by Abby Brooks
Juliet’s eyes glittered with pride and love and happiness. “Plus, we get to spend all day every day together. I know some couples would get sick of each other, but I just feel better that way.”
“There is that.” Ian reached across the table to take his fiancée’s hand. He ran a thumb across her knuckles.
Ellie left them to tend to the line of local residents that had gathered at the counter during their brief conversation. Mrs. Cernshaw wanted a dozen pastries. Mr. McAfee wanted six large coffees to take down to the docks. Mrs. Francis showed up with her gaggle of flaxen-haired daughters and bought enough cookies to feed an entire army of girls for a sleepover. Each and every customer bought more than they needed, and she finished the day with more than her fair share of bless your hearts.
Thursday ended with overflowing cash registers and shelves wiped clean. Her weekday cook wiped sweat off his brow and spent an extra hour restocking the kitchen. Friday started with another visit from Frank and Diane, toting their third and fourth children, Harrison and Lilah.
“Yesterday was so delicious, we had to bring these two in so we could share the experience with them,” said Diane, after ordering four meals identical to the ones they had the day before. Harrison greeted Ellie with a shy smile and a compliment about the menu while Lilah muttered disdainfully about never being able to finish the meal her mother ordered for her.
After Ellie served what seemed like the entire town of Bliss twice over, James finally made his appearance, wandering through the door shortly before noon with a shit-eating grin stretched across his handsome face.
“You look busy,” he said, pushing his sunglasses into his hair.
“You don’t look surprised to find me this way.” Ellie was restocking what she could of the pastry display, but she was just plain out of some of the more popular items.
“I may have suggested that people should come check out how much you’ve added to the menu.” James leaned on the counter, all smiles, charm, and tattoos. “And I may have suggested that you could benefit from having a few larger orders throughout the day.”
“Well, people certainly seem eager to please you. I’ve had people come in I’d forgotten I even knew, telling me they’re proud to know me and ordering enough food for three people.”
“Eh,” James said with a shrug of his shoulders. “That’s the benefit of living in a small town. Everyone is ready to help at a moment’s notice.”
Ellie didn’t know if she should thank him for giving her the boost she needed or yell at him for sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. It turned out it didn’t matter because another rush of customers had her racing to fill orders and keep coffee brewed. James watched her flit about with a self-satisfied grin for a few minutes before he hopped the counter and took over the coffee so she could focus on taking orders. He moved around her like they had always done it that way, stocking items, handing her cups, and just generally making her laugh with his well-timed jokes and friendly greetings to people who had been strangers to him when they walked in the door.
Juliet and Ian made another appearance sometime around two, looking exhausted from whatever demolition they had going on at their newest property. Ellie got their coffees ready and watched as James teased his older brother.
“You done with that house yet?”
Ian frowned. “Just started on it today. We’re a long way from done, I’m afraid.”
“That’s because you didn’t have me there to help. We all know that I’m better than you at everything.” James touched Ellie on the small of her back as he passed behind her.
“You keep saying that,” Ian said. “But it keeps not being true.”
The men shuffled off to the end of the counter while James asked Ian about the construction. That left Ellie alone with Juliet.
“You guys seem good,” Ellie said, gesturing toward Ian.
Juliet’s eyes glimmered with so much love, Ellie found herself thinking of cartoons and emojis. “I’ve never been better in all of my life. He satisfies needs in me I didn’t even know I had.”
“I’m happy for you two.” Ellie watched the brothers as they talked, enjoying the way James’ eyes lit up as he gave Ian hell over something.
Juliet followed her gaze. “You’ve done wonders for him.”
“For James?” Ellie could hear the shock in her voice.
“He was in such a dangerous spiral. Drinking, women…the fighting.”
Ellie leaned in and lowered her voice. “The drinking had gotten bad. We made a deal that he wouldn’t drink when we were out together. It was one of the conditions of our relationship.”
Ellie bit her lip.
She hated lying.
And while what she said was totally true—James not drinking was one of the conditions of their relationship—the relationship itself was a lie.
Juliet patted her hand. “I don’t think he’s drinking even when he’s alone. I think you put a stop to it completely.”
Ellie raised her eyebrows. “Really? Wow…” Her gaze returned to James almost of its own accord. She suspected he quit; but hadn’t wanted to bring it up and jinx it.
“And he just seems so happy,” Juliet continued, beaming. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the fighting goes the way of the drinking, if you guys keep this up.”
Ellie returned the smile. She liked making James happy. She liked knowing he might be healing, and she might have something to do with it. Regardless as to whether their relationship was real or not, she cared about him. Hell, he was the guy she had fawned over since eighth grade, for heaven’s sake.
“I’m glad. He deserves to be happy.” As if he could feel Ellie watching him, James turned and gave her a lift of his chin and one of the sultriest winks she had ever seen. She bit her lip and gave her focus back to Juliet, who was shaking her head and laughing.
“You two have it bad.”
James and Ian finished their conversation and rejoined the women. “Have what bad?” asked Ian.
Juliet leaned into her fiancé. “I was just telling Ellie how happy James has been over the last couple weeks.”
