Chapter 10 The Finest Coffee Grounds
THE FINEST COFFEE GROUNDS
Wyatt
I genuinely couldn’t believe I’d waited this long to get over to Buns of Delight. Aspen had texted me the afternoon she’d been taken prior to her shift at The Roadhouse, asking me to stop by and talk to her friend, but it had slipped my mind in the mess of everything else.
I scrolled through our messages one more time before I headed to the bakery.
Aspen: Hey bro!! Can I call you that yet? Too bad. I am anyway.
Aspen: It’s Aspen, in case that wasn’t clear already. Also, I need a favor! Pretty please. It’s a big one.
I chuckled. If she only knew the number of times I’d gotten that text over the last two months from her man, she’d be shocked as hell.
But knowing Aspen, this favor didn’t have shit to do with Rowan.
No, my new sister could handle my twin brother all on her own.
She didn’t need my help in the least bit.
Me: What’s up sis?
Aspen: Do you know Ember? She’s the woman who owns Buns of Delight down the street from my apartment.
Me: Can’t say that I do. Why? Are you trying to hook me up now that you’ve gotten Ro settled down?
Aspen: HA. No. You’re not nearly good enough for her.
Aspen: She’s having some banking issues or something, and her bank isn’t helping. I was wondering if you could stop by and see if you could do anything? We need her less stressed. She is my direct line of coffee and yummy treats.
Me: Sounds serious.
Aspen: WYATT!
Aspen: Please. I’ll owe you one.
Me: Okay, I’ll stop by today and talk to her. Tell your boy I’ll be calling him in for the favor though.
Aspen: Deal!
I shook my head. Oh yeah, she had my brother right where she wanted him.
Good for her. When I’d pulled up my GPS and punched in Buns of Delight, I realized that Aspen was being serious when she said it was down the street from her apartment.
It was barely two full blocks from her. It had a ton of reviews and an almost perfect five-star rating.
I scrolled through the reviews, and it looked like one lady gave her three stars because the coffee was too hot for her to drink right away. I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t much on coffee, but I could fuck up a good pastry. Hot and all.
I checked the clock. I had a meeting with Julian this evening, so I had plenty of time to stop by and at least meet the woman and hopefully help.
I’d need to find out what the issue actually was, beyond what little info that Aspen had given me—which was equivalent to nothing as far as I was concerned for starting any kind of job, even a favor to my sister.
I hopped up from my couch, where I’d been lounging reading a comic book, and got the rest of the stuff I’d need for my meeting later. I shoved it all in my backpack and then grabbed my helmet on the way out of my house.
I was trying to enjoy the last bit of riding time I’d get for a while.
Rowan tended to pack up his bike the moment the temp dropped below seventy, but I didn’t mind the cold a little longer.
Anything to be able to get on my bike for as long as I could and enjoy the fresh air against my skin—not that it touched much skin between my leather jacket, jeans, boots, and helmet, but still. I loved it.
The ride from the ranch into town was short as I pulled up in front of the bakery.
Buns of Delight wasn’t far from the ranch, and I was sort of shocked I’d never been to this place prior to now.
I took my helmet off, exchanging it for my olive-green baseball cap instead.
The thing had seen better days, but it was one of my favorites—not as if I was here to impress this chick.
Truly, I hadn’t thought of many women besides the fiery little brat I’d been with last week.
I’d thought about messaging her on the app countless times since I’d gotten home that night, but every time I stopped myself.
That was until last night, after the turmoil of burying a body with my brothers and my sister-in-law almost dying.
She’d seemed just fine parting ways when we finished, and I wasn’t trying to be some clingy weirdo, but she also seemed totally down to meet up again.
I shook my head. This chick met me punch for punch, and that had been something new for me.
I was used to sweet, docile women in bed; it’s what I thought I preferred.
I liked them to do what I wanted, let me take care of the both of us, and let me leave.
But her? She was a feisty thing in a small, curvy package.
I pushed thoughts of little Poison Ivy from my mind and started towards Buns of Delight. Work mode needed to be activated, not Wyatt in full-on player mode.
