Page 13 of A Cup of Autumn
Stifling another yawn, Raine added three dots of milk foam to the mocha.
She had three theories to explain the additional traffic at Tea Leaves and Coffee Beans.
Raine squeezed a bottle of chocolate sauce to make circles around each of the foam dots.
The rumor mill was at the top on her list. If town folks heard she was in trouble, they would send business her way. A sweet thought, but the extra traffic was causing her more work with no time for breaks when she was the only one behind the counter.
She used the end of a thermometer to make a circle that cut through each of the foam dots. That left three hearts floating on the top of the mocha.
The second theory involved guilt. Not hers but members of the First Avenue Business Association. If they realized she shouldn’t have been forced to coordinate the Boo Bash, they might bring in more business for her to make up for their mistake. Again, a nice gesture, but it only made working on the upcoming event impossible. Two and a half weeks had passed since Margot dropped off the Boo Bash box, and Raine hadn’t had time to open it.
She carefully lifted the drink.
The design wasn’t as fancy as others she’d created, but Raine did what she could on her own. Heather had called out yet again. She’d been there for two of seven shifts. Not exactly progress, but Raine hadn’t found anyone to hire yet.
Her third theory relied on bad timing, as in the adage “when it rains it pours.” Now that fall had arrived, a warm drink appealed to more people.
A fourth option might exist, but she didn’t believe in curses. Though if one more interview fell through, she would reconsider their existence.
She placed the cup on the counter. “Taryn.”
The next order—a vanilla steamer—wouldn’t take long.
Taryn came to the counter in her bakery whites. A net covered her hair. Only her white cap was missing from what the baker wore each day at Lawson’s Bakery. Her sparkling diamond engagement ring, the envy of most women and a few men in town, wasn’t on her ring finger either. A simple gold wedding band graced her left hand today.
Since eloping with Garrett Andrews, Taryn’s face glowed radiantly. But as she peered at her drink, her smile widened. “You made me hearts. Thank you.”
“You’re a newlywed.”
Taryn shimmied her shoulders. “I love being married. Of course, I love my husband too.”
A part of Raine envied Taryn and Callie for marrying their Mr. Rights. Both friends deserved happy endings, but Raine had been the one in a committed long-term relationship with Emmett Wilson until January and now… “He loves you so much.”
Garrett—the definition of tall, dark, and handsome—wasn’t the most attractive of the three Andrews brothers in Raine’s opinion. But each man had been blessed with looks, intelligence, and a protective streak for Callie, their younger sister.
Garrett was intense with a capital I. His pointed gaze had once sent a shiver down Raine’s spine. That intensity most likely made him a successful defense attorney.
On the flipside, he doted on Taryn and Callie. He’d shown such concern when Brecken, the bakery’s then-youngest employee, disappeared in July, and asked his two brothers to find the teen so he could stay with Taryn, which they all, Raine included, appreciated.
She wasn’t looking for someone like Garrett. Or Callie’s Brandt for that matter.
What did a barista have in common with men whose jobs required college degrees and super-duper brain power?
Not much when picking what TV show to binge or what to fix for dinner required too much thinking for her.
Someday, Raine hoped to find a guy who not only loved her but also wanted the same things out of life that she did in the same place as her. If he had a couple tattoos and piercings like Emmett, even better. She’d never colored inside the lines. Why start now?
“Any luck hiring a new barista?” Taryn asked.
The question jolted Raine. “I’ve set up eight interviews. All the applicants ghosted me. I don’t get it.”
“I’m sorry. I hope you find the right employees soon. You can’t keep up this pace.”
Last night, Raine had fallen asleep on the couch. Thank goodness she’d set her alarm ahead of time, or she might have arrived late this morning. “I don’t have a choice.”
“I understand.” Taryn’s chin lifted. “When I lost half my staff to the bakery in Summit Ridge, I don’t know what I would have done if Jayden, Carl, and Brecken had left too.”
“Their loyalty paid off. Now, Brecken’s sister works for you.”
