Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Lila came downstairs to the kitchen, poured herself a cup of coffee, and then stared at the refrigerator as though it might present her with breakfast inspiration.
With a sigh, she opened the door, grabbed some creamer, and stirred it into her cup.
She was still debating between eggs and cereal when her cat, Ulysses, trotted in yowling like he was on his last breath.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Ulysses, can’t you wait a measly minute?”
The cat flopped onto his back, stretching dramatically before letting out another long, tragic wail.
“You should take up yodeling with the way you sound,” she muttered. Shaking her head, she went to the cupboard and pulled out a can of cat food.
Instant silence.
Ulysses sat up, licking his lips, eyes wide with anticipation.
“Uh-huh. Fine. Now you’re quiet,” Lila said, scooping the food into his dish and setting it on the floor.
The cat gave a polite meow, then padded over and began to eat.
“If the neighbors weren’t awake yet, they are now,” she quipped, taking a sip of coffee.
Lila fixed herself a bowl of cereal, sat at the kitchen table, and had taken maybe three bites when her cell phone rang. The spoon clattered into the bowl with a splash.
“Now what?” she muttered, grabbing the phone. “Hello?”
“Hello, Lila!” came her mother’s bright voice.
“Yes, Mother, what is it?”
“Don’t forget you have to be at Pleasant Beans this morning. Tilly wants to go over everything with you and the newbies.”
Lila laughed. “Call them new recruits, it sounds better.”
“At any rate,” her mother continued. “You’ll have to keep a sharp eye on them.”
“Mother, if Tilly didn’t think they could do the job, then why did she ask them?”
“She didn’t,” her mother said pointedly. “Tilly asked Grayson, and he swore up and down that since they could run the Clear Creek Inn, they’d be perfectly capable of handling Pleasant Beans for a few weeks.”
Lila tapped her spoon against the bowl. “All right, fine. I know I’m supposed to be there. You don’t have to remind me; I’m not a child.”
“I’m just making sure,” her mother replied. “Because I know your brother will try to get out of working in the restaurant this afternoon, then talk you into covering for him, which means it’ll clash with your meeting at Pleasant Beans.”
Lila sighed. That sounded exactly like something he’d do. “All right, no problem. Love you, Mother,” she sang.
“Love you too, dear.”
When the call ended, Lila set her phone down. Ulysses jumped into the chair opposite hers and meowed expectantly.
“Oh, quiet, you,” she said, pointing her spoon at him.
Lila brushed a strand of hair from her eyes, finished her cereal, and went to get ready.
In the bathroom mirror, she paused. Hazel eyes stared back at her.
Steady, practical, maybe a little too much like her mother’s.
What would blue eyes look like? Or blonde hair instead of light honey brown?
The thought made her smile, but she shook it off and turned to more pressing matters.
Eyeliner, ponytail, and a spritz of perfume to say I’m awake even if she wasn’t.
She loved working at the Van Cleet Hotel’s restaurant, but today’s shift at Pleasant Beans felt like an adventure.
Someday, she’d have her own coffee shop, or at least a kiosk in front of Stone’s Emporium, or maybe near the drive-in.
She wasn’t sure where yet, but she’d been saving for years.
All she needed now was the courage to talk her parents into letting her chase it.
Her family had run the Van Cleet Hotel for generations, their roots deep in Clear Creek’s history.
But Lila wanted something different. She’d decided back in college, business degree in hand, that her future didn’t have to mean refilling sugar bowls in the same dining room her great-grandparents once did.
She slipped into jeans, a white T-shirt, and her favorite tennis shoes, adding a simple necklace for polish.
If she was going to work a few hours at Pleasant Beans, the apron would hide half her effort anyway.
Still, she wanted to make a good impression, especially on the “new recruits,” whoever they were.
She hoped they knew how to handle a coffee shop. Babysitting greenhorns wasn’t on her morning wish list.
Outside, the morning sun was warm and golden. Lila slid into her little Toyota Corolla and drove through town with a smile. It was Saturday. People were shopping, sweeping porches, calling greetings across Main Street. Kids pedaled past on bikes with baskets full of snacks from the general store.
