Project Love (Cascade Brides Series) (8 page)

Once he had it in hand, he headed to Rose City Java. He
needed a dose of sustenance, and it had nothing to do with coffee.

***

Charity was surprised to see Daniel come in later in the
morning for his usual coffee break excursion. And she couldn't help
the little zing she felt when he met her gaze.

“
How are you today, sir?”

He quirked a smile—she didn't think his smiles would
ever grow old—and ordered his usual.

“
I don't know,” she said in a light tone, “you're
here at a different time of day. This might be the moment to go all
out and order something crazy.”

The light in his eyes dimmed for some reason. “I'll
just have the same, thanks.”

Charity felt she'd erred in some way. With a tight
smile, she filled his order and accepted his payment.

He went to an empty table after a mumbled thanks.

What did I say?
She'd been feeling down when he hadn't shown at his usual time. So,
she'd spent the time thinking of clever things to say if he came in
at all. Except now they didn't seem so clever. Not when her words
made his smile fade.

Maybe it didn't have to do with anything she said. He
could just be in a funk. Maybe he was worried about work. There could
be many reasons.

I just wish I knew what it was
.

Even more, I wish I had the right to ask—except I
thought I wasn't interested
.

“
So, what's up with Loverboy?”

“
Jessie!” she hissed. “Keep your voice down.”

“
He can't hear us all the way over here.”

“
All the way over here is like fifteen feet. Now,
hush!”

He dropped his voice to a whisper. “What's wrong with
Loverboy?”

She rolled her eyes. “I'm going to take a break.
And...a snack. I'm grabbing one of those pastries.”

“
Hmm. You don't like the pastries here.”

“
That's true. But I will be purchasing one
nonetheless.”

“
Take one, gratis. We only have a couple left and
they've been on the shelf for a while.”

“
You're just whetting my appetite.”

He chuckled.

Charity grabbed a blueberry Danish and placed it on a
plate and grabbed a fork made from recycled plastic. After quickly
removing her apron, she took the plate over to Daniel's table.

He looked up at her approach. “I brought you a snack
to go with your coffee,” she said, wishing her voice was steadier.

Daniel eyed the Danish. “Really?”

“
Yes, after a customer's...fiftieth visit, they get a
free pastry.”

“
Wow, that's an incentive.”

She smiled and set the plate in front of him.

He looked up at her. “Can you spare a few minutes?”

She nodded.

“
Have a seat.”

Charity sat down opposite him, wondering why she had
butterflies in her stomach. It didn't help that Jessie was probably
eavesdropping like crazy. “I just wondered...if I said anything to
upset you.”

Daniel's brows rose. “Not at all. Why would you think
that?”

Cursing herself for being as nosy as she accused others
of being toward her, she felt her face heat. “I don't know. I
just...you seemed disappointed with me somehow a few minutes ago.”

“
I can't imagine ever being disappointed in you,
Charity.”

She didn't know how to respond to that. “I, uh, saw
you on TV.”

A strange look crossed his features. “Yeah, that.”

“
You don't like it?”

“
It's not what I was hired for. My boss thinks I have
an honest face so they're using me in a PR role to mollify the press
about a contract my company has with the city.”

“
So you're not really a TV star?”

He snorted. “Hardly.”

“
I don't know, you seemed like a natural to me.”

Daniel shook his head. “Now I know you're lying. Is
that part of your job? Propping up your customer's self-confidence
with free pastries?”

Charity's attempt at teasing had obviously fallen flat.
There was an edge to Daniel's voice that bewildered her.

He closed his eyes for a moment as if he regretted his
words. Leaning forward, he lowered his voice. “Are you sure you're
not free Sunday?”

Charity suddenly wanted to go to church with him more
than anything. But she'd already called the food bank and committed
to working the weekend. “I'm sorry, I already have plans.”

Daniel's expression tightened. “I'm sorry to keep
asking. I don't want you to think I don't know how to take no for an
answer.”

Gazing down at her hands for a moment, she took a deep
breath before meeting his eyes. “I'm free the following Sunday if
that would work.”

The diminished light in his eyes flared. “Now that's
incentive,” he said softly. “But I won't let it go to my head
because I know it's due to my new status as a celebrity.”

She laughed with chagrin and shook her head, feeling as
if the sun had peeked out from behind a very dark cloud.

“
Oh, Charity
...”
came a sing-song voice from the counter.

“
Looks like my break is over,” she said, planning to
get even with Jessie the first chance she got. Charity rose from the
table and grabbed her apron. While sending serious stink-eye Jessie's
way, she hoped the next week and a half went by in a hurry.

***

The days ended up passing with agonizing slowness.
Charity could no longer mark the time by Daniel's appearance in the
coffee shop. Apparently being a spokesman for his firm wreaked havoc
with his coffee breaks. At least his absence meant Jessie had fewer
reasons to constantly tease her.

Her weekend at the food bank had been rewarding, but
ultimately left her feeling even less connected than before. She knew
the goal of helping those in need was not an improved ego or social
life, but still she wished she could somehow hold onto the little
glow of accomplishment the way she used to. These days it faded
faster than ever.

Or maybe I'm just tired
.
She was arriving earlier to work now, and cleaning the bathrooms
ahead of her regular shift for a little extra money. Despite brisk
business, sales—especially of the peripherals like mugs and
gifts—were down, so Rose City Java had canceled the cleaning
service.

