I slip on a pair of black flip-flops and toss my tote bag over my shoulder. My wallet, Kindle, and book are already in my tote, so I should be all set.
Heading out of my room, I hear my parents getting ready down the hall. As I walk down the stairs, I pull out my phone and text my mom to let her know I’m heading out, but I’ll be back for our usual Sunday dinner.
“Bye, Peanut, have a good day!” Mom yells down the stairs.
I grab my keys off the holder in the kitchen and hop into my Jeep. It’s a little warm already, so I roll the windows down since the AC is slow to get going.
It only takes a few minutes to get to where Sophie is behind the counter, greeting me with a soft smile. “MJ! How are you?”
I smile back and maneuver my way up to the counter. “Hey, Sophie! I’m good. How are you doing?” Sweat beads her brow, and she has bags under her eyes.
“Oh, I’m okay. It’s getting hotter and hotter, and I never realized how much being pregnant just saps the life out of you.” She dabs the sweat off her forehead with a rag.
“That’s because you’re carrying a life-sucking alien! Hey, MJ!” Beck yells from the kitchen in the back. I laugh and yell hi back and then look over at the display case to pick out a pastry for a late breakfast.
Sophie asks if I’ll have my usual drink, and I nod while still looking over the pastries. I’m surrounded by soft jazz music, likely Sophie’s choice, and the sound of the coffee bean grinder. The smell of strong coffee hits my nose, and I hold back a moan. I love this place so much.
“Well, good morning, gorgeous.” A familiar voice startles me. I was so focused on the blackberry cream cheese tart in the display case, I didn’t even hear the bell chime or someone approach.
I turn slightly and look over my shoulder to see Mac standing behind me and I smile. “Good morning.”
He smirks and then nods toward the display case. “I was talking to the pastry display, but good morning to you too.” He leans closer to me and says quietly, “again.” My cheeks heat and I turn back to the display case, trying to hold back my laugh. That was definitely a joke, right?
Beck comes out from the back and hands me a bag across the counter. “What’s this?” I ask as I open it. I’m accosted by the smell of freshly baked pastry and fruit.
“Had a feeling you’d want something yummy for your drive.” She looks past me and winks at Mac before turning around to fix another drink.
I turn to look at Mac. Our eyes meet, but he shrugs in response. Confused, I turn back to the counter and swipe my card to pay.
“Are you heading out to Cedar Bend from here?” Mac asks from behind me.
“Yeah.” I turn to face him and lean against the counter. “Just grabbing a quickie and then heading out.” He raises his eyebrow, and I hear Beck bark out a laugh.Did I just say grabbing a quickie?
“Well, I have a part to pick up in Cedar Bend. Want to save some gas and head out there together?” Mac asks.
“We can . . .” I hesitate. “I was planning on spending a few hours in the bookstore. You know me and books.” He probably has a ton of work to do at the shop, and I wouldn’t want him waiting for me if he had to get back. I also don’t want to be rushed.
“It’s no problem. I only have the one job to do but I need the part to finish it. So really, you’d be doing me a favor.” He tilts his head to the side.
“MJ, just say yes.It makes sense, and think about the gas savings! You’d be saving the planet by carpooling,” Beck chimes in from behind the counter and Mac chuckles beside me. Rolling my eyes, I can’t help but give in.
“Fine. Let’s carpool.” I giggle because it sounds very business-like and not at all like two friends hanging out.
“Okay, I’ll drive,” Mac says, and I cringe. I love his car—I always have—but since driving in the big city, I’ve seen too many car accidents involving small cars. For some reason, I feel safer in my Jeep; higher up, able to see more. It just feels better.
“Drive my car?” I propose, and he smiles.
“Whatever you want, MJ.” We both grab our drinks, and I snag the bag of pastries and turn toward the door to head out.
“Have fun, you two!” Sophie yells from the counter.
Mac holds the door open for me and my cheeks heat as the bell chimes overhead. Ducking my head down, I fish my keys out of my pocket and bark out a “hey” to get his attention before tossing them into the air. He catches them effortlessly, unlocks the Jeep, and pulls the passenger door open for me. My face and neck are fully flushed now, and I mumble out a soft “thank you” before he closes my door.
Once he’s settled into the driver’s seat, he turns the key and the local radio station blares from the speakers. Immediately, I reach to turn the volume down. “Sorry, I was definitely jamming out on the way here.”
Mac chuckles, shaking his head, and then pulls away from the sidewalk. I can make out Sophie and Beck, still in the shop, both wearing huge grins. My phone pings, and I look down to see it’s a text from Beck filled with heart-eye emojis, and I roll my eyes.
We roll through town, and I take in all the shops along the way; it’s weird being in the passenger seat of my vehicle, but it’s also nice not driving and being able to take in the sights. We pass the bookstore where Mac’s mom works, right next to Spoon. The maroon awning appears faded and torn, possibly because of all the summer storms. In fact, as we continue to drive through town, I notice most of the storefronts are looking less than stellar. The other night I noticed Hal’s neon sign didn’t fully light up, and when I had lunch with Shannon at the diner, the inside was looking old and dingy.
