One Day at a Time (Starting Over Series Book 4) (3 page)

“I work here.” Her voice was soft and almost lyrical. “I’m the manager.” She gave him a small smile.

He stuck out his hand. “I’m Cash, by the way.”

She reached out, placing her soft, smooth hand in his. A tingling sensation shot up his arm, engulfing his body in a warm feeling that settled him. Her eyes widened at him, and he wondered if she felt it too.

“I-I’m Tes-Tessa.” He reluctantly let go of her hand. “It’s nice to meet you too.” Her cheeks were stained pink. Cash didn’t want her to feel embarrassed about her lisp, but he didn’t know what to say. He picked up his ham and cheese and took a big bite. It was delicious, and the homemade mayo was the best he’d ever had. When he was done chewing, he swallowed. “This is the best ham and cheese I’ve ever had. I can’t believe I’ve never been here before.”

He smiled at the look of relief on her face. “Yeah, the food is really great here.” When she spoke slowly he couldn’t pick up on her lisp. She finally dug into her salad and they made small talk as they ate. She’d worked there for almost nine years, she was twenty-seven, and she loved the smell of books.

He didn’t mind that she spoke slowly. “I know it’s weird, but there’s nothing like opening a brand new book and taking a big whiff of it. You’ll have to let me show you.”

“I’m game,” he said.

She looked down at her phone. “My break’s over. Rain check?” She wouldn’t look directly at him. “I mean if you want.”

How could he ignore a request like that?

Chapter Two

True to his word, Cash came and had lunch with Tessa every day. She figured after the first time he wouldn’t show up again, but had been pleasantly surprised when he did. She couldn’t believe someone who looked like him was attracted to her. She wasn’t anything special; he, on the other hand, was beautiful. She knew it wasn’t right to call a man beautiful, but that’s what he was. His hair was a sun-bleached blond, shaved close on the sides and messy on the top. His eyes were baby blue, surrounded by thick lashes. His lips were perfect, not too full and not too thin. Every day he came, he sported a five o’clock shadow that made her fingers itch to touch, trailing her fingertips along his sharp cheekbones and square jaw.

He was an inch or two over six feet, with a muscular build. The man filled out a pair of jeans like no other. She wasn’t the only one who recognized what a good-looking guy he was. Women openly gawked at him, but he never seemed to notice.

It was a little after eleven. Cash was due to arrive at eleven-thirty, so she kept herself from watching the clock by going around straightening shelves. She was always hit with butterflies in her stomach right before he got there.

Making her way to the front of the store a while later, she casually looked toward the café and didn’t see him yet. She looked down at her watch and saw it was eleven thirty-five already. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment, but really, was she surprised he was bored with her already? She tried to tell herself not to get her hopes up, but a tiny part of her—well, a big part of her—was looking forward to seeing him again. All week she’d hoped he would ask for her number or a date. It made her feel pathetic, but she’d never had the attention of a man like him before, or any man, for that matter.

She decided to wait a few more minutes, thinking maybe he was stuck at his job or in traffic. Strolling over to the romance section near the entrance to the café, she started thumbing through the books. She’d been on a motorcycle club romance kick lately. There was something about the big, tough alphas who finally met ‘the one’ and was crazy for her. She liked the brotherhood of the club, and maybe a little of the kick-assery. She also loved erotic romance. One of her favorite authors wrote about Doms and the women they fell in love with. Tessa knew they made some women’s expectations a little unrealistic, but the fantasy was nice.

She grabbed a book she had wanted to read for a while, but had been nervous. It was a lot darker than anything she’d ever read before, but every review she saw said it was a must read. Once she paid for it, she took it with her into the café.

“So is that hottie joining you again today?” Patty, the head of the café, asked.

“No, he must’ve been busy.” After placing her order, Tessa stood off to the side and waited for her food. When it was ready, she carried her tray over to her favorite spot in front of the window. Within minutes she was lost in her fictional world.

