“Cassia, are you all right? It’s not like you to be late without even calling in.”
I clapped my hands together in a plea for forgiveness. “I’m so sorry, Brayden.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth went slack when she caught sight of my stellar threads. “What happened to you?”
I glanced down at my disheveled and stained appearance. “Karma decided I didn’t deserve coffee this morning.”
She covered her mouth, stifling a smile and her eyes conveying the horror. “I would give you a clean shirt…”
“But our curves don’t quite match, do they?”
“I’m all pear and you’re all big boobs,” she said.
I chuckled. “Luckily, the dogs won’t care what I look like.” I grabbed my wallet and keys and closed the locker. “Do you have my schedule?”
“I texted it to you.”
“Oh right.” I opened my locker back up and grabbed my phone. “I swear, Brayden, I won’t be late again. I’ll manage my time better. I’m sorry.”
She sighed. “You’re one of my best employees and I know you’ve got other stuff going on. I know you won’t make a habit of it.”
I nodded. “I swear.” At this rate, I was going to have to give up on my online store anyway. There was no way I could keep going the way I was going. Not financially and certainly not physically. That thought took the air right out of me. If I didn’t have my designs, I was just a server and a dog walker.
I headed back out to my car and headed to my first residence to walk their dog.
* * *
I finally managed to grab a coffee from the gas station when I filled up. But it wasn’t until I got lunch that I started to feel somewhat normal. I pulled out the business card Christopher had given me. There wasn’t a lot of information—his name, a cell phone number, and email address. There wasn’t a title or even a business logo.
The town loved gossip, and no family was gossiped about more than the Davenport family. I’d heard Chris worked for his dad. It wasn’t surprising. Davenport Industries was an empire all by itself.
Chris’s stupid face flickered into my thoughts. I wished I could know if he recognized me. What really made me crazy is I wasn’t sure which one was worse—that I wanted him to recognize me, or that he probably had no memory of me.
I kept thinking about the way he touched me as he dabbed at the coffee pebbled across my skin. He seemed almost hypnotized. Which was, of course, crazy. Wasn’t it? It wasn’t like our one-night tryst near the end of that fateful summer ended well.
He told all the other guy camp counselors that I’d given it up so easy and then he called me “Fatty Cassie”. He’d never been mean to me until the day after we’re were together. And after that, the rest of the summer was miserable. All the girls hated me for being with their crush. They were mean and iced me out of the group altogether. All the guys had already teased me relentlessly, especially when we were swimming in the lake.
But nothing had been worse than Nick Mathison approaching me, offering to do me too.
What was a girl to do with so much romance?
But I didn’t let it get to me. Not really. Or so I told myself. The only thing that hurt was Christopher’s rejection. I’d liked him so much. And he’d convinced me he’d liked me and my curves. Only to hurt me after I’d let him in.
I hadn’t overcome my body issues altogether, but for the most part I was comfortable in my own skin and I enjoyed how that made other people uncomfortable. Once I was out of middle school and the hell that brought, I spent my high school years embracing my curves. It hadn’t been easy, but I was a cheerleader for a couple of years and then I was on our dance line. By my senior year, I’d figured out the sewing machine and adapted patterns, eventually making my own. I was even nominated for prom court.
I’d been a camp counselor at the Jubilee Falls Camp for Kids every summer since I was fifteen. Henry Davenport hired every counselor himself. I loved Henry. He’d always been a kind soul. My last year of summer camp was after I graduated. With no plans to go to college, I wanted one last hurrah of feeling more like a kid.
Henry brought along his grandson that summer. Chris was cocky and he liked to rebel, but he wasn’t the spoiled kid some people assumed he was. He did his chores and he helped the kids. He befriended most of the counselors, including me, and never threw around his name to get out of anything or get into anything.
Too bad I hadn’t seen him for the ass-face he was before I let him into my pants and into my heart.
I snapped out of my funk once I was with the dogs at the facility for day care. I tried to focus on the day ahead of me instead of the past.
* * *
By the time I showed up at my second job, I was perkier and ready to hit the ground running.
I’d worked at Bumblebee Café as a server since I was sixteen. I changed into my uniform, which consisted of a black polo shirt with my name stitched on it and black jeans. I put on my black and yellow apron and filled the pocket with a couple of pens and my order pad.
I still felt like I smelled like coffee and pumpkin spice, but there were worse things.
I headed out to my first table, and nearly dropped the tray of water right on them.
Eyeing the patrons, I noted the similarities between them all. Sandy blond hair, chiseled jaws, broad shoulders, and some varying color of hazel eyes. All of which were on me.
Sofia’s eyes widened. “It’s you!”
“So it is.” I regained my balance and set four glasses of water down.
Chris was sitting directly across from where I stood. I was between the other two siblings of the Davenport crew. Theo Davenport was easy to recognize; he spent the most time in town. James must’ve been the other one. He looked moody and like he was probably trouble. Sofia was just as bubbly and smiley as she was on television.
“What can I get ya’ll to drink?”