She had to admit, if she ever moved, she’d miss this place. Clear Creek wasn’t just home; it was history, heart, and a never-ending tangle of relatives.
When she reached Pleasant Beans, she parked and headed inside. The little bell above the door jingled cheerfully.
The coffee shop bustled with customers. For a second, she wondered if their “meeting” was about to turn into an impromptu shift, and honestly, she wouldn’t mind. It was all good practice for when she opened her own place someday.
Tilly stood behind the counter, taking an order. She looked up and her face broke into a grin. “Good morning! Welcome to Pleasant Beans! So glad to see you… oh, it’s you, Lila! Cousin!”
Lila laughed, rounded the counter, and gave her a quick hug. “This is going to be fun. I can’t wait.”
She glanced around the shop. Two middle-aged men sat at one table, chatting.
Nearby, a young mother wrangled several children over muffins.
A few couples lingered by the windows, tourists from the look of them.
And at the far end, beneath the portrait of Pleasant Comfort, the shop’s namesake, stood a cluster of elderly men and women, murmuring among themselves as they stared up at the painting.
“So, Tilly,” Lila said, leaning toward her. “Where are your babysitters?”
Tilly grinned. “Over there.”
Lila followed her nod… and blinked. “The couple at the table with the woman in the purple windbreaker?”
“No,” Tilly said, chuckling. “The group looking at Pleasant’s portrait.”
Lila’s jaw dropped. “What? They’re so old! What are you thinking? And there’s so many of them!” She stepped around Tilly to get a better look. Even from behind, she could tell they were all well into their eighties. White hair, silver streaks, and a balding head catching the morning light.
“Oh, don’t you worry,” Tilly said cheerfully. “They ran the Clear Creek Inn back in the day. How hard can a coffee shop be?”
Lila wasn’t sure, but she had a feeling she was about to find out.
“Cousin, are you out of your mind?” Lila whispered.
“It’ll be fine!” Tilly insisted. “They ran the Clear Creek Inn for almost a year. They’re the ones who refurbished it!”
Lila blinked. She knew the inn had fallen into disrepair years ago and had been sold off cheap. A group of people bought it, fixed it up, and then sold it to Talia and Grayson Brody.
“Well, I guess,” Lila said slowly. “But I don’t want to have to be teaching them anything. Are you sure they know what they’re doing?”
Tilly rolled her eyes. “Oh ye of little faith. It’ll be fine, you’ll see.”
Lila wasn’t convinced. “Are we even going to have our meeting? You look kind of busy.”
“We’ll have it,” Tilly said quickly. “Don’t worry, Jack’s got the orders under control.”
Lila frowned. “Jack?”
“Of course, Jack. He can’t wait to get out of here.” Tilly winced a little when she caught Lila looking at the old folks again. “Lila, I’m sure they can handle things.”
Lila bit back her first response, are you sure? Because the last thing she wanted was to chase off paying customers by arguing behind the counter.
The elderly couples began to shuffle toward them, chatting cheerfully. Thankfully, Tilly had already cleared the rest of her orders and Jack had joined her behind the counter to handle drinks.
“Lila, why don’t you introduce yourself?” Tilly suggested brightly. “Jack and I will take care of the rest.”
Lila pasted on her best customer-service smile as the group approached. “Hi there!”
One of the women, tall and thin with a dignified air, smiled warmly. “Hello, child! I’m Grandma.”
Lila blinked. “Um… okay! Nice to meet you, Grandma.”
A man beside her slipped an arm through hers and smiled kindly. He had half-moon glasses, wispy white hair, and a gentle air about him.
“Oh, a Comfort!” said a petite woman with white curls and twinkling blue eyes. “How lovely! We’ve known Comforts in our day, haven’t we, Cyrus?”
The man next to her, white-haired, spry, with the same bright blue eyes, nodded. “Yes, we have! We’re Cyrus and Polly.”
“Hello,” Lila said, smiling. “Nice to meet you both.”
