Chapter Nine
It was ten past two in the afternoon, and Autumn was late for her doctor’s appointment. It was possible she’d been putting off leaving Pajamas until the last possible second, not exactly looking forward to the experience. The idea of sitting alone in that waiting room again had her psyched out. But if she was actually going through with this thing, and she most definitely was, she needed to pull herself up by the bootstraps and get it the hell together. She was a strong, successful, independent woman and always had been.
Today was no different, damnit.
She pushed open the door to the shop, ready to take on the world, just as Kate pulled the handle to enter.
“Whoa,” Autumn said, meeting Kate’s eyes and smiling in reflex. “Sorry ’bout that. I guess I was in my own world.”
“That’s okay,” Kate said. “You’re leaving?”
The disappointment gave Autumn’s spirits a boost. “Yeah, I have a thing.” She hated herself for being vague, and corrected course. “A doctor’s appointment.” She sighed. “I have, unfortunately, a doctor’s appointment.”
“Unfortunately?” Kate asked.
“Did I say that? Yeah, I guess I did.” She dropped her focus to the ground and back up with an explanation. “They make me nervous. Not something I completely enjoy, not that it has to be a party, you know.” She had no idea what made her confess these details to Kate, who seemed afraid of nothing. She must think Autumn was a total incompetent.
“You should take a friend with you,” Kate offered gently.
“Yeah, maybe so, but people have lives, you know? Jobs, plans. I don’t want to bother them. I got this.”
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“What? No, no, no. That’s silly. You don’t have to do that. Above and beyond the scope of your friendship requirement.”
“Right. But I’m going.”
Autumn paused, touched by Kate’s unflinching generosity but guilt-ridden for her part in this. “Why would you do that? Surely you have a million other options for your day than sitting in a boring, sterile doctor’s office.”
“Wouldn’t matter. I’m doing it because I like you, and I don’t want you to be there alone. C’mon, I’ll drive.”
And before Autumn could so much as utter a syllable, Kate turned and headed toward the parking lot of the complex, keys jingling from her fingertips.
“You kind of just do what you want, don’t you?” Autumn called after her.
“Is that a problem?” Kate called back.
“Not at all,” Autumn mumbled to herself, and followed Kate to her truck with a smile tugging. In a welcome turn of events, Autumn felt that tingly little sensation that hit when things were going well, when you’re lighter and looking forward to something. She zeroed in on the appropriate word.
Happy.
That’s exactly what it was.
Knowing that Kate would be there with her this afternoon had instantly calmed her worked-up nerves and made her feel supported and cared about, in turn, making her happy. She almost wanted to say the word out loud. Happy. How remarkable that something so small, so everyday as a friend going with her to a doctor’s appointment, could bring about such a mood transformation.
Instead of dwelling, or reciting the word eight times like a lunatic, Autumn played navigator and directed Kate through the interconnecting highways of Los Angeles. Surprisingly, Kate maneuvered through LA traffic with ease and patience, way more patience than Autumn embodied in probably her entire life. “You’re a remarkably calm driver,” Autumn said in mystification, as a guy swerved to cut them off. Kate pressed the brake evenly. Autumn balked. She couldn’t identify, but admired the quality.
“What’s there to get worked up about?” Kate asked, and passed her a laid-back smile. Oh, Kate looked good behind that wheel. Autumn had never been a truck person but lately had a newfound appreciation for them. Solid. Sexy. In control. The metaphor was not lost on her.
“I just know that when I drive in afternoon traffic, I want to hurl my Big Gulp so it splashes fantastically across the windshield of whoever makes me mad. It’s my number one driving fantasy.”
“But then you’d have nothing to drink,” Kate said simply.
Autumn shook her head. “Only you, Kate. Only you.”
Kate laughed and turned up the volume on the radio as they drove the rest of the way, sans any sort of road rage whatsoever. Autumn could learn a little from Kate.
When they arrived at Dr. Arocha’s office, Autumn walked in with a foreign confidence, with her friend by her side. They took a seat in the waiting room and Autumn held her head up high. It was stupid and trivial to let a small detail matter so much, but sitting there with another person, in a sea of coupled-up people, had her feeling like she belonged. She even smiled at the two women sitting across from them.
“Autumn?” the nurse asked from the doorway.
Kate stood when Autumn did, and they looked at each other. Oh, she was coming to the exam room as well? Kate didn’t mess around. “You don’t have to come back if you—”
“Stop saying that,” Kate said. “I’ve never been to a place like this.”
