The Coffee Shop by Lauren Hunter Page B

girl.”
    “What?”
    “You know, when you — ”
    “Yes, I understand your meaning, I just…yes, you could say that I am.”
    “I was hoping you’d go away with me this weekend.” She didn’t speak but kept looking at her hand in his. “I was hoping to spend more than just a few hours with you at a time. Is that horrible of me to say?”
    “No.”
    She answered so quickly that he was a little surprised. “So you’re okay with me asking that?”
    “Just, don’t expect too much from me, okay?”
    “No, I understand.”
    “I just don’t want you thinking that if I do go…”
    “I won’t.”
    “You sure?”
    “I’m sure.” She looked away, and he tried to catch her gaze. “Hey, what is it?”
    “Nothing, I’m just over analyzing, as usual.”
    “So, what is it you are analyzing?”
    “Ah, I’m always doing that, it’s no big deal, really it’s not.”
    “I’d like to know.” She became quiet, and he found himself tensing in his chair.
    “It’s just that, I’m not sure you are.”
    “Hey, Annie, I would never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable or obligated. You do know that right?”
    “I guess I do.”
    “Do you? You do realize how much you mean to me, and I wouldn’t want to do anything to mess that up?”
    “Yes, but…”
    “But what?”
    “That’s the point exactly. You keep saying things like that. That I mean so much to you. So how can I expect anything less than you expecting more? And if I say yes, you’ll take that as an invitation to take our relationship to the next level.”
    “I’ll be honest, yes, I would like to be more serious in our relationship. Most guys would like things to move a lot faster than they usually do. But I know you, believe it or not, and I would never jeopardize what we have. I’m not a teenager any more. I do have some self-control, and patience.”
    Annie laughed.
    “What? Oh now you’re visualizing me as an out-of-control teenager?”
    “Something like that.” She leaned back in her chair and smiled at him. “Yes, I would love to go away with you this weekend.”
    “Glad to hear it.”
    “So, where are we going?”
    “Oh, that’s a surprise.”
    For a moment Annie became quiet. “As long as the words ‘party’ or ‘wedding’ aren’t involved in this little trip.”
    Derrick couldn’t help but chuckle. “Scout’s honor. The words ‘party’ or ‘wedding’ will not come up this weekend.”

Chapter Eight
    Annie brought her scarf up over her face. “Did I mention that I hate the cold?”
    “No.”
    “Okay, I’m mentioning it now. I hate the cold.”
    “Well, we’re here now.”
    “Yes, we are, aren’t we? Where is here again?”
    “Ely, Minnesota. Why?”
    “Oh, I’m just imagining the headlines. Couple found frozen to death in lakeside cabin. Bodies discovered in late spring when the snow finally thawed enough for searchers to reach them.”
    “Now it’s not that bad, and as long as you are bundled up you should be fine.”
    “You mean like an Eskimo?”
    “Come on, I’ll get the fire going and you can sit in front of it with a piping hot cocoa and warm yourself up. How does that sound?”
    “Oh you have no idea how good that sounds right now.”
    Derrick laughed, and pulling up by the lake he unloaded the bags, carrying them in and setting them just inside the door.
    Annie stared up at the building before her. “Um, you call this a cabin?”
    “Yes, what would you call it?”
    “Uh, cabin is not the word that comes to mind. Huge mother of a house, maybe?”
    “You think so?”
    Annie turned and stared at Derrick.
    “I guess it’s bigger than your average place.”
    “Try many times the size. When you said cabin, I was imagining a tiny place with a potbellied stove and hand-hewn wood logs and, well, not this.”
    “I never thought about it. I had it built a number of years ago so I could get away from it all.”
    “Let me guess, you usually come here in the summer time right?”
    “I’ve