Page 14 of Scoop Me Up (Love in Maplewood #7)

Gabe

I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling for an eternity.

What have you done? Maybe Sam wasn’t into me.

Maybe I’d misread everything and they hadn’t realized how I was feeling until I tried to kiss them.

In the moment, it had just felt right. Now I felt like I’d ruined everything—our budding friendship, my chance of figuring out my feelings, and probably Sam’s hospitality in letting me stay at their house, too.

The thoughts pounded through my head in the same tempo as my racing heart until, eventually, I fell asleep.

The next morning, the blaring of my phone alarm woke me at far-too-early-o’clock.

I checked the time—seven thirty. Okay, maybe it wasn’t too early for normal people.

It was, in fact, pretty late for most people.

I’d set the alarm with the intention of keeping a reasonably normal schedule over the summer, but I was regretting it now.

I lay still, listening for sounds of life in the house, but heard nothing.

Eventually, I forced myself to get out of bed and take care of my basic needs—bathroom, brushing my teeth, putting on clean clothes.

When I finally made my way into the kitchen, somewhere around eight, I spotted a note on the dining table.

Gabe,

Got up early for school. See you later.

Sam

That was all. Perfunctory. Direct and to the point. Basic. Unemotional.

It was the last word that hit me the hardest. Unemotional.

What was Sam thinking about what I’d done the night before?

Well, what I’d almost done. What they’d stopped me from doing.

Maybe I’d misread the situation. Maybe they weren't into me, not even a little bit. Just because someone wasn’t straight didn’t mean they automatically wanted to hook up with every one of their preferred gender or genders.

I shook my head. That wasn’t it at all. I’d felt a connection with them. I thought I had, anyway. The touches, the glances, the joking. It felt real to me.

Maybe I was a fool.

I rubbed my forehead and sighed. I couldn’t spend the day in Sam’s house stewing over our near-kiss. I needed to get the hell out of there.

I headed out, making the walk to Red’s in short order.

It wasn’t terribly crowded at the little diner by the time I’d arrived and I was seated at the bar, taking my place on a cracked red plastic stool at the white Formica counter.

The server behind the counter placed a menu in front of me. He had a name badge that read “Mickey.”

“Hey there. I’m Mickey. What can I get started for you?”

“Coffee, please.”

He nodded and placed a cup in front of me before grabbing a pot and pouring. “Anything else for now?”

I glanced at the menu quickly before ordering bacon, eggs over medium, and toast. Mickey took no time putting my order in and bustling around the small diner to take care of the few other patrons seated around me.

Eventually, he came back and delivered my breakfast to me—two beautifully cooked eggs, golden brown toast, and several slices of bacon in a red coffee mug, served like flowers.

My stomach growled and my mouth watered as I dug in.

As I ate, Mickey lingered, striking up a conversation. “You’re new in town, right?”

“Yeah, I’m Ellie’s dad. Just here for the summer.” My stomach sank at the thought of the decision looming in my future.

“You’re staying at the inn?”

I shook my head, my stomach sinking further, my toast suddenly too dry in my mouth. “I’m staying with Sam Thatcher for a while. The inn didn’t have a room they could spare for the next six weeks.”

Mickey let out a low whistle. “Six weeks. That’s a long time to be crashing with someone. Sam’s a good one for it, though. They’re one of the kindest people that I’ve ever met.”

“Definitely. That’s pretty much how I ended up there—getting accidentally invited when I was in a pinch, and Sam was probably just too nice to say no.”

Mickey chuckled and shook his head. “Let me guess—Cooper?”

“How’d you know?” I took a bite of bacon that melted in my mouth and suppressed a groan. I did not need to be making obscene noises at the diner counter before nine in the morning on a Monday.

“Cooper’s a known troublemaker. How Sam puts up with him is anyone’s guess.” Mickey didn’t have any malice in his voice, though.

“He seems harmless. Maybe a little… intense.”

With a shrug, Mickey turned to a pair of newcomers and nodded. “I’ll be right with you,” he said before turning back to me. “He has to be. Sam would never come out of their shell if it weren’t for Coop. They’re good for each other.”

Something hit me, suddenly sitting like a brick in my stomach. “Are they—?” Is that why he turned me down?

“Oh, no,” Mickey said in a hurry. “They’re just friends. Have been for years. No chance of anything happening between them, trust me.”

I wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or worse. “Got it.”

“Sam’s taking their time, but they deserve to be happy. That’ll come eventually. Hopefully sooner than later.”

With that, Mickey turned to the newcomers and took their order, leaving me to finish my breakfast in silence.

As I ate, I pulled out my phone and texted Miles, the real estate agent, to see if he had some free time that morning.

I needed to know if he could get me into a short-term rental and out of Sam’s place before Sam decided to kick me out for my clumsy attempt to kiss them.

By the time I was done eating and had paid my tab, Miles had responded that he was free that day. We agreed to meet at Special Blend and I took off for the coffee shop, begging the universe to help me out.

As I arrived at Special Blend, I spotted someone with their back toward me standing just outside. Their head was bowed as if they were texting, a messenger bag over one shoulder. “Miles?”

