She punched his arm and he laughed.
“See you at the office!” he called as she started up the steps. “Think about Sunday.”
“Good night, Josh,” she repeated, but a warm feeling was spreading from her core outward. She turned when she reached the top and looked down over the waving grass to the sand, but he was gone, walking up the beach with his hands in his pockets.
CHAPTER 9
Josh met Summer at the parking lot for Breezes Café at the end of her shift. The sunny weather of the day before had shifted and the evening was misty with a fog creeping in. A walk was out of the question. Plus Summer had been on her feet most of the day. As she approached his truck he smiled at her and said, “Have you eaten? We can go out. Someone can serve you for a change.”
She laughed. “Just not here. Can we get
out of Jewell Cove for a few hours?”
He’d had the same idea, wanting to avoid gossip and speculation. “I was thinking Rockland. We could get out of town for a bit. Have some … privacy.”
“Afraid to be seen with me, Josh?”
Actually, he was. Not at all because he was ashamed but just because he didn’t want assumptions to be made. “Going out in Jewell Cove is like being on a reality TV show.”
“It is a bit of a microscope.” She put her hand on the handle of the passenger door. “There’s a nice coffee shop I know. The food’s all organic and they roast their own beans.”
“That sounds perfect.” Actually, it sounded a little earthy and not his usual style. He’d had more of a pub in mind, a more laid-back and blend-in atmosphere. But it didn’t really matter where they went, did it? Besides, she’d been around food and customers all day. Maybe this coffee shop was a bit quieter for her to wind down after her crazy shift.
The drive didn’t take long. By some unspoken agreement, they both chatted simply about their day, their jobs, inane little things about Jewell Cove. Josh relaxed a little, but it still felt strange. Just last night he’d been holding a weeping Lizzie in his arms and he’d felt something shift inside him. It had been incredibly intimate, yet they hadn’t even kissed beyond the peck he’d given her on her forehead. So why had he thought about her all day today? Even at the office it had been odd, like they had gone out of their way to avoid each other. Like it had suddenly gotten weird.
Was he embarrassed about last night? Or just taking a step back, as she clearly wanted?
“Josh? Did you hear what I just said?”
“What? Sorry.” He was pulling into the parking lot and Summer laughed.
“I lost you there for a minute. I was talking about the baby shower for Jess. Abby’s holding it at her place.” She leaned closer. “Are you okay? You seem distracted.”
He was, and it wasn’t fair to Summer. He wasn’t even sure how he was going to bring up the subject of the two of them … or rather the lack of the two of them. They’d been paired together a lot, but they’d never discussed whether or not they wanted to be. If Summer was under any illusions, it would be better, kinder, to set the record straight now.
God, he hated this sort of thing. He felt like a complete ass.
He promised himself to stay present in the moment and focus on her. “It was just a long day. I could use a cup of coffee.”
The mist had turned to steady rain as they parked, and they jogged to the door of the shop, anxious to be in out of the wet. Josh’s first impression was that this was a hipster sort of place, with the rich scent of coffee beans and a chalkboard that introduced the specials of the day including a free-range chicken sandwich and a salad made from local vegetables with an organic raspberry dressing, as well as an avocado chocolate cake, which to his mind sounded both intriguing and disgusting.
They ordered at the counter. Josh eyed the cake suspiciously and ordered a slice out of sheer curiosity, as well as a bowl of black bean soup that looked somewhat more appetizing than the ground-round chili. Summer, who hadn’t eaten yet, either, went with the roasted vegetable panini sandwich and some sort of raw vegan macaroon for dessert.
Thank God for plain old regular coffee. Rich, strong, and black.
Summer got a chai tea.
New Agey stuff played on the speaker overhead, reminding Josh of the prenatal yoga class he’d picked Jess up from one day earlier this spring. There was a reason why he was more comfortable at the Rusty Fern, with the dartboards and cold beer and yeah, even the terribly unhealthy loaded nachos or half-pound burgers with fries. This wasn’t exactly a guy’s guy kind of place. He and Summer settled at a table by the window, and he cautiously dipped his spoon into his soup and had a taste.
Okay, so it wasn’t half-bad. He was relieved about that, at least.
When he looked up, Summer was grinning at him with a foolish look on her face. “What?” he asked.
“You’re not too sure about this place.”
“It’s not my usual speed.” He smiled back, gave a small chuckle. “It suits you, though.” Which was kind of his point, if he’d actually manage to get to it.
“It does, yes.” She picked up her panini, took a bite, chewed thoughtfully. “I like the atmosphere. It’s very calm, very … centering. I like how it focuses on whole ingredients, not a lot of processing, locally sourced.”