Chapter 3
LILY
The frosty December chill swept in every time someone opened the door to Purrfect Blend Cat Café.
This time, when I looked up, I spotted Eliza and Jules entering.
Instead of going for one of the round tables, they beelined toward the light oak counter where I had stools set up.
If customers were feeling chatty, this was a nice spot for them to sit, since I was able to talk with them while preparing orders and making drinks.
“We came as soon as we could,” Jules said, untying her scarf from around her neck and slipping off her wool coat. She looked very fashionable in an olive-green sweater and jeans. Her long, brown hair was perfectly wavy, and she had a natural blush on her cheeks from the cold air.
Eliza took off her coat and gloves. Her dark hair was down today, hitting at her collarbone. Dainty tattoos and rings adorned her fingers. She nodded in agreement with Jules. “And we’re ready to help. What’s the first order of business?”
I’d sent out an SOS text earlier today in our group chat, because my meeting with Hal was quickly approaching.
I wasn’t surprised Hal was selling the building, because that was something we’d been talking about for months. He never said outright he would sell to me, but he had (in my opinion) hinted here and there. Hal and I were close. He was close with my entire family, actually.
I made it clear to Hal that I was very interested in buying the building and had been saving up for when the moment came.
Well, the moment arrived, but it wasn’t what I expected.
I never expected that Gabriel Nelson would be included in the email or in Hal’s plans for the building’s future.
I’d tried to get some extra information out of Hal, but he’d avoided answering my questions, first telling me he’d explain more once Gabriel is in town and then pretending to not hear me when I asked more questions.
Yes, Hal was older, but I knew he could hear fine.
While the email Hal sent was all I’d been thinking about, I hadn’t had much time to properly prepare for the meeting, which was why I needed my best friends’ help.
“I thought you could help me do some research on Nelson Group?” I asked them.
Everyone in town knew about Ron Nelson and his company, but I wanted more specifics beyond town gossip.
“Maybe learn more about Gabriel, too? I haven’t had any time to do it myself.
I feel like I just finished up Thanksgiving orders and now it’s time to start preparing for the holidays. ”
“We can do that,” Eliza assured confidently. “We brought our laptops and are ready to do some sleuthing.”
My best friends got comfortable on the stools and pulled out their laptops.
I used a pair of tongs to grab the last two slices of spiced gingerbread loaf. The two of them typically let me decide their order for them, which I enjoyed. I loved giving people new drinks and treats to try or giving them a recommendation based on what I knew they liked.
When customers walked into my café, they were greeted by the welcoming aroma of coffee, cinnamon, and caramel.
Three glass cases were filled with pastries—often a rotating selection of muffins, breads, coffee cake, cookies, and more.
I typically set a menu for the week and offered two types of baked goods.
Hiring help was on my very, very long to-do list, but I was slowly making progress. My next step was reviewing a handful of applications to figure out who I wanted to interview and eventually hire.
I enjoyed making drinks, baking, and tending to the cats, but I’d love to hire someone so I could devote more of my time to baking and trying new recipes. My mom stopped in every now and then to help take orders on particularly busy days—which seemed to be happening more often lately.
Opening Purrfect Blend was a leap of faith, but it had turned out better than I could’ve imagined.
I got a lot of my business over the summer when tourists flocked to Golden Falls, but late fall and winter were also busy with orders for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.
Winter was a popular time for people to visit town for sledding, tubing, and ice skating on Lake Golden.
“It looks beautiful in here, Lily,” Jules said in awe as she looked around at the decor. “I love what you did with the hanging ornaments.”
Right before December started, I spent an evening decorating the café and turning it into a magical and festive holiday oasis.
Red, green, and white sparkly ornaments hung from the ceiling on clear string, looking like they were floating in the air.
Balsam and eucalyptus garland was intertwined with string lights along the edge of the main counter.
Each table had a mason jar centerpiece with fairy lights, mini ornaments, and Christmas florals inside.
That was in addition to my normal decor, which included chalkboards behind the register that I updated in cursive writing to detail what drinks were available. I had paintings and drawings from local artists of cats, local views, and abstract art on the walls.
Customers could also take their drinks into the adjoining room, where four to five cats roamed, slept, and waited for cuddles.
All the cats were available for adoption through the Golden Falls Animal Shelter.
There were places for customers to sit, as well as toys, cat trees, and window perches to keep the cats busy.
“And this”—Jules pointed to the gingerbread loaf I set in front of her and Eliza—“looks incredible. Pretty sure I smelled it all the way from Wes’s house.”
“It’s your house now, too,” I pointed out with a smile.
“And I couldn’t have done the decorations without your brainstorming.
” I owed a lot to her for how the café looked today.
Not only did we talk through holiday decor, but Jules was an interior designer who helped me revamp my café over the summer.
We rearranged the tables, painted the walls, and got new furniture, giving the café a refreshed feel on a limited budget.
I knew our friendship would have survived even if she had moved back to Chicago, but I couldn’t express how excited I was that she stayed in Golden Falls. Jules and my brother were perfect together, and I’d never seen him happier. He was smiling more than scowling these days.
I got to working on Eliza and Jules’s drinks while they browsed on their laptops.
“So, a lot of the articles about Nelson Group are what we already know,” Eliza said, tilting her head.
