Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“You like him.”
“Yes, but I can’t date another business owner here—it’s too public. What if things don’t work out, and we both still have to exist here?”
“It’s not like he works for you,” Jonah said.
“No, but the business association is…”
“We’re close, and you would have to see him, but are you really going to give up on a chance at happiness because you’re afraid?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time.” Tears burned behind Rhys’s eyes, and he fought to keep them from falling. “I need a minute.”
He walked into the back as Jonah called, “I’ll leave you alone, but text me if you need anything.”
Rhys waved at him, not sure he could get himself to speak again.
CHAPTER 27
Three days had gone by without a word from Rhys. No matter how many times he looked at his phone, no texts from Rhys appeared. Caleb had glimpsed him coming and going from Frost + Foam, but he hadn’t attempted to communicate with him.
Every time one of their mutual friends had come into Cloud Nine, Caleb wanted to ask how Rhys was doing, but he hadn’t. Rhys wanted space, and Caleb would give him that. Or at least he had been willing to.
By closing time, he decided he’d waited long enough. He wasn’t sure how long Marianne meant for him to give Rhys, but his patience had run out. He missed Rhys. He’d gotten used to seeing him nearly every day. He wanted to see him, to kiss him, to… He shouldn’t get ahead of himself. Rhys might not even be willing to talk to him.
Once he’d closed down the shop for the day, Caleb gathered up the drink toppings, apple puree, and pumpkin chocolate sauce he’d prepared during the afternoon lull. If Rhys wanted to stick to business only, they could work at Frost + Foam that night. Caleb considered picking up dinner, but he didn’t want to miss Rhys if he was leaving right after closing. He wasn’t even positive Rhys was working that afternoon, but he was going to hope for the best.
Obviously, any of a number of townspeople might see him enter Frost + Foam, but they already knew he and Rhys were working together, so there was no reason to assume anything else. Probably very few people were even thinking that way. At least he could hope that was true, but in Rhys’s mind, the whole town was pushing for them to be together and that made being together too difficult.
Caleb understood, but he wasn’t willing to give up the man he’d fallen for just because of nosy neighbors.
He glanced in the windows and didn’t see anyone. Maybe Rhys was in the back.
When he knocked on the front door, there was no response, but he waited. He was sure Rhys would check the cameras and see him there if he was in the store.
Rhys appeared just as he was about to knock one more time. As he walked to the door, he looked like he’d have preferred to have stayed in the back, but Caleb wasn’t going to be deterred.
“I brought the ingredients so we could make drinks here,” he said when Rhys opened the door. “It’s time we got back to work.”
Rhys shook his head. “Caleb, I’m—”
“We can figure out what we’re doing about us after we make a drink for the festival, but there’s no reason we can’t keep working together.”
Rhys ran a hand through his hair. “I want to work with you. I just…”
“I know. Can I stay?”
“Yes, but… We’ll just make drinks, okay?”
Caleb nodded. It wasn’t what he wanted, but he wouldn’t push any harder. After three days of no contact, Rhys had let him in and agreed to let him stay. That was enough.
Rhys began setting up what they needed at the counter as Caleb unloaded the ingredients he’d brought. “The puree and the syrup are at room temperature. Do you think I should heat them back up?”
Rhys shook his head. “No. I don’t want to put them in the microwave. I think they’ll be fine with the hot espresso and milk.”
“I agree. I just wanted to check.”
“Thanks.” Rhys’s smile looked forced.
They were being absurdly polite and working very hard not to touch each other as they moved around in the small space. Caleb wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand it. He didn’t want to have to be that careful. He didn’t want it to feel awkward to touch Rhys now when he knew how eagerly Rhys had responded before and how much he enjoyed Caleb’s hands on him.
He tried to think of something normal to say. He could tell Rhys about Mallow, but if he found out Rhys didn’t like cats, that might crush him, so he just kept working, accepting a cup from Rhys when the espresso and milk were ready, then topping it the same way he’d had done the last time they’d created their pumpkin chocolate drink. Once the chocolate shavings were sprinkled on top of the foam, he took a taste.