When her mother unexpectedly passes away, Eloise Somerset leaves behind her job as a small-time baker, apartment, and city girl lifestyle to return to her mother's hometown. The town her mother always talked about but never visited. The more she see...
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It was just after nine when I arrived at Lexi's coffee shop. I walked into her shop with Eloise's wallet in my hand. I had a feeling of excitement bubbling in me with the thought that I'd see Eloise.
I know we saw each other this morning, but I just couldn't keep away. She really left my mind in a state I'm not used to. I couldn't stop thinking about her. It just comforted me to know that Eloise couldn't stay away as well. Our late-night kisses told me as much.
Lexi was at the front counter as I entered the shop. She was taking a customer's order with a polite smile. The guy in front of me had such a complicated order it took forever for Lexi to make it. I groaned in irritation. This guy was holding up the whole line.
After what felt like forever the guy got his order and left the coffee shop. I gave him a hard stare as he exited the coffee shop. My eyes burned on the back of his head.
"Eloise left her wallet at home when she left for work early." I said to Lexi as I got to the front of the line.
She smiled before frowning. "Oh, that's strange because she was here at her usual time. Maybe she got stuck in traffic?" Her eyes were filled with confusion and a bit of curiosity.
"Traffic? In our small town?" I raised my brow in question.
"Well, I'm sure it's nothing." She said as she smiled again.
"Yeah maybe." I said as my mind started to wander off. Why would she say that she's leaving for work early only to show up at her usual time? It was definitely strange. I brushed the thought away. Whatever it was Eloise would've told me if it was something serious.
"Is she here?" I asked with a smile.
"No, she went to get some extra ingredients for the pecan tarts she's making." She said sympathetically.
"Sorry, guess you won't be getting stolen kisses in the kitchen today." Lexi teased.
My face turned a shade of bright red. "You know about that?" I coughed. I blushed even more as I thought about our kiss a few days ago in the kitchen. I loved surprising Eloise at work. It somehow always ended up with me kissing her as she sat on the kitchen counter. I started feeling all tingly in my body as I thought of our heated stolen kitchen kisses. I quickly pushed the dirty thoughts entering my mind away. I was in a coffee shop for goodness sake.
"Could you give this to Eloise I have to head to work?" I quickly changed the subject and placed Eloise's wallet on the counter.
"Yeah, sure." She smirked as she took the wallet.
I shook my head at her with a smile as I left the coffee shop.
***
I arrived at work a few minutes later and as usual, a pile of paperwork awaited me at my desk.
"Again?" I groaned at the never-ending pile of papers. You could've sworn I was an accountant or something with the amount of paperwork on my desk.
Luckily the day had gone over quickly and I was at home just after five.
***
"What's that?" I asked as I walked into Eloise's bedroom and stared at the purple book in her hands. She looked up from her book from her spot on her bed. Her eyes lit up when she realised that it was me standing in the doorway. She placed the book down next to her and stood up to greet me.
She gave me a quick kiss before returning to her spot on her bed. I took a seat next to her. "Oh, it's my mother's diary. My mom left it at your family's cabin and your mom gave it to me."
My eyes softened. "I'm sure she would've wanted you to have it."
"Yeah, I think so too." She smiled.
She paged through the diary when a piece of paper fell out. We both frowned as we stared at the fallen piece of paper.
Eloise picked it up and folded it open. There was only one thing written on the piece of paper. A bunch of numbers. 1246012612.
"Strange, it's only numbers." Eloise said she brushed her fingers over the numbers. She turned the paper around looking for any other written words.
I looked at her. "Do they mean something to you?"
"No, nothing I can think of right now." She frowned.
She sighed as she placed the piece of paper back in her book.
"Just another mystery to add to our list of mysteries." She sighed as she closed her eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"My father, the robberies and now this." She said as she threw her hands up in the air. She put her hands on her eyes and sighed into her hands. I had an irking feeling that these things bothered her more than she cared to admit.
After a moment she removed her hands from her face and took a deep breath and she smiled at me.
"How was your day?"
"Long. I'm just happy to be home." I laid back down on her bed with my arms beneath my head. I heard a low rumbling from my stomach and my cheeks reddened.
Eloise laughed and she stood up from the bed. "Come on, hotshot let's get you some food." Eloise said as she dragged me off from her bed. We walked downstairs hand in hand.
Eloise cooked as I sat at the kitchen island to keep her company. She was a master in the kitchen as she prepared us delicious bacon and mushroom pasta. Pasta has become our little tradition after we first ate it together. I think some part of ourselves were already in love with each other then and that's why it's so special for us. I smiled at the memory and then frowned as I thought of this morning.
"Did you get your wallet?" I asked her.
"Oh, yes I did, thank you. Lexi gave it to me."
"Speaking of Lexi, she said you were at work at your normal time. Is everything okay because I know you left early for work?"
Eloise's skin turned a shade lighter as her eyes widened. "Oh, I made a small stop before work so that's why I wasn't there that early." She then busied herself with the food ending our conversation. Okay, then something was wrong. But if Eloise didn't want to talk about it I'd leave it for now.
I just hoped it wasn't anything too serious. I trust Eloise, she wouldn't hide something big from me.