She grinned. “Then I will not get in the way of this unique experience for you.”
“Thank you,” Kate said, and they joined the nurse, a short, blond woman with a giant smile.
“You two make a striking couple,” the nurse said, as they rounded the corner to Exam Room Two.
“Oh, we’re not—”
“Thank you,” Kate said, and shot Autumn an amused smile and shrug of her shoulders. Autumn met Kate’s eyes and shook her head, chastising Kate silently. Secretly, she didn’t mind playing house with Kate.
“Right through here,” the woman said, and led them to a small exam room. “Change into this gown, and flip the switch on the wall to let Dr. Arocha know you’re ready.”
“Thank you,” Kate said, and closed the door behind the nurse. They looked at each other.
“I can’t believe you did that,” Autumn said.
“She said we looked good. All I did was thank her.” Kate gestured with her chin. “Aren’t you supposed to put that on?”
Autumn glanced at the blue and white gown. “Right. I guess I should.” Well, this was awkward and the opposite of sexy in every way. Kate had seen her without clothes on, but this was different, clinical and by the clear light of day.
Kate gestured behind her. “I’ll just face the wall, so you can—”
“Awesome. Great. Yeah. Should just take a second and then—”
“No, take your time,” Kate said, no longer sounding as calm and in control. Autumn happened to like seeing her feathers ruffled for a change. She slipped quickly into the gown, hopped up on the table, and turned to Kate.
“Decent. You can turn around again.”
Kate smiled apprehensively and took a seat behind Autumn and the exam table. They sat in silence for a few moments before Kate slipped her hand into Autumn’s. “Moral support,” she said quietly and stared at the wall. Autumn gave Kate’s hand a squeeze.
“For a firefighter, you’re kind of a softy.”
“Am not,” Kate said. But when she returned her gaze to Autumn’s, there was a twinkle in her eye. “Okay, maybe a little. Where certain people are concerned.”
“Are you the type that rescues cats from trees?”
“Firefighters don’t do that anymore,” Kate told her matter-of-factly.
“I see.”
A pause. “I do, though.”
Autumn laughed. “See? Total softy.”
They smiled at each other. “So, what’s it like?” Kate asked, turning fully to face her. “Knowing you’re on your way to being a mom?”
Autumn took a minute, as it was the first time anyone had asked her that question. “It’s a little scary, if I’m being honest. A lot of exciting, mixed with a dash of hurry-up-and-happen-already.”
“I can imagine. Know what I think?”
“What?”
“You’re going to be the best kind of mom. Fun and vivacious like you are in the rest of your life. Any kid would love spending time with you.”
Right there in that sterile exam room, a wonderful warmth hit Autumn squarely in the chest. “Thank you. I hope that’s true. I think about all the things I want to be for him or her. A mentor, a source of comfort, a friend once they’re all grown up. It’s a lot to imagine.” A pause. “And what about you? You have a lot to offer yourself. Kids one day?”
“I used to think no,” Kate said. “Lately, that’s shifted. Maybe.”
“Can I ask what prompted the shift?”
“I made a couple of new friends back home.”
“Kids?” Autumn was beginning to understand.
Kate nodded. “Good ones.”
The door swung open. Dr. Arocha and his burst of energy filled the space, along with his smiley nurse. Autumn had come to understand that he had a lot of patients that kept him on the move throughout the day, and it always seemed as if he were attached to a motor. “Let’s see how we’re doing, shall we?” Kate held her hand during the exam, staying as close to the back wall as possible, and when it was all said and done, Autumn was cleared for take-off. “Lining looks great. With your donor all squared away, we’ll get you started on a higher dose of the meds and see if we can schedule your insemination for next month.”
“Wow,” Autumn said, sitting up. “Just like that? We’re doing it?”
Dr. Arocha shook her hand. “We are,” he said, and sailed out of the room, on to his next appointment. Autumn turned to Kate, her eyes filling. “I’m going to be a mom.”
“You’re gonna be a mom.” Kate, the softy, welled up, too. “This is so cool.”
The cool part was being able to share that moment with someone like Kate, to know that she understood its importance to Autumn. It was, well, everything. While Autumn still didn’t know a ton about what brought Kate to Venice, she was becoming more and more comfortable opening up her own life. Maybe with time, Kate would trust her and she could return the supportive friend favor.
Maybe…
For now, there was cause for celebration.
“How do you feel about a Big Gulp?” Kate asked, as they headed to the parking lot. “For some reason, I’m in the mood.”
