It’s a skill one develops when they’re forced to walk on eggshells.
Whoever she’s on the phone with is not making her happy.
I pour Sawyer’s coffee, then offer it to him, but he doesn’t move.If Anastasia’s body language is angry, his is just as serious.He’s tense, as though he wants to rush over and rip the phone away to erase whatever is making her upset.
If I’d thought she and Garrison were an item before, I wouldn’t have believed it anymore after seeing the way Sawyer watches her.Like a man focused on a priceless treasure.
Does she see it?Are they an item?
She hangs up the phone and turns toward us.When she sees Sawyer, her expression shifts so quickly that I nearly miss it.Unfortunately, I’m all too educated in what a mask looks like.Which is exactly what Anastasia slips into place when the smile replaces her frown.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“What’s wrong?”Sawyer asks, setting his coffee aside and stepping forward.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me.What’s wrong?”
Anastasia sighs.“Jack was supposed to come into town this weekend, but he just cancelled.Apparently, something came up with work.”Her disappointment hangs heavy in the air around her.
“Sorry to hear that,” Sawyer replies, lifting his coffee.
“You are not,” Anastasia replies playfully.“You don’t like him.”She turns to me.“Jack is my boyfriend.He’s an FBI agent out of Savannah, Georgia.We’ve been doing the long-distance thing for a couple of weeks now.”
Ouch.The grin on Sawyer’s face is so fake it makes my heart hurt for him.“Long-distance is hard.”
“It is,” she replies with a sigh.“And it’s even harder when my friends don’t like him,” she adds, poking Sawyer in the chest with her finger.
Does she really not see that he cares about her?
“I never said I didn’t like him.I just don’t think he’s good enough for you.”
She laughs.“All of you have made it painfully obvious that no one will ever be good enough for me.”Anastasia heads over behind the counter and washes her hands.
Sawyer’s gaze lingers on her far longer than a friend’s would.“I’m headed back to work, but I’ll catch you later?”he asks.“Dinner at Momma Knox’s place?”
“Since she’smymom, I’ll be there!”Anastasia calls out.
Sawyer turns toward me with a friendly smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes this time.“It was nice to see you again, Katelyn.I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah, see you around.”I offer him a wave before he turns to leave.
As soon as the door closes, I turn back to Anastasia.“Do you need me to stick around today?”
“Nope.But if you can get that all filled out and be here for a shift tomorrow morning, that would be great.”
“I can do that.What time?”
“Does seven work?”
“Seven is perfect.”
“Great.I can typically handle the super early morning solo, but things pick up around then, and well—” She gestures toward the room.“You saw how that worked out for me today.”
“I did.”I smile, enjoying the way the oxygen fills my lungs fully for the first time in I don’t know how long.“Thanks again for this.I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it.”
“The gratitude comes on both sides, trust me.Oh, hey, the diner is closed tonight, right?”