Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Kathryn
T he night air wraps around us like a blanket, warm with possibility. Nolan's hand is still wrapped around mine, his thumb tracing patterns that make it hard to think clearly. Part of me wants to stay in this moment, before reality crashes back in with coffee shop sales and corporate decisions.
"I thought I might find you two out here."
We both start at Evie's voice. She stands in the doorway carrying a tea tray, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
"Don't get up." She settles into the chair across from us, and I notice she's brought three cups. Almost like she planned this. "Though you might want this. Mountain nights get cool."
She passes us steaming mugs of her special blend, the herbs filling the air with memories of other conversations on this porch. Other moments when she seemed to know exactly what we needed.
"I suppose you've heard about Cam's plans?" She pours her own tea with deliberate care.
"We were just discussing it." Nolan's voice carries an edge of protective steel that makes my heart flutter.
"Well." Evie sets down the teapot with purpose. "I have some plans of my own. I've made an offer to buy the Coffee Loft."
The words don't register at first. Then they hit all at once.
"You're what?"
"I spent the afternoon with my lawyer, drawing up the paperwork." She looks entirely too calm for someone dropping this kind of bomb. "Cam seemed quite eager to negotiate once I mentioned a quick sale."
The words don't register at first. Then they hit all at once.
"You're what?"
"Buying it." She looks entirely too calm for someone dropping this kind of bomb.
"But..." I look between her and Nolan, who appears as shocked as I feel. "Why?"
"Because some things matter more than profit margins." She picks up her tea again. "The Callahans have been part of this community for generations. That coffee shop was always special. A place where people connected, where the community came together. When Cam bought it, we lost that magic. But you've brought it back, Kathryn. You've reminded us all of what it could be."
"A community hub," Nolan says softly.
"Exactly." Evie's eyes crinkle with warmth. "And who better to run it than someone who understands both the business and the heart of what makes places like this special?"
It takes me a moment to realize she means me. "But I?—"
"Have already proven yourself more than capable." She holds up a hand to stop my protest. "The Wishing Wall alone has brought more people together than any initiative we've tried in years."
"That wasn't just me." I glance at Nolan, who's watching me with an intensity that makes my chest tight. "Everyone helped."
"And they'll keep helping." Evie leans forward. "That's what community means. But every community needs someone to believe in it first. To fight for it, even when others don't see its potential."
"Like you did," Nolan says, and I hear pride in his voice.
"The coffee shop still has challenges," I warn. "The equipment needs updating, the supply chain needs work?—"
"All things the lodge's resources can help with." Evie's smile turns mysterious. "Especially with a certain marketing expert's assistance."
Nolan's hand tightens around mine. "I think we can arrange that."
The mountain night stretches endless above us, stars scattered like wishes waiting to be granted. Below, the lights of Elk Ridge twinkle, a constellation of community and connection.
"Why me?" I ask finally. "Why trust me with this?"
"Because you already love it." Evie stands, gathering her tray. "Everything else is just details."
She leaves us with that, with the night and the tea and the weight of possibility settling around our shoulders. But before either of us can speak, she pauses in the doorway.
"Oh, and one more thing." Her eyes twinkle in the porch light. "There is a condition to my offer. But that can wait until we've all had a chance to process this first part."
The door closes behind her, leaving me with a thousand questions and Nolan's steady presence beside me. His hand is still warm in mine, an anchor in a sea of unexpected possibilities.
The scent of freshly brewed coffee fills the lodge's great room, rich and promising. Evie has gathered us here early, before the guests wake, before the day's bustle begins. Before reality has a chance to make last night's offer feel like a dream.
"Now then." Evie settles into her favorite chair, steam rising from her cup in delicate spirals. "Let's talk about that condition."
Nolan shifts beside me on the leather sofa, our shoulders almost touching. The coffee table between us holds Evie's famous scones, but for once I'm too nervous to eat.
"The Coffee Loft needs more than new ownership," Evie continues. "It needs leadership that understands both business and community. Vision and practicality. Heart and head." Her eyes move between us meaningfully. "It needs both of you."