* * *
Kate got on the road bright and early the next day, bound and determined in her quest. She carried with her the first name she’d managed to extract from DHS back home, and after a little detective work of her own, she had an address. She’d gassed up her truck and headed to Santa Barbara, hoping something she might say would make a difference to a woman she’d never met. As much as she wanted to, there was no way she could sit back and watch as Eva and Ren were sent off to separate foster homes, or worse, left in the hands of the state for who knows what kind of sterile upbringing. Not when there was something she could do about it.
Over the course of the two-hour drive, she thought back to Autumn’s appointment the day before. She felt silly now for welling up, but there’d been so many dark clouds hanging over her head lately that the thought of a new little life, one that would clearly bring so much joy to Autumn, grabbed hold of her feelings and wouldn’t let go.
The two of them had stopped for that Big Gulp on the way home from the appointment, and next to Randy, Kate decided that Autumn was about the easiest person to talk to that she’d ever met. She wasn’t sure how Autumn did it, got her to relax and open up, but she easily turned Kate into a talkative person—to her own shock.
She drove on, enjoying the unrelenting sunshine, humming along to the radio, and not thinking about how Autumn’s day was going. Whether she’d tamed her curls or left them loose. What flavor she’d chosen as roast-of-the-day and why. Kate smiled and forced herself to focus on the task in front of her. Didn’t mean Autumn didn’t creep back in. Kate actually didn’t mind.
An hour later, she pulled up to a modest one-story, tucked away in the suburbs of Santa Barbara. Kate checked the address to be sure. Yeah, this was the place. Not the best neighborhood she’d ever seen, but certainly not the worst. As she made her way up the cobblestone walk, she studied the small, yellow house with white shutters and took note of the tended garden in front. The sunflowers were evenly spaced and the lilacs had been given their own area to blossom and expand. Someone had given time and attention to that garden. They cared about it. That had to be a good sign for the woman who lived inside, right?
She took a deep breath and raised her fist to knock, pausing when the door opened before she could. A woman stood there, staring back at her. Thirties maybe. Dark hair pulled into a neat ponytail. She wore some sort of uniform, a green polo and khakis. She regarded Kate with curiosity. “Can I help you?” she asked politely.
“Kate Carpenter,” she said, and extended her hand. “Are you Meredith Higgins?”
“Listen, I’m not interested and I’m late for work.”
Kate held up a hand. “I’m not selling anything. I promise. Five minutes?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t.” Meredith maneuvered around Kate to the driveway, closing the door behind her, keys in her hand.
“It’s about Eva and Ren.”
That did it.
Meredith’s head dropped and she froze. When she turned around, everything about her had changed. Kate knew she’d struck a nerve.
Meredith walked back a few steps. “Kate Carpenter, you said? Who are you exactly?”
“I’m just a firefighter from Slumberton. No one to be worried about, and I’m not here to cause you any trouble. Just wanted to have a conversation. I pulled them from the fire.”
She closed her eyes as if the words sliced through her. “God, thank you for that. But, listen, I haven’t seen them in years.”
“Three, to be exact. I don’t know why that is, and I’m not here to judge you, but I do know that they’re still your kids. That won’t ever change, no matter how long it’s been.”
She shook her head. “Trust me when I say that I was a horrible mother. Whoever they end up with will be better than I was for them. I left them, and it’s something I have to live with every day.”
“You don’t have to. It looks to me like you have a pretty decent life happening here. A house. A job.” She studied the polo, realizing Meredith worked for a hotel. Better than anything they had with their father.
Meredith checked her watch and sighed. “Things are better now. But back then I was a mess. It took me years to get on track, and I can’t risk screwing up for them again. Anyone else would be better. Look, I’m sure you’re a very nice person, but I think I have to ask you to leave.”
Kate handed her phone to Meredith.
“What is this?” she asked, glancing at the screen and back at Kate nervously, attempting to hand it back.
“That first one is a photo of Eva playing hopscotch. The next one is Ren in a tree. He climbs things a lot.”
As if drawn to the photos by a force larger than herself, Meredith studied the screen. As she stared, she placed a hand over her mouth. “They’ve gotten so big,” she said finally, shifting the hand to the top of her head. She was at a loss, Kate realized. She cared more than she was letting on.
Kate nodded, building momentum. “They’re really smart, too, and way more self-sufficient than any kids I’ve ever met. They’re honestly not much trouble at all. It’s a testament to them.”
