Bean Brews & Social Cues (Scales & Steam #3)

Chapter One

Autumn

Golden leaves crunched under my boots as I made my way through Kalon Gardens. The bus took me all the way to the other side of Kirkmuir’s best-kept park, and then I only had to walk past the Silverlight Theatre and across Finnegan Square to get to work.

I stopped for a moment to inhale the fresh morning air.

Autumn was my favourite time of the year, and not just because I had been named after the season.

The crisp air, the unbelievably blue skies, the rainy afternoons, and being able to bundle up in skirts, tights, and cosy jumpers gave autumn its own kind of magic.

Not a lot of people were out at this time of day, and I loved to see Kirkmuir wake up. I’d always been an early riser.

This is exactly why I changed jobs.

My boss was happy that I took the morning shifts at Scales & Steam.

By the time Maeve arrived—with her Dragon partner, Taran, who flew her to Kirkmuir every day—I’d dealt with the first rush of customers.

Yet on the other side of the change back to standard time, sunrise crept away from when I started working.

Only a faint grey hue lay over the sky. The park was bathed in the streetlamps’ warm glow, and, at least here, I wasn’t scared.

The ornate wrought-iron lamps were like my beacons in the dawn dark.

I hadn’t even realised when I’d asked Maeve to give me the morning shift that soon I would be making my way to work in the dark.

Not my brightest moment.

What adult in their right mind was afraid of the dark?

Me, apparently.

I sighed and trudged on.

On top of the time change, a sign had gone up at my bus stop overnight.

The construction site for the new N?kken headquarters and warehouse was well under way, but they needed to block off the main street through Gillam Park.

Unfortunately, that was the route my bus took and so starting Monday bus number 131 was cancelled.

They suggested the route that went past Bee’s old house as an alternative, but the nearest stop was 20 minutes away on foot, and now it would be in the dark of winter.

And by the time my regular bus line would be back in business it would be spring, and therefore getting brighter during my morning commute.

Just grand.

I pushed my worries away to deal with them later and sped up when the archway that led out of the park came into view.

A few moments later, I was past the grand Silverlight Theatre and onto Finnegan Square.

Kirkmuir’s city centre slowly woke up around me.

A team of cleaners emptied the bins and swept the cobblestones.

On the far end of the street, someone walked their large dog and the first sparrows twittered around between two crows, trying to get the last breadcrumbs people had dropped.

“Morning,” one of the team greeted me when I passed.

“Hi, Beth.” She and her colleagues were among the regulars and were usually my first customers of the day.

I breathed easier by the time I unlocked the door to Scales & Steam. It was my haven in the darkness. After I went through my ritual, I finally felt grounded: lights first, then turning on the machines, music last.

As usual, I brewed the first coffee of the day for myself and enjoyed it in the few spare minutes before the cafe opened. Wednesday shifts came with an added bonus. That was the day when our new roaster brought us the coffee for the week.

A gentle knock on the door made me look up. I smiled when I spotted him through the glass.

Ross Graham’s shell was all gruff and grumpy, but I was sure the man was actually as soft as his long fur looked. And hot.

Gosh, he’s so hot.

I hurried over to let him in.

He gave me an awkward shake of the head and the curve of his horns caught the light as he turned. They were pale against his russet hair.

Swoon.

“Good morning, Ross,” I greeted him as he approached the counter.

“Mornin’.” His deep, rumbling voice sent a little shiver down my spine. “I have yer coffee in the car. Can I bring it in?”

He always asked me the same thing.

“Sure thing, you know where to put it?”

Wink wink.

“Yup.”

Oh, you handsome thing, your sweet words are music to my ears.

He always came into the cafe first to announce himself, then went to his van to grab the bags of coffee.

I liked watching him. With his shaggy red fur and the wide, curving horns he looked like a creature straight from my wildest, wettest dreams.

That man is glorious.

Ross turned on the spot and trudged back to the door. He moved with deliberate ease, each heavy step making his butt jiggle.

That ass in those jeans should be illegal. Glad it’s not.

I set my elbow on the counter, propped my chin up on my hand, and stared after him for a moment. I bet he was a great cuddler. Well, if you ignored his grumpy attitude.

He can just keep quiet while I rub my face on his soft belly.

I watched him carry the heavy bags inside, mentally drooling a little at the way his biceps bunched under his blue-and-green plaid shirt.

His enormous, easy presence let me take the first full breath of the morning.

“Ye alright, lass?” he asked, pulling me out of my daydreams. I straightened up and smoothed out my apron.

“What? Oh, yeah. I just had a bit of a weird morning.”

Ross turned and approached the counter.

“Did something happen?” His large brown eyes focused worriedly on my face, as if he could find material evidence of what bothered me. “Are ye hurt?”

“Oh.” My cheeks heated. “No, it’s okay. I’m a bit embarrassed about it, actually.”

A corner of Ross’s muzzle lifted in an assuring half smile.

“I’m shite at feelings, but I’m here to listen if you…” He shrugged one broad shoulder.

“Why don’t you take these into the storage room first, and I’ll make you a cuppa to start the day?” That gave me a few minutes to decide how much I was prepared to tell him.

Ross hesitated and scrutinised me, as if he could tell I was putting me off, for a moment.

“Alright, lass.” He huffed. “Yeah, I could do with one.”

When he joined me by the counter a couple of minutes later, I’d already prepared his favourite drink.

“How did you know what I wanted?” Ross asked me with a huff.

“I remember all my best customers’ orders, Mr Graham,” I told him with a wink.

“So, what happened?” he asked, clearly trying to steer the conversation away from flirty banter.

“Nothing, really. It’s…they eliminated the bus line that goes past my house, so I have to walk farther to get on another line.” Oh gosh, you sound ridiculous. “And I sort of… It’s silly, really. I forgot that after the clocks change it stays dark longer in the morning…”

Ross took a sip. “It’s a bloody mess out there, isn’t it? With all the construction that’s going on.”

“Yeah, it is,” I agreed.

The arrival of my co-worker Beryl, who entered with a small crowd of customers, spared me from having to confess my fear of the dark.

“Sorry, I got to go,” Ross excused himself before I’d finished serving Beth and her team.

“See you next week,” I called after him and got a little wave back.

At least I had something to look forward to.

“Bye, Ross,” my silver-haired colleague called as he floated out of the staff room with both hands tying his apron in the front.

Our Minotaur roaster gave him a small nod and left the cafe.

Between catching up with Beryl and the usual morning rush, my shift passed in a haze.