Natalie appears behind the glass with a smile on her lips.
She unlocks the door and swings it open. “Gage? What are you doing here so early?”
It’s almost nine. Katie left my place more than an hour-and-a-half ago.
“I’m here to see Katie.” I push my way past her. “She didn’t have time for breakfast this morning.”
“You know this because…” her voice trails as she locks the door behind me.
I ignore the question she didn’t ask. “Point me in Katie’s direction before this tea burns a hole through my hand.”
She reaches for the cup.
I don’t stop her because my hand comes in handy when I’m behind the bar at Tin Anchor.
She rests the cup on the reception counter, taking time to slide a piece of paper underneath it so it won’t damage the wood. “Kate’s not here.”
“She’s not?”
“No.” She faces me. “Did she tell you that she’d be here?”
I’m not fueling the fire that is this woman’s curiosity. If she wants answers about where Katie and I stand, those need to come from the woman I love.
I won’t fill in the blanks for Natalie.
“Where is she?” I rest the muffin and the napkin it’s wrapped in on the counter next to the tea.
“She came in to take care of a delivery, but she took off right after.” She peels back one layer of the napkin to have a look. “You got this from the bakery around the corner, didn’t you? No one else in the five boroughs can make a muffin this good.”
I’m not in the mood to talk about the superiority of one baked good over another.
“I can call her and tell her that you’re here,” she offers. “Although I should warn you that I tried calling her right before you banged on the door, but she didn’t pick up.”
“I’ll track her down.” I slide my phone from the front pocket of my jeans.
“Are you taking these with you?” Natalie’s hand floats over the tea and treat.
I huff out a laugh. “Consider those yours, Nat.”
“A tea, a blueberry muffin, and a nickname?” She reaches for the tea. “You’re a keeper. I hope Kate has figured that out.”
I hope she has to.
Chapter 42
Kate
I took a Kate-day today.
My mom coined the phrase when I was struggling with an assignment in high school. She knew that I was beating my head against the wall, in a non-literal sense, so she proposed that I skip school for the day so I could hang out with her.
We started at her favorite spa.
I had my first manicure and pedicure that day.
Our next stop was the mall. I spent some of the money I’d saved from working at a candy store after school twice a week.
I bought a pair of ripped jeans and a sweatshirt.