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I gave his hand a squeeze. “I can’t, but a man like yourself won’t stay single for long.”

“Do you really think so?”

I smiled at him. “Come on. A man with hands as soft as yours? Women will be all over you, Lewis. Not to mention the biscuits you offer and the cute dog you have. Or the crystal balls in your pants,” I added with a wink.

He laughed. “Thanks, Olive.”

“What for?”

He closed his fingers around mine. “For knowing exactly what to say to make me feel better. I realize we’ve only just met, but somehow it doesn’t feel like it. You’re making this whole move across the pond a lot easier for me.”

His sweet words made a broken nose, a nonexistent love life, and a totaled car seem insignificant all of a sudden. Lewis might’ve caught the eye of every woman in town, but I was the one who made him laugh, and that was an awesome feeling.

Chapter Ten

Olive

After a tantalizing dream involving Lewis, I woke up to the scent of roasted coffee beans. For a moment, I thought someone was making me a fresh cup, but then I remembered I lived alone. Unless one of the bugs living in my outside trash can was brewing the dark liquid, there was no one around to serve me coffee in bed.

When I stepped into the kitchen and cracked the window open, the scent seemed to grow stronger. Someone in town must be brewing a giant pot of coffee for their Saturday morning breakfast.

I scooped some of my own coffee into the machine and turned it on before heading to the bathroom to shower and assess the damage to my nose.

The swelling seemed to have stayed the same, but purple bruises had popped up around my nose. I looked horrible like I’d been in a massive monster fight. Of course, the makeup from the day before only made my appearance worse. Black mascara smudges reached all the way to my cheeks, and the gold glittery eye shadow had crept up to my hairline. Dear mother of dog collars, my eyes hurt just looking at myself. I silently prayed the transformation had happened overnight, not while Lewis was giving me a ride home.

The corners of my mouth lifted up at the thought of him. After our impromptu palm reading, we’d chatted for a bit longer in the car until he drove off to check on Archie. Inviting him in would’ve been the friendly thing to do, but there was no way I was going to let him see the sorry state of my living quarters. I deemed it best he stays oblivious to the fact I lived in a shoebox.

After a hot shower and a cup of coffee, I felt human again. I grabbed my phone and scrolled through messages from my mother asking me if I was doing okay. It was sweet of her to check on the state of my swollen nose, even though sending fifteen messages about it seemed a bit over the top. I told her I was doing fine, threw my stuff into my bag, and headed out. I had promised the Spaldings, who lived down the street from me, I would take their dark-haired dog Ginger for a walk. The bearded collie had lots of energy and needed daily walks, but the Spaldings manned a food stand they took to neighboring towns on the weekends. When I didn’t have a Saturday shift at Sip’nBean, I took Ginger to the dog park.

At ten on the dot, the Spaldings stopped their food truck in front of my apartment building.

“Thanks so much for this, Olive. It’s good to know we can always count on you,” Mrs. Spalding said as she handed me her dog’s leash. “The key to let Ginger back into our house is under the same terracotta pot as last time.”

“Got it,” I said.

Mrs. Spalding gave Ginger one last hug before hopping back into the vehicle. They whizzed away, and it was just the dog and me.

“What do you say, Ginger? Good day to hit the dog park?”

The bearded collie barked in response, and we went on our merry way. I was silently hoping Lewis would be at the dog park too. He’d told me he usually took Archie for long morning walks over the weekend, so maybe I could not-so-accidentally run into him.

As we made our way to the town center, dark smoke clouds circled overhead. The scent of burnt coffee beans grew stronger, almost unbearable even. The streets were bustling with people, all of them chattering in excited tones.

An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. This wasn’t what a typical Saturday morning in Old Pine Cove looked like. Something must’ve happened. Something out of the ordinary. Maybe even… something bad.

I settled into a light jog. Ginger eagerly followed my example. We made it to Main Street where police cars and fire trucks blocked the road.

I pushed through the crowd and gasped at the sight in front of me. The façade of Sip’nBean was as black as coffee. At least, what remained of it was.

“What happened here?” I asked someone at the front of the crowd.

“The coffee shop burned down last night. There’s talk of the place being completely ruined, and by the look of it, those rumors are true.”

I tugged on Ginger’s collar, and we crossed the street to the town square. I scanned the groups of people huddled together until I saw Juliet. With quick steps, I made it over to her.

“Oh, Olive,” she said, sobbing. She pulled me into a hug. “The place is completely ruined. We’re out of a job!”

The blood left my face, and I had to steady myself to prevent my knees from giving out. Juliet was right. Without a place to serve coffee, there was no need for a barista. I had become redundant overnight.