“Friendly enough to bring you coffee every morning?”
“Maybe she’s lonely.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Do lonely neighbors usually memorize married men’s coffee orders?”
Tony smiled.
“Apparently, I’m particularly charming before eight in the morning.”
I tossed a cushion toward him.
“I’m serious.”
He caught it and laughed.
“Jen, I’m not encouraging anything.”
“I know. It just seems unusual.”
He brushed off my concerns, and I tried to forget about it.
But the daily coffee deliveries continued.
Eventually, I approached Dakota while she was outside.
“Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What’s with the coffee every morning?”
She looked uncomfortable.
“I’m just trying to be nice.”
“I understand, but Tony has coffee at home. I don’t think he needs you buying it for him every day.”
Dakota glanced toward our house.
Then she nodded.
“Okay. I understand.”
After that, she stopped appearing in the mornings.