“It’s true.” Ian patted Ellie’s hand. “He’s had a rough month. And he seems to be coming out of it, thanks to you.”
Ellie’s gaze flicked to James, a blush flaring across her cheeks. The conversation was growing uncomfortable, and fast.
As much as she wanted to take the credit, she couldn’t be the cause of James’ happiness. Their relationship was all smoke and mirrors. His face echoed her discomfort, his already dark eyes darkening more.
Juliet threaded her arm through Ian’s elbow. “Falling in love will do that to a guy.”
Ellie’s heart fluttered. Was it nerves? Was it because Juliet used the ‘L’ word? Was it because she got to watch James’ face blanch in some awful duet of shock and…was that humiliation? Embarrassment?
Acknowledgement?
Or was that wishful thinking on her part? And if it was, why would she be wishing for James to acknowledge he was falling in love with her?
Juliet and Ian took their coffees and left, oblivious to the tangle of complicated emotions wreaking havoc on the other couple.
As soon as they were gone, James cleared his throat. “At least we have proof we’ve been convincing.” His tone said he was totally fine with convincing Ian and Juliet he was falling in love. His eyes? His eyes said he was scared to death and trying not to combust on the spot.
Ellie offered her hand up for a high five. “Well played, my friend.” Everything about her reaction was calculated. The high five instead of a touch on the shoulder. The word friend instead of his name. The wide smile on her face, custom designed to cover up the thunderstorm of emotions punishing her head and heart.
The fear dissipated from James’ face. Did he know he was so easy to read? Or had she just gotten good at reading him?
He hung around for a few more minutes, then said his goodbyes, sweeping Ellie into a warm hug that whipped the tornado of co
nfusion inside her into a frenzy, decimating the careful barriers she’d built around her heart.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ellie
Friday ended with another full cash register and a kitchen practically wiped clean of stock. Ellie left Good Beginnings in a hurry. It was the last day to pay the power bill before they disconnected her electricity. She spent the drive to the office avoiding thoughts of James and the swirl of emotion she’d ignored since he left the café a few hours before.
The woman behind the counter clucked reproachfully as Ellie swept into the building and explained why she was there. “You’re cutting it really close, aren’t you?”
“It’s not like I did it on purpose.” She swallowed back the rest of her words, which were decidedly less polite.
The woman frowned, pulling her mouth down in an angry line, deepening the wrinkles too many hard years had left on her face. “Uh-huh.”
If it’s possible to fit any more judgment into your reply, I’ll eat my hat, Ellie thought. She kept that to herself as well, choosing instead to smile and hand the woman her power bill and its corresponding payment. She waited patiently—polite smile plastered on her face—while the woman clacked her chipped fingernails over the filthy keyboard.
She squinted at the computer screen and shook her head. “They’ve already been out to disconnect,” she said without looking at Ellie.
“But the bill wasn’t due until today.” Ellie tried to keep the desperate whine out of her voice but failed. She was desperate and sounded exactly how she felt.
“True, but as I already mentioned. You’re cutting it really close. This building closes in five minutes.”
Ellie waited for the woman to offer a solution, but when none came, she swallowed back her frustration and reapplied the polite smile. “Is it possible you could call them? Let them know I’m here and that I paid in full?”
The woman sighed and looked at Ellie as if she had just asked her to single-handedly build a temple to the gods. “I guess I can try to reach them.”
“Thank you,” Ellie said, letting the gratitude play in her voice and eyes. “It really means a lot.”
The woman plucked her phone from its cradle, stabbing at the keypad.
No wonder those nails are chipped.
When the call ended, Ellie thanked the woman one last time and practically ran out of the building. Warmth wrapped itself around her as she stepped outside, and she took a deep breath of fresh air. That was a close call. Too close. She couldn’t keep living at the end of her rope. Not without losing her mind. Something had to give. She just didn’t know what.
It wasn’t like she could cut any more corners. She already shopped at the discount stores and spent less each week on groceries than most people spent on fancy coffee. She wore secondhand clothes, lived in a modest apartment, and drove the car she bought in high school. She even pushed as far between oil changes as she possibly could to save a buck.
What else could she do?
Close the café?
Then what? She’d still be drowning in debt—thank you Parasite Steve. Was she going to have to give up and file bankruptcy?
Her stomach hollowed out and her heart grew brittle. She didn’t want to do that. It would be admitting defeat—something she wasn’t at all interested in. She was a fighter. A survivor.
Her cell phone interrupted her thoughts as she pulled to a stop at a red light. If her stomach had hollowed out before, it imploded when she saw who was calling.
Her cook.
The one she’d talked into covering for Ben tomorrow. And the only reason he’d be calling at all would be to call off. She answered the phone with a smile on her face and hung up feeling nauseated. The guy was sick. No way he’d be able to work in the morning which meant Ellie had no one to help her run the café. And if Saturday was like the last two days, there would be no way for her to keep up.
She pulled into her parking spot and threw open the car door, eager for fresh air. She took big, gulping breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Tears pressed against her eyes and her hands began to quiver—all signs a full-blown panic attack was eminent.
