Unfortunately, our insurance decided to cancel our policy. The building was old, and we weren’t bringing in enough profit to pay for it. There was no doubt in my mind that I’d have to pay the thirty thousand out of pocket. I had about sixty days to turn things around for Grounds 4 Love before it came to that, and I could only pray the wiring held up until then. In sixty days, the insurance would no longer be in effect, which meant everything would fall on my shoulders.
A tired breath escaped me as I ended the call with the claims adjuster. They’d just rejected my request for payment for new wiring a third and final time. Deciding not to let it bother me, Ispent some time in my office looking into new insurance options before the lunch rush. Though, these days, we didn’t really have a lunch rush. Thanks to the competition, we never had a rush at all.
When I first took over Grounds 4 Love a decade ago, we were easily bringing in five figures a week. Now, we were lucky if we made five hundred dollars a day. I was already paying my employees’ wages out of pocket, and now, it looked like I was going to have to start paying for repairs as well.
I couldn’t deny the fact that it wasn’t just the competition from a chain coffee shop that had slowed down business over the years. Grounds had been missing its heart since Zina died. For a while, people supported the shop in her honor. As with all things, they stopped as time went on and forgot about her. Forgot about the love she poured into this place and our community. They may have forgotten about her, but I never would.
I wasn’t supposed to be running Zina’s business; her sister was. A lot of my anger had been directed toward a woman who probably didn’t even remember I existed.
Zoe Bush.
When I first met her, my heart ached for her. I felt an instant connection with her because of our shared pain, but I knew hers ran deeper. I might have lost my best friend, but she lost her sister. I had the time to prepare for Zina’s death; Zoe didn’t.
Our trauma bond made it hard for me to trust anyone else with her pain during her short stay in Jasper Lane. I felt responsible for her. I wanted to help her heal. Focusing on her pain helped me avoid mine. Then she left, and I didn’t see her again. Not only that, but she left me the responsibility of keeping Zina’s dream alive.
As I stepped into the damn near empty dining room of Grounds 4 Love, my irritation with Zoe grew just a little more. Itwas her fault that I was dealing with this failing business while she was wherever doing God only knew what, but for Zina, I was going to give keeping Grounds open everything I had.
5
Zoe
My eyes scanned the charming little room I’d be staying in indefinitely. It certainly wasn’t the luxe living I’d gotten used to in Rose Valley Hills, but it was enchanting. With Jasper Lane being such a small town, there were no AirBnbs to rent, and the hotels weren’t really giving what I wanted them to give. The best options were the bed and breakfast and a room above what Google said was the town’s oldest and most popular diner. Since it was the summertime, the bed and breakfast was completely booked, leaving me with a room at the diner.
I was sure it would be small, old, and icky, but that wasn’t the case. The room was bright, cozy, and super clean. It even had an attached bathroom so I wouldn’t have to use the shared one in the hallway. The small-town vibes were getting to me already, relaxing me and keeping me from turning into a bored bundle of nerves since I wasn’t at the office working. I stayed in the room long enough to shower and change into shorts and a tee before walking down to Grounds, which was only a couple of businesses down.
My heart raced at the thought of being in my sister’s heart again. Admittedly, I wasn’t completely ready to deal with my feelings yet. That was why I’d opted out of staying at her apartment. My parents continued to pay the rent and had kept everything the way she left it. They’d even gone as far as hiring a cleaner to clean it once a week. The thought of being in her apartment again was too much. I was barely hanging on being in this town.
The closer I got to Grounds 4 Love, the faster my heart raced. The more my palms sweat. The heavier I felt. All the grief I’d been burying under work and Raymond’s body came rushing back into the center of my heart. My soul. After ten years, I felt like the twenty-three-year-old who randomly found out about her sister’s cancer diagnosis all over again. I felt like the little girl who’d watched her sister’s soul leave her body in a matter of seconds. Everything I’d been working so hard to ignore consumed me and stole my breath.
Leaning against the small round table outside the coffee shop, I forced myself to breathe. Losing my sister had almost, literally, killed me. The day of her funeral, I thought I would die. My heart was beating so slow and my oxygen was so low I ended up having to stay in the hospital for three days before I could even leave town. My parents were upset I didn’t tell them about the episode after I frantically drove away, but I was so upset with them, a part of me hoped I’d die and they’d find out after the fact because of the secret they kept from me.
As I struggled to breathe, my mind took me back to the day of her funeral.
To Haji grounding me and helping me.
His love.
His care.
His hurt.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I continued to breathe until my breathing lengthened and slowed down. When I was sure I was okay, I headed toward the door. The white sign on it made my eyes water. Zina had poured everything she had into this place, and knowing it wasn’t doing well was like a shot to my heart.
When I stepped inside, I couldn’t ignore how business had taken a hit. There were only three customers inside. With it nearing noon, the space should have been filled with people grabbing pastries and coffee while on their lunch break. Instead, there were no workers behind the counter, and the customers seated looked at peace, as if they had nowhere to be.
Grounds 4 Love was still decorated the same—burgundy and cream. Live plants in every corner; small shelves of games and puzzles by the pastry case; muffins and cinnamon and coffee grounds . . . the scent that used to ooze from my sister’s pores engulfed my nostrils. I thought it would break me. Instead, it felt like a hug as I walked to the counter. There was a small sign that said ring the bell when ready to order, so I did.
Turning, I looked around the space while I waited for someone to come help me.
“Welcome to Grounds 4 Love.”
It didn’t matter how much time had passed, I’dneverforget that voice. It was just as deep and raspy but stronger now. Licking the corner of my mouth, I swallowed hard and worked up the courage to face Haji. Slowly, I turned to look at him.
He looked so good my heart skipped a beat. Ten years ago, I wouldn’t dare allow myself to admit Haji was so handsome. He was a married man. Now, I could admit he was the most handsome man ever.
His face looked older but still young and immaculate. The biggest difference was that he had on glasses now, and they made him look even sexier. Haji was tall and slim yet muscular. Sleeper build. I couldn’t see all of him, but I could see that he hadmore tattoos on his arms and neck. There were also two initials on the sides of his eyes. An L and a Z. That broke me a little. Gutted me in the most beautiful and poetic way.
His square head, tapered cut, and thick beard gave him grown man, sexy vibes. His lips were the same shade as his milk chocolate brown skin. I loved the black diamonds in his ears and gold chain around his neck. What I used to love most were his dark, curved eyes. Today, they were fiery. Angry. It caught me off guard to see that anger directed toward me. A part of me didn’t even think he’d remember me. Then again, me and Zina looked so much alike, she would make my face hard to forget for anyone who knew her.