Meredith handed the phone back to Kate, her face now drawn and haunted. “I was sorry to hear about the fire. About their father. It’s awful.” There were tears in her eyes. “I’m so happy the kids are okay, but this is all too much for me. I’m sorry.”
“Wait. I’m not asking for any kind of guarantee here. Just your compassion for two children who have lost everything.”
“Which is exactly why they don’t need me around,” Meredith said sorrowfully, opening her car door. “You’ll need to find someone else.” She hopped into the vehicle and pulled out in a hurry, leaving Kate standing there, the photo of Eva visible on her phone. Her last hope had just gone up in smoke. What in the world was she supposed to do now?
* * *
“When should we start shopping for baby clothes?” Hadley asked, bleary-eyed from her spot at their table. It was seven thirty in the morning, and the gang had stumbled in, dragging more than usual. “I’m ready now. Get in the car. Well, as soon as I wake up, that is.”
Autumn placed a double chocolate mocha in front of her. “This should help. As for baby clothes, I think you’re supposed to be pregnant first, and far enough along where it’s PC to acknowledge it.”
“Generally speaking, she’s right,” said the bonus member of their Breakfast Club that morning. Taylor Andrews, looking sharp in black pants, heels, and a blazer for work sat incredibly close to Isabel. The two continued to steal smoldering glances at each other, making Autumn wonder what kind of fun night they’d just come off. She swallowed the looming jealousy and chose to be happy for them.
“And anyway, how do you shop for clothes unless you know the sex of the baby?” Gia asked.
“I don’t think you know who you’re dealing with.” Hadley brushed her hair off one shoulder, then the other, in a taunt.
Isabel sat up in her chair. “Give that kid an apron and put ’em to work. Dressed. Solved. Steve will thank me.”
“Child labor laws come to mind,” Autumn said thoughtfully. “And coffee is hot for a baby to be handling.”
Isabel shrugged. “Don’t get caught up in the details.”
“So, if we, you and I, had a child one day, you’d have them writing for the show?” Taylor asked, with a raised eyebrow.
The deep shade of red that descended on Isabel’s face was priceless. “I’d have to think about that.” But it was clear she was touched by just the mention of a family with Taylor, who kissed the back of her hand, enjoying the blush.
“I’ll keep your suggestion in mind, Iz,” Autumn said.
“So, when do we get the ball rolling?” Hadley asked. “How long do I have to wait for babysitting duty? The calendar is long and arduous.”
Isabel nodded. “The calendar is a total bitch. Don’t they know Hadley is waiting?”
Autumn laughed. “Well, when we saw the doctor this week, he said I’m all set. I’ve been good about taking the meds and the ultrasounds look great, so we’re a go for insemination next month, according to the schedule the fertility coach provided me.”
“Who’s we?” Gia asked, snagging another slice of banana bread.
“What do you mean?” Autumn asked.
Hadley jumped in. “You’re the one who said it. You said we saw the doctor this week.”
“Oh! Kate went with me.”
Right then and there, four women exchanged glances that said things had just gotten good. Hadley straightened in her chair, the haze of morning snatched from her demeanor altogether. She was now wide awake, alert, and looking hungry for details. Typical Had. “Kate went with you, you say? Was the name Kate?”
“I distinctly heard the name Kate,” Taylor tossed in.
“Not just me, then,” Gia said.
“You guys are ridiculous.” Autumn brushed off the questioning stares. “She came to keep me company. That’s it. It’s not what you think.”
“And what do we think?” Hadley asked with a twinkle in her eyes. “Say the words.”
“That there’s a burgeoning romance. That we’re falling for each other. We’re not. We haven’t known each other that long.”
Isabel tapped her lips. “Well, over a month now. Heading into two.”
“She’s great, but we’re not going to have a baby together.”
Isabel turned her hand in a rewind circle. “Let’s just focus on the great descriptor, sans baby issue.”
Autumn tossed a towel onto her shoulder. “Fine. Kate is wonderful. I stand by the statement, but we’re both unavailable, amid wildly weird times in our lives. A non-issue.”
Hadley took it from there, resting her chin in her hand. “But if you were both available? Let’s just play that game.”
“We’re not.”
“Were, though,” Hadley said more forcefully. “Were, were, were.”
“This would be a very different conversation,” Autumn said, unable to resist the smile that hit at the thought.
“You’re glowing,” Hadley said happily. She sat back in satisfaction. “Like Isabel, two minutes ago.”