The person turned around and I recognized him immediately as the very same Miles I’d gone to high school with, the Miles I’d been close with in those last four years of school. “Gabe,” he said, a note of pleasant surprise in his tone. “I wondered if it was going to be you.”

“I had the same thought. Good to see you.” I reached out to shake his hand, but he brushed me away and pulled me in for a one-armed hug instead.

When he released me, he was grinning and shaking his head. “Don’t give me any of that handshake nonsense like we don’t even know each other.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s fair.

How’ve you been?” We spent a few minutes catching up, giving each other the broad strokes of our lives the past several years.

I told him about Jennifer and Ellie and my work as a business consultant.

Miles told me he was still single, and mentioned that he’d been working in real estate since he’d finished undergrad.

It felt good to make a connection with someone other than my ex-wife or the guy who’d rebuffed my advance.

It felt good to feel like I had someone in my corner, like I had a friend.

“So what can I help you with? You said you’re looking for a rental?”

“Yeah. Short term, really. I’m in town for the next six weeks and I need somewhere to stay. And before you ask, the inn was booked. I tried a few of those short-term rental sites, too. Nothing.”

“Tourist season will do that,” he said with a little chuckle.

“Let’s see what I can do for you.” Miles led the way into Special Blend and ordered coffee for each of us while I chose a table off to the side where we’d be able to chat.

When he returned, he pulled a laptop out of his bag and opened it up.

“To be honest, short-term rentals aren’t a huge market here. We have a few, but…”

“Tourist season?”

He nodded. “Now, if you want to rent long-term or buy something… that I can definitely help you with.”

“Nothing’s final yet. Why don’t you show me what you’ve got?”

For a while, we looked at different property options on his laptop, Miles rolling out the positives and negatives of each one. The more we looked, though, the less confident I felt. I needed something close to town and there was just nothing available.

Eventually, I shook my head and sighed. “I don’t know. Nothing feels quite right.”

Miles nodded in sympathy. “I get it. Why don’t you sleep on it and we can reconvene later this week?” He closed the tabs we’d been looking through, and as he did, I caught a glimpse of a spreadsheet he had open.

“Is that—never mind. None of my business.”

Miles glanced at his computer. “Don’t even worry about it.

I don’t have anything top-secret going on.

That’s my list of active commercial property listings in the town and surrounding areas.

I also have a tab of locally owned businesses, one of coming-soon businesses, and one that includes business loan and grant options.

That last tab is a chart of businesses looking for investors, startup money, that sort of thing.

I’m not a pro or anything, but I like to help out where I can. Keep Maplewood thriving, you know?”

“Yeah… Can I see?” The wheels in my mind started to turn.

He turned his laptop to face me. “Of course.”

I studied the spreadsheet, one tab at a time. “This is great.”

Miles’s face lit up. “You think so?”

“It is. Very detailed.”

“Sometimes I get clients who want to invest in Maplewood or who want to start a business here. Usually it’s outsiders looking to live their best small-town life. These spreadsheets help me make that happen.”

The wheels were really turning. “I was just telling someone I’ve always wanted to find a business to invest in.

Do you think you could help me?” I wondered if he’d suggest the ice cream shop.

The thought of how I’d confessed my dream of investing to Sam made my chest squeeze, but the fact remained.

I wanted out of contract work. Investing in a small-town business was pretty much the polar opposite of moving to DC to take over a branch of a big-name consultancy firm, but there were clear benefits— namely, staying close to Ellie.

It would mean I’d have to find a way to make my peace with Sam, but I had to do that anyway if I was going to be stuck as his housemate for the next six weeks.

“Sure,” he said without hesitation. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”

Our meeting stretched into the afternoon, but by the time we wrapped up, I had a solid list of ideas, insight into each potential business’s needs thanks to Miles, and the beginnings of a plan.

Once we’d finished talking shop, Miles pivoted the conversation. “So what brought you to need a rental in Maplewood anyway?”

“Short version? Ex-wife needed a house sitter and parenting help while she traveled. That fell through. Now I’m here.” I held out my hands, palms up, and shrugged.

“And you’re liking it here, I take it? Since you’re considering investment options and all.”

“I am. Everyone’s so friendly and welcoming.” The previous night’s events flashed through my mind. “Hey, can I ask you something?” I leaned forward, dropping my volume.

Miles nodded. “Of course. Anything.”

I shifted in my seat, unsure of how to jump in. “It’s… dating advice.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Dating in Maplewood or in general?”

“Maplewood.”

“Hit me with it.”

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. “I think I’m into someone here, but I can’t tell if they’re into me. And since it’s such a small town, I’m afraid to ruin our friendship, or start the rumor mill turning, or something like that.”

He smirked and tilted his head slightly. “Can I ask who it is?”

I swallowed hard. “Sam.”

Miles’s smirk grew and he let out a little laugh. “Definitely go for it.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Really? Why do you say that?”

He shrugged casually. “Sam’s a catch. It’s only a matter of time before someone scoops them up.”