No, they collectively cannot get more adorable.
I loop my arm through hers and lay my head on her shoulder while the kitten in my lap finally disentangles himself from my pants and climbs over to join his siblings in Laney’s lap.
“Mine,” I tell Theo. “You get her later.”
The kittens meow like they’re offended that I’d claim their human mama. Theo rolls his eyes and heads to the kitchen.
The man sits still about as well as these kittens do.
They’re adorable, even with their super-sharp claws.
And way tinier than my overgrown puppy.
“So, Bean & Nugget,” Laney says, clearly trying to distract me from what just happened with Emma.
“It’s hopeless. It’s all hopeless.”
“Everything’s hopeless with that attitude,” Theo calls.
“Don’t naked-motivational-knitter-advice me,” I call back. “I’m not one of your adoring fans.”
“Anymore.”
“Stop, both of you,” Laney orders. “Theo, more cookies, please. Sabrina, more positive attitude, please. You have a plan. I can smell it.”
“That’s the kitty litter,” Theo says.
Her lips wobble in amusement.
A month ago, she would’ve chewed him out for the joke.
Today, she’s laughing.
And I utterly love that for her.
She deserves all of the laughs. All of the love. All of the happiness.
Meanwhile, I’m just a drag.
“Can you tell me that I should do the thing I’m thinking about doing, even if it’s a terrible idea?” I say while I reach for one of those cookies on the plate on her other side.
“Would you have hesitated three weeks ago?”
“No.”
“Then do it.”
“Will you hate me?”
“Not a chance.”
“Even if you should?”
“Sabrina.”
“The night I met Grey in Hawaii, I was on a mission to do good deeds everywhere I could to balance out my karma.”
“That’s a thing you do?” Laney interrupts.
I huff out a sigh. “I do plenty of good.”
“I know, but not usually in the name of karma. It’s usually just because it’s the right thing to do and you can’t help yourself when it comes to doing the right thing for the Tooth.”
“Fair enough. But I needed to do it for karma that night.”
She nods. “Okay. I get that.”
“What I’m thinking of doing is basically the opposite of that and really pushes some boundaries beyond what any normal, rational person should ever do.”
That might be extreme.
But I don’t actually think it is.
Laney flexes her brows at me. “So this is the nuclear option?”
Basically. And I feel like an ass for considering it when I don’t think Grey’s a bad guy. I don’t know what Chandler did to him, but I know it was something. There has to be another way to make it right besides destroying Bean & Nugget. “The only other idea I have involves blackmailing Kurtis into letting me have his Main Street storefront for opening my own coffee shop, and I really don’t want to piss off the only chiropractor in town.” And yes, that was Grey’s idea, and I know it’s not a bad idea.
It’s just not a good idea.
Bean & Nugget has my family’s blood, sweat, and tears built into it.
And it truly is the best real estate downtown.
Laney blinks slowly. “You have blackmail material on Kurtis?”
“No.”
I say it so fast and vehemently, Theo pops his head out of the kitchen and eyeballs me.
Laney winces.
“Is that no related to you getting off gossip after you told your boss all of the Tooth’s gossip?” Theo asks.
“I told him,” Laney whispers.
“As you should’ve,” I reply. “Don’t keep secrets from each other on my behalf. Also, sorry, Theo, I’m positive he knows that you’re Mr. Snuffleupagus and that you strip at a nightclub in Denver three nights a week.”
“Mr. Snuffleupagus.” Theo grins. “Guy has a long…trunk. I like it.”
“It wasn’t an intentional flattery,” I assure him. “I thought he wouldn’t put it together since Snuffy’s so fluffy and you wax your chest.”
Laney laughs so hard, she almost falls off the couch, which earns me more of a glare from Theo than accusing him of waxing his chest would ever provoke on its own.
“There anyone who needs a warning about what he might know?” he asks.
Like it’s that easy. “I changed details.”
Theo shakes his head. “I don’t underestimate people who make a fuckton of money while saving a little part of the world. Means they’re smart.”
“Aww, just like you,” Laney says to him with a smile.
These two.
They’re sickeningly adorable.
I steal one more cookie and shove to my feet. “I made this mess. I’ll clean it up. I don’t need you getting your hands dirty too. I just need to decide if I can change his mind on my own, or if I need to take it a step further.”
“What’s a step further?” Laney asks.
“It’s better for you if you don’t know.”
“Sabrina.”
I squeeze her shoulder. “Thank you for the pep talk. I don’t want to get more of my bad mood all over you two, or chase Emma off again if she comes back—”
“You didn’t chase her off,” Theo says. “She’s way behind on work.”
“The intellectual part of my brain acknowledges your viewpoint, but my emotions are still out of whack. Be good to Laney. Call me if Chandler makes problems for Em. Jitter and I could use an outlet for all of our pent-up energy.”
“Where are you going?” Laney asks.
“Overdue for a haircut.”
“You got your hair cut three days before you flew to Hawaii.”
“The curls got lopsided.”
Laney presses her fingers into her eye sockets.
“Now that you mention it, it’s totally obvious. This side, right?” Theo waves his hand near his shoulder on his left side.
And I almost check to see if he’s right before I remember I never take Theo seriously. “Yes. That side.”
“Call me if you need any help,” Laney repeats.
I won’t.
I don’t even know if my plan will work or if it’s the right thing to do.
Making out with Grey Friday morning definitely wasn’t the right thing, as the cheese reminded me.
Showing him what Bean & Nugget does for the community isn’t working fast enough.
But if even Laney doesn’t have a better idea…then I think I have to do it.
No matter the consequences.
Not like I can make this worse, right?
15
Grey
I leave the café in Zen’s hands on Sunday after getting a lecture from them about catching up on sleep and lowering my stress levels. And also after they threaten to steal the car to run away deeper into the mountains to find an attractive ski instructor who likes spending half the year on the beach to live out their days with.
They need a break from me.
Another one.
But they still send me updates about locals asking when we’ll shut down for construction and if Elsie’s scones will stay on the menu afterward and when they can bring by dinner for us.
I know what’s happening.
Zen’s rapidly deciding this place is living up to their expectations on top of thinking I’m an idiot for trying to be Super Vengeance Man.
They’re a lot like who I used to be.
Find someone who accepts you for who you are, and you’ll do anything for them.
I grunt softly to myself over my puzzle.
Fine.
Fine.
I’d still do anything for someone who accepts me as I am. I just don’t believe anyone who says they can.
Not when the other conversation blowing up my phone is a group chat where my brothers have joined in on wanting to know why I won’t help with Felicia’s birthday.
A woman only turns thirty once. And she’s such a good mom to Duke. You should quit holding a grudge and help with the party.
The relative silence on that front was nice while it lasted.
Zen’s right about one thing for certain.
I should change my phone number.
I manage to nap some—all-nighters are not the joy they once were, but I liked the quiet of the café after hours—and finally immerse myself in a wooden puzzle of a lion while contemplating the logistical issues I anticipate for applying for a liquor license in town.
I’m engrossed enough that I almost don’t notice the sounds of my next-door neighbor returning.