“I don’t glow,” Isabel deadpanned.
“Oh, but you do,” Taylor said, stealing a kiss. “It’s the best.” She glanced at her watch. “Speaking of, we should glow our way to the office. There’s an ex-assassin who needs words to say, and a network that demands schmoozing.” She turned to the group. “Thanks for letting me crash your breakfast, everyone. The coffee was heaven-sent as usual, Autumn. Maybe even more so.”
Autumn smiled, proud of the batch. “Roasted the beans a bit longer this time to enhance the caramelization.”
“No idea what any of that means,” Taylor said with a smile, “but it worked.”
“That means you fucking rocked.” Isabel smiled at her own translation.
“I can work with fucking rocked,” Autumn said. “Thanks, Taylor!”
“Anytime.”
Taylor and Isabel headed off to the studio, with Hadley, who was opening the store that morning, on their heels. That left her with Gia. Gia, who with just one look could understand everything that was going on in her head. While Hadley was Autumn’s soft place to fall, and Isabel was her kindred spirit in the sarcasm department, Gia was the one she could talk to straight up. No holds barred. What was even better about Gia? She was a proverbial vault and came without judgment. She didn’t get caught up in gossip or look for the exciting angle, she simply took each situation for what it was. Gia was no frills, and Autumn appreciated it.
“Saw the smile,” Gia said. “You sure you’re not getting caught up?”
Autumn dropped all pretense, knowing that she could. “Trying not to. It’s not always easy, though.”
“Call me protective, I just want to make sure you’re doing what’s right for you, whether that’s Kate or no Kate.”
Autumn decided to put it all out there. “When I’m around her, things seem easier and at the same time, more exciting. I don’t know how to describe it, G, but when Kate’s around, my life gets…better. A lot better.”
“You slept with her,” Gia said. Her intuition never failed to surprise Autumn.
“Yesss,” she said, drawing the word out as she scrambled to figure out how to explain that particular detail. “But it’s not going to happen again. We’re both in agreement there.”
“And things were…better there, too?”
Heat spread across her skin at the memory of that night. Her stomach dipped. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”
Gia took a moment and sent Autumn a look of hesitation. “I suck at advice. This is more Hadley’s area.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You happen to be the best listener I know.” She stole a glance at Steve to make sure he had the counter under control, as Simon-the-Nodder had emailed that he was sick, apparently sticking to that vow of silence and avoiding a simple phone call. Satisfied all was well, she turned her full focus to Gia. “Lay it on me. For the good or bad. I don’t care. What’s your take?”
Gia rolled her shoulders. “Okay. I know you’re set on having this baby right now, but I’d hate to see you miss out on what’s right in front of you.”
Autumn took a moment with the comment. “And you think that might be Kate?”
She shrugged. “I guess I’m just wondering if you think so and are just too far down the parent road to say so?”
“If you think what about Kate?” a familiar voice asked. Autumn turned to see Kate herself standing just a few feet from their table, which sent her into recovery mode. No. Scratch that. Overkill-recovery mode—the ridiculous behavior that strikes when one is trying to cover their stupid guilty tracks.
“I was just asking Gia here if she thought you’d be good, uh,” her eyes scanned the room for help, “working behind the counter.”
Gia, who was apparently better at storytelling, didn’t miss a beat. “Told her you’d be great. How could you not be? You’re great at everything.”
“You want to hire me?” Kate asked.
“No. No!” Autumn said, now sounding really over the top with way too much animation in her voice. “That would be silly.” She took a moment to laugh like a lunatic. “We just had an employee call in sick. Sorry, email in sick. And I thought, who could help out? Maybe Kate from next door could, but it was just a passing thought. I’m over it now. Over it!” She smiled and waved it off in a big, stupid gesture she hated herself for.
Kate glanced at the counter and back at Autumn. “I can help.”
“You’ll need an apron,” Gia said and took a long, last swallow of coffee and headed for the door. “You two have fun.”
Autumn stared after her, jealous of the escape.
Kate looked around. “Show me the way to the aprons, then.”
“You know what?” Autumn shook her head. “I’ve changed my mind. We can handle it. You probably just want to grab a cup and get back to your book, or your sexy truck.” Kate raised an eyebrow and Autumn continued to ramble. “I mean your regular truck, or whatever you have lined up today. Is the air heavy in here? I feel like I’m choking. I’ll check the AC.”
But Kate followed her. “I figure you’ll pass the aprons sooner or later.”
