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“I don’t mind,” Megan said. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Score.” Levi scurried away, hanging on to his perceived victory.

Allison then stepped in to save Megan from the eager children, who would never let her out of there without intervention. As she walked Megan to the door, she leaned in. “Thank you for doing this. You were fantastic but may have unfortunately just inspired some competition fifteen years from now.”

“I hadn’t thought of that angle,” Megan said with a sly smile. “But I’m memorizing Haley’s name now.”

“She’s going to buy and sell all of us,” Allison whispered.

Megan laughed. She was effortlessly beautiful. One of thosepeople. Allison had to agree with Levi. She was not only alluring, but intoxicating. Allison couldn’t take her eyes off her as she presented, feeling a little drunk off the experience.

“When does school get out again?”

Allison forced herself to think. “Um, a little under an hour?”

“Want to grab a cup of coffee after? I’m not in this part of town too often.”

“Really?” She was planning to work a little longer, grade those math tests, but quite frankly, they could wait. Being asked to coffee by Megan Kinkaid made her feel important. “Let’s do it.”

“Perfect. Do you know the coffee shop up the street? I passed it on the way here.”

“Froman’s. They have amazing whipped cream. Not that I sample it in large amounts or anything, except I do. By the spoonful. It’s my drug of choice.”

“You’re the right person to ask, then. See you there when you’re finished up.”

Allison returned to her kids on a bit of a high. This afternoon was really going well, and the excited chatter from the kids told her they thought just as much of Megan as she did. In fact, the more time she spent with Megan, the more impressed she became. Megan had clearly been out of her element but rose to the occasion and even prepared for her talk with the kids, as busy as she was. That meant a lot and spoke of her character.

“She’s pretty,” Levi whispered.

“And very smart,” Allison added for good measure. “Don’t forget that part.”

“Well, that’s one of the reasons she’s pretty,” Levi said and grinned proudly. Wise beyond his years, that kid. One to keep an eye on.

“Shall we get back to multiplication? Let’s talk about the hard problems on the test. Who had trouble with number three?”

She was met with a group groan and several exasperated bodies flinging themselves into the backs of their chairs. She had to agree with them. It was hard to return to the doldrums of real life after spending a little time with Megan Kinkaid.

* * *

The quaint little coffee shop felt more like a cozy house of treats. It smelled like a chocolaty coffee heaven inside, to begin with. The space was made up of an open floor dotted with tables, flanked by little carved-out nooks for more intimate booth dining, almost woodsy in its appearance. While Megan didn’t get to this part of town too often, she would remember Froman’s the next time she was nearby. Unique and cozy. She’d knocked out a good chunk of her ever-arriving email by the time Allison arrived and grinned at her from across the room. Allison held eye contact as she walked in Megan’s direction, and something about that connection sent a shiver straight up to Megan’s shoulders and down her arms. She’d seen Allison just a short time ago, but she was already happy to see her again, now really glad she’d suggested this. The invitation had flown from her mouth on a whim. But sometimes one had to follow their instincts, and Megan’s had never let her down.

“This is so sad. Where’s your drink?” Allison asked when she arrived at the table and scanned it.

“I was waiting for you. It didn’t feel right to inhale all the whipped cream before you had a shot at any, professed addict that you are.”

Allison laughed. “You’re thoughtful, too. I’m glad we met.”

“Me, too,” she answered sincerely. Allison must have picked up on the change in tone, and her smile dimmed to match Megan’s.

“What’s your poison?”

Megan thought on it. “You know what? Get me whatever you’re having.”

“Oh. So easy.”

The drink Allison presented her with, however, was nothing like Megan would have ordered for herself, and that made it all the more fun. Allison gestured to the warm beverages on the table in curvy glasses you’d expect to see at an ice-cream shop. “Two Toffee Crunch Dreams. Basically, a latte with lots of added goodness. You’re welcome and enjoy.”

Megan stared at the tall glass towering with whipped cream, a drizzle of toffee sauce in an overlapping design, and what had to be toffee pieces. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen coffee so decadent before. You’re sure this iscoffee, right? I’m usually a house blend with skim kind of woman and out of my depth.”