Page 36 of Honey Bee Library (Sweet Tea and a Southern Gentleman #7)

SAbrINA

I felt like a grounded teenager, sneaking out of my apartment so I could meet Liam at the Sunny Side Up Diner, but the last thing I wanted was to be drilled by Abigail about a coffee date that wasn’t going to take longer than ten minutes tops—five if I had my way.

Abigail and Bash were distracted on the couch, cuddling with Samuel while watching a comedy. I figured this was my window to leave.

They didn’t see me as I sneaked by them and into the kitchen.

And they didn’t look up when I unlocked the deadbolt and slipped into the hallway of our apartment building.

I was going to hurry to the diner, drink one cup, and bid Liam farewell forever.

Then I’d slip back into the apartment, and no one would be the wiser.

It was pouring rain as I ran to my car and climbed inside to make the five-minute drive to the diner.

Unfortunately, the diner was exactly where half the town had decided to be, based on the state of the parking lot.

After driving the loop twice, I realized I was never going to get a spot close to the door, so I settled on grabbing a spot in the overflow field next door.

I held my purse over my head as I sprinted from my car to the front steps of the diner.

Once inside, I blew out my breath and began brushing the water droplets from my jean jacket and black checkered maxi skirt.

My hair felt stringy and wet, so I did my best to fluff it while I waited behind a couple who were lingering next to the hostess stand, arm in arm.

Breia greeted the couple and told me that she would be right back to get me. I raised my hand and told her to take her time—which was a lie, but my momma raised me to be courteous.

Thankfully, Breia was only gone for a minute before she was back and pulling a menu from the stack next to the stand.

“Just you?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No, I’m meeting someone.” Her eyebrows went up. Crap. “Er, I mean, I’m just getting coffee with a colleague.” That wasn’t a lie. After all, Liam had told the entire book club last night that we were co-hosts.

Breia nodded. “So, two menus?”

I shook my head.

“I’ll take one.”

Liam’s smooth voice sounded, and my entire body reacted to the depth in his tone and the flirty way he managed to say the most mundane words.

Breia flicked her gaze from Liam over to me and then back to Liam.

She looked curious, and her smile told me that she was making up an entire story in her mind about who Liam was and why he was here.

Great.

“I thought you weren’t going to show,” he whispered from behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder to see him smiling down at me. His long hair was damp, and there were raindrops still clinging to his ridiculously long eyelashes.

“Well, you told me coming here was the way I could get rid of you for good, so I’m here.” I glared at him.

He jutted out his bottom lip. “You want to get rid of me? Honey, we just started.”

I glared at him, but then Breia cleared her throat. “So yes or no to the menus?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

I glared back at Liam. He just shrugged. “I’m starving. Plus, if I drink coffee on an empty stomach it makes me all jittery.” He shifted his shoulders for emphasis.

“Well, I’m here for a coffee. Anything more, and you’re doing that alone.”

He grinned at me, which just made me more irritated. “That’s what you think. Just wait. Women find me irresistible.” His wink was smooth, and if I’d blinked, I would have missed it.

“Are you incapable of having a serious conversation?” I hissed as Breia grabbed two menus and motioned for us to follow her through the diner.

“What?” Liam asked.

I could feel him lean closer to me, and a shiver rushed across my skin. I clenched my jaw, refusing to let myself get carried away with thoughts of Liam that didn’t include getting him out of my life. There was no way I was going to let his flirty antics work on me.

Breia led us to a table along the far wall, right next to the couple that had been waiting at the stand when I’d walked in.

I slid onto one booth seat while Liam took the other.

Breia left us with the menus and told us she’d be back to take our drink order.

I was busy looking at the menu in the hope that Liam wouldn’t try to engage in conversation if I looked like I was busy.

He was shifting and moving in his seat like he was trying to look at something behind me, so I finally set my menu down and looked up at him. “What are you doing?” I asked as I glanced over my shoulder.

Liam snapped his gaze to me. His eyebrows were drawn together like he was confused. I raised my eyebrows, expectantly.

“I thought…” He frowned before he shook his head. “Never mind. I thought I saw someone I knew.” He laughed as he picked up his menu and ran his gaze over it. “That would be crazy.”

I sighed. It was probably one of his conquests. Of course.

