Cupid’s Coffeeshop
Boxed Set One
By
Courtney Hunt
Java Frost
Cupid’s Kiss
Lucky Latte
Cherry Blossom Cappuccino
SNEAK PEEK
Author’s Note
Java Frost
First in the
Cupid’s Coffeeshop
Series
By
Courtney Hunt
Java Frost
Copyright © Courtney Hunt 2016
All Rights Reserved
This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, events, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.
First Digital Edition: January 2016
www.Courtney-Hunt.com
For my son, Connor,
Who taught me to play.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter eight
Chapter nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter One
“Your grandmother’s will contains an unusual provision.” Ruby Davis leaned back in her office chair, as she surveyed the three Lockhart grandkids seated before her. They were all that was left of her lifelong best friend, Mary Love Lockhart’s family.
“And?” Joe demanded, tapping his long fingers on his motorcycle helmet. Ruby remembered him best as a chubby-cheeked toddler, with his bright blue eyes and corn silk hair. Mary used to say he looked like an angel, so he got an extra helping of devil to make up for it.
“She left everything to the humane society.”
Zooey, the only girl and not yet twenty-one, blew out a breath. She raked her hand through her long, dark hair. Silver rings flashed against her dark locks, her turquoise eyes devastated as she shifted in her seat. Her brother Patrick, five years her senior, gasped. “That can’t… Everything?”
Patrick’s shoulders slumped as he fiddled idly with the frayed cuffs on his dress shirt. His tie hung loose on his neck. His dark hair fell in messy waves, just as it had when he’d been young. His espresso eyes—a genetic gift from his grandmother—misted over. He blinked hard and stared out the office window at the late September sunshine.
Joe crossed his arms over his chest, his mouth a firm line. He and Patrick didn’t even exchange a glance. They’d arrived within days of each other, cousins close enough to be twins. They’d been like puppies, always into mischief. Wherever one went, the other was soon to follow. They’d been raised together, as close as siblings. Now, after everything, they were strangers. Torn apart by their parents’ greed and their grandmother’s stubbornness. Zooey glanced between them, chewing on her full bottom lip.
“Yes, everything. Lock, stock and barrel.” Ruby nodded. She pressed her lips together, dreading this final duty she’d taken on for her dear friend. Mary Love, I hope you know what you’re doing…
“Unless…” Ruby said. All three looked at her, their interest sharpened. “The three of you run Cupid’s Coffeeshop for one full year. If you do that, then her estate, valued at some three million dollars and change, will be equally divided between you all. If not—” She raised her arthritic hands and let them fall. “I’m sure the kitties and puppies will be most appreciative. Three million dollars buys rather a lot of kibble, I’m told.”
Dumbfounded, the three Lockhart kids stayed silent for a long moment before collectively drawing a breath and beginning to argue. Their raised voices tumbled over each other in the small office.
“She must not have been in her right mind…”
“Always eccentric, but never imagined this…”
“How can we run a coffee shop? That old place can’t compete with Starbucks on every corner!”
“Do either of you even know how to make coffee?”
“We’ll overturn the will…No judge would agree to this!”
Ruby let them run on for some minutes and then finally raised her palm. The three fell silent, the force of their fury dark and loud in the quiet office.
“The will is very clear. You may, of course, disagree and seek counsel to assist you in overturning it. However, I’m afraid that’s rather an expensive process, not to mention time-consuming, and…” Ruby shrugged, passing her gaze slowly over Joe’s worn jeans, Patrick’s frayed suit, and Zooey’s thrift store ensemble.
Ruby stood, ignoring the twinge in her hip from her bursitis. Her bones ached already, though it was only early autumn. Winter would come soon enough to claw and freeze and rattle her old bones. “Would you like to see the storefront?”
The three Lockhart kids followed her out of her office near the courthouse and trailed behind like furious ducklings as they walked the few blocks to the old railroad station. Cupid’s Coffeeshop sat nestled in the corner of a semi-circle of bluestone shops, surrounding an empty fountain in the center square. The Bradford pear and cherry trees rattled in the wind, before sprinkling colorful leaves across the square and into the quiet fountain.
“Everything looks closed up.” Zooey, her hands on her hips, turned to survey the nearly vacant shopping center.
Ruby nodded. “Just the cafe and the card shop left. And who knows how long they’ll survive?”
“But Ashford Falls is a boomtown now. A commuter town for DC.” Patrick said.
“The town might be, but the railway stopped running through this quarter years ago. They demolished the old wooden platform when it became too much of a liability. Put a parking lot in its place.” Ruby waved her hand to indicate the patch of bumpy asphalt nearby. “Ashford Falls is a bedroom community now but the people rushing into the city don’t want to stop.”
“How are we supposed to make a profit if no one comes here?” Joe demanded.
“Give them a reason to stop.” Ruby fumbled at the door. She managed to slot the old key into the lock, but her arthritic fingers couldn’t force it open. Patrick stepped forward, popped the lock and pushed the creaky door open. They stepped inside the store, closed up now for over a decade.
