such a bad thing.
Phoebe’s cell phone dinged, and she picked it up with a smile. “It’s Kevin.”
I closed my books and muttered, “Love birds.”
Her cheeks flushed as she answered the call.
“Her boyfriend?” Jonah asking, putting his things away too.
“Not yet,” I said.
Phoebe set down her phone. “Will you be mad if I bail on our coffee date to go to the movies with Kevin?”
“Of course not.” I grinned. “Go out with your guy.”
“Thanks.” She embraced her books and shot up. “I’ll call you later.”
“You better!” I yelled as she scrambled out of the library.
A lot of shhhs followed, but I shrugged. I was happy for her. And a little jealous.
“So.” Jonah leaned over the table again. “If you still want coffee, I can go with you. You know, as your date.” He flashed his trademark grin.
I sighed. “Jonah, Audrey told me about you and her.”
“There’s nothing—”
I raised my hand, interrupting him. “I don’t care. She thinks you two still have something going on. Really, it’s none of my business, but I don’t want any more trouble, so please, don’t ask me out, don’t look at me with your stupid grin, or anything else.” I picked up my books. “She’s already making a mess of everything because we have this project together. If she sees us together for any other reason, she’ll go ape shit.”
He laughed. “Wow, you do know Audrey.”
“Not her exactly, but girls like her. And I really want to stay away from her.”
I stood and walked away.
I was a good ten steps outside the library when Jonah caught up with me. He halted in front of me, and I had no other choice other than to stop.
“I’m gonna talk to her,” he said, his blue eye shining with determination. “She has to stop this nonsense. I knew she was still hung up on me. I’ve seen her threatening other girls before, but I thought it was some kind of joke. Now I see she was serious. She is serious.”
“Jonah—”
“No, I want to. I’m gonna talk to her. I’ll make her understand there is and there will never be anything between her and me again.”
I shook my head. “Jonah, you—” I wanted to tell him that even if he did talk to Audrey and she did let him go, I wasn’t really into him but he interrupted me again.
“In fact, I’m going to do that right now.” He stepped into me and kissed my cheek. “I’ll call you later.”
He ran away while I remained frozen in place for a good five minutes. What the hell just happened?
***
Sunday morning, I entered the stable with a tray and a large brown bag.
Tom peeked out of the tack room. “I smell coffee.”
I smiled and raised the bag. “And pastries.”
He whistled. “Aren’t you the perfect girl? Pretty, has a way with horses, and comes armed with coffee and pastries. If I was younger, I would be all over you.”
“Good morning to you too.” I entered his office and dropped the tray and bag on the disorganized desk. There were paper, pens, notes, and folders everywhere. “Um, when was the last time you went through these things, Tom?”
He joined me in the office. “I don’t know. I pay attention to the urgent stuff and the rest just stays there.”
I tease-glared at him. “That’s not a good manager.”
“That’s what I tell him every day,” Garrett said, stepping in the office. He inhaled deeply. “Ah, coffee.”
I picked a travel cup and handed to him. “I only brought plain black, because I didn’t know what you like, but inside the bag are lots of cream and sugar.”
He took it from me and tipped his hat. “Just black.”
Tom opened the bag and took a glazed donut from inside. “I vote you spoil us with breakfast every morning.”
“Well, don’t get too used to it. I’m only doing it because it’s Sunday. During the week, I have classes all day.”
“Bummer,” Garrett said.
My cheeks warmed. “Where’s Carl? I brought coffee for him too.”
Garrett grabbed a cinnamon scone from
Phoebe’s cell phone dinged, and she picked it up with a smile. “It’s Kevin.”
I closed my books and muttered, “Love birds.”
Her cheeks flushed as she answered the call.
“Her boyfriend?” Jonah asking, putting his things away too.
“Not yet,” I said.
Phoebe set down her phone. “Will you be mad if I bail on our coffee date to go to the movies with Kevin?”
“Of course not.” I grinned. “Go out with your guy.”
“Thanks.” She embraced her books and shot up. “I’ll call you later.”
“You better!” I yelled as she scrambled out of the library.
A lot of shhhs followed, but I shrugged. I was happy for her. And a little jealous.
“So.” Jonah leaned over the table again. “If you still want coffee, I can go with you. You know, as your date.” He flashed his trademark grin.
I sighed. “Jonah, Audrey told me about you and her.”
“There’s nothing—”
I raised my hand, interrupting him. “I don’t care. She thinks you two still have something going on. Really, it’s none of my business, but I don’t want any more trouble, so please, don’t ask me out, don’t look at me with your stupid grin, or anything else.” I picked up my books. “She’s already making a mess of everything because we have this project together. If she sees us together for any other reason, she’ll go ape shit.”
He laughed. “Wow, you do know Audrey.”
“Not her exactly, but girls like her. And I really want to stay away from her.”
I stood and walked away.
I was a good ten steps outside the library when Jonah caught up with me. He halted in front of me, and I had no other choice other than to stop.
“I’m gonna talk to her,” he said, his blue eye shining with determination. “She has to stop this nonsense. I knew she was still hung up on me. I’ve seen her threatening other girls before, but I thought it was some kind of joke. Now I see she was serious. She is serious.”
“Jonah—”
“No, I want to. I’m gonna talk to her. I’ll make her understand there is and there will never be anything between her and me again.”
I shook my head. “Jonah, you—” I wanted to tell him that even if he did talk to Audrey and she did let him go, I wasn’t really into him but he interrupted me again.
“In fact, I’m going to do that right now.” He stepped into me and kissed my cheek. “I’ll call you later.”
He ran away while I remained frozen in place for a good five minutes. What the hell just happened?
***
Sunday morning, I entered the stable with a tray and a large brown bag.
Tom peeked out of the tack room. “I smell coffee.”
I smiled and raised the bag. “And pastries.”
He whistled. “Aren’t you the perfect girl? Pretty, has a way with horses, and comes armed with coffee and pastries. If I was younger, I would be all over you.”
“Good morning to you too.” I entered his office and dropped the tray and bag on the disorganized desk. There were paper, pens, notes, and folders everywhere. “Um, when was the last time you went through these things, Tom?”
He joined me in the office. “I don’t know. I pay attention to the urgent stuff and the rest just stays there.”
I tease-glared at him. “That’s not a good manager.”
“That’s what I tell him every day,” Garrett said, stepping in the office. He inhaled deeply. “Ah, coffee.”
I picked a travel cup and handed to him. “I only brought plain black, because I didn’t know what you like, but inside the bag are lots of cream and sugar.”
He took it from me and tipped his hat. “Just black.”
Tom opened the bag and took a glazed donut from inside. “I vote you spoil us with breakfast every morning.”
“Well, don’t get too used to it. I’m only doing it because it’s Sunday. During the week, I have classes all day.”
“Bummer,” Garrett said.
My cheeks warmed. “Where’s Carl? I brought coffee for him too.”
Garrett grabbed a cinnamon scone from
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