Having agreed, she’d rushed through the rest of her morning routine, her nerves in a knot. A talk at this hour couldn’t be good, and she couldn’t help but think he was going to put an end to their non-relationship—the personal one. She tried not to dwell on that thought and the gutting disappointment it brought with it, but even cranking up Maren Morris in her earbuds didn’t help. By the time he knocked on the door, she was busy lining up in her mind all the reasons they were good together.

“Hey,” she said with a shaky smile when she opened the door to him. “Come in.”

Absently, she took the teal bakery box from him, vaguely noticed he also carried two coffees, and peered into his eyes, trying to read…anything.

First thought, he was exhausted. Shadows under his eyes spoke of a sleepless night, and that didn’t do anything to convince her everything would be okay.

As soon as he closed the door behind him, though, he leaned down and pressed a brief but intense kiss to her lips. It didn’t feel like goodbye, but it didn’t feel like I’m going to lead you into your bedroom for a morning quickie either.

She wouldn’t be opposed to a morning quickie.

“What’s up, Cole?”

That he had yet to say a word hadn’t escaped her, and she followed him over to the kitchen island, where he set down the coffees.

“Sorry to barge in so early,” he said, taking the lid off one, seeing it had whipped cream on top, and sliding it across to her.

“You’re not barging.”

He gestured to the bakery box, which she’d set on the island as well. “Muffins from Sugar Babies.”

Normally she would kill for breakfast from Sugar Babies, but right now she didn’t care about muffins.

“Thank you.” She watched him, noted that he had shaved, that he was wearing his usual sweatshirt, old jeans, and worn work boots, and the only sign of anything different was his eyes. Besides showing his fatigue, they didn’t meet hers. “What did you want to talk about?” she prompted, because though she didn’t want to hear what she thought she was about to hear, the not knowing was worse.

“I told you last night I was with Mason,” he said, still not looking directly at her.

It was his reason for them not being together last night, not that he really needed one, and she definitely hadn’t asked, because she’d spent the previous night with him, and she was trying hard not to suffocate him—with the exception of the impulsive moment in the Eldridge den yesterday.

“He made an official offer of employment and I’m going to accept,” Cole said, finally making eye contact, allowing her to see, at last, a world of emotion. Emotion that looked an awful lot like anguish.