Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
He was probably about to ruin any interest he had with his question. “So I was talking to Agnes—”
“How was opening day at—”
They laughed as their questions collided. “Opening day was amazing. I feel really lucky to have found a place here. The town is really great.”
“Congratulations, and yeah, Frostwick Harbor place is awesome—most of the time, anyway, when people aren’t all in your business.”
Caleb nodded. “I bet that can get annoying.”
“Yeah, what were you saying? I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
“It’s fine. I talked to Agnes after the meeting last night, and she suggested we work together on our festival entries instead of each of us entering our own drink.” Rhys looked like a deer in headlights. “It’s just an idea. We don’t have to.”
“I… um… I’m not sure if—”
Caleb held up a hand. He could tell Rhys was panicking. “Why don’t you think about it? You don’t have to make a decision now.”
“Cloud Nine should get the full spotlight if you win. I mean, I guess that’s what you’d want. I don’t think—”
Rhys was interrupted by Tessa walking through the door. Her smile widened when she saw Caleb. “So you two finally had a chance to talk.”
“We did,” Caleb said. Things had gone more smoothly than he’d expected. Rhys had liked the salted honey cappuccino, and he hadn’t run or shut Caleb down absolutely when he’d asked about working together. It wasn’t like he’d expected Rhys to jump at the idea. He shouldn’t feel disappointed, even though he did.
“Did he bring you a drink?” Tessa asked, gesturing toward the Cloud Nine–branded cup on the counter.
Rhys picked up the cup, looking at it like he’d forgotten it was there. He took another sip as he nodded. “He did, and it’s… It’s good.”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Of course it’s good. I told you his drinks were amazing.”
“Yes, but you—” Rhys cut himself off.
Caleb was sure he’d been about to criticize Tessa’s tastes and thus Caleb’s. That should annoy him, but once again, he found it endearing. What the hell was wrong with him? He was working hard to be warm and welcoming to everyone, but he shouldn’t enjoy someone making fun of his drinks.
He likes the drink you made for him.
That thought made Caleb’s smile return. “I should get back to Cloud Nine. I’ll see you both later.”
“Bye,” Tessa called.
Rhys gave him an awkward wave that only made him want the man more.
CHAPTER 5
“So how did it go?” Tessa asked.
Rhys’s throat tightened as anxiety overwhelmed him. “I should have offered to make him a drink, shouldn’t I?”
Tessa bit her lip. “That would have been great, but—”
“Why is this so hard?”
Tessa laid a hand on his arm. “You like him, don’t you?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know. It doesn’t matter anyway.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m… I would be too much.”
“Rhys, you’re not too much for me or any of our other friends.”
“You’re used to me, and you…”
“We care. So it’s logical someone else could care, right?
“Caleb’s way too fun and sunshiny for me.”
Tessa sighed. “You’ve got time. Get to know him and see if you’re more comfortable.”
Rhys shook his head. “He asked if I wanted to work together on the drink for the Harvest Festival.”
“And what did you say?”
“I agreed to think about it, but… that’s not… I can’t do that. You know I don’t do group work.”
Tessa tilted her head to the side like she was thinking. “True, but I also know you like to win.”
“I like to win, but I want to do it honestly.”
She frowned. “Why would you think Caleb would do something dishonest?”
“I don’t. That’s not what I mean.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You mean you want to win your way.”
She was right, even if he hated how she put it. “Yes.”
“Actually think about working with him, okay?” Tessa squeezed his shoulder. “If you combined forces with his intuition and creativity and your scientific knowledge and precision—”
“I can be creative.”
“Of course you can, but Caleb has a knack for knowing what someone likes and how to get that taste. You come to that by measurement and analysis.”
Rhys forced himself to consider what she was saying. Caleb had known exactly how to make a drink he would like. He held his cup out to Tessa. “Here. Taste.”
She did, taking a moment to process the drink. “Not sweet enough.”
“For you, but for me, it was perfect.”
She smiled. “Exactly, and I don’t think this is even on the menu.”
Why did he feel like he’d just trapped himself? “Are you sure?”
“Yes, though he does have an option called Caleb’s Choice where he makes the drink he thinks you’ll like.”
Rhys shuddered. The thought of making up a drink right when someone walked in was horrifying. He needed things planned in advance.
“Just think about his offer.” She glanced at her phone. “I’d better get my coffee and get back to work. I left Finn on his own.”