Chapter 31 Coffee for Life
Coffee for Life
The lab techs finished combing through Mountain Coffee ten days later and gave Amy the green light to reopen.
Her kiosk at the resort was such a hit that she and Leo Cantrell struck a deal where she’d stock it and he’d supply half the manpower needed from his own staff.
Luanne became the half on Amy’s side of the deal, working part-time at Silver Summit while she continued serving at Miners.
She liked working at the tavern because she’d done it for so long and because it kept her closer to Cade, whose new digs above the general store were only a block from the tavern.
With those pieces neatly in place, Amy had been free to focus on her shop’s grand re-opening, happening in ten minutes.
Shane had insisted on helping her this morning, and his calm presence dulled some of her jitters. It was quite possible she was as nervous today as she’d been the first day she’d opened.
“How does this thing work again?” Shane held the apron upside down and stared at it with an adorably puzzled frown.
He knew how to tie on an apron. They both knew he was doing his best to distract her, and she wasn’t about to destroy the illusion by calling him on his sweet, clumsy act.
The man would never win an Oscar, which was fine by her.
She preferred genuine over deftly deceitful any day.
She swiped the garment from him, ordered him to turn around, and cinched it around his trim waist. “What if no one shows up?”
“They’ll show up. That new blend is the talk of the town, and everyone’s dying to try it. Anyone who has to drag their ass out of bed at dark-thirty in the morning won’t be able to resist getting themselves a high-octane boost from a coffee called ‘Hazmat.’”
Amy released a giggle that took some of her tension with it.
Shane had that effect on her, and it didn’t hurt that he reminded her of the new product she was rather proud of.
After coming up with the new special blend for Silver Summit, she had worked with her vendor to create two more blends for Mountain Coffee: Hazmat, reminiscent of the hazmat teams who had gone through her store, and Radioactive, for those who believed the hazard the lab personnel had been there for was, in fact, radioactive.
Instead of downplaying the devastating sight of white-suited workers going in and out of her café, Amy had decided to lean into it.
Flavor so bold it has to be delivered by a special crew.
Mountain Coffee, the safest place in Fall River.
Today she would know whether her marketing was a genius move or an unmitigated disaster.
She tied Shane’s apron and spun him around.
“I can’t believe you still don’t know how to tie an apron.
Why are you working here again?” He was still on administrative leave, and while he was climbing the walls and ready to return to his real job, he’d confessed he hoped the investigation wouldn’t wrap up until after the election in ten days.
If the news was bad, it could annihilate the sheriff’s bid, and Shane didn’t want that.
He looked down at her and flashed her a boyish grin. “I’m doing it for the perks. You feed me coffee and pastries, and you let me do this.” He pecked her lips. “I also have an excuse to not unpack boxes by myself.”
That was probably for the best.
They had moved into the Loose Moose three days ago, and they were still trying to sort what went where, what duplicates they could toss, and who got which side of the sink.
The Freemans had agreed to a lease-to-own, a win-win for both sides.
The arrangement let the Freemans off the hook for maintenance and repairs, and it bought Shane and Amy time to line up their takeout financing while putting their stamp on the home.
Assuming her business stayed afloat and Shane was reinstated—Sheriff Chesterton insisted it was only a matter of time—a bank would be more inclined to take a chance on them.
She looked up into twinkling brown eyes with a plea in her own. “Would you please unlock the doors? I’m afraid to look out there and see that the sidewalk’s deserted.”
“Sure.” He gave her another peck and left her standing in her office, where she wrapped her arms protectively around her middle. Only a few seconds had ticked by when he called out, “Sweetheart, you need to come see this.”
Oh no! Had someone spray-painted graffiti on her wall? Egged her windows? Set fire to a bag of pooh in front of her door? She tore from the office and came to a screeching halt.
Hand on the latch, Shane glanced at her over his shoulder. “Are you ready for this?”
She peered beyond him and gasped. Rubbed her eyes and looked again.
A crowd was gathered outside her store, their breaths rising into the dark morning like tiny cloud puffs.
Someone— Holt Gunderson—slapped the glass door and hollered, “Better let these folks in or we’re gonna have a riot on our hands. ” Then he laughed his ass off.