Another couple stepped forward. “I’m Irene, and he’s Wilfred,” said a shorter woman with salt-and-pepper hair. Her husband, tall and broad-shouldered with light brown hair streaked in gray, gave a friendly nod.
“Nice to meet you,” Wilfred said warmly.
Then came a burly man with a handlebar mustache and an Irish accent. “I’m Paddy,” he said, puffing up his chest. “And this is my wife, Mary.”
Lila’s eyebrows shot up. “Ah. The Irish connection,” she said, smiling. “Nice to meet you both.”
“So, did all of you work at the Clear Creek Inn?”
Cyrus shook his head. “No, Paddy and Mary weren’t there, but the rest of us were.”
Lila tilted her head, curious. “How long were you working on the place? I have to admit, I’ve never seen any of you around town.”
“That’s because we tend to keep to ourselves,” Grandma said matter-of-fact. “Besides, that old place needed so much work we were busy as bees just fixing it up. The only place you’d have seen any of us was the hardware store.”
That drew laughter from everyone, including a few nearby customers.
Lila couldn’t help but smile. “I see. Well, we’re happy to have you. I’m Tilly’s cousin. I noticed you were admiring our ancestor’s portrait.”
The little group turned to look at the painting on the far wall. “It’s a good likeness of her,” Grandma said, and immediately clamped her mouth shut.
“What Grandma means,” Doc cut in smoothly, “is that we’ve seen pictures of Pleasant Comfort before.”
“Oh yes,” Polly said quickly. “At the museum!”
“Yes,” Doc agreed. “The museum.”
Lila nodded. “That’s an interesting place. I haven’t been there in years.”
Wilfred glanced at the others, “We’re all from around here, at least, back in the day.”
“Really?” Lila said with interest. “So you’re related to the original Wallers, the ones who helped settle this place?”
The couples exchanged a quick look that could only be described as panic disguised as politeness.
“Yes!” Cyrus said quickly. “Exactly right. In fact, we’re even named after our ancestors.” He gave a nervous laugh. “Silly, I know, but it’s what they used to do back then!”
Lila laughed. “Not silly at all. Half the town’s named after someone from the 1800s.”
Tilly reappeared then, smiling brightly. “Okay, everyone! It’s slowed down a bit, so let’s head to the back for a quick meeting.” She turned to the group. “I can’t thank you enough for helping Jack and me while we’re on vacation. It’s been years since we left town, and we’re overdue.”
Everyone nodded and smiled. “Tell Talia and Grayson they’re lucky to have such capable help!” Grandma said.
“Thank you!” Tilly laughed. “I’ve heard you’re fast learners.”
“Well, of course we are,” Grandma said, lifting her chin. “We might be old, but we haven’t lost our marbles yet.”
More laughter followed, and Lila managed a small smile.
“That’s wonderful,” Tilly said. She elbowed Lila playfully. “See? Nothing to worry about.”
Lila fought an eye roll. I’ll believe that when I see it.
Tilly continued, “Running the machines is easy. You’ll pick it up in no time.
There is one thing I need to tell you, though, the town’s having its Harvest Festival, and all the businesses take part.
I’d planned a movie night here and a few other things I’ll go over in a minute.
Do you think you can handle the extra events? ”
Wilfred raised his hand confidently. “Between the eight of us, we can handle anything, Missy. You just watch.”
Tilly grinned. “That’s the spirit! Oh, and one more thing.
Lila here works at the Van Cleet Hotel. Her family has a long history there, just like my family’s been tied to this town for generations.
She can teach you a few things about customer service.
Lila, that includes showing them how to run the espresso machine. ”
Lila’s smile was thin. “Of course.”
“Wonderful,” Tilly said. “Now, about Harvest Festival week…”
Lila leaned against a shelving unit, arms crossed, as Tilly launched into her cheerful list of events: pumpkin spice drinks, a cider tasting, movie night…
She watched the elderly group nodding along, bright-eyed and earnest, and couldn’t decide if she should be comforted or terrified. Please let them be up to this, she thought. Because if they’re not…
Her gaze drifted toward the espresso machine gleaming on the counter. I’m going to have a big, fat mess on my hands.