Shades of blue hung on the windows and in all the arton the walls—coffee cups and mugs and traveler containers. One framed picture showed animals sitting at a table, chatting and sipping coffee, the bison, antelope, and foxes all sitting and sipping together. The tables boasted cream with hardwood chairs, which brought together an inviting atmosphere with the rugged mountains where they lived.
“I want to come here every day,” she said.
Adam chuckled and took her toward the ordering counter. “We actually want our coffee to go,” he said. “Is that doable?”
“Yes, sir.” The woman there smiled at him. She had snowy white hair with a dark root shaved short on one side, where it hung long on the other. She glanced over to Joey and said, “Oh, hello, Joey.”
“Hi, Louisa.” Joey smiled at her mother’s friend. “I didn’t know you’d opened this place.”
“Turns out coffee sells better than tea,” she said. “At least in Wyoming.”
“Probably helps that the place isn’t full of cats,” Joey said, and thankfully, Louisa laughed.
“I honestly don’t know what I was thinking.” She smiled over to Adam. “What’ll you two have?”
She didn’t seem to think it was weird that Joey was there with Adam at all, but part of Joey rioted that her parents might find out about this date before she told them. Of course she’d said nothing, and she’d reasoned it away, because she wouldn’t have told them about a first date with anyone, notjust Adam.
“I want the extra-large Americano, please,” Adam said, and he turned to Joey, his eyebrows raised.
Joey glanced up to the menu, which seemed pretty standard for coffee fare. “I’ll have a mocha latte,” she said. “With a drip of mint.”
“Mint mocha latte,” Louisa repeated. “Extra-large Americano. Can I interest you guys in any pastries?” She moved down a step and indicated the case there. “We have cherry focaccia today, as well as a pistachio croissant, and it looks like we only have one of our orange scones left.”
Joey’s mouth watered, and she said, “I would love the croissant, please.”
“Nothing for me,” Adam said, already pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. He wore black slacks and a polo the color of a pale tangerine whip that Joey had once made to go with a duck breast in one of her classes. The polo had four buttons, and he had three of them done up. He wore black loafers with the pants, and he seriously could have been an alien who’d crashed here in the Teton Mountains while on the way to LA.
The thought made Joey smile as Adam paid and Louisa set about making their orders. She collected napkins while Adam went to get the raw sugar packet he wanted.
“Do you really want to go cowboy hat shopping?” he asked.
“There is nothing I want more,” Joey said, glancing over to him.
“You know her?” he asked next.
“I grew up here,” Joey said. “I left for a year to go toWyoming State, and then I went to New York City to the Culinary Institute for a year. So yes, I know her—and probably every other person in town.”
She smiled, though that wasn’t quite true. “My stepmother owns a bookshop on Main Street.” She raised her eyebrows, clearly asking him if he knew that.
Adam nodded. “Yes. I’ve been in there and bought some books for my nieces for Christmas.”
“She knows a lot of people who own shops, which is how I know them,” Joey said. “Plus, I work for Pork and Beans, and we do a lot of catering, and that puts me in contact with a lot of people as well.”
“And do you like people?” Adam asked.
“Yeah,” Joey said, genuinely. “I actually do. I know I might seem quiet, but?—”
“I wasn’t saying you were quiet,” Adam said.
Joey blinked and tried to figure out what hewassaying. Her family was so large that if she wasn’t doing the worm on stage during a country music concert, she could be considered quiet.
“You like cooking?” he asked next, and Joey nodded.
“I love cooking. I love reading. I love soaking up the sunshine. I’m basically an indoor cat.” She laughed and glanced over to him. “You seem like more the outdoor type.”
Near the end of October, he’d have spent all summer outside, and his forearms did bear a tan to indicate as much. “When I have time, I can admit I like to go for a hike,” he said. “This part of the country is so beautiful, and I wasn’t sure how long I would be here.”
“Do you know how long you’ll be here now?” Joey asked.
