It took Sasha’s death to realize that maybe I was. Adding to my desire to get back to Ashfield, I was 100 percent certain I was head-over-heels for my best friend’s little sister.
I sure hoped he didn’t kill me.
“Daddy, she’s so pretty when she spins.” Molly acted out the move, nearly knocking into the barista as she stepped around the corner to hand me my beverage. I quickly apologized and wrangled the girls back to the rental.
“How much longer ‘til we see Miss Alex?”
“Just a little while longer. Do you guys want to drop your stuff off first or head straight on to see her?”
“We want to see her!” they shouted in unison. Same volume and tone. I was convinced it was a twin thing.
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
With all the time I spent away from them and having them spend their birthday in California, they knew there wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for them. Even seeing Alex while wearing our clothes covered in airport germs.
I had one more surprise for her that was being delivered soon, and I really hoped I’d get to be there to see her face when it arrived. Sometimes, it was hard to tell how Alex’s emotions would veer. I had a sinking feeling she was going to be angry at whatever I did, because I’d been gone for so long.
The girls were practically bouncing in their seats as we got closer to Ashfield. The moment we took the exit ramp off the highway, they immediately knew we were only about an hour away. Pop radio did little to drown out their excited rambling.
We’d only been gone for two months, but it felt like years as we approached the entrance to the town. We passed the plot of land owned by the Easterlys that would have housed my custom warehouse. Which was really just an oversized workshop.
The small movie theater was playing one of the latest movies and an oldie as well. The best kind of double feature.
People were milling about as the end of the business day approached. There were curious looks our way, but most smiled or waved. I was thankful for the tinted windows. I wasn’t ready to give away our arrival just yet.
“I can smell her cakes already, Daddy.”
“You sure about that?”
The only smell around us was of the leather seats.
“Yes. It’s cake.”
“Okay, sweetie.”
A quick glance in the rearview mirror and I saw Molly sniffing the air curiously.
“Two more turns and we’re there. But we have to be quiet, okay? Only Uncle Andrew knows we’re coming.”
“What if she’s not there?” Eloise asked as I maneuvered the SUV into a parking spot on the street in front of the coffee shop. It worked in my favor that the rental wasn’t the same as what I had before.
Alex’s truck was parked out in front of her shop, but if my plan went how I hoped, she was still traveling back from Knoxville with her mom and Tami.
I worked on getting the girls out of the car, grabbing their bookbags on the way. There was no telling how much longer they’d be, so I wanted to make sure the girls had something to entertain themselves with.
Using the key Andrew mailed to me, I opened the front of the shop and hurried the twins inside, locking the door behind me. I took a moment to take in the place in person. The pictures hadn’t done it justice. The pastel colors and gold fixtures gave the shop a classic and whimsical look. The mural was a work of art on its own. I was beyond impressed. This was exactly what Alex described and spent months agonizing over. She did this all on her own, and I was so fucking proud.
“Daddy, look, it’s our pictures.”
Taking a step closer to the gold-framed artwork, I noticed the crayon-colored artwork that I was so familiar with. The frames lined the walls, and I vaguely remembered her showing me a glimpse of this when I was so stressed at Sasha’s and running on zero sleep.
She put a part of my family in her shop, even when we weren’t here.
“God, I love her,” I mumbled to myself.
Eloise had already set out her coloring supplies on one of the bistro tables, while Molly was darting back and forth, taking in everything she could of the space. After a couple of minutes, Molly joined her sister, and I decided to take a look at the kitchen. The top-of-the-line appliances sat next to some glass-door freezers and refrigerators. They were already filled with cakes and icings. With her opening a week away, I wasn’t surprised.
From within my back pocket, I felt my phone buzz with an alert.