Amy covered her mouth to hold back a choked cry. Happy tears pricked her eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“Well?” Shane prompted.
“Better let them in, Deputy, and do your best crowd control.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The place was packed with people eager to try the new blends or get their old favorites.
The flow of customers was constant throughout the morning, and time flew by.
Some were the same old regulars, and others were new—locals who’d never given her a try for one reason or another, or tourists experiencing a bygone era at the Grand Majestic or traveling down from Silver Summit where they’d sampled her offerings at the kiosk.
One of the locals who visited for the first time was Mrs. Danvers. “I came here to find Deputy O’Brien.” The old woman narrowed a beady-eyed glare on him.
He stepped from around the counter. “How can I help you, Mrs. Danvers?”
“That darn raccoon’s back, staring at me from a tree outside my window. And squirrels are running through my flower beds. Probably fixin’ to make more squirrels! What are you doing working here anyway? Shouldn’t you be in your office or patrolling my street for those danged critters?”
Shane coughed into his hand, and Amy was sure it was to hold back a laugh. “It’s my day off, and I’m helping Councilwoman Caufield with her grand re-opening. Have you tried her coffee yet?”
She eyed him with a heavy dose of suspicion. “What about taking care of all that wildlife in my yard?”
“You do know that’s why they’re called ‘wild,’ and that all of Fall River is their natural habitat, right?”
“Don’t get cheeky with me, young man.”
“Of course not.” His lips quirked the entire time he pulled out a chair for her at one of the bistro tables.
“Why don’t you have a seat right here, and I’ll get you a cup of fresh coffee on the house?
Meanwhile, I’ll write down the name of someone who is on duty today.
His name is Holt Gunderson. He’s a park ranger, and he knows the wildlife around here like the back of his hand. ”
“Handing off the baton. Very clever,” Amy whispered as he leaned in to grab the fresh cup of coffee she’d just poured for the old bat.
He sent her a wink and mouthed an “I love you.”
Oh Gaia, how she loved him too.
Closing time was approaching fast, and the coffee shop had settled into a quiet cadence with soft jazz playing in the background.
Amy had started end-of-day cleanup, and Shane was in back taking care of the garbage when her entry bell jingled with its usual happy tinkle.
She looked up, shocked to see Bruno Keating, hands in his pockets, looking around the store as if he’d never been inside before.
“May I help you?”
Ice-blue eyes in his fake-tanned face settled on the chalkboard behind her counter, and one side of his mouth curled up. “Exotic blends for an exotic owner. Very on-brand.”
She refrained from rolling her eyes. In her peripheral vision, Shane barged in from the back in time to hear Bruno’s snark. He lurched forward, ready to jump all over the guy in her defense. Not looking at him, she held up her hand. “This one’s mine.”
Eyes trained on Bruno, she crossed her arms over her chest, leaned back, and yawned. “Sorry, long day. Did you say ‘exotic’? You sound like a colonial travel brochure.”
He snorted. “Do you even have a health permit, or is that just part of the ‘boho charm’?”
“Interesting question, coming from a guy who’s failed health inspections multiple times. But maybe you’re here looking for pointers on what to do to pass next time since my shop has never failed an inspection. I’d be happy to guide you.”
Bruno was an ass who argued for a living, and she expected the insults to escalate. She was ready for him, though. Surprisingly, he cracked a smile instead. “This place smells like patchouli and ambition. Neither very strong.”
She leaned her palms on the counter. “I’m glad you could make it in to enjoy the aromas.
With your ego, I thought it might be hard to fit through the door.
” They stared at each other for a beat. “Now, can I get you a coffee? If not, you’re welcome to hang out, but I have a business to run, and it requires me to get back to work.
I realize this might be a foreign concept to you. ”
He let out a hearty laugh and stepped to the counter. “Yeah. Give me your bitterest brew. My machine crapped out again.”
“In that case, I’ll make it a double shot. No extra charge.”
Shane watched Bruno with a hawk-eyed glare but stood by quietly while Amy conducted business with the jerk, and she loved him for respecting her wishes. She also loved him for what he said after Bruno left and they had locked up.
“You just put that asshole in his place, and I swear he went there with a smile.”
She pumped her fist. “I did, didn’t I? And it felt damn good.”
He pulled her in for a hug. “Did I mention you are badass, and I find that really, really hot?”