Breia returned as promised. She pulled out her order pad and jotted down my coffee with creamer order and Liam’s Coke, hamburger—hold the onions—and fries order.

We both handed her back our menus, and suddenly, I had no barrier between me and Liam. I entwined my fingers and rested my hands on the table for a moment before I moved to drumming my fingertips instead.

Liam looked relaxed as he leaned back against the booth. I hated that he bothered me so much while he looked completely at ease around me. I wished he would just get what he wanted from the library and leave me alone.

“So…how long do you think you’ll be in Harmony for?” I asked, keeping the conversation basic.

Liam studied me for a moment before he shifted his weight so he could lean over the table. His half smile was ridiculous as he grinned up at me. “I’m not sure. Why? Are you scared you’ll miss me?”

I pulled back. “What? No.” Then I glared at him. “Are you incapable of having a normal conversation?”

“Normal conversation?”

I sighed. “Yes, normal. One that doesn’t have flirty undertones.”

“Flirty undertones?” He focused his attention on me like he was truly curious.

This was a fun conversation. I sighed as I brushed my hand across the top of the table a few times, desperate for something other than Liam to focus on.

“Listen, I don’t know what you want from me, but I’m trying to start over. I don’t need…” My voice trailed off. What was I doing? Why was I telling him these things? The last person I wanted to open up to was this man.

When I glanced back up, Liam was studying me again. His flirty smile was gone, and for the first time since I’d met him, he looked…serious. Well, that was a good sign. He could pick up on my tone and could act accordingly.

“You’re starting over? From what?” he asked. He glanced over at Breia, who dropped off our drinks and left without lingering.

I was grateful to have my coffee cup in front of me.

It was the distraction I needed. I wrapped my hands around the sides, reveling in its warmth.

I hoped he bought my concentration instead of realizing that I was procrastinating answering his questions.

I wasn’t sure I wanted this stranger to know that much about me. About Trevor. About Samuel.

Constantly dredging up the past is the last thing a person who is trying to move on with their life should do. I needed to put on a smiling face and move forward. Wallowing wasn’t going to put food on the table for Samuel or a roof over his head.

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.” I picked up my coffee and took a sip. “What matters is you keep your end of this deal and, after this meeting, leave me alone.”

He was studying me now. “Is that what you want?”

I stared at the dark liquid in my coffee mug.

His words echoed in my mind. Was it what I wanted?

I didn’t know. I knew I didn’t have time for Liam, but the fact that I’d looked for him during these past 48 hours told me that, no, I didn’t want him to leave me alone.

I liked having the attention. I’d been so lonely for so long.

And even though Liam was a shameless flirt, that didn’t change the fact that I liked it when he paid attention to me.

Truth was, I didn’t want to be lonely anymore, and yet, I’d resigned myself to accepting that was my fate.

“Oh my gosh, it is her.” Liam’s whisper startled me and made me look up.

His attention was focused on someone behind me. I turned to see the woman who had been in front of me at the hostess stand was currently walking toward her table from the bathroom. She was smiling at the man she’d come with.

“It’s who?” I whispered as I turned back to Liam to see him glancing around the diner like he was looking for someone.

He flicked his gaze over at me before he went back to his search. “Cole’s mom.”

I frowned. “Cole’s mom?” I repeated. “Cole…Watkins? The guy you were looking for when you first came to the library?”

Liam nodded. “Yeah.” He rose up like he was going to leave, but sat back down as Willow appeared next to our table.

“Here’s your hamburger with no onions and a side of fries,” she said as she glanced between me and Liam.

I motioned toward Liam, and she set the food down in front of him.

“Is Cole around?” Liam asked, not even looking at his food.

Willow’s skin paled, and she visibly swallowed. “He’s, um…” She cleared her throat as she smoothed down her apron. “He’s going back to Miami.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “He’s not coming back to Harmony.”

Liam frowned. “He did? When?”

She glanced down at her watch. “About twenty minutes ago.”

He glanced around the diner and then back to Willow like he couldn’t believe what she was saying.

“Do you want me to give him a message in case I talk to him?” Willow started feeling around in her apron pocket like she was looking for some paper and a pen.

“Yeah.” Liam’s gaze was behind me now like he was looking at that woman once more. “Tell him his mom is in Harmony.”