“Thanks.” Anja carried her wet coat to the back, hung it up to dry, and slipped into the small bathroom. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and had to laugh. No wonder Susanne had stared at her. Her hair was plastered to her scalp, darkened to a brown color, and one soggy strand clung to her forehead. Then her gaze wandered lower. Her jeans clung to her thighs. The rain had soaked through her coat, so even her cotton shirt was damp and stuck to her body, outlining her bra and her nipples, which had hardened in the cold.

Even though she was shivering, her cheeks flushed with heat. Oh God. Was that why Susanne had been staring at her? She snorted. Don’t flatter yourself. You look like a drowned rat. Nothing attractive about that. Now get moving and get to work. You wanted to impress her with your dedication to work, not with an impromptu wet-T-shirt contest.

She dabbed a towel over her face and neck and towel-dried her hair. There wasn’t anything she could do about her wet clothes, other than to wait until they dried on their own. She tugged the damp shirt away from her breasts and stepped out of the bathroom.

Susanne had already mopped up the floor and was now behind the cash register, studying an office supply catalog with great intensity, as if her life depended on learning every product by heart. She didn’t look up when Anja entered but gestured vaguely at a paper cup she’d placed at the corner of the counter. “Here.”

Anja stepped closer and peered into the cup. Yum. Coffee with what looked like just the right amount of milk. “For me?”

“Yeah. I thought you could use something to warm up.”

Humming, Anja picked up the cup and cradled it in both hands to warm her fingers. “Thank you.” Who knew? Nobby’s ice-queen niece could actually be nice. She had braved the rain to get her a coffee from the little café across the street. “What do I owe you?”

“Nothing. It’s on me.”

“Thank you.” Anja took her first sip and hummed as the perfect mix of coffee and milk hit her taste buds. “How did you know how I like my coffee?”

Susanne shrugged, apparently not wanting to make a big deal out of it. “I asked the woman behind the counter.”

Clever. Anja nodded appreciatively.

“Why don’t you go unpack that delivery we got yesterday?” Still not looking up from the catalog, Susanne nodded toward the stockroom. “I’ll keep an eye on the store until you’re dry or Uncle Norbert gets here.”

“Sure.” She chuckled. “Wouldn’t want to scare the customers, right?”

“Right.”