Needless to say, she hadn’t kept in touch with Michael Dalton – formally known as her arch nemesis – since he’d beaten her out to become partner. Based on his gender, family connections, and taking most of the credit for the work she’d done on a shared case.

But because of their connection through work, she knows exactly what Michael gets paid. And it is far too much for his wife to be working in a coffee shop on Christmas Eve while she has a daughter at home.

None of your business.

Caroline shakes her head when she realizes she’s staring. “Uh, sorry. Can I get an extra-large caramel macchiato?” She pauses, thinking about her mom’s wrath. “And a large chai latte.”

Her mother will soften slightly at that – Tricia Parker has a secret love for chai lattes. She’ll say something about how Caroline can’t butter her up, but it will be through a smile. And, hopefully, will soften even more at the spa weekend she’s going to give her as a Christmas gift.

Being the youngest child and the only girl with three brothers still has some perks, even at thirty-four.

Hannah nods and gazes at her for a beat longer than Caroline expects, eyes wide, before she shakes her own head – Caroline guesses she isn’t the only one surprised by the turn of events. “It’ll be nine eighty-five.”

Caroline gives her a twenty, before slipping the remainder into the tip cup as Hannah turns to start making her drinks. Which is nice, because it gives her the opportunity to do what she really wants to do – stare unrepentantly.

Hannah’s eyebrows furrow slightly in concentration as she performs some sort of barista magic and Caroline’s dark eyes watch her closely.

There’s a smattering of freckles over the bridge of her button nose, her pink lips pout in thought, and she’s wearing a gray button up shirt under her black apron that has the top few buttons undone enough that she could see the outline of her collarbones.

Yep, she hasn’t actually seen Hannah in just about a year, since the last Christmas party at W&G, but she is still as gorgeous as ever. Unfairly so, because even the visor emblazoned with The Bean Dream on it does nothing to detract from it.

Hannah shakes back her hair and looks at her, catching Caroline staring. She can feel her cheeks heat slightly but oh well.

She offers a small smile. “So, how have you been?”

Perfect white teeth dig into a full bottom lip, eyes searching Caroline’s. Searching for what, she has no idea but she does wonder, before Hannah dips her gaze back to the macchiato. “As well as can be expected.” She rolls her eyes. “No, a little better than that.”