Cupid's Coffeeshop Set One: Boxed Set: Books 1-4

by Courtney Hunt

  “Will you text me your address for Sunday? I’ll pick up the supplies for us.”

  “I’ll pay you back. Don’t want to put a dent in your savings to see Buckingham Palace.”

  “Would around two o’clock work?”

  Ben nodded, the wind tossing his thick and shiny hair, black as a starless sky, around wildly. His five o’clock shadow darkened his jaw, giving him a rakish look. She fought the urge to kiss him just at the corner of his mouth, to catch a taste of him. Before she could lean forward, Amy stepped away. “See you then.”

  Ben smiled and waved, turning to head back the way they came while still carrying his sleepy daughter. Amy watched until they turned the corner and Zooey opened the coffeeshop door, stepping out into the square.

  “Pining after him as he walks away. Somebody has it bad.”

  “I’m helping him learn to play with his daughter.”

  Zooey winked. “Yes, but what kind of lessons are you giving him?”

  “It’s not like that.” They fell into step towards the tiny Ashford Falls Café at the back of the square of shops. “Well, maybe it’s a little like that. I mean, he is very handsome.”

  “Hmm. I suppose he’s got that sexy professor thing going for him, with the glasses and the tweed jackets.”

  “It’s getting a little flirty. Maybe. I think. Never been good at judging this.”

  “Flirty sounds promising.” Zooey smiled as they settled into a booth in the nearly deserted café.

  “But he’s the parent of one of my students.”

  “Does the Academy have a policy against dating parents?”

  “It’s never come up but pretty sure that Principal Painter would not be thrilled.” Amy shrugged. “Plus, I work for Ben. I’m just saving up to go to London.”

  “Um-hmmm.” Zooey nodded. “Is Livvy’s mom still in the picture?”

  “No. He told me this afternoon he’s not seeing anyone.”

  “And you’re not seeing anyone—”

  “How do you know that? I could be having a madcap passionate affair with… well, someone!”

  “Yeah right, if you were having a madcap affair, you wouldn’t be jaunting off to London alone this summer.”

  “True.” Amy sighed, breaking a cornbread muffin in half and debating whether she should add some honey butter or save the calories. Since she’d already eaten two oatmeal raisin cookies, she didn’t suppose it mattered all that much and scooped out some butter to melt on the hot muffin. Zooey, being a decade younger, didn’t hesitate, popping a second mini-muffin in her mouth.

  “So how long’s it been since your last passionate affair?” Zooey asked.

  “Right about never. Guys don’t really see me as love affair potential. I always get the ‘you’re like a sister to me’ speech. It’s been two years since I dated anyone.”

  “Two years! What happened?” Zooey tilted her head.

  “Dave didn’t want to live here. He found small town life suffocating, but I can’t really imagine living anywhere else. Ben doesn’t live here either. He’ll head back to Baltimore at the end of the month.”

  “Baltimore isn’t that far from here.”

  “Might as well be another world.” Amy shrugged. “And that wasn’t the only issue with Dave. It was more… physical, let’s say, and we just moved too fast.”

  Zooey chuckled. “Do you like Ben or is this more of a physical thing? Because if it’s just physical, then I say it’s time to tear up the sheets.”

  “I like him a lot. He’s smart and witty, once he loosens up a bit. And he adores Livvy.”

  “She’s a cutie.”

  “He’s so determined to get her to laugh and to play with her. He’s a wonderful father.”

  “Sounds like you might be a bit beyond like.” Zooey said after they placed their orders—a cheeseburger for Zooey and a salad for her. “In fact, it sounds like Cupid might have you in his sights.”

  “No way. I’m heading to London for a grand adventure this summer. I’ve waited around for Cupid long enough.”

  “Well, all I can say is that it looks like adventure—and Cupid—might have found you in Ashford Falls.”

  “Maybe.” Amy toyed with her butter knife, thinking of Ben’s kind eyes and sexy smile. “Tell me how things are going at the coffeeshop.”

  “They’re going. I spend most of my days playing peacemaker between Patrick and Joe. Both think they are right about everything.”

  “I remember them being close.”

