by Ashlee Price
“I just don’t know, Scott. I don’t know anything about that sort of business.”
“I do, though, Jesse, and that’s all that’s needed. Just give it a chance and check it out. Everything is already put together and running. They are already making the coffee.”
I was tempted to tell him that I wasn’t interested. I didn’t want to see it, because I knew that it wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to keep the bistro going, but Scott was right about it being too much. I’d just found out that we were about to increase our family size by one, and I knew that meant that I was going to be even more tired than I already was. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do everything anymore.
“I’ll give it a chance. I know that if you think it’s a good investment, then it is. I just don’t know much about this sort of business. All I know is restaurants. I can’t imagine closing down the bistro. I don’t know what I’ll do with myself.”
“We have to move out of there and back to my place. Glenn is getting bigger, and we need more space for him. He’s going to be ready for his own room soon, and this is a good way to keep it going without having to wake up at five every morning to go make coffee for half of New York.”
Scott always made me smile. It sometimes felt like that was exactly what we did every day at work. I tried to think about how it would be to not go there and do that, but I couldn’t for the life of me imagine it. There was something about it all that didn’t seem right. I was going because he wanted me to, but my heart wasn’t in it, and it was going to take a lot for me to change my mind.
“I just… I don’t know. I would miss everyone, all of the customers who’ve stuck by me all these years. What would I say to all of them?”
“I thought about that a lot, and I think that we could maybe do like just a morning a week or something. It wouldn’t be for more than one or two days, but it would keep it going like you and your dad intended. The other bistro is running itself now. Melissa has everything taken care of over there.”
It must have been all of the emotions that I was feeling that made me so sad suddenly. Once again I was feeling like everything was about to change. I didn’t know if it was going to be for the best or the worst, but I was going to miss the way it was right now.
Shaking my head and rubbing my eyes so that Scott wouldn’t see me, I told myself that I was going to give it a chance. I’d told him I would, and as we finally got off the interstate, I was hoping that it wouldn’t be that much longer until I got to see the place that all of the fuss was about. “Well, I’ll see the place first before we make any life-altering decisions, okay?”
Scott just smiled again and looked towards the road with confidence. He was sure that I was going to agree, so that made me think that there was something to his plan. I had to distance myself from the idea that it was his father’s plan, of course. I didn’t like the thought of that, but now it was Scott’s idea as well. He had added to the original concept.
When the car started to slow down to turn off, my heart was pounding in my chest. I wasn’t sure why, but I was suddenly anxious. I could see a large building up ahead, and I had a feeling that that was the place. There was a covering on the sign so I couldn’t be sure until I asked Scott and he let me know that I was right.
“There she is. It was an old soup factory, if you can believe it, so a lot of it was already there. I know that it’s not ideal as far as location, but the local economy is going to love the big surge of jobs that we’re bringing in. It’s going to be a lot bigger when the extra construction is done, but for now you can at least get an idea of what it will look like.”
I was looking at the old brick and all of the cars in front of the place. It looked like it was running, and I could smell coffee being roasted. It was my father’s coffee, and I couldn’t help but think that I wouldn’t mind living somewhere close, somewhere I could smell that every time I went outside. I don’t think I could ever get sick of the smell.
“What do you think so far?”
“I think it’s big already, Scott. I didn’t think it would be so big. I mean, we haven’t made a decision on this, have we?” I had a feeling that I was the only one who wasn’t on board with all of it.
“We’re here for you to make a decision. I just wanted to make sure that you got a full picture of what it was going to look like when it’s up and running.”
“Who are all of these people?” I was looking at all of the cars in the full parking lot.
“These are locals who were looking for jobs. I told them that it was going to be as a temporary placement unless we decide to really kick it up. In that case, they are all your employees.”
I liked the scale of the place. It felt huge, and I could see how it could benefit many. It definitely had me thinking, if nothing else. Could this be the answer? So that I could be a good mom and still keep my father’s legacy alive?
“I just don’t know, Scott.”
“Come on, love. I have more to show you inside.”
***
While I’d thought that I wouldn’t be impressed, I most definitely was. It was clear that Scott had taken big steps to make everything perfect, and in most ways he had succeeded. It felt like the bistro, and the smell was the same. The employees were all very nice and everything was clean. It was just the way I would have wanted it if I was the one who’d set it up. It was perfect, but I still hadn’t made a decision, and I didn’t want to give Scott any false hope.
“So?”
I shrugged, and he smiled. “I have one last thing to show you. It’s kind of a surprise, and I think now is a good time for you to see it. I know how important it is for you to keep your father’s memory alive, and I think I’ve found the perfect way to do just that. Come with me.”
His excitement was palpable. I wasn’t sure what it was about, but I was sure that I was going to like it. How could I not, if he was so stoked just to show it to me? It had to be something good, and I was excited too by the time we walked to a part of the factory that I hadn’t seen yet. It was clear by what was around that it was the finished product side. He took me to one of the many boxes that were stacked full of what I assumed was coffee.
