Make a Wish (Spark House #3)(47)
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Over the next month I continue to see Peyton and Gavin about twice a week. Whether it’s dinner or a trip to the park, they’ve become a regular fixture in my life. I can’t decide if things have started to shift or if it’s all in my head. But with some closure for Chad and me, I feel like I can move forward, whatever that’s going to look like.
It’s a Wednesday afternoon, and Peyton is staying after school for drama rehearsal. She loves her new school and has become very involved in the theater group. I’m supposed to pop by to watch her for a bit, and the three of us are planning to go for dinner. We’re trying another new pizza place. Peyton is very committed to trying every single pizza joint in the city.
I have a new message.
Gavin: Finished my meeting early, want 2 grab a coffee before we pick up Peyton?
I’ve just finished programming posts and am about to pack up, so the timing is perfect.
Harley: Sure, see you in twenty?
I pull into the school parking lot less than twenty minutes later, but I don’t see Gavin’s SUV, so I message him about an ETA.
Gavin: At the coffee shop across the street. Your dose of sugar is waiting for you.
He sends along a pic of a steaming cup of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings sitting in front of an empty chair.
When he said grab a coffee, I thought he meant to-go coffees, not sit down and drink them at the coffee shop. Nothing and everything has changed since I told him Chad and I broke up. Gavin and I text on a nearly daily basis. But he’s been flirtier with me, and he often asks how I’m handling the breakup, maybe gauging where I am on an emotional level.
My heart does a silly flip-flop in my chest when I spot him sitting in the back corner of the coffee shop in a pair of cozy chairs. He waves me over. “I figured we had lots of time and could afford to hang out for a few minutes, if that’s okay with you.”
“That’s totally okay with me.” I drop down in the chair across from him.
“It’s salted-caramel hot chocolate.” He points to the steaming cup. Next to it is chocolate caramel biscotti. “That’s what you usually get, isn’t it?”
“It is. Thanks. What do I owe you for this?” I start to dig my wallet out of my purse, but Gavin leans over and covers my hand with his. It sends a jolt up my arm. “My treat.”
I lift my head and meet his warm gaze. “Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary.” He removes his hand and sits back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. “Tell me about your day.”
We chat about work. Things are progressing with the Spark House franchise slowly. One of the prospective locations turned out to have too many restrictions on the property, but the other four have been fully vetted and approved. The Mills brothers have already found an alternate location for the fifth one, and it’s a matter of time before that one is signed off on too. The delay hasn’t been the worst thing in the world, at least not for me, because it’s given me time to get used to the idea and get more comfortable with the changes.
I move away from talking about Spark House and ask Gavin about his work instead. He tells me about all the developments with the park he’s working on and how he and Ian have already been by the site to survey the bike and walking trails, and they’ve brought in landscapers to prepare the gardens for the spring.
We move on to what the rest of our week looks like and the upcoming events at Spark House, including a very out-of-the box wedding.
“Oh, before I forget, what does next week look like for you? I thought maybe I could take Peyton to this really cool graffiti class.” I sip my hot chocolate. It’s deliciously sweet with a hint of salt at the end of every sip.
“Graffiti class?” Gavin’s eyebrows pop.
“Yeah! It’s so cool! We have a client who’s getting married in the fall, and they have these amazing graffiti murals they’re bringing in. Let me show you!” I pull up the artist’s Instagram page where some of his pieces are featured and lean over so I can show it to Gavin.
“Oh wow. Is that the side of a building?” Gavin’s fingers graze mine as he shifts the phone so the light above us doesn’t obstruct his view.
“It is. They commission him to create these pieces. So amazing, right? So he’s going to bring in pieces for the wedding. He teaches classes for all levels, and they have a family class. It might be fun to take Peyton, give her exposure to another form of art since she’s so hungry to express her creative side.” I tip my chin up.
Our faces are inches apart. And his gaze drops to my mouth for a second, the air suddenly thick with new tension. Or maybe it’s been there all along and I wasn’t ready to acknowledge it until now.
“I think we’d love that.” He clears his throat and drops his hand, leaning back in his chair. “Unless you just want to take Peyton.”
“We could go together. The three of us? Maybe go out for dinner after? The class is from five to six. If she really likes it, they have courses. But I’m getting ahead of myself.” I wave a hand in the air. “I thought it would be a neat new thing to try. And the best part is that the classes are in a park, so lots of great entertainment and outdoor time.”
“Your out-of-the-box thinking is one of my favorite things about you.”
His smile sends a kaleidoscope of butterflies loose in my stomach. “Wednesday at five, then?”