“Hey,” Murphy said as she pulled the door open.
Schooling my expression, I managed a smile. Her place was in such disrepair, and I couldn’t help but worry. I was certain Murphy had never lived as low before. Would she know what to do if the rickety door broke or her ceiling leaked?
“Hey, yourself,” I said instead of letting my thoughts spiral any further. Instead of kissing her like I wanted to, I leaned in to hand her an extra-frothy latte.
“For me?”
I nodded. “Zara said it’s your favorite. Although, my Americano wasn’t quite as good as usual.”
“Did the new kid make it?” Murphy asked quickly, her voice tight as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
As I stepped inside, I took a moment to take all of Murphy in—long red waves cascading over her shoulder and her eyes bright, wearing a flannel shirt knotted at her waist and cutoffs.
Staring at her bare feet, I said, “He did. The new kid, that is.”
Frowning, Murphy said, “I wonder if Zara’s unhappy with me. Did she say anything to you? Sometimes you two chat when you come in, I noticed.”
“I doubt she’s unhappy with you. She made you your fave drink, all by herself.” I shut the door behind me and thought about skipping the farmers’ market. Maybe we could stay in? Like old times when we stayed in her dorm behind closed doors.
“I just wondered because they started Zane pretty soon after me.” She bent to grab her boots and a pair of what looked like ankle socks.
Farmers’ market, it is. I don’t want to hide being with Murphy.
“Murph, look at me,” I said firmly.
Trying to ignore her knotted shirt riding up a bit, exposing a flash of creamy skin, I forced myself to look her in the eye. “I don’t know Zara well. And for the record, she talks to anyone who comes in regularly. She was a bartender, so talking comes naturally to her.”
Murphy rolled her eyes at me, propping her hands on her hips. “Don’t stereotype. It’s not nice.”
“You’re right. Either way, I don’t know Zara much more than my running in for coffee. There was the one time her daughter, Nicole, fell at school, and Zara asked me to do a favor and take a look at her arm. Thankfully, it was only a bad sprain. Anyway, Zara is good people. She’s not doing anything to spite you.”
As Murphy sat down to pull on her socks and boots, I said, “I’ll tell you this. The new kid is a friend of Kieran Shipley’s—he and Roddy introduced him to Zara. I only know because Zara told me this when I asked if she would consider hiring Branson. She’s giving this young kid a chance, so Branson still has to hunt around. No hard feelings about it, since she actually suggested he try at the hardware store.”
Standing up, Murphy came over and hugged me tightly. “Thank you. It may not feel like much to you, but knowing that means everything to me. Yesterday, Zara asked me if I wanted to work for Hunnie full time when I was on my break, and I panicked.”
“Come here.” I pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. “Murph, you’ve got to understand this isn’t New York. Everyone is aboveboard here. Honesty is practically the law in Vermont.”
Murphy laughed, and I could feel her giggle vibrating against my chest. “Seriously, I was nervous. I even had a silly idea for the Bean, and was too afraid to share it with Zara after that.”
“By the way, Hunnie texted me that she loved your idea for the straws. So if I were you, I wouldn’t be scared to share any ideas.”
Pinching my side, Murphy broke out into a wide grin. “Yeah, thanks for throwing me under the bus.”
“It was a perfect idea, and I could tell you weren’t going to share.”
“Whatever. Let’s go. I can’t stare at these walls anymore.”
“Anxious to head to my place?” I asked, changing the subject so I wouldn’t keep worrying about her apartment. I did make a mental note to find out who her landlord was and see if they planned to update the place.
“You promised me dessert,” she said with a little sass.
“I did. I also don’t have a Keurig, but I do have the real stuff if you want.”
“Ha-ha. I’m going to be caffeinated and sugared up after my latte. I don’t think you’re going to want to serve me anymore,” she said, grabbing her purse. “Maybe a small dessert.”
“You’re looking very Vermonty, Murph,” I told her as we walked out the door.
“I’m channeling my inner Hunnie. I actually hid my white shorts in the back of my closet.”
“Did you now?” I joked, opening the Jeep’s passenger door for her.
“Also, it’s going to freeze soon.”
This had me laughing as I got into the driver’s seat. “It’s the middle of July. Give it at least a month.”
“Two, I heard. September.”
“Could be. But then we get to have ski season, the most gorgeous time of year around here. Sadly, also my busiest,” I said while backing the car into the street.
“That’s too bad. You’ve got to live a little, Ben.”
“Do you ski?” I asked, imagining she learned in Aspen.
“I do. Or I did. A long time ago. We took a couple of family trips to Jackson Hole. Actually, I should say they were more work trips for my parents. Networking, fundraising, and all that good stuff while I was stuck in ski school and babysitting night at the hotel.”
Blown away, I shook my head. “I can’t imagine. I’m sorry to say it, but I can’t.”
“It’s okay. At least I knew how to ski and wasn’t scared in college. I went a few times with friends. It was fun.”
“I learned. Or I should say I’m self-taught. We used to
