Chapter 2
Outsiders and Insiders
Unable to stop herself, Amy grinned like a fool at Shane O’Brien’s profile—the only view she had of him since he had turned to watch the delivery guy get into his car and drive off.
Seeing the deputy always brightened her day, whether he was ordering coffee in her shop, winking at her from his yoga mat in class, or simply waving at her from his patrol SUV the same way he waved at everyone else in town.
Something about him simply made her feel …
lighter. He was strong and steady and didn’t mind showing his soft side.
He topped her list of all-time favorite people in Fall River, and she found herself wanting to keep him at her shop a little longer.
His calming presence would help counter the tilt-a-whirl that was her life lately, and she had a mystery she wanted to run past him anyway.
“Can I tempt you with a cup of the good stuff, Deputy?”
Hesitation shone in his caramel-brown eyes. Still in uniform, he had obviously just finished a shift, and he looked exhausted. He was probably anxious to get home. “I don’t want you to go to any trouble.”
“It’s no trouble. I’ll make it with a French press. I was thinking of having a cup myself.” Total lie. “And no offense, but you look like you could use a pick-me-up.” Total truth.
One side of his mouth curled up. “You twisted my arm.” All ease, he propped his back against her counter and watched as she grabbed a bin and measured out his favorite blend. Funny, but he looked as though he belonged there. “So who was that guy in the Pathfinder?”
“He works for my supplier. I’m handing out coffee at the Big Event, so they were getting me the extra supplies I need.”
The “Big Event” was the nickname locals had given the “Boarding Call,” which was the official christening of the narrow-gauge railroad spur connecting Fall River to Silver Summit, a fancy ski and golf resort ten miles south.
The project had been a long time coming, and business owners in Fall River—like Amy—were overjoyed the project was finally finished.
It promised to be a big boost to their growing economy, shuttling visitors from the luxury lodge who had money to spend in Fall River’s quaint shops and restaurants.
In two days, the newly refurbished Mountain Belle would roll along the restored tracks and deliver leaf-peeping tourists to Bowen Street and the stores’ doorsteps.
Shane crossed his arms over his chest, his well-defined biceps straining his khaki-colored sleeves. “Free coffee?” She nodded. “That’s really generous of you. You know people are willing to pay though, right?”
She shrugged. “It’s my gift to the town.
Besides, the mercenary in me understands that with a train full of wealthy tourists piling out of train cars on that first visit, it will also be a great marketing opportunity.
Anyone who accepts a cup will know about Mountain Coffee, and they’ll come visit me when they’re tired of shopping. ”
“How’s that sandwich-board sign on the sidewalk working for you? Is it pulling people in?”
“I’m not sure if it’s helping or hindering,” she sighed. “Half the time it’s being flattened by the wind, or it gets caught in some dog’s leash and dragged before the owner realizes it. Either way, it’s a hazard. I brought it in today, and I think I’ll park it for the season.”
He stared at her as if he was making mental calculations before seeming to snap out of it.
“You’re a smart businesswoman, Amy. Always thinking about those details the rest of us would totally miss.
Just like your coffee handouts—that’s a savvy play by one of our town council members, not a mercenary move.
You don’t have a mercenary bone in your body. ”
Her heart fluttered with the compliment.
She loved hearing herself referred to as a town council member, a position she’d been appointed to not long ago over several other qualified candidates, including an Aspen attorney who owned one of the restaurants in town.
Made her feel as though she belonged in her adopted hometown and wasn’t some random transplant the townies couldn’t trust. The fact that they’d wanted her to take the position was a sign that maybe, just maybe, they had accepted her after six years.
“Well, it’s too much trouble to charge them anyway,” she reasoned.
“It’s going to be cold, and you’re going to get mobbed. They’ll probably wipe you out in the first ten minutes. Is someone helping you?”
“Cade will be there.”
“Do you have any other help?”
“No, just Cade.” She knew why he was asking the question.
