Derek stared at his laptop screen for what seemed like an eternity.

Even if he sold his share in the family business, invested every drop of his savings into the project, he still couldn’t afford to make the documentary.

“Coffee?” A male voice intruded on his mental calculations. “You had the large black, right?”

Derek nodded and took the outstretched cup. “Sorry, I was zoning out.”

“If I was looking at spreadsheets, I would be, too.” The man extended a hand. “Brian.”

“Derek.” Why did that name sound familiar? “Thanks for grabbing that.”

He studied the other man, took in the sandy blond hair, the pale blue eyes, and medium build. They could have met before, but there wasn’t the slightest bit of niggling recognition. It was just the name—

“Daddy!”

Both of their heads whipped toward the sound, and Derek watched Rylie run across the floor of Mocha’s. He wouldn’t have believed it, but the café’s coffee was a definite step up from the chain places.

Rylie threw herself at Brian’s legs and latched on tight. “Hi, baby,” he said sweeping her up into his arms. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too!” Rylie said. “Adriana at school has a new puppy, and I learned how to write words with S-N blends and I . . .”

“Hi, Derek,” Samantha said.

He turned from the scene. It took the barest glance into Samantha’s eyes to realize she was upset. Shadows darkened the skin under each, and she looked exhausted.

“Are you okay?” he asked in an undertone.

Her eyes flicked to the cell in her hand and back to his. She’d already looked at it a handful of times since she’d walked in.

“In solidarity, I shouldn’t even talk to you.”

Derek’s gut went tight. Obviously she knew about the catastrophe that had been his interaction with Pepper last night.

“But I think you two could be good together.”

“That’s—” He wanted to say impossible, instead he settled on, “not going to happen.”

“It could.” A sparkle of mischief entered her eyes. It was much better than the sadness of the previous moment. Unfortunately, that sparkle only lasted a second. Then her gaze drifted over to Brian and Rylie, and all the life drained out of her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She looked down at her phone again as Brian went to grab his coffee. “Pepper’s not here and not answering my calls. She was supposed to watch Rylie so Brian and I could talk.”

That sounded ominous.

It also had him offering, “I could watch her for a few minutes.” If only to take some of the strain from her expression.

Knight on white horse complex. Check.

“I couldn’t—”

“Mr. Derek!”

“Hi, Rylie.” He smiled and put his palm out for a high five. “How’re the sandcastles?”

“I built one with a turret yesterday, and my mom dug a moat and oh!” Sharp six year-old eyes spied his cell. “Can I play your phone? Do you have Angry Birds?”

He grinned and unlocked the screen. “I don’t. But I have Minecraft.”

“I love Minecraft!”

Most kids did . . . as did thirty-year-old men.

Rylie grabbed the phone and plunked down into the booth next to him.

He bobbed his head at Samantha. “We’ll hang out until Pepper gets here. She’s not flakey. If she said she’d come, she’ll be here.”

“What if she’s Peppered herself on the walk?”

His lips twitched. “If she doesn’t show in a bit, we’ll go look. Plus, she’s got your number. I’m sure she just got held up.”

A thread of worry crept into him, but he pushed it away. She was fine. Probably just upset and tired, but fine.

“Hey.” Brian returned to the table, coffee in hand. Derek noticed that he hadn’t bought one for Samantha. “I didn’t realize you knew my family.”

The emphasis on my made Derek’s hackles rise.

“I’m friends with Pepper,” Derek supplied anyway. Samantha was Pepper’s friend, and he didn’t want to make things uncomfortable for her. “We grew up together.”

At the mention of Pepper, Brian’s stance relaxed. “The klutzy redhead? She always been such a mess?”

“Brian!” Samantha chastised. “I—”

“You wanted to talk?” he said. “I’ve only got a few hours to get stuff sorted before I fly out—”

“I thought you were going to be home for a few days. The disposal isn’t working, and I think the washer is leaking.”

