**This has not been edited or proofread.**
"Jamie, I'm heading out for my dinner break. If you need me, I'm right next door, and I have my cell phone," I told her, waving my phone in the air to show her.
She smiled at me. Jamie was a red-haired girl with freckles across her face, and currently, she had her nose stuck in a book. She promised me it would be a slow time of day considering everyone around here had a routine, and this was everyone's dinner time, so I should have enough time to go grab dinner with Chase and come back in time to do all of my closing procedures.
Max trailed at my side as I left the building, keeping close to me to keep strangers away. Chase was getting out of his truck when I turned, and the smile he shot me nearly brought me to my knees.
Was it normal for a man to affect me like this?
"You look great," Chase said with a smile as he walked up to me, respectfully keeping his distance.
I laughed a little at his charm. "I'm literally wearing the same exact thing I was wearing when you met me earlier," I teased.
He shrugged. "Yeah, but you didn't have a bit of sugar on your shirt."
My cheeks burned in mortification as I looked down at my shirt. Sure enough, I had a little bit of powdered sugar on my shirt. "Oh, jeez," I whispered, my face so hot it was radiating down my neck. "Can we pretend that's not there?" I sheepishly asked.
Chase laughed and held open the door to the restaurant, giving me space to slip by him with Max between us. "I'll do my best," he teased, "but I can't make any promises, especially when you smell like coffee."
Oh, my God.
Mrs. Margaret looked up from the counter where she was cashing out the tips for one of her waitresses, and she beamed at me. "Oh, Meredith! How has the first day been?"
I smiled warmly at her, only tensing a little as she came around the counter to wrap me in a warm hug, though Max stayed between us. "It's been great so far," I told her, and it really had been. Chase had done exactly as he said he would, and I've had everyone in town coming to get coffee on their lunch breaks, chatting with me as they did so.
You learned a lot in a small town. You found out who had a fight with their husband and who was dating who. You found out that grouchy Mr. Greene was actually very pleasant when his coffee was made perfectly and you threw in a small, free powdered donut with it to brighten his day.
I loved it here so far, and this small town still had yet to disappoint me.
"I've learned that just about everyone in this town gossips," I told her with a laugh.
She smiled widely. "Oh, hun, yes, we do," she told me, not even trying to deny it. "And just know, the gossip mill will be running wild when they hear about you capturing our town sheriff's attention so quickly."
"Nana, please stop giving her a hard time," Chase pleaded from behind me.
I looked up at him wide-eyed. He shrugged. "Yes, Mrs. Margaret is my grandmother," he informed me. "I'm related to just about half the town." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of his grandmother's head. "Peach cobbler tonight?" he asked her.
She swatted him with her towel, which made me giggle. "Don't I always have peach cobbler, boy? It's a wonder you don't weigh a ton," she scolded.
He flexed his biceps. My cheeks flamed, unable to help myself as I watched. He flashed me a knowing grin. "Gym keeps me in shape, Nana." He moved around her. "Come on; let's go sit before she keeps your attention all evening."
Mrs. Margaret squeezed my shoulder before going back behind the counter. I followed Chase to a table near the back of the restaurant. Max squeezed himself beneath the table between my legs.
"No one has ever given you problems about bringing him into places with you, have they?" Chase suddenly asked me.
I shook my head. "Only once, but I always carry his papers with me," I explained. "The issue was quickly resolved."
Chase nodded. "Don't tell anyone I told you this, but every once in a while, Nana will bring her Rottweiler to work with her. Daisy is a massive dog, and she can be a bit mean, but she makes Nana feel safe, especially when she has to open this place by herself in the mornings."
I frowned, a chill crawling up my spine, suddenly making me cold. "I thought this was a pretty safe town?" I questioned, not trying to sound alarmed and freaked out.
Chase flashed me an easy-going smile. "It is, sweetheart," oh dear, the pet names, "but crime can pop up anywhere, even a small town like this."
I knew that better than anyone. Your neighbor who had always been kind to you and your mother could one day turn out to be the number one person you had to fear.
I brushed that thought away, focusing back on Chase, determined to enjoy this dinner with him despite my fears of getting close to anyone ever again.
"What made you settle down here?" Chase asked me.
I shrugged. "I lost my mother to cancer," I told him quietly, a pang hitting my chest as I mentioned her.
Chase's smile fell from his lips immediately. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said softly. He reached out to touch my hand, but thought better of it, pulling it back again. "That must have been hard."
I nodded. "It was. I didn't know how to cope, so I used all the money I had saved up for college to take a road trip around the United States to spread her ashes in all of the places she wished she could have visited. I ended up here, and it just – the town just spoke to me."
He smiled then. "It happens like that sometimes," he admitted. "You just see something, and it calls to your soul."
And the way he was staring at me, I kind of felt like he was talking about me.
A young girl walked up to our table, breaking his intense stare. She had blonde hair pulled up in a high ponytail with a bow in it that was the colors of the local high school. Her make-up was done to perfection, and the smile on her face was super bright but definitely genuine.
And her cheeks flushed at the sight of Chase. Obviously, he was the local guy everyone seemed to want.
"Um, hi, Sheriff," she said shyly, setting two menus down in front of us. Her eyes brightened when she saw me. "Oh, you just opened the bookstore next door, didn't you?" she asked me.
I smiled at her. "I did, yes."
She was immediately gushing. "Oh, my God, my friend – Jamie – told me you can special order books if we request them. Can you do that?"
I laughed. "I sure can. Tell me what the book is and the author."
Chase laughed softly as he opened his menu when she clapped her hands together, clearly excited. "There's a new indie romance author out, and her books are to die for." My smile widened. "She has a book called Nobody But You – her name is Taylor Jade. Mom doesn't believe in ordering anything from Amazon, but can you order it for your store so I can finally get a copy?"
I nodded, pulling out my phone to make a note. "I will do it this evening. If she has other books—"
"She does!" the younger girl beamed.
I laughed. "I will definitely order them for you as well, and I'll put a small stock up on the shelves as well, so if any of your other friends want them, they're available."
"Oh, my God – thank you!"
She threw her arms around my shoulders. Panic clawed at my throat. Max barked, moving between us at the same time Chase jumped up from his chair, gently pulling the girl back from me.
Max laid his paws on my lap and pushed his face against mine as I tried to suck some air into my lungs. I wound my arms around him, digging my fingers into his fur. "I'm okay, boy," I whispered, my heart still knocking crazily against my chest.
"I'm so sorry," the girl profusely apologized, looking thoroughly freaked out. I swallowed thickly, tears suddenly burning in my eyes. I hated feeling like a freak, and right then, I could feel the eyes of everyone in that restaurant on me.
"It's okay," I told her, trying to give her a smile, though I knew it looked extremely forced. I stood up on shaky legs, and Max pressed his body to my side. I latched onto his harness. "Can we reschedule?" I asked Chase.
He nodded, understanding in his eyes. Swallowing thickly, I quickly walked out of the restaurant. I bit back my tears, forcing a smile on my face for Jamie as I told her goodnight and began to close up the shop.
I was about to lock the front door when Chase appeared, two carryout containers in his hands. He gave me a small smile.
"I thought eating without a crowd of people would be more preferable," he said quietly.
Oh, dear God, my heart.