“Coming right up.” I poured the hot water into a whimsical mug that fit with the rest of the décor of The Brew. I’d convinced the owner, Sue, to let me redecorate with a minimal budget. Cady and I had a blast hunting for finds at garage and estate sales and giving the place a new coat of paint. The result was an almost Alice in Wonderland look, full of color and life.
I handed Ms. Peabody her breakfast and took the exact change she gave me. There was never a tip from her.
“Did you hear that SAR rescued a man off the mountain the night before last?” she asked.
A shiver ran through me as I thought about how cold it had been. “No, I didn’t.”
Ms. Peabody let out a little huff, but I didn’t miss the glee in her eyes. “Tourist, of course. Decided to go hiking in the snow. Got hypothermia and scared his poor wife to death. They’re staying at my B&B, naturally.”
I tried to stifle my laugh. She’d said it as if that garnered her some sort of prize. But I guessed when gossip was your currency, it did.
The bell over the door rang, and I glanced up to greet the newcomer. The words Welcome to The Brew died in my throat. Piercing blue eyes met mine. His light brown hair looked more than a little wild, and stubble dotted Roan’s jaw. He carried a large bag of something, and I knew it had to be heavy because I saw his muscles bulging, even under his jacket.
Ms. Peabody pursed her lips and hurried to a table as Roan strode toward me. He had the kind of energy that ate up space and made everyone sit up and pay attention.
“Hi,” I greeted. Unfortunately, it sounded more like a rush of air than an actual word.
“Brought you some deer feed but didn’t see your car.”
There were no pleasantries with Roan, just straight to business. I admired the authenticity of it in a way. “My station wagon’s at the mechanics’。”
“Good.” Even the word sounded like a grunt.
“Thanks for the food. You can put it in the back if you want.”
Roan jerked his head in a nod and then followed me down the hall to the storage room. I opened the door and flicked on a light. “Anywhere’s good.”
The shelves were packed full of non-refrigerated supplies, so there wasn’t much room. But Roan slid by me and dumped the food in the corner. As he stood, we nearly came nose-to-nose.
I sucked in a breath. That faint sandalwood scent was back. It swirled around me in a tempting tease. Up close, Roan had an otherworldly beauty with a sharply angled jaw and haunting eyes. A faint scar bisected one of his eyebrows, and I had the bizarre urge to trace it with my finger.
Roan’s gaze dropped to my lips. “I can load it into your car later.”
I forced myself to take a step back. “That’s okay.”
“It’s heavy.”
“I know, but I’m used to lifting heavy things.” Hay and feed were never light.
Roan scowled. “You could hurt yourself.”
I rolled my eyes. “Or I’ll just get a workout in.”
Roan opened his mouth to argue, but Zeke yelled from the kitchen.
“Got customers.”
And the cook wasn’t about to deal with people if I was around.
I hurried out of the storage room. “Thanks again.”
Roan simply grunted.
I wondered if I could decipher what each one meant if I studied them hard enough. My lips twitched at the idea.
Roan hovered by the bakery case as I slipped behind it. He looked unsure, uncomfortable.
My brows pinched. “Did you need something?”
He shook his head jerkily. “You got a ride home?”
I felt something squeeze deep in my chest. “I’m picking up my car at three.”
Roan frowned. “Gonna take longer than that to fix it.”
“Jim isn’t fixing it today. Just doing an assessment.”
That frown deepened. “It’s not safe to drive.”
“It’s safe enough for now.”
Roan simply stared me down.
I fought the urge to squirm under that dark blue gaze.
“Excuse me,” a patron said from the other side of the counter, and I flushed from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes.
“How can I help you?” I hurried to fill the customer’s order. When I turned back around, Roan was gone.
A flicker of disappointment rooted itself somewhere deep. I worried that spot on the inside of my cheek.
A throat cleared, and I turned back to the register.
Ms. Peabody was standing at the counter, a stern look on her face. “I didn’t know you were friendly with the Hartley boy.”