Brian shrugged. “Call a repairman. God knows with as many hours as I’ve been working we can afford one.”

Derek watched the exchange closely and as thus, he saw Samantha’s eyes slide closed for a beat, felt her hurt at the dismissal as palpably as he would feel his own. What kind of jerk was Brian to not see that his wife was upset?

“Looks like a booth opened up,” Derek said, pointing. “Why don’t you take it?”

“Oh.” Brian glanced over. “Nice.”

Samantha’s shoulders dropped an inch when he walked away without a second glance.

Derek had the feeling she saw Brian’s back way too often.

“Can I buy Rylie a hot chocolate?” he asked and stood. “And you a latte? Or tea?”

“I can—” She reached for her purse.

“Samantha!” Brian called the same time Rylie cheered, “Chocolate!!”

“I got it,” Derek said. “You can buy me a cup next time. What do you like?”

She rattled off an order and hurried over to the table where Brian sat.

“Want to hang out here?” he asked Rylie. “Or come up and order?”

“Stay here,” she murmured, eyes on the screen.

Derek smiled and walked to the counter to place the order. He watched Rylie as he waited for the drinks, her mouth moving as she concentrated on the game.

That little girl sure was a cute kid. And had a good personality. Not to mention, spunk for days.

“Careful,” he said when he came back to the table and handed her the hot chocolate. “Don’t burn yourself.”

She took a careful sip. “It’s only warm.”

“Good.” He raised the second cup. “I’m going to bring this to your mom, okay?”

“Okay!” Except it sound more like “shmo-kay” since Rylie’s mouth was practically glued to the opening of the plastic lid.

Derek tried not to listen when he approached Brian and Samantha’s table. He still heard:

“. . . I’ve got the email right here, Brian. And she included pictures.”

“It’s bullshit. I can’t believe you’re going to come to me with this now. I’m leaving in—”

“You’re always leaving.”

Derek made his footsteps loud enough that he would rival a herd of elephants. “Thought I’d return the favor.” A forced smile as he handed the cup over to Samantha. “You’re coffee was up.”

“You like coffee?” Brian asked, brows pulled down. “Since when?”

“Since always,” Samantha said and took a sip.

Derek backed away, but not before he heard her say, “Though it must be tough to keep up with all the little pertinent details when there are multiple women in your life.”

He slid back into his booth just as Pepper burst into the coffee shop. Her hair was frazzled and she wore pajamas. Her gaze flew around Mocha’s until it collided with his.

The force of those green eyes took his breath away.

She was so fucking beautiful.

He could also read her mental debate from twenty feet away.

She was late, supposed to be watching Rylie. She wanted to be nowhere near him.

Duty or avoidance?

Duty won out.

Pepper walked over, feet dragging. “Hi,” she said.

“Pepper!” Rylie’s eyes flashed up and then back down to the phone. “I’m playing Minecraft.”

“You don’t say,” she said dryly.

“White chocolate mocha?” he asked. “Extra whip?”

Yes, he knew her order. No, it wasn’t pathetic.

Okay, fine. Yes, it was pathetic.

Her mouth dropped open. “Uh—I . . .”

Derek stood up. “Keep an eye on Rylie, okay?” And he made his third trip to the counter.

This time he returned with a plate of pastries to go along with the drink. Judging from the exchange at Samantha’s table, the conversation didn’t seem to be going well.

They might be there a while.

Though, now that Pepper had arrived, he could leave.

He could leave.

He could get up and walk right out of the coffee shop and put this tangled mess of money with conditions, of hopes for a future away. He could go back to the firm and work the system, find loopholes, garner settlements.

He could.

He didn’t want to.

There was no freedom in that. No fresh air. No small town relationships. No need to know coffee orders or kids’ names or when winter break was.

His previous life was fake.

This one was real. It was full to the brim with hurts and hopes and possibilities and failures, but it was real.

And it had Pepper.

Who said things like, “I could seriously kiss you right now.”