Quot;What are you thinking about?" Canton asked softly, sipping from her coffee.

Randi's eyes never left the fire, her smile broadening slightly. "Just how at peace I feel." She met Canton's gaze, the blue turned gray in the firelight. "I finally feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be for the first time in my life. I'm just very proud of myself."

Quot;And you should be. You're finally living your life for you, and it's made that wonderful light inside you that much brighter. It's very beautiful, Randi." Canton couldn't take her eyes of the blonde, her words coming from her heart.

"Thank you, Canton,' Randi whispered. "I think you are, too."

***

"Hey girl!" Tammy, the Night Manager exclaimed in her usual exuberant manner. "What time do you need to be outta here?"

Quot;By six-thirty," Randi answered, in the middle of creating the best caramel macchiato that she could. "I got plans." Her huge grin made Tammy fan herself. "Oh, stop!" she laughed. "I'm helping a friend get her new office ready for business Monday morning." Tammy still fanned herself, making Randi roll her eyes.

***

Quot;Careful!" Canton exclaimed, guiding the delivery men as they moved in the last of the equipment into the offices. It had been a long day and she was exhausted.

Quot;Where does this one go, ma'am?" the big, burly delivery man asked.

"Exam room 3."

***

Quot;Thank you and come again to Wayne's Coffee World," Randi smiled, handing her latest customer their drink. She'd been appointed to making drinks today, and she loved being there at the drink station. She loved creating new menu items, and it brought her back to her roots in at more kitchen-like setting. Besides, it was a hell of a lot better than working the drive-thru window! A quick glance at the clock showed her that she only had ten minutes left on her shift. Randi couldn't hide her grin as she started on the next order.

***

Shannon sat in his car, his heart beating a million miles per minute. He sat in front of the coffee shop that he'd gotten a cup of coffee from every day on his way to work for the entire five years that it had been open. His fingers grazed across the smoothness of the weight that sat in his lap. It was almost a decadent smoothness: cool to the touch and exciting to the spirit.

After a moment of silent prayer, Shannon tucked away his new toy and opened his door, stepping out into the warm July day. He took a surreptitious look around as he made his way towards the shop, pushing inside with a jingle of warning bells above the door. He saw the surprised look on Randi's face and suddenly, it was all worth it.

***

Canton glanced at the clock she'd just hung in exam room 1, concern building when she saw that it was after eight p.m. Randi was due an hour and a half earlier, and it just didn't seem like her to be so late without calling. Canton had stopped herself from calling, not wanting to interrupt Randi at work in case something had come up and the blonde had to work late. Even still, something in her gut was niggling at her.

Suddenly, her cell phone chirped to life. Canton hurtled the exam bed to get to the main office where her phone sat on the receptionist's desk. Expecting it to be Randi, she was surprised - and even more concerned - to see it was Blake.

Date: 2015-02-28; view: 528