Chapter 21
Jo sat on the front steps to her house with Blue’s proposal still ringing in her ears. She could hardly believe what had just happened.
Blue was back in her life.
Whatever she decided, she still had a debut party in less than twenty-four hours. With this new upheaval, she needed support at the event more than ever.
She called Hugo first. When he answered, he was out of breath as if he was racing somewhere on campus.
“Hey, big sister. What’s up? I only have a minute. I’m headed to my study group.”
“I know it’s last minute, and I know you’re slammed, but my coffee campaign celebration is tomorrow at the diner.
” She twisted a curl around her finger. “It’s turned into a bigger deal than I expected, and I’d love for you to be there.
I know this is a big ask with your schedule, but could you come and bring Mamie Rose? ”
There was a pause, and she could picture his face before he even said it.
“Hey, I’d like to. But I have a huge exam tomorrow afternoon that’s forty percent of my grade. If it was any other day, I’d be right there.”
“I know you would.” She kept her voice light. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I feel terrible.”
“Don’t. You need to study. That test matters more than a party at the diner.
” She stood up, pacing the length of her walkway.
“I threw this whole thing together so fast I didn’t think it would turn into what it turned into.
I just wanted my people there, that’s all. But your degree comes first. Always.”
“You’re the best sister in the world, you know that?”
“You’re smarter than I thought.” She smiled into the phone. “Go study, ace the exam, and call me afterward.”
“I will. And congratulations. I saw the numbers on your crowdfunder.”
“I think of it as our crowdfunder. Love you, little bro.” She hung up feeling proud of what he was accomplishing. And what she had, too.
She tapped another number.
Her grandmother picked up on the second ring. A television murmured behind her, and dishes clinked together.
“Why, Josephine. How are you, dear?”
“Getting a little nervous about tomorrow.” Jo pressed her palm to her chest, trying to figure out how to say everything.
“What’s troubling you, chérie?”
“Blue’s back. He turned down the job in Chicago. And proposed to me on the beach this afternoon.”
“Well, it’s about time that man came to his senses.”
“I didn’t say yes.”
“No? Why not?”
“I told him I needed to think. I need to be sure.” Jo picked at a loose thread on her striped Cuppa Jo’s blouse. “But I think I know what I’m going to say.”
Her grandmother’s voice warmed on the other end of the line. “I believe you’ve known in your heart for some time. I will always support your decision.”
“There’s more,” Jo said. “My coffee launch and tasting for the crowdfunder is tomorrow. A lot of people are coming. Half the island, it seems.”
“I’m so proud of you, darling.”
Jo thought about how happy Maileah looked with her family around her at their welcome-home party. Maybe it was a little selfish of her to expect that, but she wanted that, too.
“Hugo has a final he can’t miss,” Jo said. “Would you let me come get you? I know it’s a lot to ask on a Friday, what with the ferry and the crowds, but I’d love for you to be there.”
“Oh, chérie, I wish I could,” Rose said, her voice cracking with emotion. “But I’m not feeling quite up to it.”
Jo stopped walking and sat on the step again. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.” Her grandmother’s voice was brisk, almost amused. “It’s just my age, sweetheart. Some days I have more energy than others, and I need to pace myself. That’s all it is.”
“Are you sure? I could come earlier, and we could take it slow.”
“Trust me, I will be there in spirit. Take lots of photos, would you?”
“I will, of course.” Jo’s eyes stung a little. “Have you talked to Mom lately?”
Hesitation crept into her grandmother’s voice. “I was planning to tell you after this event. Sylvie is in a drug rehabilitation facility in Mexico. She’s not allowed calls for a while, but I check on her. I’ll keep you updated.”
Jo’s heart sank, though that was a very old wound. “Maybe she’ll find her purpose this time.”
Rose’s voice strengthened. “Never lose hope, but your mother must do the work for herself. I know you love her, and so do I, but she mustn’t drag you down. I won’t let that happen to you.”
“I’m sorry Mom has put all this on you. I know it’s hard on you.”
“Everyone chooses their path,” Rose said. “Your mother has a good heart under all the drama that surrounds her. She has her struggles. I’ve tried to help, but ultimately the decision to improve is hers. I wish it were different, but I came to that understanding years ago.”
Though she wished the same, Jo accepted what she could not change. Just as Blue had problems in his family, so did she.
“Have a wonderful time tomorrow, and if I need anything at all, I’ll call Hugo. He checks on me often.”
