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Authors: T. L. Haddix
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talk about, then? The weather? Sports?”
He laughed huskily as she slid her hands up his arms and across his shoulders, then started unbuttoning his shirt. “I’d rather not talk.” Tilting her face up to his, he kissed her. As his lips moved down her neck, she closed her eyes, unable to hide the sadness and thankful he wasn’t looking at her face.
“Shall we go to the bedroom?” His mouth pressed against the sensitive spot where her neck joined her shoulder. She sighed as he scraped her skin with his teeth. Picking her up, he carried her across the room and into the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and started stripping off his clothes.
Putting aside all other thoughts, she made herself focus on the present. There would be time enough in the morning, when she woke up alone, to think about the past.
Chapter Eight
Fridays were usually the busiest days at the Brown Bag, and this one was no exception. Lauren had been working on paperwork in the upstairs office, but when Janet called over the intercom to say that the lines were getting crazy, she headed down to help. Grabbing an apron from the hook behind the kitchen door, she quickly tied it around her waist and joined Janet behind the counter.
Forty-five hectic minutes later, the crowd finally thinned. Lauren heard a man come back to the counter and ask for a refill to go. She stopped cleaning the mess in the prep area and made his coffee when Janet handed her the order. After putting the finishing touches on his drink, she walked it down to the register and handed it over with a smile.
“Here you go.” Her smile froze as he reached for the cup. It had been thirteen years, but she recognized Travis Tyler. His reaction was the same as hers. He paused, a look of stunned surprise on his face. The person in line behind him cleared his throat and Travis jerked to attention. Picking up the cup, he nodded at Lauren and Janet, and headed out the door.
“What was that all about?” Janet asked a few minutes later. “You looked like you’d seen a ghost or something, girl.”
“I felt like I had for a minute there. He’s just someone I knew from years ago. I’m fine. He just startled me.”
“Oo-oh, a lost love?”
Lauren laughed. “Not exactly.” She gave a rueful smile at the thought and shook her head, moving to the register to greet another wave of customers.
For the next little while, she stayed too busy to think about what Travis might be doing in Leroy, but after the lunch crowd had moved on and things had quieted down, she let her mind wander over the possibilities. Travis had a reputation in southern Indiana as a real estate developer and commercial contractor. Based in Madison, his company had grown by leaps and bounds. She felt a little surprised that it had taken so long for the two of them to cross paths again. She was working her way through the empty dining room, wiping down tables and collecting dirty dishes, when the bell over the door rang.
Travis walked over to where she stood and studied her for a minute before speaking. “Lauren, right? Margie’s cousin?”
“That’s right.” She returned his smile, shaking the hand he offered. “It’s been a few years. How are you, Travis?”
“I’m doing well.” He held her hand for a few seconds longer than necessary before letting it go. “I’m a little surprised you remember me.”
She laughed and pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, it’s hard to live around here and not know your name, but the time we met was rather… memorable. You saved Margie and me a lot of trouble that night at the lake. I’m not liable to forget that. What brings you to Leroy?”
He grinned. “Business. What else is there? Any chance you can take a break? I’d like to buy you a cup of coffee.”
“I think that can be arranged. Give me just a minute.” Lauren excused herself and went to the kitchen to tell Janet she was taking a break. She untied the apron and hung it on its hook. Back
He laughed huskily as she slid her hands up his arms and across his shoulders, then started unbuttoning his shirt. “I’d rather not talk.” Tilting her face up to his, he kissed her. As his lips moved down her neck, she closed her eyes, unable to hide the sadness and thankful he wasn’t looking at her face.
“Shall we go to the bedroom?” His mouth pressed against the sensitive spot where her neck joined her shoulder. She sighed as he scraped her skin with his teeth. Picking her up, he carried her across the room and into the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and started stripping off his clothes.
Putting aside all other thoughts, she made herself focus on the present. There would be time enough in the morning, when she woke up alone, to think about the past.
Chapter Eight
Fridays were usually the busiest days at the Brown Bag, and this one was no exception. Lauren had been working on paperwork in the upstairs office, but when Janet called over the intercom to say that the lines were getting crazy, she headed down to help. Grabbing an apron from the hook behind the kitchen door, she quickly tied it around her waist and joined Janet behind the counter.
Forty-five hectic minutes later, the crowd finally thinned. Lauren heard a man come back to the counter and ask for a refill to go. She stopped cleaning the mess in the prep area and made his coffee when Janet handed her the order. After putting the finishing touches on his drink, she walked it down to the register and handed it over with a smile.
“Here you go.” Her smile froze as he reached for the cup. It had been thirteen years, but she recognized Travis Tyler. His reaction was the same as hers. He paused, a look of stunned surprise on his face. The person in line behind him cleared his throat and Travis jerked to attention. Picking up the cup, he nodded at Lauren and Janet, and headed out the door.
“What was that all about?” Janet asked a few minutes later. “You looked like you’d seen a ghost or something, girl.”
“I felt like I had for a minute there. He’s just someone I knew from years ago. I’m fine. He just startled me.”
“Oo-oh, a lost love?”
Lauren laughed. “Not exactly.” She gave a rueful smile at the thought and shook her head, moving to the register to greet another wave of customers.
For the next little while, she stayed too busy to think about what Travis might be doing in Leroy, but after the lunch crowd had moved on and things had quieted down, she let her mind wander over the possibilities. Travis had a reputation in southern Indiana as a real estate developer and commercial contractor. Based in Madison, his company had grown by leaps and bounds. She felt a little surprised that it had taken so long for the two of them to cross paths again. She was working her way through the empty dining room, wiping down tables and collecting dirty dishes, when the bell over the door rang.
Travis walked over to where she stood and studied her for a minute before speaking. “Lauren, right? Margie’s cousin?”
“That’s right.” She returned his smile, shaking the hand he offered. “It’s been a few years. How are you, Travis?”
“I’m doing well.” He held her hand for a few seconds longer than necessary before letting it go. “I’m a little surprised you remember me.”
She laughed and pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, it’s hard to live around here and not know your name, but the time we met was rather… memorable. You saved Margie and me a lot of trouble that night at the lake. I’m not liable to forget that. What brings you to Leroy?”
He grinned. “Business. What else is there? Any chance you can take a break? I’d like to buy you a cup of coffee.”
“I think that can be arranged. Give me just a minute.” Lauren excused herself and went to the kitchen to tell Janet she was taking a break. She untied the apron and hung it on its hook. Back
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