Taking a nearby box cutter, he opened one of the boxes on one of the many cases, took out one of the individual bags of coffee, and handed it to me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, but my eyes were welling up nonetheless. Even though my brain was being slow, it didn’t change what I was seeing. There was a picture of me and my father on the front of the package, along with the name of the bistro.
The picture was of when I was younger and we’d just opened the place and my father was still healthy. It made me realize how much I missed him. Though the picture was altered and the color was off, because it was actually drawn in the foam in a cup of coffee, I couldn’t help but be touched beyond words. Scott had been confident because he knew that I would have to say yes to this. How could I not, when my father’s picture would be in every house that bought it? What better way to keep his memory alive?
“I love it, Scott. I mean, this is perfect. I knew that it was going to be perfect, but this is too much.”
“I didn’t want to show you until you’d seen the rest, Jesse. Do you promise you like it?”
I nodded my head with tears running down my cheeks that I didn’t even bother to wipe away. It was perfect, really.
“I love it, and I love you for thinking of it. Scott, you’re the best husband that a woman could ask for.”
He just grinned back at me and then pulled me in for a quick kiss that made it even harder for my brain to work. He really was overwhelming in everything that he did.
“Your father was right. This is the perfect solution, and I want you to thank him next time you see him.”
“He’s coming over this weekend. I invited your mother and mine as well. So you can tell them about your announcement.”
“What announcement?”
Scott just kind of looked at me like I was bein
g silly. I didn’t know what he was talking about. I’d just found out I was pregnant, so he couldn’t know that. Yet that was the only thing that came to mind.
“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
He never seemed to stop amazing me.
“How did you know?”
Scott’s smile got bigger and his blue eyes twinkled with the idea of it. “I wasn’t sure, but there are small changes. I was hoping that it would be that, and then I saw you getting teary-eyed earlier and I was pretty sure then. This is good news. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I just took the test today, so I haven’t known that long. I wanted to do this first. Scott, how do you know all of this? It’s like you know my body better than I do.”
“I’m your husband, Jesse. It’s my job.”
I couldn’t help but pull him in for a lingering kiss. He really was just that perfect.
~The End~
Fully & Completely
A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance
By: Ashlee Price
Fully & Completely Book 1: Her Sanctuary
By: Ashlee Price
Prologue
Mia loves her job as a zoologist for a small animal sanctuary in the outskirts of Chicago. She went to school to learn as much as she could about animals, and now she is in a position to observe some of the rarest species on the planet. It’s a dream come true and everything is perfect.
But then Mia finds out that the sanctuary is in trouble, and she starts to think about what would happen if it closes down for good. Mia is determined to set things right, and she knows that she’s going to have to do something.
After much thought, Mia sets out with a plan to get the sanctuary back on track, one way or another. Though she is nervous about her plan, Mia is determined to go on for the sake of the animals.
What she never expected was to find a gorgeous man in front of her. Before she knows it, Mia has forgotten everything except the baby blue eyes looking back at her.
Chapter 1 – Mia Lowell
It started as a beautiful day. I was in a great mood as I made my way from the lemurs to Rocy. She was strolling around her enclosure because she knew that I was coming to give her a treat. I stopped at the door and looked around. I wasn’t supposed to open the doors while anyone else was in there. It was only because I had proven to my bosses that I could take care of myself around the more dangerous animals that I was able to go inside.
“Good morning, Rocy.”
I patted her head after the door was closed and locked. She was waiting for her treat of little strips of steak that I had marinated the day before. Rocy was one of only about 40 leopards of her kind left in the world, and while that made her even more special, it wasn’t how rare she was, or even how beautiful her spots were, that made me love her. It was the animal’s sweet demeanor that I liked the most. After a couple of weeks I had realized that she wanted touch, and not long after that, I started to go in there with her. The result had been a bond that I couldn’t have asked for.
“Are you happy that your mate will be here soon? Only a couple more weeks and maybe we will have another one of you to add to the list.”
The cat was full-grown at a little over sixty-five pounds, and she moved to sit next to me when I sat down cross-legged on the floor. Her head moved to lie on my lap and her paws came out. Rocy didn’t have to say anything for me to know what she wanted. She wanted to be rubbed on her chest and as I started to do that, her nails and paws kneaded the air around her. I had to laugh at her sometimes. She really was just like a big old house cat, always wanting attention.
I could have stayed there all day, but I did have other things to do. There was also a notice in my email this morning about a staff meeting at the end of the day. Formalities such as staff meetings were as rare as the animals at Endangered Wild Sanctuary. There were about ten of us working there fulltime, along with support staff and many volunteers from the community. The sanctuary was small, but we had one of the biggest selections of rare animals in the world. But there were never meetings that didn’t include a few drinks or a party. While I rubbed Rocy I wondered what it was about. I had a bad feeling that it was going to be bad news.