Ruby smiled in the dusty darkness. She fondly recalled Mary and PJ opening the once warm and welcoming store, all those years ago. How vibrant and busy it’d been with the bustle of trains to keep a steady flow of customers. In its heyday, Cupid’s Coffeeshop had been the beating heart of Ashford Falls. Where people met, bonded, and even fell in love.
Now, the dirty windows made the interior dim and dark, shadowing the higgledy-piggledy jumble of tables and chairs. A thick layer of dust cloaked the once gorgeous burnished walnut counter. Now, only cobwebs wreathed the walls and corners.
“Looks like we’re all ready for Halloween.” Joe joked, but the others didn’t smile. Patrick and Zooey looked around, their eyes wide. The bones of the beautiful shop were still there underneath the mess, just waiting to be resurrected by the new generation standing next to her.
“You have ninety days to rehabilitate it as necessary. A few coats of paint, some new equipment… The will establishes a trust for your expenses and a small living stipend for each of you. There are living quarters above the store that you may use.”
“We have to live together and work together too?” Joe protested, eyeing his cousins. Ruby once again hoped her old friend knew what she was doing.
“The living arrangement is optional.
Do you have other arrangements nearby, Joseph?” A muscle twitched in his jaw but he fell silent, glaring at her with raw fury in his incredible eyes. “You have 90 days. Tomorrow is October 1st. The store must be operational, open and providing service by New Year’s Day.”
“New Year’s Day?” Patrick echoed, his hands on his hips. “This place needs a lot of work, Auntie Ruby.”
Ruby smiled at the honorific that slipped out. “Your grandmother and grandfather built this place from nothing. You three have quite a head start.”
“And if we do…” Zooey asked. She twisted her hands in her colorful bohemian peasant skirt, her silver bracelets tinkling as she paced. “What then?”
“You only have to run it for one year. Each of you must participate though. No fobbing it off onto each other.” Ruby eyed each of them in turn before continuing. “If, by 31 December of next year, you’ve run the store and made a profit, then the estate is yours.”
“And what happens to the coffee shop then?” Zooey crossed her arms, her bracelets jangling again, loud in the quiet shop.
“You will own it equally between you. What you choose to do with this place will be up to you.” Ruby shrugged. “Well, I’ll leave you alone to discuss it.”
Chapter Two
Three months later…
“Do people actually get up this early?” Joe propped his head on his hand next to the cash register, his eyelids falling to half-mast. Beside him, Zooey sipped her second latte, inclined to agree with her cousin. Getting up this early on New Year’s Day was brutal.
“It’s seven thirty. Hardly the crack of dawn.” Patrick nudged Joe off the counter. Joe glared at Patrick and crossed his arms over his chest before leaning against the back counter and shutting his eyes again.
“Out too late partying?” Zooey asked, grabbing the daily special’s chalkboard and her chalk paints. She tossed her red barista’s apron on the counter and rolled up her sleeves before claiming a table in the empty cafe. Outside, a light snow fell, obscuring the empty fountain in the square under fat, fluffy flakes. Inside, jazzy music spilled out through the warm, welcoming coffee shop.
“Someone had to welcome in the New Year.” Joe answered, without opening his eyes. Patrick placed a cup of steaming coffee in Joe’s hand, wrapping his fingers around the cup. Joe took a quick sip, just a tiny bit of blue appearing as his eyes cracked open.
After three months of hard labor, the coffee shop now boasted squashy chairs and sofas nestled around low tables, warmed by an inviting stone fireplace tucked into the far wall. The walnut counter gleamed under the blown glass pink and red Murano heart lamps dangling above. Next to the cash register, the bakery and refrigerated cases hummed constantly, just audible under the jazzy soundtrack they’d argued over for months. Behind the counter, scarlet subway tiles covered the backsplash.
Cupid’s Coffeeshop was ready for business.
They just didn’t have any customers.
The bell jangled and all three Lockharts swiveled towards the door. Joy Baker, her cheeks reddened and her brown curls flecked with snow, stepped inside, carrying a large clear plastic bin dusted with melting snowflakes on top. With a wide smile, Patrick rushed to her, taking the bin. Joy peeled off her brightly striped scarf and matching knit hat, complete with pom-pom, and smiled brightly.
“Happy New Year!” Joy crossed the room, Patrick at her heels. He placed the bin on the counter and Joy opened the box. “I made snowflake cookies with sparkles and snowmen with red hats. I figured they should be January-themed.”
She passed the clear cellophane-wrapped cookies to Patrick who placed them carefully in the display case. “I love the little hearts on the snowman’s scarf. You’re so talented, Joy.”
Joy beamed. “How’s the grand opening going?”
“You were our first customer so…” Patrick shrugged and slid closer to her, playing with the pom-pom on the hat she’d tossed on the counter. Joe edged out from behind the counter and slumped into the chair across from Zooey, who doodled snowflakes on the chalkboard.
“How long has this been going on?” Joe waved his crimson coffee cup in the direction of Patrick and Joy.
