“Hey.” He’s dressed in another nice button-up, and I stop trying to imagine how I’d strip that shirt right off him. “Wanna grab coffee first? It’s about an hour away.”
“Sure. Want me to drive?”
“I can since you don’t know how to get there, and then you can drive us back.”
Tyler buckles, then surprises me when he takes my hand. “Deal.” He brings it to his lips and presses a gentle kiss on my knuckles. “I’ll buy the coffee since we’re taking your car.”
I’m so focused on his mouth that I nearly forget where we are. Sighing, I put the car in reverse, then drive us to the Coffee Palace, a newer hip cafe that opened last summer. They serve fun theme drinks, and I can’t wait for Tyler to try it.
“Happy Sunday!” Marjorie exclaims the moment we enter. She has her hair parted and put up into two messy buns that look adorable.
“Hey!” I reply, and when my hand brushes Tyler’s, he grabs it and interlocks our fingers. I try to hold back how giddy I am, but when I glance at him, I can’t stop the stupid smile that fills my face.
We step up to the counter and browse the menu. “Y’all gotta try one of my new seasonal lattes for fall!”
“Ooh, which ones?” I ask, excited. I love all the tasty drinks she creates.
“Pumpkin cream, apple butter spice, and harvest caramel.”
“I literally can’t imagine what those would taste like,” Tyler blurts out, and I giggle.
“Oh, darling, you can’t go wrong with any of them. Trust me,” Marjorie gloats.
I snort at Tyler’s wide-eyed expression. “Can I just get a regular coffee with cream?”
“What flavor?” she asks, typing on her cashier’s screen.
“Just black.”
“There are different types,” I explain, then point at the options.
“Uhh…a dark roast?”
“I have Southern blaze and sunshine rain.”
Tyler looks at me, and I hold back a laugh. Marjorie roasts her own beans and makes her own unique blends.
“Surprise me,” Tyler finally says.
“I’ll take a pumpkin cream with almond milk,” I confirm.
“Comin’ right up.” Marjorie tells us the total. Tyler lets go of my hand and grabs his wallet, and I immediately miss his touch.
After he’s paid, she pours a plain coffee and directs Tyler to the cream and sugar on the other side.
“That’s Tyler Blackwood, right?” she asks when he’s out of earshot.
“Yep,” I respond, waiting for her inevitable questions of if we’re dating or not.
“Wow.” She smirks. “Talk about a glow-up, amiright?” Marjorie waggles her brows, and it causes me to snort.
“Definitely.” I nod. Though Tyler was always handsome, he’s definitely bulked up and matured over the years.
“One pumpkin cream latte with almond milk,” she calls and hands it over.
Tyler and I thank her, then head to the car.
“Well, that was interesting.” He reaches my door and opens it for me.
“Thank you.” After I take my seat, he closes it, then jogs to his side and slides in. “You’ll get used to it. I’m guessing they didn’t have premium lattes in prison?” I tease.
“If you consider stale coffee premium, then yes. Otherwise, hell no.” Tyler winks. “How’s your Halloween in a cup?”
I take another sip and hum. “Delicious. Wanna try?”
“Sure, but if it makes me gag, I’m blaming you.”
“Now you’re just being dramatic like Everleigh.”
He glances at me before trying it, almost as if he’s questioning his decision. “That’s pure sugar. Damn.” He makes a face, then hands it back.
“That’s the point. Sugar rush and caffeine. It’ll wake my ass right up.”
Tyler’s eyebrow lifts. “If you say so.”
We chat the entire time, both of us cracking jokes and talking about random topics. He mentions I should try another Jack Nicholson movie, and I agreed to it only if he watches a romantic comedy with me. After we shook on it, he captured my hand and placed it on his lap.
By the time we arrive at the prison, giddy butterflies swarm my stomach. I can’t wait to see Noah again and am grateful I can spend time with Tyler too.
“You ready?” I ask. “We’ll sign in, they’ll do a quick body search, then we’ll wait for them to release him.”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” He shrugs and gives me a wink. I imagine this is hard, and I appreciate him being here with me.
Thirty minutes later, we’re finally in the visitation room, and I notice Tyler’s leg shaking.
“You okay?” I whisper, reaching for his hand and he takes it.
“Just some overwhelming flashbacks, but I’m alright.”
Moments later, a guard ushers Noah forward, and I light up with excitement. I wish I could wrap my arms around him, but there’s a no touching policy.
“Hey!”
“Hi, sis. You look good.”
“Thank you. Remember Tyler Blackwood?” I nod toward him.
“Of course. How’s it goin’, man?”
“Can’t complain. Hope you don’t mind me being here.”
“It’s fine. As long as you go back and tell everyone in town I’m ripped as fuck now.” Noah chuckles.