Georgia fought a grin. Everyone knew that although Dakota was like their dad in nearly every way, he was a giant mama’s boy. A fact they all loved to tease him about, and one that drove his sisters a little crazy.
“I have it on good authority, young lady, ” she said, pinching Caroline’s arm gently, “That almond scones are on the menu for Monday morning.”
Georgia’s mom winked slyly at her, and Georgia made a mental note to add almond scone ingredients to her shopping list for the weekend. “Okay, well,thisbaby has to open up the shop. Are y'all staying or what? I don’t know if Ginny will ever make it down today.”
She wiggled through them all to pick up a scone from the small plate set aside for the family and took a hasty, flavor-filled bite. Her mom placed an already prepared cup of tea in her hands, a shorthand they’d developed over the years working together, and she took a quick sip to wash it down. “Thanks, Mama. These are perfect.”
“You’re welcome.” Then pointing to Dakota and Caroline, “These two are on the clock all day for you. I gave the other employees the day off to be with their families for the holiday. And I told Ginny if she was gonna spend the night here, she’d have to get up and work. I’ll get her down here right away.”
Caroline and Dakota flashed cheesy smiles at Georgia, with promises of sibling tomfoolery in her future, and the mutual understanding that they wouldn’t see their youngest sister—the truebabyof the family—downstairs until at least noon.
The Colonel threw a red and a navy Good Start t-shirt at Caroline and Dakota both in quick succession, hitting them square in their faces. “Alright, y’all, you heard your mama. Help Georgia and be real good today. She’s the boss. It’s always a hectic day, but she can handle it. You all can. Mama and I will stick around to help take orders and greet customers, too.”
Georgia bit a laugh down at the look on her siblings faces and squirmed slightly under her father’s praise, crisscrossing her feet back and forth. Taking another unladylike bite of her scone, she shoved the bigger half, and much more than she could adequately chew, into her mouth… just as the Colonel asked her to lead the family in prayer before their day truly began.
CAROL OF THE BELLS
PENTATONIX
NOW
“Man, I love Christmas music!”Caroline chirped as she sang along to the Jackson Five and danced behind the coffee bar. They’d all been trained early on as teens—steeping tea for the perfect amount of time, perfecting pour-overs, and practicing latte art on slow days during shifts after school. Working in Good Start was second nature to the Remillard siblings and a place where they all genuinely enjoyed being together. It was as much a home to them as the places they’d lived around the country together.
Just as the song reached crescendo—and coincidentally as Caroline’s impromptu sing-a-long grew louder—Dakota flipped the switch to the coffee bean grinder. Every eye in the room turned, momentarily shocked at the noise, then returned to their respective conversations. Caroline butt-bumped Dakota away from the machine and turned it off, “You’re a real Grinch, sweet baby boy.”
“It just feels a little too early in the season to be blaring this stuff so loud. Can’t we wait until it’s actually December?”
The girls gasped in identical horror. Caroline made as if clutching a strand of pearls, while Georgia threw a hand across her forehead and looked for a non-existent fainting couch like any proper Southern belle would. “Yousleighme!”
“Ohdeeeer!” Caroline cried, drawing attention from customers again. She topped off a latte she’d been working on with a Christmas tree in the foam and handed it over to the giggling teenager waiting, giving her a wink. “Everyone knows Christmas officially begins the day after Thanksgiving. This issnowlaughing matter.”
“I’msnowover it.” Dakota winced, pretending to gag on the pun as it left his mouth.
The girls returned to their work and sang along in unison to the song playing over the loudspeaker, much to Dakota’s annoyance.
It had been, as expected, a hectic morning of customers but not an unpleasant one. They’d long since run out of cinnamon scones and had begun to offer up the muffins their mother had baked after the morning rush. Following a short lag around lunchtime, they’d had another influx of shoppers looking for a much-needed caffeine fix as a break for their weary Black Friday souls.
“Caroline, you should go on break before we get another rush,” Georgia offered as she cleaned the counter and began refilling supplies. Caroline removed her apron and jetted from around the corner of the coffee bar as if she’d been waiting for the opportunity all day.
“Oh, thank you, sweet baby Jesus.” She raised her hands in the air like she was worshiping on a Sunday morning in church. “If I don’t get some of Duke’s BBQ in me stat, I may not have the energy to carry on my important work here.”
“Enchanting me and all the customers with your… ahem… high ranging pitch?” Dakota asked dryly.
“Mmmm. Yes, baby boy. That’s the job. Somebody’s gotta do it. And would you believe, I’mElftaught?”
He shoved her playfully, laughing and scanning the room for customers. “Get outta here. And don’t come back without brisket for us.”
“Oh, and mac and cheese. Pleaseeeee!” Georgia begged.
“You got it! I’ll be back in a jiff.”
Just as Caroline pushed through the door, she ran into an entering customer. “Oh, excuse me,” she chirped, nudging her way just past him.
If Georgia hadn’t seen the admiring once-over her sister gave the man, she may not have noticed who it was at first glance. He had a tall and fit frame, perfectly disheveled brown hair, faded jeans, and a t-shirt that fit oh-so-snug around admittedly great biceps.
Georgia caught a glimpse of her sister dramatically fanning her face behind his back and mouthingwow, less than subtly, just as her own gaze drifted to his face, and Georgia met the eyes of Lakeland Lovett. A smirk lifted the right side of his perfect mouth, and an annoying dimple, that Georgia wanted to poke her finger into, promptly appeared.
“Peaches.” Lake’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as he recognized Georgia and swaggered over to her.