  “When we were younger, yeah, but not so much now. After grandpa died, our parents wanted to sell to a chain, but Gram wouldn’t hear of it. Dad fought with Aunt Audrey. We moved away and hadn’t seen Joe in over a decade, until Gram’s funeral.”

  “Wow, that must have been awkward.” Amy said. “I’m surprised you all agreed to start up the business again.”

  “Under the terms of my grandmother’s will, we only have a year to make it profitable or we lose it all.”

  “No pressure.”

  “Exactly.” Zooey paused and then said, “I’ve got lots of ideas to bring in more customers, but Joe and Patrick are too busy arguing to listen.”

  “I’ll listen.” Amy said, as their meals were served. Amy’s mouth watered as the rich aroma of cheeseburger wafted over to her. She bit into a cucumber and looked away from the delicious ooey-gooey cheese on Zooey’s burger.

  “What do you think of having a children’s story time on Saturdays?”

  “That’s a great idea. My mom used to do that for the library, but it might work even better in a coffeeshop. Kids come for the story and parents come for the caffeine. You know what might be fun too? Doing a little craft that the kids can take home to go with it.”

  “Would you help me set one up for later this month? I’ll keep it going after that, but I have no experience around kids.”

  “Sure. I’ve even got some ideas for fun crafts. If it was late afternoon or early evening, the kids could wear their pajamas so the parents can take them home and pop them into bed. We could do a themed event…”

  Chapter Seven

  “I had so much stuff that I had to drive over.” Amy said, when Ben opened the door on Sunday. She piled shopping bags into Ben’s arms and dashed back to her car, parked crookedly near the curb. She grabbed some more bags and headed up the walk toward a Craftsman style house, painted in gray and red, with a pot of bright yellow mums near the front door. Ben welcomed her in and Livvy came running to give her a hug.

  “Daddy said you were bringing a surprise.” Livvy said, hugging her around the knees. “Is it candy?”

  “I’m afraid not. But I think you’ll like it just the same.” Amy said, unwinding her scarf and letting Ben help her out of her coat. As he eased the puffy jacket off her shoulders, his long fingers brushed the nape of her neck, sending sparks down her spine. Amy resolutely ignored the tingles. “Show me your room, Miss Livvy! Lead the way.”

  With Ben and Amy acting as pack mules, they followed Livvy up a narrow staircase to her room, a confection of petal pink, sunshine yellow and cheery lavender. Stuffed animals covered the canopy bed. Toys lined an overflowing bookcase near the door and another bookcase, stuffed with books, rested on the far side of the butterfly decal covered closet.

  “Lisa loved the idea and suggested this corner near the closet and the bookcase.” Ben said.

  “Livvy, I’m so glad you like pink.” From the nearest shopping bag, Amy produced the fuchsia satin curtains she’d found in the clearance bin at Target. Livvy stroked the bright fabric lovingly and traced one of the sparkly butterfly appliqués. Amy spent her Saturday night sewing them on while binging on Netflix, but she didn’t see the need to advertise her lack of a social life to the best-looking guy in Ashford Falls.

  “How do we do this?” Ben asked, staring at the pile of pink fabric in her arms with his eyebrows raised.

  “I already sewed the curtains onto the hula-hoop and added fishing wire to hang it.”

  �
��Clever.” Ben nodded approval. “But how are we going to attach it to the ceiling?”

  “I bought these adhesive hooks but I don’t think I’m tall enough. Do you have a stepladder?” Amy handed the hooks to Ben. He stretched, just barely able to reach the ceiling, making his shirt ride up above his jeans. Amy glimpsed his flat belly, just lightly furred, dark against his golden skin. She fisted her hands in the silky fabric, fighting not to reach out and touch him. Her fingers quaked with the urge to trace that cute little trail of hair disappearing under his waistband. Amy swallowed hard and spun away, desperate for a distraction. She focused on the framed pictures lining the top of the bookshelf. “Tell me who the people in the pictures are, Livvy?”

  “This one is Mommy and this is daddy with his daddy…” Amy picked up a plain wood frame and peered at the photo. A much younger Ben and a man who must be his father stood in front of a pink castle and smiled back.

