Page 15 of A Cup of Autumn
Didn’t matter. Raine had put the offer out there. That was all she could do.
Time to fill the next order.She glanced at the list.
Huh?Raine peered closer. Inhaled sharply.
Not one order remained.
All caught up! Finally.
She pumped her fist.
This was cause for celebration or to escape into the office to peek inside the Halloween bin.
The bell on the front door jingled.
Or maybe not.
Raine wiped her hands and stood behind the cash register with a cheerful smile. She glanced at the person approaching the counter and did a double take.
She hadn’t expected to see Callie’s brother Keaton walking toward her with a worn-leather laptop bag, something he’d carried with him each time he came into the coffee shop.
Raine had met him last Christmas. He’d returned to Silver Falls for six weeks this summer. Callie wasn’t a fan of her brother’s smarter-than-you attitude, but Keaton tipped well, didn’t say much while he worked, and provided some nice eye candy while Raine worked.
“What are you doing in Silver Falls?” she asked.
“Visiting family.” He strode to the counter with a grace more fitting of an athlete than an academic. He was taller than his brothers and thinner. His thick plastic glasses gave him a nerdy vibe. Nerdy, but geeky cute. Probably why Callie’s nickname for him was the brainy professor.
He was the most attractive of the three Andrews brothers, but the antithesis of Raine’s usual type. She had a thing for biker bad boys. Even if her exes only dressed the part, something about that look drew her in.
Today, Keaton’s Henley and faded jeans made him look younger, more approachable than when he wore a bow tie, dress shirt, tweed pants, and suspenders. She liked the casual style on him.
As her muscles relaxed, her smile came naturally. “I didn’t think you were coming back until Christmas.”
His attention jerked to hers. He may have even shrugged. “Change of plans.”
Surprising. He seemed more like a person whose plans had plans than an impromptu type. At least based on what Callie had mentioned.
Keaton stared at the menu.
Another surprise. “You’re not ordering an Americano?”
He’d ordered those during every visit, even when Callie wanted to order Christmas cocoas for her family in December.
“Seeing what’s new,” he said.
“Fall’s here, so I added pumpkin spice drinks to the menu.”
“Guess you can’t avoid that this time of year.”
“Nope. It’s a cup of autumn. People love it.” Raine thought the flavor was overrated, but her customers drank it up, so she created more for them to order. “Anything call to your taste buds?”
“Something with pumpkin spice,” he said finally. “Surprise me.”
O-kay. That was strange, but he was the customer. She wrote his name on a cup. “Callie was in yesterday. She didn’t mention you were in town.”
“I arrived last night. I’m staying with Margot. Figured that would be better than staying with—”
“Newlyweds.”
