Читать книгу Her Family Wish - Betsy Amant St. - Страница 12

Chapter Six

Hannah breezed inside the local coffee shop, silky dark hair blowing across her lightly pinked cheeks. Jude rose from his chair in the back corner and lifted one hand to catch her attention, his heart picking up its pace a little at her appearance.

She reached up to corral her hair as the door shut behind her, sealing out the wind. He waved again and Hannah finally saw him and smiled, but the expression didn’t seem to quite match her eyes. She motioned toward the counter and held up one finger, as if indicating she’d be over as soon as she ordered.

Jude had intended to buy the coffee for her, but she refused to look back in his direction. Rather than cause a scene by rushing to the counter, he sank slowly back into his chair, content to study Hannah from afar. Tension bunched her shoulders under the red sweater she wore with jeans. Casual—probably came from that photo shoot she’d mentioned yesterday. He stole a quick look down at his pressed dress shirt and slacks, a uniform he wore so often at school he rarely considered changing for other outings. Would he make Hannah uncomfortable being so dressed up?

Although, the distance in her expression as she made her way toward his table a few minutes later, coffee in hand, was already making him uncomfortable. What had he done? He was the one who was supposed to be distant tonight, holding back, making it clear this entire coffee meeting was about Abby. He didn’t want to give the wrong impression.

But judging by Hannah’s tight-lipped smile, one of them obviously already had.

He shifted in his seat. “Thanks for coming.” The words sounded even more stilted out loud than they had in his head, and Jude berated himself as Hannah slid into the chair across from him. He tried again. “Seems pretty windy out.”

That was worse. He shook his head slightly, determined not to speak again until Hannah did. Babbling niceties and commenting on the weather weren’t helping. Maybe she’d had a stressful day.