In no time, her break was over, and of course she was so caught up in the book she didn’t touch a single bite of her lunch. She would get it boxed up and take it home. Her brother would probably eat it. Getting up, she grabbed a to-go container for her uneaten sandwich. She waved goodbye to Patty and made her way back over to the bookstore.

Taking a deep breath, she decided she wasn’t going to let the whole Cash thing get her down. She was just going to be grateful she could talk to a man if the opportunity ever presented itself again.

***

After her shift was over, Tessa went to pick up Josie from school. Her niece went to the afterschool program on the days Jonathon had to work second shift. Pulling into the school parking lot, she made her way to the doors. She could hear the kids screaming and laughing already. When she got to the gym, the kids were playing dodgeball. Tessa leaned against the wall and watched the kids throw the balls back and forth. Josie was the only girl left and was holding her own with the boys. The girl had an arm on her. She wished like hell that Alex was still with them. She’d be so proud of Josie.

When the game was finished, Josie ran toward her with her ponytail swishing from side to side. She was like a colt with her long, thin legs. “Aunt Tessa!”

Tessa wrapped her arms around her niece. “How was your day?”

Josie went into a very long explanation of why she had a great day. They climbed into the Jeep and headed home.

After dinner, homework, and dishes, she sat down with Josie to watch their favorite dance competition reality show. They loved the auditions and commenting on which dancers they thought were going to make it to the next round. It was slightly pathetic that her ten-year-old niece was one of her best friends. Of course her brother was the other.

Keys in the door had them both looking away from the TV. Jonathon and his partner, Hunter, walked in. Sometimes, if they were working in the area, they’d stop by and Tessa would fix them something to eat. She got up to hug both men. She wasn’t afraid to admit she always had a tiny crush on Hunter, but he was married with a couple of cute babies at home. Every now and then she babysat for him and his wife. They had always been sweet to her, and even though Hunter always teased her, it was all in good fun.

“Hi, boys, have a seat and I’ll make you some sandwiches.”

Jonathon placed a kiss on the top of her head. “Thanks.” She heard him and Hunter talking to Josie while she threw together a couple of subs. When they were done, she plated them and grabbed a bag of chips. They were already sitting down at the table, so she set the plates in front of them. Josie came in to sit with her dad, so Tessa excused herself and went to read in bed. Jonathon would get Josie tucked in before he left.

A while later a knock on her door pulled her from her story. Her brother stood there. “Can I come in?”

“Of course. What’s up?”

“Nothing, we just haven’t seen each other much lately, and I wanted to see how you were doing. Anything new going on?”

“Not really, just work. I met someone, but I don’t think that’s going anywhere.”

He came in and sat down on the bed. “You met someone? Do you have a boyfriend now?”

“No, he was just someone who came into the café a couple of times this week to have lunch with me.” Her brother gave her a look. “Seriously, it’s nothing. I didn’t even get his last name or his phone number. I think maybe he felt sorry for me. He was there when a couple of guys were being jerks to me. He was working in the area and came every day to have lunch. He didn’t come today, so he probably isn’t working nearby anymore.”

Jonathon always got upset when people messed with her. He’d forever be her protector. “Assholes,” he muttered. “Well, this guy’s obviously an idiot if he didn’t ask you out right away. Do you want me to hire someone to babysit Josie when I work nights so you can start going out more?”

“No, absolutely not. You know I don’t mind watching her. I’ve got no social life, and that’s okay. I love spending time with her.” Every so often he offered to hire a babysitter, but Tessa never took him up on it. She was content with her life, and sure, she’d love to have someone in her life, but if it wasn’t meant to be, then it just wasn’t.

She got up and hugged her brother goodbye. “Be safe. Love you.”

“I love you too. I hope you know how much you mean to us. See you in the morning.” Her brother walked out, and a few minutes later she heard the door shut and knew he was gone. One day her brother and niece would find someone who loved them both, and then they wouldn’t need her anymore. She looked forward to that day, but dreaded it too, because then she’d have no one.

Tessa shook her head. She wasn’t going to throw herself a pity party. She was going to enjoy the life she had and would look forward to what the future held for her.

