I start the day with a good cup of coffee and a chapter of my new book. Finally, having time to snuggle up and read, instead of rushing to the next thing. It’s a quiet morning before anyone else wakes up, so I thought.
My sister walks out onto the deck. “Good morning. You’re up early.”
“That’s what happens when you catch up on sleep and your body decides today is too exciting to sleep. What about you?”
“I host the baby shower to have a party, right?” she reiterates as she sits down next to me.
“At this point, everyone knows you love a good party.” I laugh and nudge her shoulder. “Is your sister-in-law, Kendall, coming?”
She beams. “Of course, she loves a good party too. I’ve actually been hanging out with her and her besties recently. They are my kind of people and will all be here.”
“Oh, I’m so happy for you. Do any of them have kids?” I move my body toward her and take another sip of my coffee.
“No, Kendall and Faith are recently married, no kids, but they love Giana. It’s nice to have girlfriends who get you. The moms at preschool…not exactly my people.” She rolls her eyes. There are too many stories about the snobby moms at preschool that we don’t need to head down that path.
“I’m so happy for you. I can’t wait to meet the rest of them. Now, are you ready for this party?”
My sister is the party host extraordinaire. Everything is set up in the backyard: the tent, tables, and chairs. We did the decorations last night. The final touches will be confirming the caterer's setup and adding the tablecloths with centerpieces.
She sweeps her arms to the backyard. “Yup.”
Logan strolls onto the deck, stretching his arm and holding his coffee in the other. “You two are up bright and early.”
We both shake our heads yes and sip on our coffee.
“Ava, did your sister tell you the Saxville Coffeehouse is for sale?” he asks, raising his eyebrows and smirking, then taking a sip of his coffee. It's almost like he’s waiting for my reaction or my sisters.
I whip my head toward my sister. “You didnottell me!”
“It definitely slipped my mind with being exhausted and my mind consumed with this party. With that said…is it something you’d consider? I mean, then you could be here full-time. And there’s plenty to build out a decent-sized bookstore.”
I hum, thinking about what fell into my lap. It’s been weighing on me, not being here as my niece gets older, and the new baby is almost here. Maybe it’s a sign to consider my options to stay in Saxville. “You know how to pull the puppet strings. Coffee shop and bookstore…”
“Persuasive. The owner told me that she’s had some turnover, but significantly less than the industry standard. To top it all off, the two managers have been there for over three years.”
Definitely food for thought, especially with having an established team that is working. “Why is she selling then? It sounds like a perfect setup.”
She sips her coffee and says, “They want to move down south to be with the grandkids.”
I shake my head.Doesn’t that sound familiar?“Family matters.”
My sister agrees. “Uh-huh.”
“If you need an angel investor, we have your back.” Logan stares at my sister like she is the only person in the world for him. They must have talked about it because she’s smirking back at him. “The owner will be here today, too.”
Now I’m feeling like this is an ambush. “Please tell me you didn’t invite her so I could chat with her.”
My sister jumps in. “No, no. She’s become a good friend and wanted to be here. It won’t hurt to meet and get to know her before talking business…”
I am intrigued by the possibilities.A conversation can’t hurt, right?
Guests start arriving about twenty minutes before the party begins. I’m helping show people to the backyard where we will be celebrating. The DJ is tucked away in the corner, with soft music playing. With the sun shining, I can tell it’s going to be hot, but this backyard always has a nice breeze.
The caterers are moving food to the deck, where we will have people line up and load their plates. No one leaves hungry after one of my sisters’ parties.
As more and more people arrive, the gift table is practically overflowing. I move some of the larger ones to the ground on the side of the table to make room for the rest.
Someone taps me on the shoulder and says, “Excuse me, are you Ava?”