Once the bathrooms were sparkly, Charity peeled off the
heavy duty elbow gloves and removed the apron she only wore when
cleaning the bathrooms. In the storeroom, she washed her hands,
brushed and fixed her hair, and put on a clean apron. Now the real
work began.

A knock on the back door interrupted her thoughts. She
pushed open the heavy door and was met by a baked goods delivery van.
“Hey, Mike, how's it going?”

“
Pretty good. Today we have a little different order.
The pumpkin muffins are here.”

“
Oh! Is today the first day of fall?”

“
Yep.”

“
Wow, I lost track, I guess. The customers love these.
I don't know why we can't carry them all the time.”

“
Berry Danishes in the spring and summer,” Jessie
said, coming up behind her to help offload trays of baked goods, “and
pumpkin muffins and gingerbread in the fall and winter.”

“
What about scones?” she asked, crossing her arms
over her chest as the men brought the trays into the building. “We
never have scones. They'd go great with our teas.”

“
She's right,” Mike said. “They're big sellers at
our other stops.”

“
I'll take it up with corporate,” Jessie said
noncommittally.

After Mike left, he closed the door. “Scones. That's
not a bad idea, Conrad.”

“
Anything but those Danishes. I'm serious.”

He smiled. “Back to work, young lady.”

***

Finally Sunday arrived. Charity decided to allow Daniel
to pick her up at her apartment since he already knew where she
lived. She wore a sapphire blue silk shirt with black slacks—a more
serious look than she usually chose, but all her clothes seemed too
summery for a dark, windy, rainy day. So blue and black it was.

A knock sounded on her door. Charity hurried across the
room and peeked in the peep hole. When she saw Daniel's wildly
stretched face, she opened the door and smiled. “You didn't have to
come all the way up!”

“
Sure I did.”

“
I mean, you could've called or something. It's quite
a hike to the fourth floor.”

Holly's bedroom door opened and she poked her head out—a
head covered in a snarl of messy red hair. “Charity! Get the door!”

“
Um, I already did.”

Holly's hand shoved back her hair and she peered at
Daniel through bleary eyes. “Oh, hey.”

“
Holly, this is my friend Daniel. Daniel, this is my
roommate, Holly. She's an artist.”

The redhead shuffled a few feet out the door with an
outstretched hand, revealing an over-sized rock band T-shirt, pink
boxers, and Tasmanian Devil slippers.

Daniel smiled, shook her hand, and said he was pleased
to meet her.

“
Where are you going at this ungodly hour?”

“
Um, Daniel is taking
me to
church
. It's
this gathering people do on Sundays—”

Holly stomped back to her room. “Charity, you are so
WEIRD!”

The door slammed.

Daniel had a bemused look on his face. “That was
interesting.”

“
I mentioned she was an artist, right?” She pointed
to the front door.

They exited her apartment and headed down the flights of
stairs. Once they were in the car and on the road, Daniel shot her a
look. “So I take it you and your roommate are not close.”

“
Not at all. I'm usually in her way.”

“
How did you two find each other?”

“
I answered an ad. We have a...relationship of
convenience. She needed extra money to be able to afford working on
her art, and I needed a place to sleep.”

“
But not a friend?”

“
Well, not at the time.”

“
What time was that?”

Someone is Mr. Inquisitive today
.
“It was when I first arrived in town. I was looking for an
affordable living situation as well as a little peace and quiet.”

“
In contrast to...”

“
I believe I mentioned my two sisters. They weren't
exactly the quiet types.”

He laughed softly. “Where do they live now?”

She stiffened,
hating
this question. “I don't know.”

“
You don't know?”

She cringed at his shock. “You could also say we're
not close.”

“
So you have no contact with them at all?”

Not unless you count deleted phone calls
.
“No.”

“
Well, I'm sorry, that must be very painful for you.”

“
Daniel, we're
estranged. We don't really
want
to see each other. Rough childhood and all that.”

“
Sorry,” he said, sounding chastened despite a
frown. “How long have you lived with Holly?”

Charity had lived with friends on and off until she'd
made her way to the city. “Um, about three years.”

“
Three
years?
”

“
Yeah, why is that a shock?”

“
It seems just by length of time alone, she would know
some basic facts about you—like going to church.”

She shot him a sharp look. “She knows I'm a Christian.
I told her when I first moved in. I didn't want to end up in an
apartment that had a revolving door policy when it came to
entertaining people of the opposite gender, if you catch my drift.”

He grinned. “Yeah, I get your drift.”

“
And in exchange, she told me I was not allowed to
speak to her about God.”

“
Does that seem strange to you?”

“
Not really. I live in Portland.”

He nodded. “Enough said.”

“
Anyway, I'm feeling a burning desire to talk about
your TV appearances.”

Her words had the desired effect. He grimaced as he
pulled into the church parking lot. “Oh, darn, we won't have time.
We're here.”

“
Well, there's always afterwards,” she said
cheerfully.

Daniel twisted in his seat and faced her. “Actually,
there's something I'd like to talk to you about...afterwards.”

She didn't know how to decipher his expression beyond
knowing the subject was important to him. “Okay.”

He smiled, dispelling the odd moment.