Heartsville 03 - Another Shot (J.H. Knight) (4 page)

“Hey,” Brad said with a grin as he stepped up to the counter. “This is my niece, Amelia. I thought she might like a treat.” He looked at Amelia and then pointed to Aaron. “This is my friend Aaron.”

“Hi, Aaron,” she said with a friendly smile. “How is your day so far?”

Surprised, Aaron tried not to laugh. She looked like a little girl, with her little girl smile and little girl teddy bear sweater, but she sounded like a tiny adult. “Pretty good,” he said. “Are you enjoying your visit with your uncle?”

She nodded once and then said, “We had pancakes for breakfast and went to the museum. Uncle Brad is taking me to Wind Up to look at the new hand puppets later.”

“Sounds like a great day.” Aaron had never spent much time in the toy store, but he knew the owner who bought it a year earlier. Wind Up was one of the only places around that offered low-tech toys to inspire imagination. Their motto was Batteries Excluded, but—maybe ironically—the online sales kept them afloat. “Would you like a cookie? Hot chocolate?” As an afterthought, he looked at Brad and asked, “Does she have any food allergies?”

“Nah, not that Shawna ever mentioned.”

Amelia shook her head firmly. “I don’t have any allergies.” She went on to add, “My friend Carlie can’t have gluten, though. And Baxter can’t have artificial dyes or dairy. If Ava even
touches
a peanut, she could
die
. We have to be
very
careful when Ava comes over, and she brings her own snacks.”

Aaron had no idea what to say to all that. “That’s pretty smart of her to bring her own stuff.” He decided to change the subject. “What can I get ya?”

“Do you have anything organic?” Amelia asked.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Aaron moved to the bakery case and reached over to point. “The brownies are vegan and organic, so is that fruit tart, and”—he stood on his toes to see better—“the butterfly cookies are organic with all-natural dyes.”

“Fairly traded?” Amelia asked with a curious tone.

Brad scrunched up his nose but didn’t say anything. Aaron missed the days when a cookie was just a cookie. Maybe Brad did too.

“I’m not sure about the ingredients on the cookies since my friend makes those, but I know my coffee beans and all of my chocolates are fair trade.”

Amelia didn’t debate long with herself before she said, “I’d like the yellow butterfly cookie and a small hot chocolate—with organic milk if you have it—please.” She smiled and then seemed to remember something. “Could you heat it to one-hundred-and-forty degrees? One-thirty is too cool, but one-fifty is too hot.”

Simon laughed behind Aaron. “I like a girl who knows what she wants,” he said with a smile. “I’ll make your hot chocolate, love. I’m better at it than Aaron.”

Amelia—like every other girl (and plenty of boys) who ever met Simon—giggled. Aaron hadn’t pegged her for the giggling sort, but, well, Simon.

“Amelia,” Aaron said, nodding to the small bookshelf on the back wall. “There are some great children’s books there if you’d like to take a look.”

“No, thank you,” she said as she reached into her lavender messenger bag and pulled out an e-reader. “I brought my tablet, and I’m only halfway through
By the Shores of Silver Lake
by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I don’t like to start new books when I’m in the middle of a series.”

It dawned on Aaron that he was talking to a mini-Mandy. He couldn’t help liking her more. “That’s totally understandable. I bet you’re head of the class at school.”

She looked confused for a beat and then said, “We don’t do grades at my school.”

“She goes to one of those… hippie Montessori learn-at-your-own-pace schools,” Brad explained.

Amelia actually rolled her eyes at Brad. “Mrs. Barnes says that education, like life, is
not
a competition. Grades are an oversimplification and send the wrong message.”

“She sure told you,” Simon said as he added whipped cream to the top of Amelia’s hot chocolate.

“Mrs. Barnes is absolutely right,” Aaron said as he put her cookie on a little plate.

Amelia smiled brightly when Simon walked her to a table and pulled her chair out for her.

Brad watched for a moment, looking amused, before he leaned on the counter and said to Aaron, “Every day I get with her is an adventure.”

Aaron laughed and asked, “How old is she?”

“Eight going on thirty.”

“
Eight
? Are all kids like that now?” Aaron had very limited experiences with children and he was perfectly happy with that.

“I wouldn’t say all, but most of her classmates are,” Brad said, laughing again. “Two weeks ago, I got an hour-long lecture from one of her little friends about pesticides and bees and how nonorganic produce is the root of all evil.” He shook his head and added, “The fact that my business revolves around environmental protection wasn’t enough to convince them I was on their side. I had to swear an oath that the grapes I gave them were organic before they’d eat their lunch.”

Aaron could picture the entire scene. The idea of Brad getting schooled by a couple of little kids was oddly endearing. “At least we’re leaving the planet in good hands, right?”

Brad glanced over at Amelia again as Simon left her to her tablet and cookie. “There is that, yeah.”

Aaron wanted to lean over the counter and kiss Brad’s cheek, but he wasn’t sure how well that would go over. The steamy kisses they’d shared the night before could’ve been alcohol-induced, after all. Though, on Aaron’s part, that wasn’t the case. “Can I get ya a coffee or anything?”

Amelia was fully engrossed in her reading when Brad looked at Aaron again. “Can I get a quick kiss with it or is that off-limits at work?”

Well. That answered Aaron’s question.

“Since you’re the only two in here for the moment,” Aaron said, leaning closer. “I think we can get away with it.”

Brad met him in the middle and brushed their lips together in a light, tender kiss. It wasn’t nearly enough for Aaron, but it was public-and-kid-appropriate, which was probably more important.