“The flirting? Pretty much since the moment they met. The pining only started when he found out she’s engaged.”
“Ouch.” Joe shook his head. “Poor Paddy-cakes.”
“She started the cookie business to save up for her wedding.” Zooey added, glancing up at Joe. Together, they smirked at Joy and Patrick as they whispered and giggled together. Patrick glanced at his cousin and sister and Joe winked, making Patrick flush. “Don’t tease him, Joe.”
“Oh, there will be teasing.” Joe chuckled into his coffee cup. “But I won’t do it in front of her.”
Joe drained his coffee and looked decidedly more alert, if not perky. Her cousin and her brother were studies in opposites. A born night owl, Joe seemed allergic to mornings. He often stayed out all night and didn’t get up until noon. Up with the sun though, Patrick could often be found snoozing in their squashiest armchair, a book open on his chest, by nine at night.
Now that the store was open, Patrick would take mornings while Joe closed. Zooey would pick up the middle shift. This morning, however, Patrick decreed they’d all be there together and no amount of arguing from Zooey or Joe moved him. Zooey looked around at the empty shop and shook her head. So far, their grand opening had been a grand bust.
Patrick walked Joy to the door and waved her off, into the lightly falling snow. Joe headed over to the counter and selected a snowman cookie. After slicing off the red ribbon, he yanked down the crinkly wrapper. He bit the head off and smirked at Patrick. “Oh Joy, I lurrrvvve the hearts.”
“I’ll smother you with your pillow if you say another word.” Patrick said, returning to his pointless watch behind the counter. “And that’ll be two fifty.”
“For what?”
“For the cookie you’re eating.” Patrick held out his hand, palm out. “Pay up.”
“I’m taste-testing. Your friend makes excellent cookies. They taste like shortbread.”
“And every bite is eating into our profit margin…”
“If you promise not to show me any more spreadsheets, here’s three bucks.” Joe slammed some crumpled bills into Patrick’s hand and took another bite of the cookie.
Patrick tapped buttons on the register and placed the money in the till. “Congrats, Joe. You were our first sale.”
Joe munched his cookie and waved the headless snowman in the air. “You know what we need?”
“Customers?” Patrick answered, but Joe ignored him.
“A signature drink.”
“A what now?”
“This bar I worked at down in Florida. Every month they had a different special drink. Draws customers in.” Joe finished his cookie, wiped his fingers on his jeans and headed over to the espresso machine. “We should have that.”
Patrick exchanged glances with Zooey. She considered and then shrugged. “It’ll keep him busy.”
For the next hour, Joe rattled cups and frothed milk, creating one signature cup of coffee after another. None lasted longer than a sip though, before he’d make a face and toss it down the sink. Patrick opened the register and withdrew a $20 bill. Without a word, he crumpled the cash and tossed it in the trash. Joe scowled at Patrick before fishing out and pocketing the wrinkled money. “What’re you doing?”
“Might as well with all that you’re wasting.” Patrick grabbed the money out of Joe’s jeans and returned it to the register.
“Not wasting it! I’m creating.”
“Is that what you call it? Because it looks like pouring money down the drain to me.”
“You are not in charge—”
“We only have one year to make this place profitable. The rent on the equipment alone—”
“Patrick. Joseph.” Zooey said calmly. The boys subsided. She didn’t look up as she added swirls to her border. At first, they’d been awkward with each other but now,
after three months of hard work and tight quarters, they were slowly regaining the closeness they’d known in their youth, before their greedy parents ripped the family asunder. Maybe eventually they could become a family again.
Joe rattled around behind the counter for a bit longer, as Patrick sighed and huffed under his breath. Patrick looked out the windows, glaring at the still falling snow.
Joe held out a red ceramic cup to Patrick. “Try this.”
“Nope. And what is it anyway?”
“It’s espresso with white chocolate, a hint of peppermint, and my secret ingredient.”
“So it’s a peppermint mocha?”
“No imagination, Paddy-cakes.”
“Would you please stop calling me that?” Patrick rubbed his bloodshot eyes and slapped the espresso machine as Joe laughed. “What’s the matter with a simple cup of coffee? We had to take a class just to figure out how to work this hissing monstrosity. I’m not interested in learning a whole new set of recipes.”
“My signature drink will draw people in.”
“Your masterpiece is already on the menu board.” Patrick pointed to the chalkboards above the counter. “It’s a peppermint mocha.”
Joe added more cream to his drink before bringing it over to Zooey, extending the cup. He glanced at the chalkboard, his eyes widening as he took in the snowflakes and swirls, with a snowman just taking shape in the bottom corner. “That’s beautiful, Zooey.”
“It is.” Patrick agreed. “Joe wants you to try his peppermint mocha.”
Zooey took the drink, the heady scent of chocolate and mint rising from the cup. She took a long gulp and tilted her head to the side, considering the flavors before sipping again. “It’s got orange in it, right?”
Cupid's Coffeeshop Set One: Boxed Set: Books 1-4 Page 1
