by Leah Sanders
"Can I get you a cup of coffee? I'll get you some coffee." He leapt up and hurried behind the bar. Jory vaguely recalled he had worked at another shop across town before filling in at her regular place.
Chloe took the seat Andy had vacated. "I'm sorry, Jory. I know this looks bad, but you have to believe me. Drew is a good guy. He would never do anything to hurt you. The only reason he told me anything was because he was asking my advice." She looked past Jory at Andy, studying him.
"Aren't you his girlfr—" The realization cut her off. Drew was going to be with his sister. Chloe was Andy's sister.
"Ew. No. Gross. I mean, he's awesome. But… he's my brother." Chloe scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue in disgust.
Andy came back with a steaming hot cup of coffee and set it on the table in front of Jory.
"I'm really sorry, Jory. I hope you know that. The truth is I wanted to ask you out on that very first day."
"You did?" She studied his face. His dark blue eyes implored her to believe him. "Why didn't you? Why the charade? I mean, what if I hadn't fallen for your trick?"
Andy's gaze dropped to his hands. "I don't know. I didn't mean for it to be a trick. I just… you're so amazing. I couldn't believe those guys were so stupid. I didn't know how to ask, and I felt a little…" He didn't finish his thought, just met her gaze tentatively.
All this time Jory had seen him as confident and easy-going. She never would have guessed he was afraid to ask her out.
"So what do you say?" Andy raised one eyebrow and nudged her coffee cup closer to her. "Will you go out with me?"
Jory let her gaze drop to the bright red coffee mug. A perfect foam heart swirl peered back at her, warming her all the way to her toes.
"I would love to."
I WAS NERVOUS. I mean, not because the bar had been set too high by those other guys, but because I really wanted Jory to have the perfect date. I wanted to be the one who gave it to her.
That first day she walked into my coffee shop, I was taken by how beautiful she was. But she was so upset. I wanted to make her feel better. I wanted to be the one to make her smile. I'm just glad there are so many losers out there. While I was working up my courage to ask her out, they were blowing their chance with her.
"So… dinner?" I asked, offering my hand to Jory.
She took it and that smile I lived for spread across her lips.
I led her to the room in the back of the coffee shop. I'd set it up earlier in the day. A dark red tablecloth with a white accent piece, candlelight, my mom's best china. Yeah, I asked my mom for help — I'm a bachelor. Bachelors eat on paper plates. I called in a take-out order to the Italian restaurant, Trebioni's. It was waiting in the warmer.
Her intake of breath made it all worth it.
"I hope this is okay," I said. "I didn't want to be too cliché."
"This is beautiful." She seemed quiet. Speechless even. I took it as a good sign when she squeezed my hand and stepped toward the table.
I held her chair for her. Her dark red hair hung like a curtain down her back. The aroma of honeysuckle wafted to me. She always smelled so good.
"I'll just be a minute with dinner." I stepped into the kitchen and retrieved the plates from Emma, the girl who was working that night. She'd helped me with all the preparations. I think she was having fun giving me tips on being romantic.
When I returned, Jory's eyes lit up. Italian was her favorite.
"Hope you don't mind me ordering for you," I said. "I promise, no snails."
Her laugh drifted through me like a welcome warm breeze."
"But I do want you to feel comfortable," I added as I pulled a dish of French fries from behind my back. "Don't worry, I'm sure Danielle would approve." I couldn't help myself.
She snorted and reached to cover her mouth.
"Wait…" she said, a sparkle of mischievous amusement in her light blue eyes. "Is this veal?"
"Yes." Uh-oh… Did I pick the wrong thing?
She held her finger to her lips and whispered, "Don't tell Demeter." Then sliced into the meat and lifted a bite to her mouth, then sighed in delight.
"I tried to hire some entertainment for us while we ate, but Flip the Clown was all booked up. Something about a poetry reading at the Shakespeare Festival, I think."
Jory giggled. "That's a shame. I would have really enjoyed that."
We spent the rest of the meal getting to know each other better. She asked lots of questions, and I realized in the last two weeks I hadn't told her much about myself. And most of what I knew about her was from the stories she was telling me.
Afterward we drove around for a long time, just talking. I didn't want the night to end. Even with the cold February rain coming down in steady rhythm on the car roof, and the wipers wooshing across the windshield in time to my heartbeat, it just felt right.
Eventually, we found ourselves on Worthington Ridge, overlooking the city lights. It was an amazing sight.
"I wish I had my camera," Jory said. She slipped her delicate hand in mine and rested her head on my shoulder.
My heart pounded in my chest. I rested my cheek on her head and held completely still. I was afraid even a small movement would break the spell.
But I wanted to move. I wanted to kiss her senseless. The thought nagged at me until it was either that or go insane. Instead, I opened my car door and stepped out into the cold rain. My thought process was still unclear to me, but my feet seemed to move on their own, carrying me to the passenger side. My hands moved independently, opening her door and reaching for her hand.
"Dance with me." The words were out before I knew they were there.
"In the rain?" she asked, taking my hand and stepping out with me.
"Yes. Dance in the rain with me." Clearly, I was insane. I could see she thought so too.
"But there's no music," she argued. There was a light in her eyes though, and she put her hands around my neck.
I tugged my phone out of my pocket and turned the volume up on high, scrolled through my playlist until I found the perfect song, then slid the phone into my jacket pocket and pulled her closer.
Look into my eyes
You will see
What you mean to me…
The song drifted through the air, and we danced… in the rain.
"Holy pancakes, you guys." Olivia was staring wide-eyed at them. Tears were actually slipping down her cheek. For another long moment she just shook her head and swiped at her face with a napkin.
Jory squeezed Andy's hand and settled against his shoulder. He pressed his lips to her head. This was what it had all been about. Every last miserable date, every horrible guy… the plague of frogs, as it were. The half dozen tragic dates were no more than laughable memories now. But the experience had taught her something. They are stinky and gross, their ideas don't go as planned, and sometimes they make you throw up — but in the end, the real trouble with frogs is you have to go through so many of them to find the prince.
With his free hand, Andy nudged Jory's chin, angling her face toward him. His almost perfect smile warmed her to her core.
"Just think," Jory said, grinning up at him. "The whole time I was dating frogs, a prince was right here making me coffee."
He lowered his head and their lips met. The sweetness of his touch thrilled her and she gladly returned his kiss. She had finally found her prince.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LEAH SANDERS makes her home in Idaho with her husband and four children. By day she teaches high school English. By night, she writes, edits, and designs cover art from her favorite seat on the couch.
Get in touch with Leah at facebook.com/LLeahSanders and online at leahsandersauthor.com.
ALSO BY LEAH SANDERS
Waltzing with the Wallflower Trilogy
Waltzing with the Wallflower
Beguiling Bridget
Taming Wilde
The Mythology Files
Discord
Strategy (Coming Soon)
Endfield
All We See or Seem
One Lonely Rose (Coming Soon)
Stand-Alone
The Parting Gift
The Trouble with Frogs
Two Turtledoves
Sacred Ring
www.leahsandersauthor.com
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN