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“Then you’re on toast duty,” I said, handing him the loaf of bread.
It was surprisingly easy, the two of us moving around the kitchen like we’d done it a hundred times before.
He wasn’t half-bad at toasting bread, though he did burn the first slice.
“Better stick to boardrooms,” I teased, earning a mock glare.
By the time we sat down to eat, the air between us felt lighter, almost playful.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this… normal.
After breakfast, Cole surprised me by offering to come to the boutique with me.
“Are you sure?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “It’s not exactly your scene.”
He shrugged. “I want to spend the day with you. Besides, I think you could use an extra set of hands.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
At the boutique, Candy’s eyes widened slightly when she saw Cole walk in behind me.
She shot me a knowing look, but to her credit, she didn’t say anything.
Cole was surprisingly helpful, carrying boxes of new inventory and even assisting a few customers when things got busy.
At one point, I caught him talking to an older woman about the scarves we’d just gotten in stock.
The sight of him holding up a bright pink scarf with a serious expression was enough to make me laugh out loud.
“What?” he asked, turning to me with a grin.
“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head. “You’re just full of surprises.”
As the day wore on, I found myself glancing at Cole more often than I probably should have.
There was something grounding about having him there, like he was a steady anchor in the chaos of my life.
When the last customer left and Candy locked up for the day, she gave me a sly smile.
“He’s a keeper,” Candy said in a whisper, nodding toward Cole.
I felt my cheeks heat up but didn’t deny it.
The drive back to my apartment was quiet, but it wasn’t the tense silence of before.
It was comfortable, the kind of silence that didn’t need to be filled.
When we pulled up outside, Cole turned to me, his expression serious.
“I meant what I said this morning,” he said. “I’m in this with you, Tori. Whatever it takes.”
I reached out, taking his hand in mine.
“I know. And I’m starting to believe that maybe I don’t have to face everything alone,” I told him.
He brought my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles.
“You never do,” Cole said.