The outside of the bakery was a historic brick building with a giant window that took up the front of the first level, Buns of Delight scrawled in feminine cursive handwriting across the glass.
Opening the door, I did a quick look around the place.
It was cute in that online social media type of way—the type of place women liked to take pictures of their coffee and post them online for their thousands of followers to drool over.
Three of the walls were made of whitewashed wood, the other was exposed brick, a long glass display counter separated the seating from the work area.
The wall behind the counter held matching wooden shelving units housing different plants, pottery, cups, coffee, and more necessities I’m sure they needed.
There was some fancy contraption that I’m sure made coffee fancier than I’d seen in my twenty-six years, a stainless-steel sink, and of course, all different types of breads, bagels, and more carbs I definitely would be down to inhale at the first chance.
The exposed wooden beams of the ceiling reminded me of my mom’s place, but instead of custom-made wind-chimes we’d all crafted over the years, the owner had hung long, vined plants and small string lights.
Overall, the place was comfortable and welcoming. Plus, it smelled like heaven. Some type of coffee bean smell that wasn’t the normal commercial smell I associated with coffee. Cinnamon, honey, and something sweet that I couldn’t name.
I must’ve been sniffing harder than I thought because by the time I reached the counter, a small and absolutely stunning redhead was smiling up at me.
“It’s the cinnamon rolls. I just pulled a tray out and put the icing on them.
They tend to be very potent,” she said, her voice enunciating the ‘t’ in a way that made me want to be closer to her—physically and possibly emotionally.
Could she be my Poison Ivy? That would be nice because she was stunning. Which was an insane thought, but I just wanted to hear her talk more, about anything really.
What I really wanted and needed to focus on was forming words, but nothing was coming to mind. I stared down into her deep brown eyes that, at any other moment and on any other person, I’d compare to chocolate, but that didn’t feel good enough to describe them.
They were deep pools of rich cocoa, the finest coffee grounds known to man, only to be mixed with flecks of pure gold.
I tore my gaze from her eyes only to get stuck on the smattering of freckles that covered her nose and cheeks, her little button nose, and then my eyes inadvertently dropped to her plush pink lips.
Fuck me, am I fighting a semi right now? Over her voice and freckles?
I cleared my throat and forced my gaze back to her eyes.
“Uh, are you good?” she questioned.
“I’m sorry. What?” Had she been speaking? I hadn’t seen her lips move, and I’d been staring at them quite intently, so I would’ve noticed if they moved.
Her eyebrows pulled together. “Did you need something? Or did you just walk into my bakery for the free heat and to stare at my mouth?”
Fuck me, she was a spitfire. What was my deal with these fiery women lately?
“Um, fuck. Yeah, I’m fine—good even. Aspen sent me over.
I’m supposed to be meeting the owner? I’m a couple days late, but it’s been a rough couple of days for my family,” I said as quickly as I could.
Hopefully, she’d point me in the direction of the owner, and I could move on to try to do my job.
None of which included drooling over stunning women.
“Oh. Well, you found her.” She waved awkwardly, and I had to bite my tongue to keep my mouth from dropping open. She owned all of this? She looked like she was all of twenty. What the fuck was happening? I found myself looking around the store again and then back to the woman in front of me.
“This is all yours?” I knew as soon as the words fell from my lips, they were the wrong choice.
My tone could’ve helped me a ton here, but alas, I was an idiot.
I could tell the absolute second they landed that an inner rage grew in her chest. The name Ember didn’t fit her—not really.
There was nothing small about this woman.
She was more of a blazing inferno than a small dying out bit of fire.
“Yes, big guy, this is all mine. Did you want to buy anything? If not, the door is that way. I’ve got the rest handled.” She pointed a single, unpolished finger back towards the door, and I internally groaned. Aspen was going to kick my ass, even while she was half broken right now.
“Did you hear what I said? Aspen sent me. I’m the computer guy?”
“Oh, I heard you just fine. I’m not interested. You can go.”