  “I wanted Livvy to have a picture of her grandfather.” Ben finished hanging the hooks and studied the picture over Amy’s shoulder. This close, his warmth washed over her side. She wanted to lean back into him and cuddle close. Amy stepped away and replaced the picture on the shelf.

  “Are you at Disney World?”

  “Disneyland actually. We’d flown into San Francisco to see Berkley and Stanford. Dad surprised me by renting a convertible and driving us down the coast to look at colleges in LA. Along the way, we stopped at Anaheim and spent the day there.”

  “That’s so sweet. You look young for seventeen here.”

  “That’s because I was eleven.” Ben said. “I started college at twelve.”

  “Wow, you really were a wunderkind, huh? Now I know where Livvy gets all her brains.”

  “Lisa assures me that Livvy’s very popular and gets along with other kids.” Ben said, his brow furrowing as he glanced toward Livvy, now playing with her stuffed animals.

  Amy raised her brows. “She does, but she’s also very bright.”

  “I don’t want her to be lonely.” Ben bit his lip and Amy understood. Ben, set apart by his imposing intellect, must have been a very lonely little boy.

  “She isn’t. You and Lisa are giving her a wonderful childhood, filled with amazing memories.”

  Ben grinned as he looked at the picture again. “That’s my best memory, before Livvy arrived.”

  “I love Disney too.” Amy said. “My dad and I just went to Disney World when I went to see him for Thanksgiving. We rode Space Mountain together and I even made him buy Mickey ears for both of us.”

  “Never too old for the mouse.” Ben grinned at her and Amy felt the answering dopey grin on her own face. “I’d like to take Livvy soon.”

  “You come with us, Miss Amy?”

  “Aren’t you sweet, Livvy? Well, we can’t go to Disney today, so let’s set up this secret spot fit for a princess.” Amy handed Ben the strings from the hula-hoop, their fingers brushing again. Ben hung the strings on the hook and Amy adjusted the curtains. From the rest of the bags, Amy scattered pillows on the floor, including one shaped like a ladybug, and placed a white wicker basket in the corner.

  “The basket is for your most favorite books, Livvy. I brought you copies of Pinkalicious and Ladybug Girl.” Amy handed them to her. “She reads them at school all the time.”

  “Thanks, Miss Amy!” Livvy beamed at her and Amy looked up just in time to catch the bright smile on Ben’s face. A true smile like that transformed his whole face, from handsome into movie star gorgeous territory. Amy swallowed hard, looking away so she wouldn’t stare.

  “Okay, Miss Livvy, crawl on in.”

  Livvy reached for her father’s hand. “You come with me, Daddy. You too, Miss Amy.”

  They crawled into the tiny space, letting the curtains drop and enclosing them in their own little world. This close, Amy caught the lime and soap scent of Ben and shivered, her whole body tightening with desire. Livvy slid over a picture book and crawled into her lap. “Read to me.”

  Amy read the story of Pinkalicious aloud. After yawning several times, Livvy dozed off, sprawled across Amy’s legs. Ben reached for her but Amy waved him away.

  “It’s okay. Let her rest.”

  “She skipped her nap today.” Ben said. “I think she was excited you were coming over.”

  “How sweet.” Amy brushed the child’s soft curls away from her face, enjoying the feel of Livvy’s warm body against her. So trusting and sweet.

  “I found this and thought you might like it.” From his pocket, Ben produced a small, slim volume with a photo of a red double decker bus spread across the battered front cover.

  “Walking Tours of London.” She read the title and glanced up at him, her eyebrows raised. “Have you been?”

  “I did a few semesters at Oxford, but I used to go down to London whenever I could. I loved the walking tours.”

  Amy flipped open the book, turning the dog-eared pages carefully and peering at his cramped notes in the margins. “You wrote in a book? My mother would spank you.”

  When she realized what she said, her cheeks heated and she studiously kept her eyes on the book. When she finally looked up, the heat in those leonine eyes was unmistakable, turning his brown eyes to whiskey lit by sunshine. His gaze fell to her mouth and dragged back up her face. Maybe she wasn’t misinterpreting this sizzling attraction between them. Could she resist acting on it?

