“Love you too, dear.”
When the call ended, Lila set her phone down. Ulysses jumped into the chair opposite hers and meowed expectantly.
“Oh, quiet, you,” she said, pointing her spoon at him.
Lila brushed a strand of hair from her eyes, finished her cereal, and went to get ready.
In the bathroom mirror, she paused. Hazel eyes stared back at her. Steady, practical, maybe a little too much like her mother’s. What would blue eyes look like? Or blonde hair instead of light honey brown? The thought made her smile, but she shook it off and turned to more pressing matters. Eyeliner, ponytail, and a spritz of perfume to sayI’m awakeeven if she wasn’t.
She loved working at the Van Cleet Hotel’s restaurant, but today’s shift at Pleasant Beans felt like an adventure. Someday, she’d have her own coffee shop, or at least a kiosk in front of Stone’s Emporium, or maybe near the drive-in. She wasn’t sure where yet, but she’d been saving for years. All she needed now was the courage to talk her parents into letting her chase it.
Her family had run the Van Cleet Hotel for generations, their roots deep in Clear Creek’s history. But Lila wanted something different. She’d decided back in college, business degree in hand, that her future didn’t have to mean refilling sugar bowls in the same dining room her great-grandparents once did.
She slipped into jeans, a white T-shirt, and her favorite tennis shoes, adding a simple necklace for polish. If she was going to work a few hours at Pleasant Beans, the apron would hide half her effort anyway. Still, she wanted to make a good impression, especially on the “new recruits,” whoever they were.
She hoped they knew how to handle a coffee shop. Babysitting greenhorns wasn’t on her morning wish list.
Outside, the morning sun was warm and golden. Lila slid into her little Toyota Corolla and drove through town with a smile. It was Saturday. People were shopping, sweeping porches, calling greetings across Main Street. Kids pedaled past on bikes with baskets full of snacks from the general store.
She had to admit, if she ever moved, she’d miss this place. Clear Creek wasn’t just home; it was history, heart, and a never-ending tangle of relatives.
When she reached Pleasant Beans, she parked and headed inside. The little bell above the door jingled cheerfully.
The coffee shop bustled with customers. For a second, she wondered if their “meeting” was about to turn into an impromptu shift, and honestly, she wouldn’t mind. It was all good practice for when she opened her own place someday.
Tilly stood behind the counter, taking an order. She looked up and her face broke into a grin. “Good morning! Welcome to Pleasant Beans! So glad to see you… oh, it’syou, Lila! Cousin!”
Lila laughed, rounded the counter, and gave her a quick hug. “This is going to be fun. I can’t wait.”
She glanced around the shop. Two middle-aged men sat at one table, chatting. Nearby, a young mother wrangled several children over muffins. A few couples lingered by the windows, tourists from the look of them. And at the far end, beneath the portrait of Pleasant Comfort, the shop’s namesake, stood a cluster of elderly men and women, murmuring among themselves as they stared up at the painting.
“So, Tilly,” Lila said, leaning toward her. “Where are your babysitters?”
Tilly grinned. “Over there.”
Lila followed her nod… and blinked. “The couple at the table with the woman in the purple windbreaker?”
“No,” Tilly said, chuckling. “The group looking at Pleasant’s portrait.”
Lila’s jaw dropped. “What? They’reso old! What are you thinking? And there’s so many of them!” She stepped around Tilly to get a better look. Even from behind, she could tell they were all well into their eighties. White hair, silver streaks, and a balding head catching the morning light.
“Oh, don’t you worry,” Tilly said cheerfully. “They ran the Clear Creek Inn back in the day. How hard can a coffee shop be?”
Lila wasn’t sure, but she had a feeling she was about to find out.
“Cousin, are you out of your mind?” Lila whispered.
“It’ll be fine!” Tilly insisted. “They ran the Clear Creek Inn for almost a year. They’re the ones who refurbished it!”
Lila blinked. She knew the inn had fallen into disrepair years ago and had been sold off cheap. A group of people bought it, fixed it up, and then sold it to Talia and Grayson Brody.
“Well, I guess,” Lila said slowly. “But I don’t want to have to be teaching them anything. Are you sure they know what they’re doing?”
Tilly rolled her eyes. “Oh ye of little faith. It’ll be fine, you’ll see.”
Lila wasn’t convinced. “Are we even going to have our meeting? You look kind of busy.”
“We’ll have it,” Tilly said quickly. “Don’t worry, Jack’s got the orders under control.”