Sofia set her menu down. “Hang on, you’re the whole reason I’m in town.”
I stared at her, expecting her to be talking to one of her brothers, but she was looking at me. “I’m sorry?”
“You’re Cassia Carter, right? Of CC Designs?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Sofia ran right over me.
“I asked about you in the coffee shop. Well, not you, but Cassia Carter, you. Sometimes, I love this whole small-town thing. Can you sit?”
“Um, I just got on the clock.” I looked over at Christopher again who is still staring at me. But it was clear now that if Sofia asked Kelly about me, then Christopher had no idea who I was.
“Oh, right. I’m sorry. I’m just so excited to run into you again. Could we set up a lunch date or something? I’m in town for the week.”
“I, uh, sure?”
She laughed. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be so forward.”
“Yeah, she does. She’s a spoiled brat who always gets what she wants.” Chris lifted the water glass to hide his smirk.
My eyes flickered to his and my breath caught in my throat. His eyes had this hooded, sexy look like he was thinking about something inappropriate—something about me. I’d fallen for that look before. Not this time.
Sofia swatted her brother. “Ignore him. Pretty please meet with me.”
I smiled. “Yeah, of course. I have Wednesday off. We can meet at the coffee shop.”
“At nine?” Sofia asked.
“Sure.”
“Great. Can we order our food now, Sof? It’s going to be breakfast time again soon,” James snarled.
Sofia stuck out her tongue.
I quickly took their orders and my evening went into full swing as the regulars and tourists piled in for the evening. By eleven o’clock I was home and wiped out.
I collapsed on my bed, opening my laptop to check on my business’s social media pages. There were two private messages for me. One from Sofia saying that she loved my clothes, she wanted to talk about my business, and she was trying to track me down in Jubilee Falls. Whi
ch I still couldn’t even fathom.
The second message left me a little breathless.
Christopher: I’m sorry for rocking your morning with a coffee bath. That’s not the way I usually like to get women wet.
Cassia: Do you even know who I am?
His completely inappropriate apology had me flustered and flushed. I needed to stay far away from him. So, why was I responding?
Christopher: You’re hard to forget. And I’ve certainly wondered about you over the years. Definitely haven’t forgotten moonlight and how it reflects off your beautiful skin.
So, he did remember me. In detail. That shouldn’t make me feel good. Irritated and angry, that was how I should’ve been feeling.
Cassia: I’m nothing like I used to be.
Christopher: I hope that isn’t true.
Cassia: What do you want?
Christopher: You. I can’t get you out of my head since we ran into each other. It’s fate, don’t you think?
No. No. No. This whole thing was weird enough. I was going to ignore him. I’d meet with Sofia and try and forget all about the billionaire flirting with me. The one who broke my heart. He wasn’t going to get me again.
Cassia: I don’t believe in fate. And I don’t believe in you.
I set my phone down and tried to think about anything else for the rest of the night.
3
Chris
I needed to make sure that when I got drunk with James, I left my phone out of it.
What the fuck had I been thinking?
Cassia Carter.
I would’ve put money on the fact that I was never going to see her again after summer camp seven years ago. I would’ve put money on her ditching town after high school and never coming back.
Why was she still here? I knew it wasn’t because of some familial tie or something.
She didn’t believe in me? That stung.
Although, it wasn’t unexpected. I made sure she hated me all those years ago. And I thought I could live with it if I never saw her again.
I decided to test the waters again this morning.
Chris: What would it take for you to believe in me again?
I should’ve left her alone. But the moment I ran into her outside of the coffee shop I was completely enthralled. All the feelings I thought I’d disposed of when I sailed off to college came roaring back in a flash.
Cassia was the only woman I’d ever truly let get to know me, and the stoic, book nerd with her sketch book let me in too. She would probably deny it now, but I knew it was true.
Cassia: What do you want, Chris?
Chris: I may have been drunk last night, but I meant what I said.
Cassia: You made your feelings pretty clear seven years ago.
Chris: I can explain what happened.
Cassia: It doesn’t matter anymore. It was seven years ago.
Chris: Then give me a second chance.
Cassia: This is stupid. You literally ran into me yesterday and didn’t say a damn word.
Chris: I was in shock.
Cassia: In shock? Chris, I don’t know what you want from me.
Before I could type a reply, she sent another message.
Cassia: I have a boyfriend.
Fuck.
My father’s name and a picture of the devil popped up on my phone screen.
Double fuck.
I slid my thumb over the screen and braced myself. Just what I needed.
“Nash, how’s it going?”
“Christopher, what are you doing in Nebraska? You’re supposed to be in Chicago.”
Great, how the fuck did he find out I’d left Illinois?
“Why do you insist on antagonizing me?”
He hated when I called him by his name, which is exactly why I did it. Nash and Connie Davenport were my biological parents. But they weren’t there for me the same way they were for my siblings. I played the part of the dutiful son, but I was getting real sick of still somehow being the disappointment and black sheep.
“Do I need to come to Jubilee and drag your ass back to Chicago?”
