You did a great job, Bonnie.”
“Thank you,” I say, returning a sad smile while the elephant in the room practically chokes all the air out of my lungs. “How’s . . . Dakota?”
Isla’s brow creases. “What do you mean, ‘How’s Dakota?’ I thought she was with you.”
Panic tightens my chest. “No, I thought she was with you. We had a fight, and I just assumed she went to stay with you these past few days.”
Isla’s eyes look wild now as she shakes her head. “No, she said she was taking some time to think about things. I thought . . . I thought she was with you.”
“Oh my God.” I quickly grab my phone and try giving her a call. As expected, she doesn’t answer. “Have you called or texted her?”
“No, I was giving her some space.” Isla pulls out her phone as well. “Should I call her?”
“Yes, see if she answers.” Panic turns into fear as my mind reels back to the weeks after Isabella broke up with Dakota. She fell into a deep depression, and it took her a while to climb out of it. There were a few nights when I slept in her bed with her, just to let her know I loved her, I was there for her, that she was worth so much more than the way Isabella had treated her.
Isla gnaws on her bottom lip as the phone rings. I hold my breath, terrified. I can hear her voice mail pick up, and my stomach drops. Isla glances at me, wide eyed, and when the beep sounds off, she says, “Hiya, Dakota, it’s me. I know you wanted some space, but I’m just checking on you to make sure you’re all right. Please call me.” She hangs up and shifts in place. “What do we do?”
I glance around the coffee shop. “Find her.” Clearing my throat, I face my very first patrons. “Hey, you guys, something has come up, and I’m going to need to close.”
Leith lifts his head, halfway through eating his buttery. “Is everything okay?”
“Hopefully,” I say. “I hate to kick you out, especially since you showed up to support me, but . . . do you mind?”
“Not at all,” Shona says, gathering everyone and shoving them out the door.
Leith stays behind, though, and when everyone is out of earshot, he asks, “Does this have to do with Rowan? We haven’t heard from him in a few days, and since he’s not here today and didn’t even respond to help with the tour bus, I thought maybe you two didn’t figure things out.”