Cade was her twenty-one-year-old part-timer, who, since turning twenty-one and officially of legal drinking age, had become a little flakier than he’d been before.
Inside, she crossed her fingers he’d show up on time and help her get the job done.
“What about Micky?”
Now that sent a jolt to an already frayed nerve. “He has some stuff to do at his garage. After that, he wants to watch the train arrive, so …” She didn’t bother finishing the sentence because it only would’ve sparked her temper all over again.
Shane didn’t say a word. Just continued watching her as she put the kettle on to boil, and she felt the weight of his assessment on her shoulders.
Yeah, her own boyfriend wouldn’t help her.
So which one of them was the loser in this scenario?
Him for being a selfish jerk, or her for being with him in the first place?
Well, that was about to become a moot point.
Shane broke the silence. “The delivery today makes total sense now, but isn’t this time of day kind of late? You’re usually getting deliveries before you open or right at closing.”
Amy side-eyed him. He did notice everything, but then again, she’d been following this routine pretty much since she’d opened the café.
With only four square blocks in his hometown, the deputy wouldn’t have been much of a lawman if he hadn’t noticed who did what and when in such a compact area.
Granted, his territory was much, much bigger than Fall River, but still, it was his home base.
Amy turned up the flame beneath the kettle.
“They were supposed to be here earlier with a special delivery, but I got a call from the owner that their driver hit an elk and totaled his truck. One of his employees happened to be on his way to Silver Summit, so he diverted him with their inventory. Thank goodness the driver wasn’t hurt. ”
“Wait. Did you say the guy hit an elk?”
She nodded. The water came to a boil, and as she turned off the burner and poured scalding water into the beaker to heat it, she asked why it mattered. People and elk came together all the time on these mountain roads.
When she turned to look at him, Shane’s mouth hung open. “I was there.”
A little cry tore from her. “Were you hurt?”
He shook his head. “No, but I was the officer called to the scene. The vehicle was totaled.”
“What about the driver?” Why her mind had leaped to Shane first was beyond her, but relief flooded her nonetheless.
“I checked him out.” Shane was a trained EMT who volunteered for search and rescue, so of course he took care of the guy. “He seemed okay, but I told him to go see his doctor when he got home. Hopefully, he follows my advice.”
Amy pulled down two mismatched ceramic cups while the coffee steeped.
Though they were all whimsical, no two Mountain Coffee cups looked alike, and some customers had their favorites she kept aside for them each morning.
Shane was usually on the go, so he got his brew in paper cups or the insulated mug with her logo that he’d bought from her years ago.
“I can be a walking advertisement for you,” he’d told her with his trademark grin. He was considerate like that.
“Have you heard from Micky this afternoon?” Shane’s question took her by surprise, but it became clear why he posed it.
“He met us there with his wrecker and hauled the driver and his truck to Durango. I thought he might have called to let you know he was going to be out of reach, though he should be headed back by now.”
“Oh. No, he didn’t call.” An unpleasant lump of something thunked in her tummy. She added more water to the beaker and set a timer. An awkward beat passed while she tried to stuff thoughts of Micky into a virtual box with a lid she could shut tight.
Shane drummed his fingers on the counter top, the tempo unhurried. “Well, that would explain why your delivery was so late.”
She cleared Micky from her mind at the same time she cleared her throat.
“Yeah, and it makes what the owner did for me even more special, so two hours behind schedule seems like nothing. With the way deliveries go around here, it could have ended up being days. They were so worried about getting me my coffee that they gave me the stuff meant for the resort. Talk about jumping through hoops! I hope Silver Summit doesn’t find out, though,” she babbled.
“But how sweet is that? I’m a little floored. ”
“You shouldn’t be. People like doing things for you because you’re always going out of your way for everybody else.
” He kept going before her blush had a chance to engulf her entire face.
“Like the free coffee. Sure, you’re trying to build business with visitors, but I’m willing to bet you’ve ordered enough to cover your regulars too.
You’re always doing for everyone else, and people notice. ”