Page 27 of The Cinnamon Bun Book Store

Noah had still not recovered physically or mentally from kissing Hazel the night before, and he needed an iced coffee before his first tour of the day.

The cool air of The Pumpkin Spice Café hit him as he walked in. The place was bustling as usual, with the morning rush getting their caffeine fix for the day.

He got in line, stooping to give Casper a scratch between his ears when the little ghost cat came over to greet him. The cat purred happily before sauntering off to curl up on the lap of a college student sitting in a cozy chair by the window.

‘Noah!’ Kaori appeared behind him in line, her briefcase slung over one shoulder. ‘What did you get up to last night?’ she asked, all smiles. But Noah had lived here long enough not to be fooled. Kaori was fishing.

‘Oh, you know, the usual. Visited a few of the local sorority houses, made some new friends. How about you? Read anything good lately?’

Kaori’s smile grew shark-like. Suddenly, Noah felt bad for everyone she’d cross-examined as a trial lawyer. She must be terrifying to face in court. And she wasn’t fooled by Noah’s lies, but he wasn’t scared of the book club.

‘Oh, plenty of good reads. Just finished one about a reformed rake.’

‘Well, everyone loves a reformed rake.’ He winked and turned toward the counter with Kaori cackling behind him.

‘Hey, Noah.’ Jeanie was at the register this morning and she was also smiling at him like she knew things, or thought she knew things.

‘Hey, Jeanie.’

‘How was your night?’

Before or after Hazel kissed him and rearranged his brain chemistry?

‘Fine, thanks.’

She was still staring at him, her dark brows lifted like she was waiting for him to go on.

‘Uh, I’ll have an iced coffee with milk.’

‘Okay, sure.’ She called his order to Joe who was making the drinks this morning while Jeanie manned the register.

‘Has Hazel been in yet?’

Jeanie’s smile grew. ‘No, not yet.’

‘Then I’ll get an apple-cider iced tea, too.’

‘You know her drink order.’

He was sure Kaori had just sighed dreamily behind him but he refused to turn around.

‘Stop looking at me like that, Jeanie.’

‘Like what?’

Noah narrowed his eyes. ‘Like that. Hazel is a friend.’

‘Uh-huh. Right. A friend. Got it.’ She handed him his drinks, a look on her face like she didn’t believe a word he said which was fair because he didn’t either, but he wasn’t about to discuss what he and Hazel were to each other with half of Dream Harbor, the nosy book-club president included, waiting in line behind him.

‘See you later.’

‘Bye, Noah.’

‘Bye, Noah!’ Kaori chirped, stepping up to the counter. Noah did not want to know what she and Jeanie were immediately giggling about.

He was nearly free of Jeanie’s insinuating looks and Kaori’s probing questions when Logan walked in. He really needed to find a different coffee shop.

‘Noah.’