Autumn shifted her lips to the side as she pondered her options. They were short-handed. And she’d made a big deal about considering Kate. Maybe it would even be fun having her around for the morning, even if the whole thing was a big, fat sham. She adjusted the thermostat and gestured behind the counter. “Aprons are this way.”
While Autumn handled the register, Kate outfitted herself in a blue Cat’s Pajamas apron and returned looking rather proud of herself. “Reporting for duty. Where would you like me?”
Autumn took a moment, because she had definite thoughts on the topic. Kate pulled her hair into a ponytail and nervously smoothed the front of her apron as if trying to look her most professional. “Since you’re not a trained barista, let’s give you a try on register.”
“Right. The register. Okay.”
She was anxious and doing this for Autumn. Yet again showing her generosity of spirit. “Not a big deal. I’ll give you a crash course. Honestly, most of the buttons do the job for you, and they’re pretty clearly marked.”
“Thank God.”
Thirty minutes later, it was clear the button system had failed Kate. She’d struggled with most every order but was so nice to the customers they didn’t seem to mind. She’d pushed aside her shy nature and truly rose to the occasion.
“I have no idea how to get you your change, because the drawer closed and locked on me,” Kate told a local surfer chick. “I will figure it out, but while I do, please know that you’re gonna kill it out there today on those waves.”
“Thanks,” the girl said, and smiled generously at Kate. “You can keep the change. How’s that? Solved.” And with a wink to Kate, she moved on.
Unbelievable. Apparently, Autumn wasn’t the only one Kate affected.
“A red eye with an extra shot,” Kate repeated back to the next customer, perusing the options on the keypad. “Hmm. A red eye with an extra shot. Okay. Where are you?” The older gentleman with a smile waited patiently. Another regular.
Autumn decided to step in. “You know what? On the house today, Stan.”
“Why, thank you!” Stan said, beaming. “Best news I’ve had today.” He nodded and moved down to pick up his drink from Steve.
“Hey, I’m really sorry about that,” Kate said, but she was still smiling.
“How is it that you’re enjoying yourself?”
“I have no idea. I suck at this.”
“You do suck.”
“But it’s a lot of fun, too. I feel like the gatekeeper.” Well, how was she supposed to argue with that? “I’ll pay for the drink you just gave away. Your bank account shouldn’t suffer because I’m awful on a register.”
Autumn bumped Kate’s shoulder. “No way. Comping stuff is one of the best parts of owning your own business.”
Kate’s hazel eyes met hers and held. “You’re the expert,” she said quietly, as the air around them thickened. You’d have thought they had the shop to themselves, hell, the planet.
As the morning progressed, Kate got better. But not a lot. They had a good time, though, Kate calling over drinks and she and Steve tag-teaming to turn them around quickly. Another interesting development was the number of neighborhood women who took an extra few moments, oh…deciding their order or batting their eyelashes as they made small talk with Kate. Autumn had their number and knew exactly what they were up to. Not that she blamed them. She’d stall for a little extra Kate time, too, if she were in their shoes. Luckily, she was blessed with a lot of Kate time that morning, and she was drinking in every minute of it.
“So, where’d you head off to the other day?” Autumn asked Kate. Steve had taken his break and the morning rush had tapered off, leaving them a moment on their own.
Kate turned and leaned against the counter, facing Autumn. “Oh, uh, Santa Barbara. There was a woman there I needed to see.”
“Gotcha,” Autumn said, ignoring the feeling she’d just been punched in the gut. Hard. And how stupid was that? She needed to get past that kind of overly sensitive reaction, and quick. She and Kate had been very mature about the nature of their relationship up to this point, and she was not about to go all jealous-girl on her now. “Cool.”
“Not like that,” Kate said, dipping her head to meet Autumn’s averted eyes. She took a moment and seemed to make a decision. “I’d never met her before. She’s the mother of a couple of kids from back home. They were in an accident and could really use her about now.”
Autumn straightened. This was new information. “What kind of accident?”
Kate took a moment before answering. “A fire.”
“The same one that brought you out here?”
Kate nodded, but it was as if a heaviness had descended on her. She stood ramrod straight, and her relaxed features were now guarded and weary. “They’re okay now, but they lost their father. I couldn’t get him out.” She turned back to the cash register as if needing to study it, and right on cue, one of Autumn’s least favorite customers and the owner of Seven Shores approached.
“Ms. Primm,” Larry Herman said, nodding to her. He wore a brown corduroy blazer in May, but she decided to let that one go. If Isabel had been there, however, she’d have had a field day. Total missed opportunity.
