Better with Ben (How to Tame a Heartbreaker Book 3) by Casey McMillin Page A

said.
    Taylor's head popped up and she used a forearm to wipe at a hair that had fallen into her face. "Who?" she asked.
    Anne stopped in mid-stride and turned around to face her. "I was talking to Nothing and I didn't hear everything he said to Matt, but I don't think he's staying," Anne said. "He just asked if you were working and I think Matt told him you were in the back doing dishes. It sounded like he told Matt not to worry about getting you since you were busy. He looked familiar," she added. "I think it might have been Molly's brother.
    Taylor let out a disapproving huff. "Why would Matt send him away?" she asked.
    Anne shrugged innocently. "Maybe I misheard, but you better go check if you wanted to talk to him."
    Taylor crossed to the threshold of the open door that separated the kitchen from the coffee counter. She scanned what she could see of the room, but didn't see Ben anywhere. "Matt," she said. She had to speak up because it was busy, but he heard her and looked back to see what she wanted. "Did someone come in here asking for me?" her eyes were narrowed, which made Matt give her a surprised, innocent look.
    "Yeah, but he said he'd come back since we were slammed."
    Taylor rolled her eyes. "We're not that slammed. The dishes could wait five minutes." She didn't waste time getting onto Matt for it, though. "Is he still here?" she asked. Matt gestured into the room hopelessly. It was the morning rush and he was hardly keeping up with what everyone was doing after they were served their drinks.
    "He's at the sugar station," Michael said. He'd overheard both conversations and was thoughtful enough to chime in.
    Taylor stood on her tiptoes, but she could only see a piece of the person she thought could be Ben. He had on a baseball cap and he was a guy, and that was good enough for her. She turned and ran to the office to do a quick check in the mirror before she went out there, only stopping for a second to hastily put her long, rubber gloves on the side of the sink, remove the trash bag she taped over her cast, and close the dishwasher door.
    "Thank you for telling me," she said to Anne as she went into the office.
    "Is that Molly's brother?" Anne asked.
    "Yeah."
    "Well Matt's met him. I wonder why he didn't come get you."
    "You know Matt," Taylor said as she smiled into the mirror to check her teeth. "He's a space case. He probably didn't remember who he was."
    Taylor really regretted not being able to make more adjustments on her appearance, but she knew she would miss him if she didn't leave right then. "Thanks for telling me," she repeated as she left the office in a hurry.
    "Tay, I like that smile," Anne called after her.
    Had she really been that bad the last week that everyone felt the need to comment on her smile?
    "Thanks," Taylor said from over her shoulder.
    She bobbed and weaved around Matt, Nothing, and Michael as she made her way past the coffee counter and to the sugar station. The guy in the baseball cap had already turned to leave by the time she got close, and without even taking a second to think about what she was doing, she reached out and pinched him on the side.
    "Hey," she said.
    He looked back with a fake look of annoyance at being pinched. Taylor pretended to whither under his scowl and then they both broke into a smile.
    "What are you doing here?" she asked. She knew he was there to see her; she just wanted to hear him say it.
    "I came to see you," he said, still smiling.
    And the chorus sang: Halleluiah! Halleluiah!
    "I'm on my way to the airport," he continued. "I remembered you saying you were working this morning and thought I'd stop by. I had to get coffee anyway."
    She pointed at the cup in his hand. "I wish they would have told me you were here. I could have at least bought your coffee."
    He lifted it, smiling. "It was less than two dollars, I think," he said.
    "You want me to make you something fancy? Or maybe a bagel for the road?"
    "I'm good. I ate breakfast at home. I really