Cassie’s eyes widened, and the swing came to an abrupt halt as she planted her feet on the ground. “Really?”
“Yep.”
“Liza, that’s amazing!” Cassie squealed.
“What’s amazing?” Frank pushed through the screen door, followed by Beverly. He set a tray of coffee mugs on the small wicker table, steam curling from their rims.
Beverly placed a plate of tea sandwiches beside the tray before settling in one of the rocking chairs with a worn copy ofNorthanger Abbey.
“Grant Parker is going to build us a website for the café,” Cassie announced. “Isn’t that fantastic?”
“Oh, how exciting!” Beverly beamed, removing a delicately embroidered bookmark.
“A website?” Frank grunted, handing Cassie one of the stoneware mugs. “What do you need one of those for?”
Cassie smiled as she eagerly accepted the cup of coffee, drawing it close to her face to inhale the aroma. “For exposure, mostly. Plus, websites can offer a lot of nice features. Like making it easier for people to place custom orders for weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries. What if you wanted to request a heart-shaped cookie with Beverly’s name on it? With a website, you could do it in two clicks.”
Frank flushed as he handed the second mug to Eliza. “Or I could pick up the phone and call you.”
Eliza giggled. “Give up, Cass. Frank isn’t your target market.”
“I think you’re right,” Cassie chuckled, bringing the rim to her lips. “What are we tasting today?”
“This is the new blend we roasted yesterday.”
Cassie’s eyes brightened. “The blend of Central American coffees?”
Frank nodded, passing a delicate floral teacup to Beverly. Eliza didn’t miss the small smile on Frank’s lips as their fingers grazed.
“Oh, my goodness,” Cassie gushed after swallowing her first sip. “Frank, you’re a genius. You’ve really brought out the rich cocoa undertones. It’ll go beautifully in Eliza’s coffee-infused recipes.”
“Careful, Cassie,” Beverly chided with a teasing lilt. “He already has a big head. Don’t go giving him too much praise.”
Frank turned to Beverly with an affectionate gaze. “How can I have a big head when you won’t touch a drop of my coffee?” Glancing at Cassie and Eliza, he added, “But she’ll drink her weight in fancy teas. You’d think a head librarian would’ve heard of a little something called the Boston Tea Party.”
Beverly tipped her head back, her twinkling laugh lighting her pale-blue eyes. “My, you’re ornery today.”
“When isn’t he?” Cassie smirked.
“I’ll keep that comment in mind when you ask for seconds,” Frank grumbled playfully, easing himself into the other rocking chair.
“Eliza, how’s Ben doing in school?” Beverly asked, switching topics. “Your mother mentioned he’s been having some trouble lately.”
“He has,” Eliza sighed. “Which is strange, because he does so well when we’re studying at home. But Daphne says when she calls on him in class, he just stares blankly at the board and refuses to answer. It’s not like Ben to be stubborn or uncooperative.”
“Hmm… that is curious. I checked out some books for him at the library that might help. Let me go get them for you.” Beverly rose and set the teacup back on the tray.
“I’ll come with you,” Cassie offered, popping up from the porch swing. “I’m ready for my refill and I don’t dare askyou know who.”
Eliza suppressed another giggle as Frank dragged himself out of the rocking chair, his steel-gray eyes twinkling. “Sit down. I’ll get it. The last thing I need is you rummaging around the house without supervision.”
“Yes, because who knows what I’d find,” Cassie teased. “Another best-selling book you wrote and didn’t tell me about?”
Frank’s robust laughter followed him and Beverly through the screen door.
Eliza waited until it swung shut behind them before asking, “Howisthe book coming along?”
“Really well, actually. Frank can be stubborn, but we make a pretty good team.”
