Page 39
"Are you free to go live on radio in an hour? The station wants to interview you about the expansion. This is huge publicity!"
"Um, yeah. Sure." I lean against the brick wall, my legs suddenly weak. "Has... has Logan heard?"
"Logan?" She sounds confused. "I'm not sure. Blake said he's been in with Big Mike all morning. I'll let him know when they're done. So, radio at eleven? I'll come by and pick you up."
"Great. Thanks."
I hang up and slide down the wall until I'm sitting on the cold concrete, my legs drawn up to my chest.
This should be the best moment of my life. The culmination of three years of hard work, of proving myself, of building something from nothing.
So why does it feel so… empty?
I check my phone again. Still nothing from Logan.
Inside, I can see Grandpa Walt, Lucy and Ethan high-fiving, their faces alight with excitement for me. For my success.
I take a deep breath and stand up, brushing off my jeans. I plaster on a smile and head back inside, where I'm immediately enveloped in a four-way hug that smells like aftershave, coffee beans and Lucy's cherry lip-gloss.
"I knew you'd do it!" Grandpa Walt crows. "My girl's going to be a coffee empire!"
Lucy's nodding along, tossing her hair over one shoulder to reveal her beaming smile. "Chapter and Grind just leveled up, baby! Should we just call Forbes feature editor right now?"
I laugh, but still… it feels empty.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
"Are you kidding? This is just the beginning!" Lucy spins me around.
I gently disentangle myself. "I've got to go on the radio in an hour. Do you guys mind watching the shop?"
"Of course not! Go get ready!" Grandpa shoos me toward the back. "This is your moment, Emma-bean. Take your time and enjoy it!"
I nod, but as I walk to the back room, a weight settles in my chest that makes it hard to breathe.
I stare at myself in the small bathroom mirror. The woman looking back at me should be glowing with triumph. Instead, her eyes are shadowed, her smile forced.
I check my phone again.
Come on, Logan.
Still nothing.
Back in the café, I watch Grandpa Walt cheerfully explaining to a customer why today's a special day. His pride is palpable, his excitement infectious.
But I can't join in. Not yet. Not until I know.
Without thinking, I walk back out to the front and flip the sign on the door to " Closed ," even though it's barely ten in the morning.
"Emma?" Ethan calls out from behind the coffee machine. "What are you doing?"
Lucy chimes in. "We can watch the shop while you're gone."
"I just... I need a minute. Alone, maybe?"
Ethan freezes and Lucy just raises both hands in surrender, like a wave of understanding just crashed over them. Grandpa Walt walks over, wraps me in one of his signature hugs before releasing me and moves towards the door.
They file out with minimal fuss, and the moment I'm alone, I sink into the window seat, the one Lucy usually claims, and stare out at Iron Ridge.
The town is waking up slowly, moving around as people rush to work, tourists snap photos of the mountains… life continuing in every corner of the world as if everything is normal.
As if my world isn't possibly cracking apart while no one's looking.
I remember the day I opened Chapter & Grind. How terrified I was. How my mother said it would never last six months. How the bank almost didn't approve my loan because "small businesses don't survive in towns like this."
Yet here I am.
Not just surviving, but thriving. Expanding.
My dream is coming true before my eyes.
So why does it feel like I'm losing everything?
After a long moment to myself, movement across the street catches my eye. Clara stands outside Summit Café, a suitcase in one hand, keys in the other. She looks small against the "SOLD" sign in the window, her face a mixture of sadness and excitement.
Our eyes meet across the street, and she gives me a little wave.
Before I can think, I'm outside, crossing to her.
"Clara," I call, my voice catching. "You're leaving?! Today?"
She nods, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You know what they say… London waits for no one."
"I..." I gesture helplessly at Summit Café. "I still can't believe you're really going."
"All good things evolve, Emma." Her smile is warm. "Speaking of which, I hear congratulations are in order. You won the arena space. Well done."
I nod, trying to summon some enthusiasm. "Yeah. It's... it's incredible."
Clara studies me, head tilted. "You don't look like someone who just achieved her dream."
"I did. I mean, I am. It's just..."
"Ah." Understanding dawns in her eyes. "This is about the handsome hockey player."
A laugh bubbles up, surprising me. "God. Have I become that obvious?"
"Only to someone who's been exactly where you are." She sets down her suitcase and takes my hands in hers. "Listen to me, Emma. You've got it all. The space. The business. The love. Don't let fear convince you it's not real."
Tears spring to my eyes. "What if he leaves? What if they trade him?"
"Then you'll figure it out," she says simply. "You think passion like that comes along twice? Fight for it. Why do you think I'm jumping across the pond, huh?"
"You make it sound so easy."
"Oh, it's not." She laughs, squeezing my hands. "It's terrifying. But staying safe? Never risking your heart? That's the real tragedy."
I swallow hard, nodding.
"Now," she says, releasing my hands and picking up her suitcase. "I have a plane to catch. And you have some prime business real estate to expand into."
"Clara," I call as she starts to walk away. "I'm going to miss you. Iron Ridge will miss you."
She turns back, her smile bright.
"London's lucky to have me. But Iron Ridge? It's got you." She winks. "And that's more than enough."
I watch her walk away, her words settling around me like the first sip of a perfect latte she served me all those years ago. Warm, comforting, and exactly what I needed to push on.
Table of Contents
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- Page 39 (Reading here)
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