“Hi, Larry,” she said, wiping down the espresso machine.
“What can I get for you, Mr. Herman?” Kate asked. The professional diversion seemed to have snapped her out of the fog.
“Wait,” he said squinting at her. He took off his 1980s plastic-framed glasses and put them back on his face. “You work here now? Ms. Carpenter, if you’re here on a permanent basis, we’ll need to revisit our rental agreement.” The concept of any sort of change in Kate’s plans seemed to have thrown Larry for a magnificent loop. He scowled as only Larry could, worked up over nothing. It must be exhausting to be him.
“Nothing’s changed,” Kate told him. “Just helping out a friend for the day.” She made brief eye contact with Autumn, who relaxed marginally when met with that slight smile. She took a moment to enjoy the connection.
“If it does, I can draw up a lease. We should keep this as official as possible.”
“It won’t change,” Kate said, matter-of-factly.
Autumn’s enjoyment ended there, the door slamming shut. The reminder that Kate would soon pack up and be gone forever left her with a hollowness she felt all over. She focused on the room around her, checking her milk levels, scanning the dining area for tables that needed to be bussed. Anything to push past the sinking reminder of a day on the calendar.
“What can I get for you?” Kate asked Larry, all the while keeping an eye on Autumn. Of course, she’d sensed a shift in Autumn’s demeanor.
“I’ll take a triple macchiato, half sweet, non-fat with caramel drizzled like a lattice.”
Kate stared at him. “No, but really.”
“That’s my order. The lattice is important to my routine. So, not a swirl, not a smiley face, but—”
“A lattice,” Kate finished.
Autumn joined Kate at the register and rang him up. “Kate, welcome to Larry.”
“Wow.”
“Let me guess,” Steve said, rounding the counter from his break and pointing at Larry. “Caramel lattice drizzle.”
“Yes, my good man,” Larry said. He moved to the pickup station and looked back at Kate. “Since you’re not staying, make sure you take care of that apartment, young lady.”
“Will do.” A pause. “Am I supposed to comment on your age and gender now, too?”
Autumn suppressed a laugh. “And with that, you have fulfilled your last duty to the Cat’s Pajamas. Get out of here. Go enjoy your day.”
Kate untied the apron. “When do you get off?”
Autumn felt the secret shiver. “Close to six.”
“Cool.”
That’s when something awful happened. Olivia breezed in. “Hey, there,” she said, practically to the room at large. She took a moment to look around. “Wow. Look at this place. Talk about a blast from the past. I haven’t been in here in, what—three years now?”
“Just under two,” Autumn said, her mouth tight. “What can I get for you, Olivia?”
Kate went still and leaned back against the counter, taking in the scene.
“I was just out and about, picking up an order for the gym at a print shop not far from here, and thought I’d pop in for a little caffeinated shot in the arm.”
“An almond latte?” Autumn asked, hoping to speed this along.
Olivia winked. “You know me well.” She dropped her voice and moved closer to Autumn. “About the whole faking-a-date to my wedding thing, I want you to know that it was so not a big deal. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”
“I didn’t fake a date,” Autumn said. “It was a misunderstanding.”
“Hey,” Olivia said, placing a hand over Autumn’s on the counter. “You don’t have to be strong with me. You’re struggling. I get it. Listen, Betsy’s offer to train you at the gym is still available.”
Autumn saw Kate straighten in her periphery.
“The thing is, I want you to find someone who makes you as happy as Betsy makes me, and with just a little bit of fortitude,” a cheerful smile grew on Olivia’s face, “I’m confident you can.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt, but I gotta run. So, I’ll pick you up at six?” Kate asked, pushing off the counter.
Autumn turned, her mind struggling to keep up with it all. Olivia had just bitch-slapped her, and Kate was referencing a conversation they’d never had, and the haze was all consuming. “Sure, yeah,” she said, absently. Before she knew what hit her, Kate pulled her in and kissed her with the precision of a Renaissance painter, a classical composer, an American Ninja Warrior! Holy hell, was it a good kiss, and it still wasn’t over. Oh, keep going. Please keep going. Distantly, she registered Kate’s hand moving through her hair and behind her head, holding her in place. Distantly, because her body’s instant reaction to the kiss occupied the forefront of her brain. Her toes tingled. Her shoulders went slack. The most delicious of tingles moved down her spine, leaving her in a partial shimmy-shake. Kate, at last, released her, leaving Autumn grappling for air and equilibrium and halfway to an orgasm.