The words hang in the morning air. Beside me, Nolan goes very still.
"Both of us?" I manage.
"You've proven you can transform a struggling shop into a community hub." Evie sets down her cup. "And Nolan knows this town, its rhythms, its needs. Together, you could make the Coffee Loft everything it was meant to be."
"I..." The enormity of it overwhelms me. Not just running the shop, but working side by side with Nolan. After everything that's happened, everything that's still unresolved between us. "It's a huge risk."
"For whom?" Evie's voice gentles. "For me? I'm investing in people I believe in. For the coffee shop? You've already shown what's possible there."
"For everyone." I stand, needing to move. "What if I can't make it work? What if the community initiatives aren't enough? What if?—"
"What if you succeed?" Nolan's quiet words stop my pacing. "What if everything you've built here is just the beginning?"
I turn to face him. "You'd really want to work together? After..."
"After I let my fears get in the way?" He stands too, closing the distance between us. "I meant what I said last night. I'm done running from good things."
"But the shop?—"
"Already has a foundation." His eyes hold mine. "You've created something special, Kathryn. Something worth believing in. Worth fighting for."
"We'd be partners?" I look to Evie for confirmation.
She nods. "Equal stake in the management. Equal say in decisions. Though something tells me you two won't have trouble agreeing on what matters."
The morning light streams through the windows, catching on the mountain laurel blooms outside. Somewhere in town, a coffee shop waits to be transformed. Again. But this time...
"It won't be easy," I warn them both. "The equipment still needs updating, the supply chain?—"
"Is something we can figure out together." Nolan's voice carries absolute certainty. "The lodge has connections with suppliers all over the region. And I might know a thing or two about marketing local businesses."
"A thing or two?" Evie's eyes twinkle. "If I recall, your seasonal festival campaigns doubled our bookings last year."
"The point is," Nolan continues, giving his aunt a look, "you won't be doing this alone. Not anymore."
I think of all the wishes already granted, all the connections formed. Of Old Joe learning to knit, of Sara's pastries finding new homes, of a community coming together one cup of coffee at a time.
"Okay." The word comes out barely above a whisper.
"Okay?" Nolan's smile starts slow, then breaks across his face like sunrise.
"Okay." Stronger this time. "Yes. Let's do this. Let's make it matter."
"It already matters." Evie rises, gathering her tea things. "You two just have to keep showing people why."
She leaves us with that, with the morning light and the endless possibilities and the weight of trust settled on our shoulders.
"Partners?" Nolan holds out his hand, echoing our first meeting but with something deeper in his eyes.
I take it, feeling the calluses that speak of hard work and dedication. Of someone who builds things to last.
"Partners."
His thumb traces across my knuckles, sending warmth up my arm. "In everything?"
The question carries more than business implications, and we both know it.
"In everything."
He tugs gently on our joined hands, drawing me closer. His other hand comes up to brush my cheek, and my breath catches at the tenderness in his touch.
"I've wanted to do this since you first walked into the lodge," he murmurs, his eyes dropping to my lips.
"Even in those impractical heels?"
His laugh is soft, warm. "Especially in those heels."
His eyes hold mine as he leans in slowly, giving me time to pull away if I want to. But I don't want to. I've never wanted anything less.
My breath hitches as his hand slides from my cheek to the nape of my neck, fingers threading through my hair. The scent of him surrounds me. Coffee and pine and something uniquely Nolan that makes my heart race. When his lips finally meet mine, the gentleness of it makes me tremble.
The kiss starts soft, questioning, but deepens when I press closer. His arms wrap around me, strong and sure, and I taste coffee and promise on his tongue. Everything narrows to this moment—the warmth of his mouth, the solid strength of him against me, the quiet sound he makes when my fingers curl into his shirt.
When we finally part, we're both breathing harder. His forehead rests against mine, and I can feel his heart pounding where my hand rests on his chest.
"That was..." He brushes another feather-light kiss across my lips.
"Worth waiting for?"
His smile is brighter than any mountain sunrise. "Worth everything."