“I know who you are,” she huffs, her contempt becoming more obvious. “Everyone in town does.”
I lean back into my chair and cross my arms across my chest, knowing it will emphasize my cleavage in the deep V-neck shirt I’m wearing underneath my own plaid shirt. The move isn’t lost on anyone around the table, and I can hear Kade chuckle but don’t look at him.
“I’m pretty sure we’re ready to order. We need the sustenance…” I trail off deliberately, my eyes sliding to Kade’s filled with mirth. I’m not a possessive person, never have been, but her attitude is setting my teeth on edge.
I watch Kade shake his head while quiet laughter is shaking his body. I can tell this is another instance of him finding me adorable, for whatever reason, instead of crazy. Unlike me—I’m not entirely sure what’s come over me.
“Of course, what can I get you?”
“I’ll have a coffee, black. And the pancakes with strawberries, blueberries, and maple syrup, please.”
“Certainly,” Amber says, her voice barely pleasant. When I look at her, I notice her nose is wrinkled as she blatantly looks at my body. I ignore her reaction—after having my mother constantly critique the way I look, I’ve learned to like it—mostly to spite her—but also because it’s not something I can change. I have the muscle and stamina to compete at the highest level without being too skinny. But it’s the easiest target for women when they run out of other ways to attack. This tactic is as old as time, and I’m over it.
“I’ll have the same,” Kade’s voice cuts into my thoughts.
I watch her walk away, worried that maybe I shouldn’t eat the food she’s going to bring me, when Kade leans across the table to grab one of my hands still folded across my chest.
“You okay?”
My eyes snap to his and I see the concern in them. I can feel my brows crease in confusion at the concern. “Of course. Why would I not be okay?”
“Because of Amber, and your face when you watched her walk away just now. We only hooked up once, years ago, when I was wasted.” I open my mouth to interrupt whatever he is about to say. He doesn’t owe me an explanation. It’s not like we’re a couple just because we had sex last night. But he won’t let me, instead he keeps talking, “It was right after Lauren and I broke up after college. I wasn’t really thinking straight. But I have no interest in her whatsoever,” he reassures me, squeezing my hand lightly.
Even though I don’t like her, I feel bad for Amber knowing she probably thought they’d become more than a drunken rebound hookup. And knowing Kade, he probably wasn’t the most sensitive guy when rejecting her. It would explain her behavior.
“You don’t owe me an explanation, Kade. It’s not like we…” I trail off, unsure what to say. “Anyway, I wasn’t not okay when I watched her walk away. I was just wondering if she’ll spit into my food and debating whether or not I should eat it.”
A stunned silence engulfs our table for a minute. I can tell my response took him by surprise. “You think she’d spit into your food?” I can hear the disbelief in his voice.
I shrug, not sure why that concept would be such a novelty. “Well, yeah.”
“You’ve lived in the city too long, Princess. We don’t do that here. Plus, Mrs. Tabitha wouldn’t allow for that to happen. She watches everything that’s going out.”
“Oh, okay.” I’m relieved to hear it won’t happen, but a tiny part still wonders. “But just saying, this has nothing to do with city living. People are people; they’re all the same no matter where they live.”
“I guess that’s true.” He gives my hand he’s still holding on to one last squeeze before he leans back into his seat. “But I can promise you it won’t happen here.”
I’m not sure what else to say after that hostile interaction with Amber. It’s like the happy bubble I was in burst as soon as we stepped into this place, and I was reminded that I’m still me. The girl who left without explanation and never returned, only to show up as soon as she needed help.
He keeps studying me, no doubt able to read most of my emotions on my face. When I can’t deal with the scrutiny anymore, I look around the café. The décor is nothing like I expected. Instead of the skulls on the wall and western apparel, this one resembles a modern hipster café you’d find in any of the big cities around the country. Wooden tables and chairs strategically placed around the room to give people a sense of privacy while still making the most of the available space.
Photographs of nature and animals hang on the walls, and I notice little price tags hanging off the corner of each picture. I wonder if the artists are local. I like this concept of supporting the community.
“Princess…”
I ignore Kade, my gaze focused on a picture that looks familiar. Like I’ve seen it before somewhere, which is impossible. Until it hits me, the picture must have been taken from my father’s deck overlooking the valley. The angle is unusual, so I didn’t recognize it. But the view is unparalleled in its beauty.
“Montana,” saying my full name finally registers, and I look at Kade again.
“What?”
“You seem distracted. Maybe coming to town was a mistake.”
“No, I’m sorry. I was just staring at the picture over there”—I point at the photograph I was staring at—“trying to figure out why it looked so familiar.”
He doesn’t have to turn around to know which one I’m talking about. “It was