“Perhaps I’m completely uninformed,” Olivia said, looking between them, wildly embarrassed. She stuck out her hand to Kate. “Olivia. Autumn and I used to—”
“Date, right?” Kate said, squinting as if trying to recall. “I feel like maybe she mentioned you once.”
Bless Kate. Bless her!
She turned back to Autumn. “Six, then? I can’t wait.”
Autumn nodded wordlessly and watched as Kate calmly walked the length of the shop and disappeared into the California afternoon. That’s when she realized that Olivia was also watching after her in total and complete appreciation.
“I feel silly now,” Olivia told her.
Autumn, returning to herself, raised a confident shoulder. “Don’t. Pshh. There’s no way you could have known about Kate.”
“So, she works for you?”
“No, no. Kate’s a firefighter. Fights actual fires with her bare hands. Was just helping out this morning.”
“Gives them a little more time together,” Steve said, leaning into the conversation and joining Autumn in her fantastical lie.
Olivia nodded slowly. “I would imagine so.”
“About the gym, though,” Autumn said. “I think I’m gonna pass. I have so much on my plate right now with the shop and Kate and, you know, I’m getting quite a workout already…in other ways.”
“Plus, the baby,” Steve supplied.
“What baby?” Olivia asked.
Autumn sent Steve a look and he guiltily busied himself at the counter. “Not a big deal. I’m working on getting pregnant.”
“Whoa. A new relationship and a baby all at once. This little visit was more than I bargained for,” Olivia said with a mystified grin. She held up the to-go cup that Steve had slid her way. “Really happy I stopped in here. Wow. A baby. And a firefighter.”
Autumn nodded seriously. “It was a busy spring.”
“Apparently. Take care, Autumn.”
“Yep. You too. My love to Betsy,” she called after her brightly.
The glass door closed behind Olivia, and Autumn and Steve turned to each other with holy-hell looks mirrored on their faces. Autumn couldn’t hold back the triumphant smile if it killed her.
“That was amazing,” Steve said, walking in a small circle, both hands shading his eyes. “I wish I had it on tape. I need a replay.”
Autumn nodded. “Maybe one of the most satisfying moments of my adult life. I’m a no-good liar probably bound for hell for that, but I don’t even care. Where’s my handbasket? Sign me up.”
“And what about Kate?” Steve said, pointing emphatically to the spot where she’d owned Autumn in broad daylight. “She didn’t miss a beat. Who knew she was that good an actress?”
“Not me,” Autumn said, inadvertently touching her still-sensitive lips. Was it possible to hold in a kiss? To keep it with you for a little while longer? She’d certainly like to try. And then Autumn realized that was the second time this week that Kate had gone out of her way to save her, to do something nice for her when she could really use it. She needed to acknowledge that, say thank you, even if it didn’t seem like much. “You know what? I’ll be right back,” she told Steve, who nodded back knowingly.
Moments later, Kate was quick to answer the door and smiled uneasily when she saw Autumn. “Before you say anything, I get I was out of line. I just wasn’t okay with the way your ex was—”
“Thank you,” Autumn said, before she could even finish the sentence. She was beaming. That much she knew. “A million thank-yous for what you did back there.”
“Oh.” Kate took a moment with that one. “Really? In that case, you’re welcome.”
“But you’re off the hook tonight. I’m certainly not expecting you to—”
“What if I don’t want to be off the hook?”
Now it was her turn to say it. “Oh.”
Kate stepped outside of the apartment. “It’d be nice to get out, if I’m telling the truth. Doesn’t have to be a big production. Maybe we could take a walk on the beach?”
“We can, and I’ll even do you one better. How about I bring dinner?”
“Dinner on the beach? Can’t say I’ve ever done that before. That would be…great. Yeah, let’s do it.”
“Great.”
“Great.”
They’d turned into idiots. It had finally happened.
Autumn nodded several times, not at all sure what they were doing but excited by it at the same damn time. “Let’s make it six thirty, just to be safe. I’ll pick you up then.”
“Looking forward to it. What can I bring?”
Your awesomely thick dark hair. Your kind heart. The lips I’d go to battle for. “Just you.”
“I can do that.”
Autumn headed off across the courtyard, keenly aware of her heated face.
“Hey, Autumn?” Kate called from behind her.
“Yep?”
“That kiss. Out of line or not, it was really…memorable.”
She sighed dreamily in her head. “That it was, Kate.”