“Watch out there,” Maggie tells me, her tooth worrying her decrease lip as she offers me a involved look. She’s not speaking about dealing with the new coffees.

“Why? What’s incorrect with Raine?”

I do know all in regards to the household drama between the Harts and the McAllisters. You do not transfer to a city like Moonshine Ridge with out getting the native tea spilled throughout you earlier than you’ve got even had an opportunity to satisfy your neighbors. However nobody’s warned me off of courting any of the boys on the Ridge and the way in which Maggie and Birch are taking a look at me now has me questioning if their considerations transcend the bounds of the household feuds.

“I’ve by no means seen one of many Hart boys do proper by a girl but.” Birch slides his arm round Maggie’s shoulders as he grumbles. “I discover it exhausting to consider one in every of ’em would begin now.”

“Simply watch out there.” Maggie finishes the transaction on the contact pad level of sale, tapping a button to go away a tip and signing the display along with her finger.

“Have enjoyable with him.” She offers me a wink and half a smile that has Birch scowling deeper. “Simply bear in mind it is simply enjoyable, okay?”

Ten minutes later, the door remains to be open and the open signal remains to be within the window however my temper is lots darker. I nonetheless have not heard from Raine, and Birch and Maggie’s warning is ping-ponging between my head and my coronary heart.

I’ve the La Pavoni torn down; the portafilters and the steam wand are soaking and I am about to go flip the signal within the window to closed and lock the door once I hear the distinct idle of Raine’s truck shut down and the sound of the e-brake being utilized the way in which he all the time does.

This time there is not any hesitancy. He jumps the steps to the boardwalk porch in two fast leaps and jogs throughout the empty store house earlier than leaping the counter in a lithe transfer, sliding over the floor just like the Duke boys hood-sliding throughout the Normal Lee, and touchdown on my facet with the heavy sound of each boots hitting the ground on the similar time.

Earlier than I’ve time to suppose, I am pressed towards the again counter, held tightly with one robust arm wrapped round my waist whereas he presses one thing into my hand, however I am unable to see what it’s as a result of I am too busy swooning into the searing kiss that is busy wiping any doubts I used to be having from my mind.

Raine

“Sorry I am late, child. Did you get my textual content?”

Letting go of April’s tender physique should not be so exhausting. By no means thought I might be jealous of a fucking espresso machine, nevertheless it was clear once I got here via the door that she’s busy taking the factor aside.

“No. I simply thought you did not have service up on the camp.”

I fucking love that breathless high quality to her voice and the dazed means she appears to be like up at me. Letting her physique lean into mine like she trusts me utterly to maintain her on her ft.

It is not possible to withstand kissing her once more. So I do.

“Could not name out of camp,” I verify once I let her up for air once more, “however I shot off a message once I was on the Gulch…do you want ’em?”

It is solely then that she appears to change into conscious of the bouquet in her hand.

“Oh my gosh, Raine, these are attractive!”

My sister will pores and skin me alive if she finds out I raided her valuable greenhouse, however watching April bury her nostril within the handful of blended flowers I picked for her is price it.

“How come you are simply getting this place closed down?” I ask, trying round on the little espresso store that is clearly been open an hour previous her common hours and feeling responsible about being late. “You were not staying open simply to attend for me, had been you?”

Leaning again on the blue Formica counter, I kick my legs out in entrance of me and take her in my arms eagerly when she steps again between my knees for an additional lengthy kiss.

I have been aching to get on this facet of the counter ever since I first walked in right here. As a result of that is the place my lady is.

“No,” she laughs flippantly once I let her lips go. “It has been loopy at present. Apparently, Terra and Hawkins are a factor now and everybody on the mountain needed to are available in to get the news.”

“Everybody got here in right here? Rattling, girl. If it isn’t dangerous sufficient that you simply obtained your self connected with me, Alice McAllister goes to hate you for taking her gossip enterprise away. She’s used to her retailer being the tea capital of the Ridge.”

A shadow crosses April’s fairly face. She should know she’s simple to learn as a result of she pulls the flowers again up for an additional sniff.

“What’s incorrect? Alice wasn’t over right here supplying you with shit already, was she?”

The McAllister/Hart feud has by no means actually affected me, exterior of them and their mates not being eager on sharing house with me, however for an previous girl, Alice generally is a actual bitch typically and if she’s giving my lady bother, I am going to have to inform gran.

“Not Alice, no, she’s solely come within the one time once I first opened. However uh, Birch and Maggie had been in.”

Birch McAllister fucking hates my brother, Hayle, and whereas I am unable to say he would not have good causes for it, Hayle’s nonetheless my brother and kin is all the time the place my allegiance is gonna lie.

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