Mistaken by Karen Barnett

Author:Karen Barnett [Barnett, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Abingdon Fiction
Published: 2013-05-23T04:00:00+00:00

25

Laurie crossed her legs and jiggled the toe of her shoe under the cover of the soda fountain counter. The fragrance of fresh coffee had pulled her in from the sidewalk like a honeybee to an apple blossom. Since her father was still on nightshift, she hadn’t bothered to brew any this morning and had sneaked out early so as not to wake him. She’d had enough family drama for a few days.

She couldn’t deny the undeniable urge to see Daniel, again. And yet, since she’d walked through the door, she’d had difficulty meeting his eye.

Now, watching Daniel’s back as he poured cream into the pitcher, she felt a fresh shiver race through her.

What am I doing here? Last night all she could think of was Samuel. Now she sat pondering Daniel’s back.

He straightened, turned, and passed the pitcher over to her with a hesitant smile. “You’re my first customer this morning.”

She tipped a small stream into her cup, careful not to let it run over the top. “I thought you had turned the soda fountain over to Marcie.”

“She doesn’t come in for a few hours yet. We don’t get many customers this early.”

She sipped the coffee, careful to keep her eyes on the cup and not let them drift back to Daniel. Every time she looked at him, she felt a needle jab her heart. They’d had such a wonderful time at the lake, but she’d barely spoken to him since. And that had been when she was here with Samuel.

He leaned on the counter. “How are those headaches?”

She glanced up at him from under her lashes, holding the cup in front of her lips. “I haven’t had any trouble with them lately.” She noticed the bruise on his face and nearly reached to touch it before she caught herself. “What happened to you?”

“A little late-night brawl. No big deal.”

The glint in his eye told her he was teasing, but she decided not to pursue it. Instead, she glanced over his shoulder at the clock. Twenty minutes until her shift. “You must have things to be doing. Don’t let me stop you.” She fingered the cup, half hoping he’d stay.

He did.

They spent the time talking about her work at the exchange and the customers at the pharmacy. Laurie marveled at how easy it was to talk with the man—no tension in the air, like the time she spent with Samuel.

Maybe I’m just more comfortable around gangsters. She gazed at his long fingers as he tapped them on the counter, overcome with a sudden longing to touch his hands.

She finished her coffee and laid a coin on the counter. “I should be getting to work, I suppose.”

He pushed the coin back to her. “Keep it. I’ve missed talking to you. I’m sorry I was rude when you came in the last time.”

“It was awkward. I shouldn’t have come.”

“No.” He shook his head. “It was unprofessional of me. I need to apologize.” He paused, gazing at her. “I’d like to make it up to you.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.