“Get a room,” Simon stage-whispered as he walked past.

Brad laughed as they pulled back from each other. “I guess I’ll settle for that coffee now.”

Aaron made him a triple latte instead and then let Brad go back to his niece. He didn’t mean to watch them, but he really couldn’t help himself. Brad and Amelia were thoroughly engaged in a conversation Aaron couldn’t hear, but they both seemed happy in each other’s company.

“That’s the guy you went out with last night?” Simon asked as he sidled up next to Aaron.

“Yeah,” Aaron said, trying to wipe the grin off his face. “Mandy has better taste than I would’ve given her credit for.”

“Tell her she can set me up any time she likes.”

Aaron nudged him, laughing. “Yeah, because I know how hard up you are for dates.”

“I date cake,” Simon said, nodding toward Brad. “That’s meat and potatoes right there.”

“I…. That’s the weirdest analogy I’ve ever heard. Is that a British thing, or…?”

Simon rolled his eyes. “All I’m saying is you can’t
live
on cake, mate. Meat and potatoes, though? That’s a full meal.”

“Unless you’re vegetarian.”

Aaron jumped at the sound of Clara’s voice behind him.

“When did you get back?”

“Just now,” she said as she tied her apron around her waist. “I came in the back. Why are we talking about meat and potatoes?”

Her voice carried and Brad looked over at the three of them.

“Just swapping recipes,” Aaron said quickly before Simon could say anything to humiliate him in front of Brad.

When Amelia finished her cookie, Brad brought their dishes to the counter. “I’ll see you next weekend,” he said quietly, catching Aaron’s eye.

“Definitely.” Aaron tried not to sigh like a cartoon cat with fluttering hearts around his head. He only barely managed.

****

Later that afternoon, Aaron got a text from Brad.

It was good to see you. Mind if I call tonight after I pack Miss Amelia back to Shawna?

Aaron decided it was okay to let himself sigh and blush and grin since he was in the back and no one could actually see him.

Sounds good. Ttyl.

Chapter Five

“It was insta-love, wasn’t it?” Mandy stood at the counter while she waited for her mocha.

“It was insta-
like
.” Aaron had to at least concede that much. His grin probably betrayed him, though.

Mandy took her drink from Simon with a smile and went back to Aaron. “I knew he’d be perfect for you. I
knew
it.”

“I didn’t say he was perfect,” Aaron said firmly, suddenly wishing his sister hadn’t dropped by. On the other hand, if he hadn’t avoided her texts and phone calls the last few days, the conversation would have already been done. “We haven’t even covered any of the important stuff yet.”

He and Brad had covered quite a bit, though, in the last couple of days. They talked on the phone every evening and texted back and forth on their breaks.

“What? Like comparing your Netflix queues?”

“Among other things, yeah.”

Mandy rolled her eyes. “How are you such a pessimist?”

“How is being cautious pessimism? I like him,” Aaron said before adding begrudgingly, “a
lot
, actually. I just don’t feel the need to ask him to marry me before the second date.”

“Okay, fine.” Mandy blew out a sharp breath to get her bangs out of her eyes. “Is my nook free?” she asked, nodding toward the stairs in the corner.

“You’re the only one who ever uses it.”

She grinned at him for that and took her mug—almost as big as her head—and her new book upstairs, walking past the painted sign that read
For people who don’t like people
. The little antisocial section had been Mandy’s idea, truth be told. There was only one chair—overstuffed and comfortable enough to nap in—with a small side table just big enough for a book and a cup of coffee. The walls were lined with shelves that held a small lending library. The idea was simple: bring in an old book you no longer want, stick it on the shelf, and take one you’d like to read. Mandy wasn’t really the only person who went up there, but most of the regulars did consider it
her
spot. And she contributed most of the books. Not unlike a drug dealer who offers the first hit for free, Mandy only left the first book in a series for lending. She figured people would try them, like them, and then buy the rest. Aaron didn’t know how well her plan worked, but he’d seen a lot of happy readers coming down those stairs.

Once Mandy had retreated to her reader’s cave, Aaron went back to work. There was a rush of customers for another hour and a half, and then suddenly, the place was dead. “I’m taking a short break,” he told Simon. Clara had just gotten in and was getting ready for the evening rush—which on a Wednesday consisted of about twelve people.

He pulled out his phone and checked his messages. Brad had texted him. Twice.

You’re probably busy, but I thought I’d say hi.

The next one was just a picture of two freshly carved jack-o’-lanterns, one with a funny toothless grin, and the other with a large bat.

He stepped out back and leaned against the wall before responding.
Those will rot before Halloween….

Less than a minute later, Brad’s message appeared on his screen.

That’ll give me an excuse to make more. I’m practicing for our date. There’s a pumpkin-carving contest at the fair.

Oh? Aaron was glad Mandy had tucked herself away upstairs because he couldn’t have stopped grinning if someone had held a gun to him.

Sounds messy, but fun. Looking forward to it.

So am I. How’s your day going?

Pretty good. Getting near closing. You?

Mellow.

Before Aaron could think of anything else to say, his phone rang, making his heart jump.

“I couldn’t figure out why we were texting when I could just call.” Brad’s voice, all sweet and rough, sounded against Aaron’s ear.

“Good choice,” he said, laughing softly. “Sometimes I forget my phone is an actual, ya know, phone.”

Brad chuckled. “Same here. Remember the days when a cordless phone and call waiting felt high-tech?”

“And a pager,” Aaron added, grinning. These were the things most nineties kids could bond over.

“I never got one of those, believe it or not. I went straight to a cell phone, skipped the whole pager thing.”