Jo was glad for that. “He said he has a big test tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Rose said. “Now, stop worrying about me. Get some rest, because you have a marvelous day ahead of you.”
“I love you, Mamie Rose.”
“I love you more, kitten. Go build your empire. Be the lioness I know you are.”
By six o’clock the next evening, Cuppa Jo’s was standing room only, and the event was unfolding as Jo had planned. She wore a vintage red-and-white polka-dot dress with a nipped waist and full skirt. A matching scarf held her curls. She kept one eye on the entry, watching for Blue.
The long counter had been cleared for the day, and four tasting stations stood along the length of it, each draped and marked with a small placard in Junie’s careful hand-lettering: Queen’s Blend.
Sumatran Empress. Imperial Kona Reserve.
At the end was the one recently unveiled, Imperial Cloud Forest.
Jo’s staff stood beside each one, offering tastes in small cups and sharing the story and flavor profile.
Dulcie’s cookies sat on cake stands between the stations. Adrian and two other musicians had set up in the corner. The upbeat tunes spilled out the open front door and drew people in from Orange Avenue to see what the music was about.
The crowd was a blur of familiar and new faces. Hank and Sherri had claimed their usual stools early. A cluster of women Jo didn’t recognize, looking like the wealthy summer crowd Maileah had promised would come, were photographing their tasting flights before they’d even taken a sip.
Somewhere near the door, a woman with a notepad and a photographer trailing her were probably from the local newspaper. Two other young women stood with phones angled for video. They were likely food bloggers or influencers Maileah had invited.
“How is it going, Candy?” Jo asked.
“We’re off to a good start,” she replied, arranging items displayed on the table. “The boxed gift sets are doing very well.”
Candy had the merchandise table attractively organized. She’d stacked mugs in pyramids and arranged the sturdy totes. T-shirts were folded into neat squares with Cuppa Jo’s script across the front.
“You’re doing a wonderful job,” Jo said, smiling.
Deb and April stood looking at Cuppa Jo’s branded tote bags and tumblers.
“These tote bags with a tumbler will make nice gifts,” Deb said, examining the sample. “Candy, would you put me down for six sets? One for each of my sisters-in-law, and one for my mother.”
Jo thanked Deb and April before catching up with Maileah, who moved through the crowd with her phone held up at practiced angles, narrating softly to herself as she filmed, occasionally crouching to catch a good shot of someone’s face lighting up over a cup of coffee.
Maileah broke into a smile when she saw Jo. “This video is going straight to Mahina and the other women’s cooperatives. They should see how people are enjoying their coffee thousands of miles away.”
“Thanks for doing that,” Jo said. “Let them know their names are displayed and will be on the bags, too. And thanks for your help with the turnout tonight. I’ve spoken to some you invited.”
“Not everyone is here yet,” Maileah said with a worried look. “I heard the ferry is having mechanical problems, so some people from the mainland might be late or might not make it at all.”
The ferry was the only means of public access to Crown Island. “Can they repair it soon?” Jo asked.
Maileah shrugged and shook her head. “Mechanics are working on it, but who knows?”
“Last night, I thought of driving to pick up my grandmother,” Jo said, imagining what a disaster that would have been. “I tried to get Hugo to come, too. If I’d done that, I might not have made it to my own party.”
“Good thing you didn’t,” Maileah said. “I’ll take lots of photos and videos for her. Are you going to make your welcome speech soon?”
Jo glanced around the room. “I should, but since some people are running late, I’ll wait a little longer.”
“Don’t wait too long. Folks who came early will start leaving.”
“Good point,” Jo said. “Ten minutes. I’ll check with Junie and Rocky.”
Jo glanced around, looking for Blue, but she still didn’t see him. Had yesterday been too good to be true?
She couldn’t think about that now. Spotting Junie and Rocky by the coffee tasting stations, she made her way toward them.
“How are you two?” Junie asked.
“Sufficiently caffeine-buzzed,” Rocky replied. “Awesome beans, by the way.”
Junie laughed. “Stop drinking so much. Have another cookie.”
Jo picked up a card about the Imperial Kona Reserve that Junie had printed with the coffee story. Each station had corresponding cards. “These are capturing people’s attention.”
The card Jo held told the story of the family groves of Mahina, Lani, and Noe, who’d inherited family farms and tended the trees. Other cards featured the women from Sumatra, Guatemala, and other places.
Women’s hands stretched around the world. Jo loved that.