“Lots of luxury housing, bringing in big chains to the commercial spaces, controversy over them pricing out small businesses, which they, of course, deny. Hal’s son Ron is one of the country’s most regarded real estate developers.
They’re really successful, like almost crazy to believe how much they’ve grown.
They’re incredibly profitable and worth a fuck-ton. ”
I shook my head in disbelief. I couldn’t wrap my mind around having a fuck-ton of money. And if I did, I’d like to think I’d use it for good—for helping people get housing, for creating development that benefited everyone—instead of only catering to the wealthy.
Gabriel and Nelson Group could say what they wanted, but I was convinced they would take this building and turn it into something our town didn’t need. They would run my business into the ground or price me out. The mere thought made my palms sweaty and my stomach nauseous.
“Let’s see. What about Gabriel…” Jules trailed off. “Gabriel Nelson.” She said his name slowly while typing.
I finished making two peppermint mochas—also known as Peppermint Paws on my holiday menu—and set them in front of Eliza and Jules.
I wiped my hands on a light-blue rag and draped it over the side of the sink.
Eliza and Jules had been silent during this whole time. Not a good sign.
“What—what are you finding?” I asked, leaning over the counter and trying to peer at the laptop screen.
Eliza and Jules looked at each other first and then back at me. This was only getting worse.
“He’s worse than we thought, isn’t he?” I asked.
“Depends on what you mean…” Jules trailed off. “He’s…”
“Yeah, he’s…” Eliza paused and waved me over. “Here, come see for yourself.”
Curious, I rounded the counter and stepped behind them to see what they were staring at. My lips parted slightly, and my jaw dropped. I quickly realized why they were speechless.
Calling Gabriel Nelson handsome didn’t do him justice. Even in the casual photos on his social media, he looked like he just wrapped up a GQ photoshoot.
Jules clicked on his most recent photo. He had a strong jawline, high cheekbones, and slightly tousled chocolate-brown hair. He was smiling softly, and his honey-brown eyes were focused on the camera.
This didn’t mean anything. So what if he looked like a model?
He was getting in the way of plans I’d had for months.
He was trying to take over my café—or worse, run it out of business.
I didn’t know that for sure…but I couldn’t imagine based on Nelson Group’s reputation that he’d be in favor of keeping the building as it was.
All of that mattered a hell of a lot more than how he looked.
He could be the hottest guy on the planet, and I wouldn’t care. My business was way too important.
I closed my mouth, steeled my spine, and shook my head. “This changes nothing.” I pointed to the laptop. “I’m not going to get distracted by his good looks. That’s probably how he usually gets his way. I want nothing to do with him.”
“That’s good.” Eliza paused, chewing on her bottom lip before adding, “Because he’s exactly your type, Lil. Physically, at least.”
I scoffed, shaking my head. “No way. I don’t have a type.”
That was true—I really didn’t. I also didn’t really have a dating life, but that was beside the point. When you grew up in a small town, and then lived in said small town, your dating options were very, very slim. Practically nonexistent, if I was being honest.
Most of the men in town I’d either known forever, had already gone on a date with and it didn’t work out, or they disliked cats.
I’d said it once, and I’d say it again, that last one was a major deal breaker.
Over my dead body was I going to choose a man over two fluffy creatures who were the reason for my existence and well-being.
“I do remember you telling me over the summer that you’d like a nice, hot city guy with a cat,” Jules said before lifting her mug and innocently taking a sip.
I raised my hands with an unamused laugh.
“Okay, yeah, maybe I said that”—I definitely said that—“but the only thing Gabriel has going for him is he’s from the city.
Based on who he works for, he likely isn’t nice, and we have no idea if he has a cat or not.
Honestly, it doesn’t even matter!” I crossed my arms over my chest. “He’s my enemy. ”
Jules closed the photo and scrolled farther down. Apparently, I’d spoken too soon. She pulled up a photo that was dated from earlier this year. It was a selfie of Gabriel and a tuxedo cat with a caption highlighting how it was Beans’s twelfth birthday.
Give a girl a computer and a name to do reconnaissance on and she could work wonders.
I didn’t want to look at the photo—really, I didn’t—but it was right in front of me. There was no way he could look that good in person, right?
“He’s probably one of those people who photographs well but doesn’t look the same in person,” Jules offered, although I could tell even she didn’t believe what she was saying.
“We can hope,” I muttered.
“See, it’s good we looked him up,” Eliza added, “because now you won’t be ogling him in front of Hal.”
At the mention of Hal, I was immediately pulled out of my haze and reminded of another reason why I was going to stay far away from Gabriel.
Hal’s grandson had never stepped foot in Golden Falls—not even for his late grandmother’s funeral—and now all of a sudden he was showing up when there was a business offer on the line. That didn’t sit well with me.
“I won’t be ogling him, and I won’t be entertaining any proposals he has. I’m standing my ground. I know this town, and I’m going to prove to myself and to Hal that I’d do a damn good job managing the building.”
“And we’ll have your back the whole way,” Eliza assured.
“Always. You know you can count on us,” Jules added.
I offered my best friends a grateful smile, hoping that I was masking my nerves well. Because a part of me—a big part, if I was being honest—was scared I was going to lose everything I’d worked so hard for.
I was holding on to hope that Gabriel wouldn’t even show up for the meeting. But if he did, maybe he would only be in town for the weekend and then stay far away from Golden Falls.
After all, that’s what he’d been doing his whole life.