She beamed up at him. “Today was better than I ever could have imagined, thanks in no small part to you. You might have to surgically remove this smile from my face.”
“I have a better idea. You keep that smile and let me make an honest woman out of you.”
Her smile wavered. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I want coffee for life, and this is the only way I can think of to get it.”
“I knew it! You do only want me for my coffee.”
He stared down at her with an achingly tender look in his warm brown eyes. “Yep, that and your big heart and your sunny smile and your whip-smart mind. Did I mention your courage and your big eyes and your sense of humor?”
Speechless, she shook her head.
He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her with a heat that shot through her veins and curled her toes.
“If I’m being honest,” he mumbled against her skin as he trailed chill-inducing kisses across her neck, “I’m also kind of in love with your smoking hot bod—especially when it doesn’t have a stitch of clothing on it.
” He drew back and waggled his eyebrows.
“What do you say? Let’s get married. All the cool kids are doing it these days. We wouldn’t want to be left out.”
She looped her arms around his neck and pushed up on tiptoe. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“As serious as a skunk in a tool shed.”
She rubbed her nose. “Ew!”
His forehead wrinkled. “That was a miss, huh? Not romantic enough?”
“Not romantic at all,” she laughed.
“Well, you’ve got the rest of our lives to train me, and I’m ready and willing to learn.” His lips were on her ear, her neck, and she momentarily lost her train of thought. Then she realized she could have those lips on her skin for the rest of her life.
“When were you thinking of doing this thing that all the cool kids are doing?”
He pulled back once more. “Tomorrow?”
Her mouth dropped open. “How would that even be possible?” It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about marrying Shane because she had … in a year or eighteen months from now. Certainly no sooner than six months. But tomorrow?
“Didn’t I tell you? Donna in Dispatch is also our Justice of Peace. It’s been a minute since she got to marry anyone, and I told her I’d help her out.”
Amy barked a laugh. “And this is your reason for wanting to get married tomorrow?”
He pursed his mouth. “Well, no. There’s the lifetime supply of coffee.” Then his lips tipped up with a smile. “There’s also the fact that I’m crazy in love with you. You’re it for me, Amy, and I don’t want to wait a minute longer. How are those for reasons?”
She stared up at him. “Those are, um, pretty good ones,” she stammered. “But for Gaia’s sake, how can a girl prepare for a wedding in less than twenty-four hours? I don’t have the right kind of dress, I don’t have—”
“You don’t need a dress. It’s Fall River. Now, if you were about to say you don’t have a ring, I’ve got that covered.” Setting her apart from him, he dipped his hand into the apron’s pocket and pulled out a glittering diamond belly ring.
She reached out a tentative finger and touched the round stone. “It’s beautiful!”
“Remember, I get to put it in.” He winked. “Oh, and this goes with it.” He dropped the belly ring in her palm and shoved his hand back into the pocket. He extracted another piece of sparkling jewelry—a vintage art-deco style diamond ring in an intricate setting surrounded by smaller diamonds.
Her hand flew to her mouth, and her breath seized in her lungs.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked.” His voice had lost its playful tone, replaced by one with a nervous hitch in it. “But this was unique and beautiful, and it reminded me of you. If you don’t like it—”
She placed her hand on his wrist to stop him. “I love it, and I love that you picked it out for me.”
“Is that a ‘yes’?” His eyes lit with hope.
She launched herself into his arms and buried her face in his neck.
“I’m calling that a ‘yes,’” he chuckled, then paused a beat before mumbling, “Jesus, I hope it’s a ‘yes.’”
She leaned back and looked into brown eyes brimming with love. For her. “Positively, absolutely, unequivocally ‘Yes.’” She fisted his shirt, pulled him against her, and kissed him with every bit of her heart and soul poured into it.
When they finally broke the kiss, his breathing was shallow and uneven. “Wow, if that’s a preview of attractions to come, maybe we should move the wedding up to this afternoon. Shit. It’s too late.”
She buried her nose into the comforting smell of his shirt and lifted her eyes to his face. “Nothing says we can’t start the honeymoon tonight, though. You know, practice makes perfect and all that?”
“Then what are we waiting for? I want to start my life with you right now.”
“You already have.”
THE END