Looking for Trouble(27)

“We can have a special recommendation board too, where we each list our favorite drink and what we like about it.”

“Yeah, yeah. Exactly. That’s perfect.”

“You know what else I was thinking? It might be a stupid idea, but we could maybe have rock-painting parties. Instead of people bringing a painted rock for the garden, we can have events either outside or inside. I would volunteer to work it, and you wouldn’t have to pay me. It could just be something I did for fun.” Now that he thought about it, it probably was a stupid idea. He wasn’t even sure if Troy wanted to do anything like that, if he painted or the logistics of it all.

“Yeah.” Troy leaned against the counter. “I like where you’re going with this, Dylan.”

Chloe added, “I think kids especially would like it. The parents could bring them in, get a drink while their kids paint a rock. It’s cute.”

Dylan felt slightly jittery, like there were mini-explosions going off inside him. “Really?”

Troy frowned as if Dylan’s response surprised him, which immediately made Dylan stand taller and give him a cocky grin. “Well, obviously, since I thought of it.”

“Obviously,” Troy replied. “Seriously, though. Great ideas. We’ll work on putting them both into action. This was a great impromptu brainstorming session. Why don’t you keep that up?”

Dylan chuckled. “It’s tough being the brains behind the operation.”

They went back and forth for a moment. Dylan dropped his head back, laughing at something Troy said, just as the door opened. He turned to look, and his pulse sped up, a smile splitting his face. “Clay! Hey! Oh, look at me being all rhyme-y. What are you doing here?”

Clay pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans, something Dylan noticed he did a lot when he was unsure. He had on another flannel, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and Dylan was digging it more than he had in the beginning. “Thought I’d come get a drink.”

Dylan’s cheeks hurt when his smile grew. Clay had never come into the Dancing Unicorn before—at least not while Dylan was working.

Clay’s eyes darted toward Troy, then back to Dylan, which yeah, he noticed and thought was an interesting action.

“What do you suggest?” Clay asked as he approached the counter. “Keep in mind how I take my coffee in the morning.”

“I’m definitely taking that into consideration when I tell you it’s time to step out of your shell. Live a little, Clay.”

“By drinking sugary coffee?”

“It’s a start.” Dylan winked, and heard Troy chuckle behind him.

“Dylan just created a new drink. It’s not for sale yet, but we can make an exception for a friend,” Troy offered.

“Really?” Dylan asked, realizing how much he wanted to make the drink for Clay. It was absolutely ridiculous. It wasn’t like he’d just cured a disease or something. He’d suggested adding raspberry flavoring to a drink, but he was still strangely proud of it. “Do you wanna try my drink?” he asked.

Clay watched him a moment, studied him as though he could see through Dylan, like he was putting pieces together in his head, and when he finally seemed to make a picture, said, “Yeah, Trouble. Go for it.”

Their eyes locked, and Dylan felt a strange flush run the length of him.

Clay cleared his throat and looked at Chloe. “How much do I owe you?”

Dylan looked at Troy, who read his silent question and nodded. “Put it on my tab,” Dylan told Chloe. They were allowed one drink a day, and Dylan hadn’t had his.

“No, you don’t have to do that,” Clay said.

“I want to. Now go sit down and let me make your coffee. It’s not often I get to tell you what to do.”

Clay rolled his eyes playfully but walked over and sat down at one of the tables. Troy leaned in and whispered, “Trouble, huh?”

“Shut up.” Dylan grinned.

“Damn, kid. You got it bad.”

“It’s not like that.” Though Dylan wished it were. At least for a night or two…maybe while Dylan was in town? Eventually Clay would tire of him, though it would be fun if they could enjoy each other while he was there. But…they couldn’t. “We’re…friends. He’s helping me out. He was my dad’s best friend when they were growing up.”

“Ooh, shit. That makes things difficult.”

Dylan looked over at Clay, who was watching him, his brows pulled together, small wrinkles by his eyes and his sexy stubble longer than it usually was. “Yeah…yeah, it does.”

And Dylan didn’t want to do anything to fuck this up, because he liked it there. He liked Troy, Chloe, and working at the coffeehouse. He liked staying with Clay too and knew how much he would miss it when he left.





CHAPTER SIXTEEN




Clay


Clay watched out the window while Dylan played catch with Dakota. He’d been out there with her for close to half an hour, and neither of them seemed to be slowing down. As long as Dylan threw, Dakota would chase. Every now and again, Dylan would kneel and give Dakota some love. She jumped all over him, kissing him once and making him fall backward.

The kid seemed to really love dogs. Clay wondered if he had one back home he’d had to leave behind…or if Dylan and Mike had owned pets while Dylan was growing up. He didn’t remember Mike being much of an animal person. It wasn’t that he’d disliked them, but he’d never been particularly fond of them either. April had loved cats. One time they’d found an abandoned litter of kittens, and he and Mike had helped her nurse them back to health with tiny bottles and milk. Mike had made it his goal to make sure they all survived, but Clay thought maybe that was more for April than the kittens. He would have wanted to help them regardless, but he likely would have taken them to a vet or something if it hadn’t been for April.