Gathered Up. Annabeth Albert

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СКАЧАТЬ community message board. On it was a photo of a cup cozy with a replica of Iplik’s logo. He fished the real deal from his bag and showed it to me.

      “You whipped this up in one day?” I fingered the soft, thick yarn.

      He shrugged. “Mira watched a marathon of some teen paranormal show. There was a lot of time to pass.”

      I chuckled at the image of Mira, who had to be around sixty, desperate to catch the next episode of some teen angst drama. “Nice. You’re a good nephew.”

      “She’s a better aunt.” Some distant sadness passed in his eyes, there then gone before I could suss it out. “You can keep the cozy if you want. I’m going to tweak the design before next week.”

      “Thanks. You know, for a guy who isn’t planning on sticking around, you seem rather…invested in Knit Night.”

      “It is important to my aunt.” He waved his hand like it was a simple matter, when I knew full well that cheerfully putting the preferences of others first wasn’t easy. I loved how his hands moved as he talked—more expressive than most people but full of confidence, not drama.

      “Mind if I give this to my sister?” I asked. If possible, Renee drank more coffee than I did, which was partly my fault, because I’d been slipping her free coffee since she was in high school. And she was a die-hard environmentalist who wouldn’t dream of using a paper cup. She deserved way more than a cozy after a week of sick-kid duty, but I knew that adding it to her favorite reusable cup would make her smile.

      “I would be delighted.” He grinned at me, the most playful smile I’d seen from him yet, and it carried me all through the weekend.

      * * * *

      I had a plan when Knit Night came around the following week. Everyone was healthy, so I’d told Renee I might be a bit late home, and she hadn’t grumbled as much as she did sometimes. I’d spent a little extra time getting ready, too—putting my favorite small wood gauges in my ears and pulling back my hair into a neater ponytail than my usual messy man bun. Trimmed the beard down from mountain man to quietly hipster. I might not have time for someone like Evren, but that didn’t stop a guy from wishing.

      Randy had blessed me with a second barista for the evening shift for once, so I wasn’t so slammed with the rush of ladies and had more time to ogle Evren, who was wearing a loosely knit white cardigan. On any other dude it would have looked delicate and feminine, but on him it looked as regal as a military uniform. He admired each cozy with the same enthusiasm, even the ones that were a mess of knots and glitter.

      “Brady, come judge,” he called after the initial rush was done and he’d laid out all the cup cozies on a table.

      “Which is yours?” I hissed, stepping closer than absolutely necessary. I didn’t want to accidentally declare him the winner, because he’d told me earlier to take him out of the running. But mainly I just wanted the excuse to see what he smelled like. The scent was something I wasn’t expecting—holly and pine. It was early spring and he smelled like a Christmas tree farm I’d visited long ago. And wool. It was a very comforting smell, and I had to stop myself from leaning in to him.

      “That one,” Evren said in a low voice and pointed. I should have guessed. It looked like interlocking Moroccan tiles—like something you’d see in fancy restaurant bathroom. Utterly elegant with a masculine vibe. Utterly him.

      “I love it,” I said.

      “And that one.” He indicated the one next to it, identical to the cozy I’d given Renee, except he’d done something to make the logo stand out in relief more. “Pick any others.”

      “Ah.” I studied the rest of the table. “My second favorite is that one.” I pointed at one done to look like a little zebra, complete with ears on the sides and a tail in back.

      “I concur.” He smiled, and something passed between us, something so palpable I could almost grab it with both hands.

      The winner was an elfin young woman who wore a zebra-inspired cardigan, hat, and fingerless mitts. At least she was committed to a theme. I got her a mug and returned to the counter.

      “I’m so happy Randy asked me to work tonight,” Audrey said, touching my sleeve. Her blueish-purple hair shook as she spoke, and she had this habit of touching me or brushing against me while trading places behind the counter that I really didn’t like. “He was so sweet and gave me some extra hours at the Northwest store next week because I’m saving for my summer trip to Greece.”

      Yup. That sounded like Randy. He knew I needed the hours in the worst way, but he liked to play favorites with the baristas of both genders who got flirty—as well as the ones who could be the most flexible with the schedule. I didn’t flirt, and I could no longer be as available as I once was.

      I was, however, a damn good barista, and I really needed Evren to order something other than an Americano so I could show off my skills with flair. I’d won a regional contest with my ability to make pictures in cappuccino foam as well as other skills, and if all went well, I’d be heading to the national coffee championships in a few months. We needed that win—Renee, the kids, and I were crammed into a tiny two-bedroom apartment. The cash prize of the contest would let us get enough float in the bank account for a bigger rental.

      Yet another reason why I shouldn’t be daydreaming about Evren or reworking the plan I’d come up with earlier. I needed to focus on the kids, the contest, and keeping it all together. But that didn’t stop me from grinning big when Evren came back for a second drink and a big cookie.

      “I’m hoping to get Mira to eat part of this,” he said as he paid. “They said her appetite would come and go, but I’m having such a hard time getting her to eat anything.”

      “You have to get her home after Knit Night?” I asked. I already knew Mira lived above her store, and that she owned her building. The Alberta gossip loop kept close track of who bought, who rented, and who was looking to sell to one of the higher-end places moving in as the area became more and more gentrified.

      “Yes.” Evren rubbed his lightly stubbled jaw. “She’s probably exhausted even though she’ll never admit it.”

      “You ever go out again after she’s settled?” I asked, sticking my toe in waters I had no business swimming in.

      “I have not yet.” Evren didn’t sound disinterested and his eyes watched me intently. My heart beat double-time.

      “You haven’t had much chance to explore the neighborhood. I was wondering if you might want to grab a beer—”

      “Evren! How do you do a cable again?” A busty woman with half a sweater on giant needles interrupted us.

      He gave me a pained expression, and his mouth moved like he wasn’t sure who to reply to.

      “It’s okay. You can get back to me.” I grabbed a rag and started wiping down the counter, freeing him to answer the knitting question. I had a feeling the electricity zooming between us was mutual, but I had no way of knowing how open he was about his sexuality and didn’t want to presume.

      As I was watching Evren help the knitter, Audrey came up from behind and wrapped her arms around me.

      “What the heck?” I stepped to the side and kept my voice low.

      “Oh СКАЧАТЬ