Page 99 of A Cup of Autumn
He couldn’t.
For her sake and for his.
Keaton opened the door. The jingle no longer sounded happy. It was more of a requiem.
Hyperbole?
Most definitely, but Keaton would miss Raine.
And so would his heart.
Chapter Eighteen
Each day passedby slower than the last. It frustrated Raine. The calendar read the ninth of November, but it felt more like January. She had too much time to think, which was the last thing she wanted to do. Her thoughts inevitably returned to Keaton, when all she wanted to do was forget him.
November had arrived amid her tears and the fall rain. Harvest and giving thanks signs, cornucopias, straw bales, and autumn-colored gourds replaced the jack-o’-lanterns, bats, spiders, and ghost décor, but she wanted to stop time so December never arrived. That was when he returned.
She better get over him quick.
At the back counter, she prepared sachets of her newest tea blend, Autumn Blessings. Even though she hadn’t been scheduled to work today, she’d come in before the shop opened to play around with a new shipment of tea leaves that arrived yesterday in hopes she’d feel better. Finding the right mix of teas and spices kept her focused. Customers would love this.
Raine spooned the new blend into a sachet. “Last one.”
Her job was done, but she didn’t feel as good as she hoped.
Keep going.
She poured the remaining mix of tea leaves and spices into a jar and wrote the blend’s name on it. Tomorrow, Robin could make a fancy label to replace the handwritten one.
It turned out Robin had an eye for design. She’d made the shop a new logo. The branding sheet included colors and fonts that Timmy used to overhaul the website for a class project. He’d added an online store. Raine had been meaning to do that, but she hadn’t had the time. Now, Tea Leaves and Coffee Beans was completely branded. That made her happy.
She set down the items and wiped up the bits of mixture she’d spilled.
Yet, something was missing.
You’re lonely.
The words echoed in Raine’s head.
Callie had said it first, followed by Anna, Pippa, and finally Taryn. Even Timmy, Robin, Parker, Amanda, Jon, and their newest employee Siobhan kept asking if Raine felt okay.
Physically, Raine was fine. More staff meant more days off for her. She slept and ate three meals a day. But being at Tea Leaves and Coffee Beans was better than being at home where it was too quiet. Things weren’t as chaotic at the shop, and she enjoyed the din of the customers and her staff chatting behind the counter.
She missed Keaton.
Her chest tightened as if a ton of coffee beans had been dumped on top of her. She wanted to force the memories away, but that didn’t always work.
Raine had made her choice, and it was the right one. She hadn’t wanted another long-distance relationship with a man who wanted different things than her.
Been there, done that, not about to try again.
Not because she didn’t care for Keaton.
She did.
Raine had realized somewhere along the way she’d fallen in love with him. That was why she missed him and why the hurt was still so raw.
But he wanted a completely different life than her.
