Chapter One
Cara
The bell rings as another customer steps into Tall, Dark, and Coffee, adding to the growing line that nearly reaches the door. There must be something in the fall air that has everyone rushing for a warm beverage.
If only they’d bother to buy a book or two, I think bitterly.
Tall, Dark, and Coffee is my baby. My dream.
Some kids grew up wanting to be firefighters, teachers, or doctors.
But not me. Nope, I wanted to own a bookstore.
What goes hand in hand with books better than coffee?
There’s a reason most chain bookstores have that well-known coffee shop inside.
Only now it’s more like the coffee is funding my bookstore and not the other way around.
I proudly sell and advertise a wide variety of books, but my main focus is romance. Sure, there are dedicated non-fiction sections and that area of the store that houses the Nicholas Sparks books, but they pale in comparison to the romance selection.
Unfortunately, in this small town, books are not as high of a priority as coffee. This is why I wish there was some way to have people buy more books. I’m lucky if I’m able to sell three books a day, and even that is pushing it.
Order after order is made, and Jessie and I do our best to keep up with them all. We take turns working the register and making the orders, and before long, the morning bustle dies down.
The busiest time of our day happens right around eight o’clock.
We open at six for that early bird crowd, but we get flooded with high schoolers stopping in before school, the parents of younger kids getting their pick-me-up after dropping kids off, or the old men on their way out of town for work.
There’s the mid-morning rush of college students from Rosewood who usually sit at the tables with their books out as they work on assignments.
The chain coffee shop set up on the outskirts of town cut business down, but once the novelty wore off, people came back to their local shop. That’s what I love about Rose Prairie. Say what you want about small-town folks, but they are loyal.
After I graduated from Rosewood College, I spent some time in the city learning the ins and outs of managing a business.
You know, get that real-world experience.
There were many lessons I had to learn in my short time there, and picking the right location was one of them.
Honestly, it was the easiest one I learned then.
After spending six months as an intern, I came right back to the town that raised me. Got a small business loan from Mr. Moser who helped me set up my first bank account when I was fifteen. Bought the storefront that sat empty for years since the Halstons retired and never looked back.
It took some time to get things up and running though and I had my fair share of setbacks, but looking around my little corner of the world, I can say I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished.
Sunlight streams through the windows, and soft music plays through the speakers as regulars enjoy their coffee, and read their newspapers. People chat happily with one another as they wait in line. No one is in a huge rush to get a complicated order in twenty seconds so they can sprint to work.
It’s my slice of heaven.
Jessie, Eileen, and I might have gone a little overboard with the fall decorations, but it adds to the store's charm.
Auburn, gold, and orange leaf garland twined with fairy lights run down the length of the bookshelves, tiny pumpkins nestled into it.
Each small table has a centerpiece made up of a vase with chrysanthemums.
The bell on the door dings as I’m wiping down the counters after our busy morning rush.
“Cara, just the woman I was looking for.” Sammie plops her bag on the counter and leans in, her cheeks flushed from the cool air.
Long dark hair poking out from under her hat that’s the same color green as her eyes.
“Mocha?” I ask out of politeness because she hardly orders anything else.
“Yes.” She plasters a toothy grin on her face. “I need two to go. Levi needs one too.” She taps a finger on the counter. “But also, I have a favor to ask.”
Sammie worked for me for a year before she got the job of being the event coordinator. She’s been a breath of fresh air for our small town, but she’s always busy planning the next event. I swear she’s in constant motion at all times.
I roll my eyes in faux exasperation. “What do you need this time?” The loud noise of the milk frother dims her response and I have to ask her to say it again.
“A journalist is coming to town and I need you to show him around.” Sammie puts on a too-wide smile.
“Um, why?” Dread sinks into my bones at her request. I know she’s not going to ask me for something dramatic, like helping her bury a body, but I don’t want to have to tell her no.
She settles herself on the counter, her eyes tracking me as I work.
“So I was contacted by this newspaper about doing a human interest story on Rose Prairie. And, well, I’m busy with the Fall Festival.
I’ll be able to meet with him for a little bit, but I can’t be distracted.
That’s where you come in. I need a true Rosie to showcase the town. ”
“You know I’m not a ‘true Rosie’.” The air quotes I make look awkward around the stainless steel frothing pitcher and I almost drop it. Maybe she’ll back down and I’ll have avoided this whole favor issue. Fingers crossed.
She rolls her eyes, scoffing. “Shut up, yes you are. Plus, you’re a business owner with an invested interest in the town.
” Sammie inches closer over the counter as she watches me pour the steaming milk into her coffee and I can almost see her salivating.
She practically groans when I grab the whipped cream.
A Rosie is a born and bred native of Rose Prairie and seeing as I moved here as a pre-teen, a Rosie I am not.
Chocolate sauce dribbles across the whipped cream before I press down the lids.
“Why don’t you get Lori to show him around?
” My last beacon of hope rests upon the most unlikely of shoulders.
Lori Haverford knows this town inside and out.
It’s her greatest passion in life, especially since her husband passed away several years ago.
When Sammie was hired as the town’s event coordinator to Lori, Sammie was here to destroy everything.
Her face falls, her expression turning serious. “I wouldn’t do that to my worst enemy. You know Lori Haverford would probably drive the poor man out of town and then we’ll never get the publicity we need. We may be mending things, but Lori is a handful on a good day.”
Dammit, she’s right.
I add coffee sleeves to the warm cups before setting them in front of a waiting Sammie as she slides her payment to me. She bats those large green eyes, pouting out her lower lip as she begs me to say yes.
My hip cocks as I lean into the counter and sigh. I’ve run out of options. “What’s his name?”
Her eyes grow wide and she bounces on her feet. “His name is Mathew, he works at The Daily Click and he’ll be here tomorrow. I’ve carved out some time to meet with him later in the morning and into the afternoon, but other than that, he’s all yours.”
“How long?” Please say it’s for one day…
“The rest of the week. Just through Saturday.” She rushes her words like saying them faster lessens their impact.
My jaw drops audibly with a small pop. “Sammie,” I gasp.
“Just think. It’ll be great for business.
You can take him around town and show him all the charm Rose Prairie has to offer.
Oh, maybe you can get him together with all the small business owners so he can mention them in his article.
Levi even said his parents would help if they needed to.
I mean, really, there’s a lot you can do to keep him occupied.
” She tosses her bag on her shoulder and grabs the steaming coffee.
“Thank you for doing this.” The words come out jumbled as she heads to the door.
“See you tomorrow,” she calls over her shoulder, practically running away before I can make a protest.
What the hell am I supposed to do with a journalist?
Hell, there’s hardly anything in Rose Prairie to keep me occupied and I freaking live here.
All throughout the workday I think about what in the world I can show this guy. I’m sure he’ll be competent enough to explore the town on his own, so I won’t have to do much, right? Sammie’s suggestion of having him meet with the other business owners isn’t a bad idea.
Thanks to Sammie’s events, our little town is thriving.
What started out as our annual Christmas Spectacular has blossomed into carnivals, festivals, and celebrations.
It’s exciting. The college gets involved and many students volunteer which has really brought the community together.
I guess I can play my part in helping out our town.
Fishing my phone from my apron, I pull up the group thread for all the business owners in the town square. If I’m going to make this happen, I need to get the ball rolling. Just getting everyone to agree on a specific day and time is going to be a nightmare.
Now I understand why Sammie pawned this off on me.