Falling For You - Love in Autumn Book One

Chapter One

**This has not been edited or proofread.**

Opening day.

Today was the day I finally owned my bookstore-slash-coffee shop: Warm Comforts. Shockingly, there wasn't a coffee shop in town before today. Everyone either snagged coffee at the bakery, or they got a coffee from the restaurant.

I would finally be the place people could get a variety of coffee. I had a teenage girl in her junior year of high school working the book counter after school, and during the day, Mrs. Eldana, a sweet woman in her mid-sixties would work the counter.

Much like me, she'd just lost someone dear to her. Her husband had passed a month ago, and she was looking to do something to pass her time. And since I allowed her to knit between customers, she was very excited to work for me.

"Good morning, Mrs. Eldana," I greeted with a smile as I unlocked the front door to the shop, letting her in. "You look lovely this morning."

She was wearing a pair of tan slacks with a white blouse, a very flattering, knitted shawl over her shoulders.

"It's beginning to get chilly in the morning times," she said as she passed me, carrying her small basket towards the counter. I set a steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of her, my smile still on my face. "Oh, honey, you're a godsend. Thank you."

"My pleasure, Mrs. Eldana." I patted the counter. "If you need me, I'll be somewhere in this building. Just page me."

She waved me off. "I know everyone in this town, dear. I can handle it."

I gently squeezed her hand before I walked off, Max trailing at my side as I moved to go arrange my book display for the day, featuring the latest smutty romance novels from TikTok. Every day, these would change, whether it was for different genres, new, budding indie authors, or well-known, traditionally published authors.

I wanted my customers to have a variety to choose from, and I wanted the opportunity to support every type of author that I could.

I was adjusting the last book on my shelf when a tattooed hand shot out and grabbed the book. The veins in the man's hand stood out, a clear sign he did some kind of manual labor or he worked out a lot.

Swallowing nervously, I jerked back. Max placed himself between me and the man in front of me. He was wearing a police uniform, and it fit him perfectly. Every part of his body was showcased in his uniform, the muscles in his arms bulging, his tattoos revealed by the rolled-up sleeves.

I slowly raised my eyes to look at his face, and my breath caught in my throat.

Was it possible for a man to be beautiful? Because this man was sinfully beautiful.

He had been carved by a god.

His jawline was sharp and angular, his cheekbones high in his face. A light stubble dusted his jaw, casting his face with an alluring shadow. His blue eyes were framed by dark lashes, and hair just as dark as his lashes curled over his forehead, cropped closely on the sides.

He flashed me a wicked grin. "I don't believe we've met," he said, his deep voice sliding around me.

"I, um – Meredith," I finally blurted. "My name is Meredith. I'm new to town."

His grin widened, and my heart skipped a beat in my chest in response. "So, I gathered," he teased. "I grew up here, so I basically know everyone." He glanced down at the book in his hands, releasing a low whistle at the erotically entwined couple on the front. My cheeks heated. "My sister is going to love this place."

"Your sister likes erotica?"

He laughed. "Likes?" he asked, placing the book back down exactly how I'd had it. Major pointers for him for that. "She loves these kinds of books. She's a hopeless romantic." He held his hand out to me. Max pressed against my legs, growling softly in warning to the stranger. He instantly dropped his hand with an understanding smile. Max relaxed. "I'm Chase – the sheriff in town. I heard you'd opened a coffee shop in this place, and I had to come. I'm a coffee addict."

Familiar territory. I was now on familiar territory.

"You do?" I questioned. "I have a large variety." I led him over to the little coffee shop area. Max stayed at my side, a constant reminder I was safe and okay. "Tell me what you like, and I can whip something up for you – free of charge for your first cup." I turned and smiled at him, breathing easier now that a counter sat between us.

He shook his head. "Nah; I'll pay. You got something with a hint of cinnamon but also with some caramel? I want it hot."

I nodded and quickly got to work on his coffee. He walked around the small coffee area, taking everything in as he waited. It was actually slightly comfortable being in the small area with just him, which shocked me.

The reason I had Max was because men made me extremely wary and nervous, and ninety percent of the time, they caused minor anxiety attacks. I knew that not all men were monsters, but I had a bad enough experience with one that made me wary of them all.

But there was something about Chase that put me at ease.

"Your coffee," I announced, setting the steaming to-go cup on the counter.

"How much do I owe you?" he asked me.

I shook my head, watching as his tattooed hand wrapped around the cup. He inhaled, and a low, throaty hum sounded from his throat. "You don't owe me anything," I told him, hating that I sounded somewhat breathless.

He cast me a smile. "Tell you what, since you won't let me pay, at least let me take you to dinner. What do you say?"

My throat closed up. Max released a low whine and pushed himself against my legs. Chase smiled at me. "I'm harmless, Meredith," he tried assuring me. "If you agree to dinner, we'll have it next door at a table instead of a booth so you feel more comfortable. I like you, and you're a gorgeous woman."

"Dinner?" I asked softly. "Just dinner, right?"

He nodded at me, understanding in his eyes. It almost undid me. "Just dinner, Meredith."

I drew in a deep breath. I'd come here for a fresh start, away from the memories – all of the memories.

Swallowing thickly all while I dug my fingers into Max's fur, I nodded. "Dinner sounds great," I said quietly.

That grin spread his lips again, making my heart skip a beat in my chest. "Meet me next door at six?" he asked.

I nodded. He smiled at me and took a sip of the coffee as he turned on his heel. "By the way," he called over his shoulder, "I'll be spreading word about your coffee. I've never tasted anything this great."

I laughed, unable to help myself. He shot me a wink over his shoulder before he slipped out of the door, heading to a dark blue truck that was parked at the curb.