Caleb held up his hands. “Okay, it’s your treat. Now I just have to decide what to order.” He picked up the menu and began looking it over. “I love these fancy names for the drinks. Merry Matcha. Lover’s Latte. Ever After Espresso.” He let out a chuckle. “Someone has a great imagination.”
“Well, thank you very much,” a thickly accented voice said. “I’m the owner, Vincent.” A tall, balding man in his mid-thirties stood next to their table, smiling broadly.
“I’m Caleb. Caleb Stone,” he said, introducing himself.
Vincent’s eyes lit up. “Hattie’s grandson? It’s a pleasure to meet any relation of Hattie. I’m a huge fan of hers.”
“If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that since I arrived in Moose Falls, I’d be a rich man,” Caleb said. “Is that a French accent I hear?”
“Oui,” Vincent said with an amiable smile. “I’m from a small town in the south of France. La Gaude. I came toAlaska about five years ago, and only some months ago opened up this café. My life’s dream.”
“It’s a wonderful place, Vincent,” Sophia gushed. “Wait till you try les patisseries, Caleb. The croissants are to die for.” She closed her eyes and let out a moan of appreciation.
“Merci, Sophia,” Vincent said. “I’m grateful for your patronage.”
He knew from his high school French thatpatisseriesmeant baked goods. Other than that he was lost with the language. He did believe that everything sounded better when spoken in French.
“You don’t have to tell me twice. The moment I walked in, the aroma nearly brought me to my knees.” Caleb sniffed the air. “If you could bottle this scent, people would line up to buy it.”
Vincent nodded at Caleb. “I like your style. Let me know if I can help you with the menu. Sophia here is an expert, so you’re in good hands.”
“He’s nice,” Caleb said once Vincent had walked away. “Loads of personality. And creativity. It takes a lot of courage to open a new business, especially these days.”
“He’s the best,” Sophia said. “I hope this place takes off with the locals. He’ll be crushed if it doesn’t.”
“I’ve got a good feeling about it. I’ll spread the word at Yukon Cider to my colleagues. They’ll fill this place up fast.”
“That would be wonderful,” Sophia said. “I’m going to slip Hattie his card so she can use his services for any upcoming events she might be hosting. He has a full-service catering menu.”
Caleb chuckled. “Are you sure you’re not his business partner? You’re really hustling for him.” He liked seeing Sophia stepping out and doing a good deed to help someone else. It told him a lot about the woman he was just gettingacquainted with. Vincent was a small-business owner who could use the boost to his business.
“So, what looks good to you?” Sophia asked. “I’m eyeing the gingerbread swirl latte and the chocolate croissant.”
“This is a tough choice,” Caleb said, frowning as he studied the menu. “I’m just going to bite the bullet. I could stare at this menu all day.” He stroked his jaw. “How about I try the cinnamon mocha cappuccino and the sourdough doughnut?”
She gave him an approving nod. “Great choices.” She turned to wave at the waitress, who quickly came over and took their order.
“I’ve got something for you,” Caleb said, leaning over and reaching into the bag he’d brought with him. He had wrapped the Leica in tissue paper and a soft blanket with an abundance of caution. A little research had shown him that the camera was a rare piece that sold for a great deal of money. He wanted to make sure he handed it over to Sophia in one piece.
She let out a gasp of surprise mixed with joy as he handed the camera over. “Here’s your baby. Why don’t you take the bag as well? For safekeeping.”
Sophia reached for the camera, her movements gentle as she ran her hand over the Leica. She looked through the lens as a huge smile broke out on her face. It was evident to him that she was handling the camera with love and care. She still seemed in awe that Hattie had given her such a precious gift. It was apparent that she would treat it with reverence. Hattie must have known Sophia would deeply appreciate the gift, because as much as Hattie treasured the memory of her precious husband, she had gifted Sophia with his camera. Once she’d lovingly inspected the Leica, Sophia wrapped it back up and gently placed it back in the bag.
“Thanks for reuniting me with this,” she said. “If you can’t tell, I’m over the moon about it. Some girls love Louis Vuitton purses, but I’m all about vintage cameras.”
“So, what led you into photography?” he asked. As someone who had a creative side himself, he was always fascinated with origin stories. He wanted to know everything he possibly could about Sophia. Her likes. Dislikes. What made her tick.
“It was the only thing I was ever any good at,” she said.
Caleb rolled his eyes. “That’s doubtful.”
“No, seriously, my dad was the one who stumbled upon an amazing camera, a Nikon. He owned a vintage store, and cameras were always big sellers. This particular one was a beauty.” She let out a low whistle. “I fell in love with it, and rather than selling it, my dad gifted it to me for Christmas.” Her face lit up at the memory. “If you had seen me open that box up on Christmas morning, you would have known that at that moment I was the happiest little girl in the world. Ten years old and I had my own Nikon. It still gives me goose bumps.”
Just then their order was delivered to their table. Steaming mugs of coffee were placed in front of them, filling their space with heady aromas. They both dug into their baked goods. Caleb had never had a sourdough doughnut before, but this was delicious. He was discovering that sourdough was a thing in Alaska. Sourdough bread in particular was a regular staple here.
“Mmm. Good, huh?” Sophia asked after taking a bite of her croissant.
“Delicious,” he agreed, blowing on his coffee before taking a sip. “So when do you start at Yukon Cider? I’m looking forward to being in front of the camera.”