***

Saturday afternoon Tessa decided to stop by the bookstore and check on an order they were expecting, and to grab Josie a couple of books she wanted. Her brother was off for the weekend, so they were taking a little road trip and do some camping. He’d invited Tessa to go with, but he and Josie needed some quality father-daughter time.

It was hot, so she decided on a white skirt that hit her right above the knees and layered both a white and baby blue cami. One nice thing about having small breasts was she could easily get away with not wearing a bra. A silver chain hung around her neck. She swiped on a little mascara and lip-gloss.

Grabbing her purse, she slipped her feet into her favorite pair of Sperry Top-Siders and left the apartment. She took the ragtop off, and slid into her Jeep and headed downtown.

***

Cash never slept in anymore, and was startled to find it was ten o’clock. He had busted his ass the day before and worked well past eight o’clock, so he shouldn’t have been surprised. He hated that he had worked through lunch, missing the chance to eat with Tessa.
God, she’s sweet,
he thought to himself. Everything from her voice, to her smile and her laugh drew him like a moth to the flame. A part of him thought it’d be best to stay away from her. She just seemed too damn good for someone like him, but the other part wanted to get so much closer to her.

He got out of bed and started a pot of coffee. While that was brewing, he went outside to have a cigarette. When he went back inside, he grabbed a cup of coffee and jumped in the shower. The warm water felt good on his sore muscles as he lingered under the spray. Even though he was in the best shape he’d ever been in, he still felt the strain of all the work he’d been doing lately. He quickly washed and rinsed his body and then his hair.

Feeling somewhat better, he dried off and got dressed. He thought it was a long shot, but he was going to stop by Java Drama and see if Tessa was working. He didn’t want her thinking he stood her up on purpose. He threw on a pair of jeans, t-shirt, and his boots, since he was going to take his bike. Stuffing his wallet into his pocket, he grabbed his keys and helmet and headed out, hoping luck was on his side.

He climbed on his Harley Dyna-Glide and backed it out of his garage. Cruising down the road, he loved the fresh air blowing in his face. There was something freeing about being on his bike. The bike was his present to himself when he hit his two-year drug-free anniversary. Jared and some of their other friends loved to go for rides that lasted for hours. They would only stop to eat and refuel before they hit the road again.

He reached Java Drama, pulled into the parking lot, and backed his bike into a parking spot. Making his way toward the entrance, his stomach started knotting up with nerves. He walked through the door and looked around. A guy was working behind the counter, and he saw a woman putting books on a shelf, but no Tessa. He looked over at the café but didn’t see her there either.

Walking up to the counter, he waited for the guy behind it to notice him. When the guy looked up, he spoke. “Hi, can I help you?”

“Yeah, I was wondering if Tessa was working today.” He tried to appear casual and not let his nervousness show.

“No, she’s not working, but she is here. She’s over in the children’s section.” He pointed to the corner, and sure enough, there she was. He walked in her direction and took a moment to look her over. She was wearing layered tank tops and a white skirt that showed off her lightly tanned, toned legs. They were so long that an image of them hugging his hips popped in his head and caused his dick to twitch in his pants. He couldn’t remember the last time that happened.

After the initial shock of his body’s reaction to her, he took in the rest of her. Her hair was down and hanging in soft waves reaching halfway down her back. It looked like silk, and he wanted to run his hands through it. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth as she picked up a book.

Taking a deep breath, he went to her. “Hi, Tessa.”

Her head jerked up in surprise. “Cash,” she said slowly. “How did you know I was here?”

“I didn’t. I took a chance, but I wanted to apologize for not showing up yesterday. I was running behind schedule and lost track of time.”

“That’s okay, it’s not like we had a date or anything.” Her cheeks turned pink and she looked away from him.

“So what do you have planned today?” He was so uncomfortable. He hadn’t really dated. Sure, he had girlfriends before, but back when he was using, it was usually a girl who was a druggie like him. Kara had been an on-again, off-again fling until she told him she was pregnant with Abby. He cleared those thoughts; it was time for a new start.