“Mia.”
I looked behind me to see Bishop walking in. His boots were sloshing in a puddle from an overflow drain off the enclosure. He shook his head at me and smiled. The old man walked closer and I could feel the change in the animal on my lap. She didn’t like anyone else much, but I tried to calm her with a pat on the head. “Good morning, Bishop. Are you going to see the tigers?”
He shook his head and I sighed as I got up. I didn’t want to leave her, but I knew that I had work to do. We’d had a new tiger come in the day before, from the same region as Rocy, and I hadn’t had a chance to see him yet in quarantine.
“I’ll see you later, Rocy. Be nice.”
Bishop just grinned. I knew that he wanted to tell me that it was dangerous and that I shouldn’t be in there. He had told me more than once that Rocy could kill me. I didn’t think it was so. Rocy wouldn’t hurt a fly.
“I still get the chills when I see you two in there like that.”
“It’s fine. She really is gentle.”
He looked at me skeptically, like there was no way that he was ever going to go in there. He was an assistant to me and Casper, but he was far more leery around animals than you’d expect. It was like Bishop was in the wrong profession and he just didn’t know it.
“I don’t know about that, Mia. You won’t catch me petting her like she’s a house cat. That thing is huge.”
“Rocy is very sweet. I will take you in there one day if you want to pet her. Her fur is so soft and she will lie on you. I don’t know. It’s like the best therapy.”
He wasn’t going for it, and the incredulous look he gave me made me laugh. I knew that I was a little reckless with animals in some eyes, but I couldn’t make people understand that I understood what they were doing. I had been studying animals long before I went to college to become a zoologist. I liked the woods, and I used to go camping just so I could sit somewhere quietly and watch the animals. After a time, they would become used to me there and would start to come closer.
“So did you get that email this morning?”
“Yeah, it’s weird, right? I don’t remember us ever having a staff meeting before, and I’ve been here a couple of years now.”
“I got a bad feeling about it. First they get rid of snacks in the office and now there is a cheaper kind of toilet paper in the bathrooms. I think there is something going on with the finances.”
He was always perceptive of things that I wasn’t. I hadn’t noticed a change in either thing. I spent most of my time with the animals and very little with the office politics of the sanctuary. I was there for the animals, after all. People were far more confusing to be around.
“I wouldn’t doubt it. There haven’t been as many people coming to visit lately. I blame the weather – it’s been so cold – but I don’t know. I hope that isn’t what the problem is.”
We were both kind of quiet for a while. I was thinking about problems ahead and so was Bishop. Soon all of that was gone when I got into quarantine and saw the new Amur Tiger. He was going to be part of the new habitat that was under construction, and although I was worried about the future, I had to take a minute to say hello.
Bishop shot me a warning. “Don’t worry. I’m not going in there. I don’t know him yet.”
Another shake of his head and he moved to the feeding station. I took some notes and looked through the animal’s file. Since they were rare, everything was documented to try and learn as much as we could about them. There was always the feeling that one day they might be gone, so we needed to know as much as we could. I got paid to observe and record, but I loved the interaction part the most.
Going up to the enclosure, I was a little leery, and the beast was as well. He made me think of Rocy and I almost immediately took a liking to him. He approach
ed where I was and for a time just looked at me. I held my ground and his gaze until he finally looked away.
“Do I get to name him or did he come with one?”
“Tom.”
I giggled and thought of the old cartoon. It didn’t seem fitting, but the mere mention of the animal’s name had him looking towards Bishop. The grey-haired older man did not like the attention when he was bringing Tom his food. “I don’t know why we name them. They aren’t pets.”
Frowning, I turned back to the tiger. It held my attention better than Bishop at the moment.
Chapter 2 – Mia
The staff meeting was going to start in a little while, and everyone there was looking about the same. There was something in the air, and I wasn’t the only one that could feel it. I looked around and tried not to worry too much. I had a tendency to stay in my head more often than not, and I was probably working myself up for nothing. It made me feel better that at least I wasn’t the only one feeling concerned.
My eyes met Ryland’s for a moment before I turned away. His black hair was as dark as his eyes, and they were disturbing. I kind of shivered from the intensity of his look and found myself glancing away after a few seconds. We had gone out once, and that one date had been enough to change my mind and question what I had seen in the first place. Ever since I told him that I wasn’t interested in dating him anymore, he had really started to creep me out.
“Mia, where were you earlier? You know that you missed the little cake we had for Casper?”
“Sorry, I was busy with the new intake. I need to make sure that he is ready to join Cloey in the habitat. How was it?”
“The cake or the little party?”
We both knew that I wasn’t worried about the party. I was more interested if there was cake left in the break room. Candace smiled and told me what I wanted to know. “It’s in the fridge. Chocolate and this fudgy topping. I don’t know what it is, but it’s good.”
