Evers & Afters (Dare With Me #2) - J.H. Croix Page 0,25

I wanted to reach for and hold in my hand. “True.”

As I got his coffee ready, I commented, “You didn’t have to fix my tire. Obviously, I appreciate it. I doubt you’ll ever need me to fix a tire for you, but if there’s anything else I can do, just say so.” I handed him his coffee. “You don’t need to pay me.”

“Yes, I do,” he said flatly. We had a little stare off, and then he stuffed the ten-dollar bill in my tip jar and took a swallow of his coffee. “Amazing.” He lowered his cup. “Daphne sent me off with a to-go cup from the resort this morning, but her coffee’s not as good as yours.”

“Coffee is kind of my expertise.”

“It is.”

We were quiet for a few minutes as he sipped his coffee and blessedly no one else had showed up yet. That wasn’t too unusual. The harbor work schedule was definitely early. After the first morning rush, there was a lull, and then it picked up again for the stragglers.

“Actually, I do have a favor you could return,” he said.

“Anything,” I replied quickly.

He cocked his head to the side, one brow rising as he eyed me. “Anything? Be careful what you promise.”

I rolled my eyes. “What is it?”

Elias’s lips twisted to the side, and he looked a little sheepish. “Daphne’s doing a fundraiser in a few weeks. She’s working with Tess on it, and it’s turned into this big deal.”

“What’s it for?”

“She’s raising money for a national program for children with rare diseases. If you didn’t know, her son died from a rare brain cancer.”

I nodded, a shaft of sadness striking me. “I’d heard that. It’s so sad.”

He nodded. “It is, but she doesn’t like to dwell, so this fundraiser is a passion project for her. Long story short, she wants us all there. I was wondering if you’d come with me.”

I was so shocked, my mouth fell open.

He almost looked worried. “Is that asking too much?”

I scrambled myself together. I was only shocked because he asked. “Absolutely not. Of course, I’ll go. Where is it?”

“At some place up in Kenai. I should know, but I’m just following directions.”

“I’ll go.”

Elias took another swallow of his coffee. “Awesome.” He glanced at his watch. “I gotta get out to the airport. I’m tagging along with Diego for a flight. First time I get to fly in months.” A slight smile curled his lips.

“Oh, that’s awesome!” I clapped my hands lightly and saw the old Elias pop out. He rolled his eyes. “It’s not that exciting. It’s just my regular job.”

“Yeah, but you were in a plane crash, you could’ve died, and your ankle got all messed up. It’s exciting to be able to return to your regular job. I don’t care if you’re not excited, I am.”

Turning, I reached for a cranberry orange muffin, which I knew was one of his favorites. Handing it over, I added, “For good luck. So, will you text me the details for the fundraiser?”

“I need to take you up to get your SUV,” he reminded me. “I’ll be back from this trip around one. Will you have anybody here then? I can take you right up.”

For a moment, I was going to say I could find someone else, but that was just because I was feeling overwhelmed with all of this. Elias had been beyond nice about helping with my tire, and it seemed rude to dismiss his help.

“That’ll work. I’ll make sure I’ve got help this afternoon. I think I already have it lined up, but sometimes I lose track.”

He held my gaze, just long enough that my pulse raced and my breath got shallow all over again. “I’ll see you then.”

I might’ve stared at his mighty fine ass as he walked away, only managing to tear my eyes free when two cars pulled into the parking lot.

Chapter Eleven

Elias

A sense of peace rolled through me as I leveled the small plane in the air once we reached cruising altitude. Cruising altitude in a small two-seater plane was very different from that of larger planes that crisscrossed the skies. At this height, the mountains with the waters of Kachemak Bay glittering under the sun below us were close enough it felt almost as if you could reach out and touch them.

“Damn, it feels good to be flying again,” I commented into my headset.

Glancing to the side, I caught Diego flashing me a quick grin. “I bet it does. How’s your ankle feeling?”

At the