Off gossip.
Sure, she is.
I snort softly to myself.
Concentrate. Kombucha. Equipment. Suppliers. Contractors. Change.
Ignore the scent of heaven coming from the kitchen.
Ignore the little violin playing a sad song deep in my gut with lyrics to match, suggesting that Chandler betrayed her as much as Vince betrayed me.
“Excuse me, are you the new owner?” Isabella asks.
Can’t ignore that.
I look up and nod.
She’s maybe thirty or thirty-five, an average white lady with brown hair and eyes, in a puffy vest over a long-sleeve shirt, hiking pants, and boots.
And that nod is all the permission she needs, apparently, to crush me in a hug with my cheek smushed to her breast.
“Oh my god,thank you. I don’t know if you know how much this place means to all of us here in the Tooth, but we would’ve justdiedif it went away. This is such an institution here, and to think Chandler would’ve let the government auction it off to pay for the taxes…”
“My pleasure,” I choke out.
I should be doing my work in the kitchen, butSabrina’s there, and I thought I could be left in peace out here in the dining room.
Wrong.
Zen makes a noise somewhere behind me that says they’re completely and totally amused but trying hard to stifle a laugh.
“Do you see that view?” Isabella says, still cradling my head to her bosom with one arm while she sweeps the other out to indicate the snowcapped mountains and blue sky above us and the frozen lake in the valley below us. “This is the most coveted real estate in all of Snaggletooth Creek, and it could’ve gone to someoneawful. We’re so grateful you’ve kept the café running for us.”
For now.
Zen’s idea.
Keep the café running to profit off of it while we wait for all the pieces to fall into place for the renovations. Integrate ourselves in the community so they’ll want to support us.
Zen’s fucking brilliant.
“Isabella, not everyone likes to be touched,” Sabrina calls.
One more good deed for her today.
Isabella leaps back. “I’m just so happy, I forgot myself. But he’s cute too. Are you single, Grey?”
“He’s very single,” Zen supplies.
I glare at them while they pretend to be counting mugs on a tray behind the counter.
“But not currently interested in dating, thank you,” I say.
“Oh, I wasn’t asking for me. I was asking for everyone else in town.” Isabella winks. “You’re going to beverypopular here for saving Bean & Nugget.”
“How popular?” Zen asks.
“We don’t get a lot of single fresh blood in town. Not permanently, anyway.” Isabella looks over at them. “And who are you? I missed your name, but you’re clearly new too.”
