Fireworks Frappe (Cupid's Coffeeshop Book 7)

by Courtney Hunt

  “You’ve lived in New York for a decade and you never—”

  “Didn’t want to see it without you.” Ava whispered. She met his gaze, his eyes the color of sunlight through honey. She leaned across the cab, crossing the chasm between them in an instant. She brushed a kiss over his full mouth, just a taste of what she’d been missing all these years.

  “Ava, is this a good idea?” Duncan groaned, his voice a husky rasp. Ava cupped his cheek, his evening stubble prickly against her fingertips.

  Her only response was another furious kiss. She delved deeper into his mouth this time, eager for more of him. He groaned when she twined her fingers in his silky hair, pulling him closer. He broke the kiss, skimming his palms down her arms and twining his fingers with hers. “I’m too old to be making out in the school parking lot.”

  Ava grinned at him. “Take me for a drive.”

  Chapter Eight

  After dropping another far too brief kiss on her mouth, he started the truck and pulled out of the space. She curled against his side, with his arm wrapped securely around her, just as she’d always sat when they were younger. Ava put her head on his shoulder, happy and content, just where she wanted to be.

  They drove through town and onto a winding country road. Within a few moments, Duncan pulled into a driveway. They bumped their way up the gravel drive until the headlights revealed an A-frame house.

  “What’s this?”

  “My place.” Duncan said, smiling at her obvious surprise. “You didn’t still think I lived with my mom, did you?”

  “I thought you lived at the firehouse.”

  “When I’m on shift, I do. But this is home.”

  “It’s lovely, Duncan.” He helped her out of the truck and, instead of taking her inside the house, he squeezed her hand and led them up the stairs to a deck encircling the top of the house. She followed him to the back, overlooking a wide yard, with a stream sparkling in the distance.

  “I like to watch the deer. They should be out any moment now.” Duncan plopped down in a glider, yanking her into his lap. As if on cue, a family of white-tailed deer stepped out of the lengthening shadows at the edge of the woods and into the expanse of his back yard. In the distance, she heard rushing water splashing over rocks. Peaceful and serene, she tilted her face up to watch the stars wink on.

  “I forgot how much I’ve missed seeing the stars.” Ava whispered, thinking of all the times she and Duncan stared up at the constellations, dreaming of their life together.

  “Will you miss them when you go back to New York?”

  “If I go back.” Ava corrected, without thinking. Duncan tensed under her. Silence spooled between them for several heartbeats.

  “If?”

  “I got fired.” Ava confessed.

  “What happened?”

  “I made a tiny mistake. I’d been up for over 24 hours, working on this deal, and just typed the wrong thing. It cost the client money and so someone had to pay. That someone was me.”

  “I’m so sorry, Birdy.”

  “That’s why Michael and I broke up. We met at work and drifted into a relationship. We’d been this power couple, racking up promotions like crazy. But when I lost my job, he dumped me. I was too much of a professional liability.”

  “He didn’t deserve you.” Duncan rubbed his warm hand over her back, a soothing, grounding caress. In Duncan’s arms, Ava felt cared for, safe, cherished, in a way she hadn’t known in years. Since she left Ashford Falls, in fact. “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know. My plan was to get through the wedding and then start applying for jobs. But being home has been a bit of a wake-up call. I never intended for work to become my life the way it did. I’m not sure I want to go back down that road.”

  “I can understand that.” Duncan agreed, his tone sympathetic.

  “I made a good salary but it only piled up in the bank since I never had time to spend it. I don’t have to make any decisions right away. But I’ve been thinking of starting my own firm.”

  “In New York?”

  Ava shook her head, her gaze on his handsome face, her heart pounding in her chest. “Here.”

  “You’d stay in Ashford Falls?”

  “I never should have left. I never should have left you.”

  “No.” Duncan shook his head. “You always would have wondered what you missed.”

  Ava ran her fingers through his hair. “I only missed you.”

  “I missed you too, Birdy.”

  Ava’s pulse fluttered in her throat, her heart pounding in full marathon mode. “Can you forgive me for leaving you?”

  “Nothing to forgive.” Duncan patted her thigh. “There was no reason for both of our dreams to cave in. Besides, maybe my dream just got delayed.”

  “Delayed?”

  “You’re home now, aren’t you?”

  Ava nodded, safe and secure in the circle of his strong arms. He bent down and brushed a kiss over his mouth, sweet and full of promise and hope for the future. “I suppose we need to spend some time getting to know each other again.”

  “We’ve got a lifetime, Birdy.”

  Chapter Nine

  On the last day of July, Zooey Lockhart doodled a beach scene on their chalkboard menu, complete with umbrellas, dunes, and a starfish. Idly, she sketched out a fanciful sand castle, complete with tiny turrets and a moat.

  Since Ashford Falls nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, she wouldn’t be getting to put her toes in the sand any time soon. She sighed deeply, missing the ocean.

  “Cheer up, Zooey. If we make a profit, you can spend January in the islands.” Patrick commented as he cleaned behind the counter.

  “Don’t say if.” Joe said, sorting through merchandise to put on summer sale. “We’ll make it.”

  Zooey nodded, hoping her cousin was right. Under the terms of their grandmother’s will, she, Patrick, and Joe had less than six months to make the coffeeshop profitable. She hoped they could do it.

  When the bell above the door jangled, Zooey looked up to find Duncan Knight ushering a silver-haired man into the shop. She tossed down her chalk markers and fixed a smile on her face as she rose to greet their customers.

  “Hey, Zooey.” Duncan greeted her. “I finally talked the chief into sampling one of your Fireworks Frappes before they’re gone.”

  Zooey slipped behind the counter to whip up his drink. “You want one too, Duncan?”