“You put me on the Cavanagh case. I’m working it. I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Then you should be in Chicago.”
“Nash, I don’t need you telling me how to do my job. I’m hanging up now.” I pushed the round “end” button.
He called me right back, but I didn’t give a shit. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with him. I came to Jubilee Falls to hang out with my grandfather and clear my head.
If only I’d known Grandpa had gone out of town with his girlfriend.
But James, Theo, and Sofia had all decided to congregate at the estate house instead. It was a family reunion without the parents. We were all dealing with shit.
Once he finally stopped calling, I pulled up my message stream with Cassia.
Cassia: I have a boyfriend.
That was what women said when they wanted a guy to get lost. Or she really did have a boyfriend. I wasn’t sure what was worse.
Chris: What about friendship?
Cassia: What about it?
The fact that she kept responding to me meant something. It had to.
Chris: I owe you a coffee. Meet me. And then if you still want me to leave you alone, I will.
Cassia: What if I want you to leave me alone now?
Chris: You wouldn’t be talking to me.
Cassia: The Daily Grind at 10:00am. I want a pumpkin spiced latte, with an extra shot.
Chris: Did thinking about me keep you up late?
Cassia: Ass-face.
Chris: Thinking about you kept me up late.
Cassia: Large.
Chris: Everything about me is big, but I’m sure you remember that.
Cassia: Large latte.
Chris: I’ll see you there.
If she had a boyfriend, I would deal with it. Maybe they weren’t serious and I could tempt her away from him. And if she didn’t have a boyfriend, I would get her to confess.
There was a knock on the door.
“Yeah?”
Sofia opened the door. “Why is Dad calling me looking for you?”
“I hung up on him.”
“Fair enough. I told him I wasn’t home, and I didn’t know where you were.”
“Thank you for that.”
She shrugged. “What are big sisters for?”
“I gotta head out of here. Do you need anything while I’m out?” I asked.
She shook her head.
“Sof, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just got a lot on my mind. I’m just trying to waste time until tomorrow morning when I can sit down with Cassia.”
“Yeah, why didn’t you tell me what you were doing? I didn’t know you wanted a clothing line.”
“I don’t tell you everything. Just like you don’t tell me everything.”
“Fair.” I slung my arm over her shoulders and led her out of my room and downstairs. “You know, you can talk to me about anything.”
“Thanks, Chris.” She ducked out from under my arm. “Why are you fighting with Dad again?”
“Because I want to quit the business and I haven’t quite figured out how to tell him without being the family disappointment once again.”
She narrowed her eyes at me and tilted her head. “You’re not a family disappointment.”
“Really? You might want to tell Mom and Dad that.”
She sighed. “I wish Grandpa were around. He always makes everything better.”
I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “It’s going to be okay. Whatever it is, Sof.”
She managed a weak smile. “Thanks.” She grabbed a water bottle and then headed toward Dad’s office.
I wished she would talk to me. I could tell something was eating at her, but she was a Davenport. We kept our shit to ourselves.
* * *
I intentionally arrived at The Daily Grind ten minutes early. I wanted to make sure I had time to get the coffee
orders in, before Cassia got there.
The coffee shop was quiet, aside from the sounds of coffee being brewed and pop music playing. I couldn’t help but smile at the fact that we would mostly be alone.
Just as the coffees were put up on the counter, Cassia entered the café.
She didn’t miss a sashay in her hips as she headed right for me. She looked far more put together than she had yesterday. Her hair was down in soft waves. She pulled off her sunglasses and placed them on her head. She wore a black shirt that said, “Got Coffee?” and jeans that hugged those hips and ass I couldn’t get out of my head.
“Cinnamon, age did you good.”
She stopped in her tracks and held up a hand. “You don’t get to call me that.”
I frowned as I handed over her latte. “Here’s your caffeine fix. I’m sure I’ll seem a lot more adorable once it’s soaked in.”
“I’ve got fifteen minutes before I have to leave to walk another batch of dogs.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “You’re a dog walker?”
“Don’t judge. Not all of us are billionaire trust fund babies.”
I gestured for her to sit at the café table in the corner. “I’m not judging. I’m just surprised.”
“Why?”
“I’m surprised you’re still in Jubilee Falls frankly.”
“Why?”
“Because you hated it here.”
“I do not.”
“Then why did you spend all of that summer at camp talking about how you were going to get out, and never look back?”
She sighed as she took a sip of her coffee. “That was a long time ago, Christopher. And a time I was more than happy to forget, until you came crashing back into my life.”
I sat across from her, wishing I could reach out and touch her. She had been hot at eighteen, but now, at twenty-five? I couldn’t believe how well she’d grown into her body, into her confidence. Even if that confidence was currently giving her reason to shoot me down.
“Well, if we’re going to be friends, hopefully we can put the past behind us, let bygones be bygones. You’re walking dogs. And a server at the Bumblebee Café. What do you do when you’re not working?”
Billionaire Barista: Love Demands a Holiday Page 2