  “Why London?”

  “It was the first place I thought of on New Year’s morning. I’d gotten up early and was just walking around, enjoying the snow. And here I was turning thirty—which seemed so ancient not so long ago—and I hadn’t done all my someday things.”

  “Someday things?”

  “You know, like jumping out of an airplane or riding in a hot air balloon or seeing Europe.”

  “Do you want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane?” Ben raised a single brow at her.

  “Maybe, someday. That’s not the point. My sister, Ava, has it all planned out, like life is one big checklist.”

  “But not you?”

  “No, I think I might be a bit of a drifter, actually. I went to college, specialized in early childhood education and came back to my hometown. I found a job at the Ashford Falls Academy. I love it. I love my job. But I’ve been there for eight years.”

  “You’re bored.”

  “Not exactly, but my life’s not the way I envisioned it. Where are all the adventures I imagined in my youth?”

  “Aren’t you a bit young for a mid-life crisis?” Ben grinned at her.

  She tossed her hair back and shook her head. “So I decided that if adventure wasn’t coming to me—and it doesn’t usually just appear here in Ashford Falls—I’d have to go to it.”

  “So you think you’ll find this adventure in London?”

  “Good a place as any to start looking for it.” Amy shrugged.

  “I suppose so. It can be a magical place.”

  “Any place can be magical, if you know where to look.” Amy countered. “But I hope you’re right about London. Thank you for the book.”

  Livvy shifted in her sleep and Amy wiggled to make her more comfortable, her hip rubbing against Ben’s thigh. When she looked up, his face was mere inches from hers, with those tempting lips she wanted a taste of so desperately. This close, his minty breath brushed her face. She leaned closer, her hair falling around them and pressed her lips against his, a light, gentle kiss.

  Amy brushed his cheek, his stubble scratching her fingertips as their noses bumped. She leaned back and he gave chase, capturing her mouth with his, the kiss turning deep and possessive. His big hand slid down her back to haul her closer. She twined her fingers in his hair, as soft and silky as she’d imagined, pulling him closer and…

  Then abruptly broke away.

  “I can’t do this. You’re the father of one of my students.” Amy whispered, her mouth still just centimeters from his, both of their breathing ragged. She wanted him to argue with her, to yank her close
again and kiss her breathless so she couldn’t think of all the reasons they shouldn’t do this. Instead, he shifted away, gently pulling her arms from around his neck. His thumb stroked the back of her hand as he nodded and rolled to his feet. He stepped out of the hideaway, the fuchsia curtain rustling as it fell behind him.

  Amy shifted Livvy to the pillows and stood. Time to face the real world. She crawled from the book nook and struggled to her feet. Without a word, she followed Ben downstairs and grabbed her coat. He didn’t look at her. Amy licked her lower lip, the taste of him still on her swollen lips. Despite all her careful reasoning, she yearned for more than just an appetizer. “Text me and let me know when you all are up for another playdate.”

  Ben nodded and she bolted out the door before she could make any more mistakes.

  Chapter eight

  “You have to wear PJs too, Daddy.” Livvy said. She’d been bossy and snappish with him for days. After a massive snowstorm cancelled school in the area, Ben and Livvy spent three days at home with only each other for company. Desperate to get out of the house, Ben decided to take Amy to the pajama story-hour at Cupid’s Coffeeshop on Saturday night. Maybe getting out of the house would help both their moods.

  “I can’t wear pajamas in public.” When his daughter’s lower lip quivered, he hastily donned his flannel pajama pants with the Ravens logo all over it. He snatched up his matching t-shirt, also a gift from Livvy at Christmas. Satisfied, Livvy headed downstairs to don her coat.

  “When can we play with Miss Amy again?” Livvy begged, for approximately the seven millionth time that day. Ben sighed, securing her hat over her dark curls.

  For days after Amy fled the house, Ben thought about texting her and setting up another playdate. Then he saw her face as she’d broken away from him and stopped him from devouring her. He just didn’t have the courage to come face to face with her. He avoided her at school drop-off and pick-up, fading into the melee, and then after the snow cancelled school, he hadn’t had to worry about it.