No Choice At All by Denise Carbo

Author:Denise Carbo [Carbo, Denise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781734872941
Publisher: Denise Carbo

Chapter 18

The coffee maker gurgles. We lost power sometime last night, so not only did my backup alarm not go off, but my coffee maker didn’t have my coffee waiting for me.

Drew is happily chattering away, sitting at the breakfast bar behind me, eating his second bowl of cereal. I turn the cup on the coffee platform. It’s a picture of a younger Drew grinning and holding a frog. I smile and shake my head. That kid is a fountain of joy over the simplest things.

I laid out a pair of jeans, long-sleeved shirt, and a hoodie for him last night. He’s already dressed and ready to go.

I pull the coffee cup out from under the coffee maker while it’s still dripping and splash in a healthy amount of creamer and sugar. I’ll worry about the calories later. I need this.

I plod out of the kitchen with the cup cradled in my hands. The outside steps creak under someone’s weight. I close my eyes.

He’s early. I glance down at my white silk pajamas and then up at the ceiling. How am I going to make it through this day?

I take a deep swallow of the hot coffee. With lots and lots of coffee.

He knocks on the door. I walk over and peek through the hole to verify it’s Ian. Yup, it’s him with a baseball cap advertising his bar on his head.

Sighing, I walk back over to the kitchen. “Let Ian in. I’m going to go get dressed.”

“Okay!” Drew jumps up from the stool and runs to the front door.

I skirt around him and stride down the hallway to my bedroom.

Less than ten minutes later, I walk into the living room to find Ian playing cars with Drew on the floor.

“Morning, beautiful.” He stands with a smile.

I know I don’t look my best, but warmth spreads through me at his words anyway. I did little more than comb my hair and brush my teeth after tugging on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

He’s got a scruff of a beard darkening his jaw I find oddly adorable. I’ve always preferred a clean-shaven man. I’ve never seen him with any facial hair before. Maybe I’m not the only one who had a rough time waking up this morning.

“Mike is meeting us at the boat ramp near the docks. I’ve got my Jeep with all the fishing gear parked right outside your door.”

“One perk of being up so early. You don’t need to worry about parking. Nothing is open this early.”

“The Sweet Spot is.” He jerks his head to the bar.

A pair of familiar black and pink coffee cups sits in the middle. My mouth opens and closes. “I could kiss you right now.” I stride over to the bar.

“I won’t object. The one on the left is yours.”

I snatch it up and pop open the top of the lid and take a whiff. He remembered my favorite. I blow into the lid and take a hesitant sip. Perfect. I drink half the cup before closing my eyes and sighing.

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