Hailey cocked an eyebrow. “Cheating?”
“He says I should lose weight, and he’s right, but it’s hard when you have a sweet tooth like mine.” Before Hailey could argue that Micky was blind—and probably stupid—Amy motioned toward a wooden table that featured a top inlaid with colorful bits of broken glass. “Let’s sit.”
“I love this table.”
Amy waved a hand. “There’s a funky little shop down the street that carries mostly crystals, beads, chakra stones, that kind of thing, but the owner also displays artwork and handcrafted pieces created by locals. It was a splurge, but I loved it so much, and it fit the vibe I was going for in here. It’s a favorite with my customers too.”
“Do you get much of a morning rush?” Hailey pulled out the chair facing the window while Amy took the seat perpendicular that pointed toward the door.
“Not as much in the off-season. Just the regulars, but they do like their coffee hot and strong. During tourist season, it’s a whole other level of insane.”
“A good problem to have, I expect.” Hailey added a tiny teaspoon of sugar to her demitasse, suddenly conscious of her body’s ability to burn calories with little effort.
“Not really. It’s tough to keep the place adequately staffed, and people in need of coffee aren’t very patient about getting their fix.”
“That’s why you were so quick to help out at the Miners Tavern last night.”
Amy nodded. “I totally get the mess Noah was in.”
“Does he ever return the favor?”
“I haven’t asked, nor would I want to. That man works sixteen-hour days,everyday, and I don’t want to add to that. At least I get to stop at two o’clock.” Amy sipped at her creamy brew. “Too bad you’re not planning to stick around, or I’d hire you.”
Hailey snort-laughed.
“I’m serious, Hailey. You’re a hard worker, and you’re great with customers. I pay well—in money, not just coffee and pastry.” Amy’s ebony eyebrows bounced.
Being onthisside of the business would be different, but living on an hourly wage and tips? All that unpredictability? Without a pension plan? No way. Hailey needed her steady state job like a trout needed a clear, cold stream.
“I’m flattered, Amy. I’ll keep it in mind if I ever become unemployed.”Which will happen never. She was practically tenured at the health department, and she was due for another raise that would elevate her to six figures in a few short months.
Amy’s eyes shifted to somewhere outside the window. “I used to punch a clock too. It may sound counterintuitive, but living in a small town has been liberating.”
“But isn’t it kinda like being a goldfish in a glass bowl?”
Amy shrugged. “It can be, but you work with it.”
Anonymity had its perks. If Hailey made some boneheaded mistake that caused a guy to drive off the side of the road during a snowstorm, no one would know and no one would ridicule her. Then again, no one in Fall Riverhadridiculed her … because the guy who’d slid off the highway hadn’t told them the real story. And big town or small, if she’d ridden out the night with her victim in his truck, there would be no such thing asanonymity because they would learn one another’s names … and so much more.
Her mind flipped to a different scenario. In a big city, if she were a little tipsy and some random guy kissed the breath from her lungs in a back room, they could easily part as strangers—not that she was in the habit. No one else in the city would know, nor would they care.
She pulled apart the steamy croissant and sniffed at the buttery aroma. “Omigod, that’s heaven!” It smelled and looked tastier than the croissants she got from her favorite Denver bakery. She pointed her knife at a pot of butter and another brimming with plum-colored jam. “Is that blackberry?”
Amy grinned. “Homemade, curated from a lovely man right here in town. You won’t get that in a big city.”
“Thank God I’m here for a few more days.” When Amy quirked an eyebrow, Hailey filled her in on her change in plans while conveniently skimming over the nature of her work. She liked Amy and didn’t want to put her off.
Slathering the pastry, she tried not to moan when it landed in her mouth with a burst of buttery texture and tart fruit tempered by sweetness. It would just be cruel in front of a woman watching her weight—who didn’t need to watch her weight.
So good!“What about dating, though? I mean, you have a pretty small pool of candidates to choose from here. If people hooked up and moved on to the next one over and over, it would get awkward, wouldn’t it?”Like sitting at the bar with one girl who’s drooling over the bartender while another one is meeting up with him in his loft.
Yeah, that.
“You really don’t see that happen. Lots of townspeople are in committed relationships. The singles might hook up with each other or travel out of town. We’ve had a few folks fall for a tourist or someone who lives in one of big cities along the Front Range or in another state. It’s not like we’re a gated community.” This she said without any hint of being offended.
“I hadn’t considered that, but it makes sense.” Whatdidn’tmake sense was the relationship between Amy and Micky. Why this kind, intelligent woman was with a leer-meister and put-down artist like Micky mystified Hailey. He was no prize.
“How long have you and Micky been together, and what first attracted you to him?” There. That didn’t sound all judgy, right?