But she didn’t do that anymore. Panic attacks. She’d chosen to leave those behind when she got out of the foster system. She was the master of her fate. In control of her life.
Her phone rang again as she slid her key into the lock of her front door. What now? she thought as she answered the call and pushed into the apartment.
“Hello?” Her voice was gruffer than she intended. She dropped her purse on the floor and swept her hand against the wall, flicking on the lights.
“Ellie?” She recognized James’ voice in the same instant she recognized the lights weren’t coming on.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Leaving the door open for light, she moved deeper into the darkened apartment to the next light switch. Flicked it on.
Nothing.
“Ellie? Are you okay?”
She sat down on the floor in the middle of her lightless living room and put her head in her hands. “No. I’m not okay.”
“What’s wrong? Where are you?” The concern in James’ voice just about crumbled her reserves.
“It’s nothing,” she said around a tight throat. “I’ll survive.”
“I’m sure you will, but Ellie? I need you to tell me what’s wrong.”
She sighed then swallowed her pride and explained.
“But you paid the bill? Before the end of the day they told you the payment was due.”
“Just barely, but yeah. In fact, I just got back from there.” Embarrassment rolled in her belly, encouraging the tears still fighting to make an appearance. She wondered if she might throw up. “And my cook canceled for tomorrow and I haven’t found a full-time replacement for Ben and I…” She trailed off, not wanting to give her worries a voice.
“One thing at a time, sweet Ellie.” James sounded warm and strong and she didn’t know if it made her feel better or worse. “Call the power company. Explain their mistake. Get your electricity turned back on. Call me when you’re done.”
Ellie did what he told her to do, priding herself on keeping the quiver out of her voice as she spoke to Madame Condescending Chipped Nails. Apparently, the technician who was in charge of disconnects was done for the day. And he didn’t work on the weekends, so long story short, Ellie wouldn’t have power until Monday. She called James back and explained, losing control of the quiver.
“That’s such utter bullshit,” he said. “Gotta love living in a small town.”
“I guess,” Ellie said and groaned. The other benefit of living in a small town was the gossip. Combine this story with James’ attempts at getting her more customers and all of Bliss would be believing she was homeless by Monday.
“Okay. Here’s what you’re going to do. You can’t stay in a dark apartment without air conditioning for the whole weekend. I won’t have it. Pack a bag. Grab the food out of your fridge and get your ass over here. I’ve got more than enough electricity to share.”
Pride demanded she turn him down. “No way, Moore. Thank you, but I can’t impose on you like that.” Plus, her heart was already inflating like a hot air balloon on steroids at his attempt to sweep in and rescue her. She couldn’t have that.
“It’s not an imposition and I will be highly offended and driven to drink myself to oblivion if you continue to turn me down.” Ellie could imagine the devilish twinkle that was surely making his dark eyes dance. “Pack a bag. Grab your food. I’ll see you in a few.”
James didn’t even wait to hear Ellie’s response. He hung up after talking over her to say goodbye. She stared at the phone for a few seconds before getting up and doing exactly what he told her to. She packed up a weekend’s worth of clothes—taking a little more time over her underwear choices than she’d like to admit—then packed up all the perishable food she didn’t want rotting in her fridge the next few days. She spent the drive to James’ house with her jaw clenched tight
and her teeth starting to ache from the pressure.
What turns coal into diamonds? she kept asking herself. Pressure.
It was an old mantra, one she’d developed in one of her many unsuccessful families. A high-powered couple who were overly eager to shape her young mind. A couple who firmly believed the more pressure they applied to her, the better off she would be. Sadly, she never got to find out what their high standards would do for her. They grew tired of giving so much of their time to someone else and gave up fostering altogether—leaving Ellie in another new home.
Their lessons stuck, though. She could take pressure. She could handle all the stuff piling up on her. And she would handle it with grace and come out of these challenging times better. With effort, she deepened her breath. Willed her shoulders to relax. She would calm herself by force. She’d done it before.
The simple beauty of James’ property struck Ellie as she pulled into his driveway. The clean lines of the home. The manicured landscaping. The ocean lapping the private beach and miles of clear blue sky stretching out behind it all. How could anyone stay upset in such a beautiful place?
Of course, that was a silly question.
The house was a huge source of James’ stress, which was a shame. The property was a gem.
He was waiting on the porch in a white wicker chair. He stood as she put the car in park then bounded down the steps to help her with her things. “You good, sweet Ellie?”
She smiled at the new nickname. Sweet Ellie. He’d been calling her that more and more frequently. “Yeah,” she said, grunting under the weight of a particularly heavy bag of food. “Thank you for offering me a place to stay.”
“I couldn’t stand the thought of you melting away in the dark in that tiny box of an apartment. Not when I have space to offer.”
Ellie handed him a bag of frozen stuff. “I happen to call that tiny box home. You’d be wise not to make fun.”
James looked chagrined. “I’m sorry.” He led her toward the door, glancing over his shoulder with that devilish look she loved so much. “But it is tiny, you can’t deny that.”