Page 29 of A Cup of Autumn
Robin laughed. “I’d rather hang out here than go home and try to keep everything spotless in case a real estate agent has a showing.”
Raine fixed a quick coffee with cream and sugar. She handed the cup to Robin. “Have a seat. I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”
One employee fired, one hired. That helped. Now to find at least two more.
She smiled. “Welcome to Tea Leaves and Coffee Beans. What can I get you?”
Keaton Andrews stood there. His laptop bag hung off his shoulder. “Your smile’s a great start.”
Her breath caught. She must still be trying to calm down after Heather.
“Hey. I didn’t see you come in.” Raine had been focused on making sure Heather left. “Sorry for the wait.”
“Not a problem. Quite a morning you’ve had.”
“How much did you see?”
“Enough. You okay?” Keaton asked, his tone concerned.
“Yes.” But her staffing issues might be behind her. A warm, fuzzy feeling, as if she’d sipped a hot cocoa drizzled with hot fudge sauce and candy cane sprinkles, flowed through her. “An Americano this morning?”
“I want to try another pumpkin spice drink. Something different from the lattes yesterday.”
“There’s plenty to choose from on the menu.”
“Surprise me again.”
“Living dangerously?”
“It appears so.”
She ran through the pumpkin spice drinks. “I know exactly what you need.”
“And so do I.” His face reddened. “I mean what you need.”
Her heart thudded.
Whoa.
That was a strange reaction. Keaton’s words sounded a little flirty. But he wouldn’t, would he?
His smile wavered. “I want to offer my services.”
The words hung in the air between them.
Raine thought she’d heard him correctly but maybe not. “Your what?”
“My services.”
O-kay. Except it wasn’t. “You lost me. Not surprising given you’re a professor and I’m me, but what services?”
Because after yesterday, she couldn’t imagine him working for her as a barista.Strike that.She could imagine it. He couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Of that, she was one hundred percent certain.
“At dinner with my family the Boo Bash came up,” he clarified.
“You mean, the thorn in my side.”
“How would you like help pulling out that thorn?”