  “No, thanks.”

  “He’s got a hot date.” Chris teased, his blue eyes twinkling.

  Duncan’s cheeks turned pink. “We’re just going to the movies.”

  “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”

  Zooey laughed as Duncan’s cheeks turned from pink to red just as Ava walked in, her twin sister beside her as they swung Livvy between them, Ben just a few steps behind.

  Duncan bent to kiss Ava hello, a sweet kiss that lingered just a few heartbeats too long to be chaste. Amy and Chris grinned at each other as Duncan and Ava walked out of the shop, hand in hand, unable to get across the square before stopping for another kiss.

  “Still taking it slow then?” Chris laughed.

  “Hardly.” Amy laughed. “We’ll be dancing at their wedding next.”

  “So, Duncan and Ava then?” Zooey whistled. “That’s back on?”

  “Yep.” Amy nodded, her bright ponytail swinging. “I go to London and look what happens. Here’s your souvenir by the way.”

  She handed a hunter green plastic bag over the counter to Zooey. She opened it and pulled out a Harrods mug. “I love it, Amy! Thanks.”

  “Well, I’ll just be on my way before Cupid’s Coffeeshop claims another victim.” Chris took his frappe and departed with a wave. Ben settled with Livvy near the fireplace, reading a story aloud as she sipped her milk.

  “So, Cupid got another one.” Joe commented.

  “I don’t see how you can claim that the coffeeshop had anything to do with Ava and Duncan.” Patr
ick said. “They dated in high school, didn’t they?”

  Amy splayed out her hands. “But they met up again here, just after Ava got to town, so maybe Cupid just takes a while to work sometime.”

  Patrick threw up his hands. “You’re all crazy.”

  “Hold on. They’re the seventh couple this year, counting me and Mollypop. Maybe you’re next.” Joe propped his elbows on the counter.

  Patrick raised his gaze to the ceiling as though he was praying for patience. Amy carried drinks for her and Ben to the sofa, sitting next to her new husband on the sofa.

  “And Auntie Ruby said that Grandma was known for making matches.” Zooey chimed in.

  “You two have read too much Harry Potter.” Patrick pulled the towel off his shoulder and wiped at the already gleaming counter. “What’s next? Potions and magic wands?”

  “It’s possible. That’s all.” Joe leaned against the counter. “I’m just saying that it could be.”

  “It could be what? Magic?” Patrick shook his head. “People meet in coffeeshops. We serve good, strong coffee, with comfy chairs. I’ll even go so far as to say that your crazy concoctions get us customers. But there’s no magic.”

  “Says you.” Zooey said.

  “What spell do I say over the lattes?” Patrick teased. “Lovicus Lattus? Abracadabra, Cupid will get ya?”

  “Laugh all you want. You won’t be laughing when this happens to you.” Joe grinned as Zooey nodded agreement.

  “If I promise not to laugh, will you come up with August’s drink?”

  “You laugh at all my drinks.” Joe snorted. “And I came up with it this morning.”

  “Since I won’t get to actually go to the beach this year, Joe’s going to make me a beach drink. Coconut Iced Coffee!”

  “How do you make it?” Patrick asked.

  Joe leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. “The first ingredient is magic, of course.”

  “I give up.” Patrick said. “You two are hopeless.”

  “Hopeless romantics.” Zooey agreed as Duncan stole another kiss from Ava as they strolled through the square, hand-in-hand.

  THE END… I hope you enjoyed Fireworks Frappe. Please give this book a quick review on Amazon. Even just a two-word review helps so much. Positive or negative, I am grateful for all feedback from my readers.

  August’s story, Coconut Iced Coffee is available for pre-order now. Order it here.

  August brings Zooey Lockhart's 21st birthday and she's longing to get out of Ashford Falls for a beach vacation. For her birthday gift, Patrick and Joe agree to work the coffeeshop while she hits the beach to make her birthday dreams come true.

  When she meets Charlie Lyons at an island resort, he’s the perfect choice for a quick, no-strings-attached summer fling.

  When Zooey returns to Ashford Falls, Charlie is the newest associate attorney at the biggest law firm in town. And Zooey will have to figure out if her summer fling will turn out to be more like love.

  While you are waiting for more Cupid’s Coffeeshop, please check out my other novels, including The Lost Art of Second Chances and the Always a Bridesmaid series.

  Please come visit me at www.Courtney-Hunt.com and sign up for my email newsletter. No spam! Just new releases and other big news.

  Thanks again for your support!

  Author’s Note

  Longtime Cupid’s Coffeeshop readers will recognize Ben, Amy, and Livvy from Java Frost, the first story in the Cupid’s Coffeeshop series. As you see, they are living their very own happily ever after.

  You won’t find Ashford Falls if you consult a map. It’s a fictionalized version of Leesburg, Virginia. Located about 40 miles west of DC, the sleepy tiny town has become a bedroom community full of new development. But the heart of the old town is still there, tucked into the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sadly, Cupid’s Coffeeshop does not exist at all, except in my imagination.

  Thanks to my editor, R.A. Peters, for catching all my terrible mistakes and correcting my dreadful formatting. Also many thanks to Kim Killion of the Killion Group for my gorgeous covers and designing the Cupid’s Coffeeshop logo.

  I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the seventh story in the Cupid’s Coffeeshop series as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please check out my series page on Amazon for each new release. You can also find merchandise, illustrated quotes, and blogs about Cupid’s Coffeeshop on my website at www.Courtney-Hunt.com

  Please come visit me at www.Courtney-Hunt.com and sign up for my email newsletter. No spam! Just new releases and other big news.

  I’m also usually found on twitter at @courtneyhunt71, and would love to chat!