Espresso Your Love (The Coffee Loft Series: Fall Collection)

2. Ryan

2

Ryan

“C’mon, boy,” I call out to Max. “Time to get to the station.”

I open the door to my truck, and he jumps inside. I set my giant coffee in the cup holder. When they said lofty, I knew it would be big, but not this big. Good thing I can handle my caffeine intake after all those years of night shift. I turn on the engine and start heading toward the precinct.

Today is my first full day in Meadowbrook, and I’ll say it hasn’t disappointed. Meeting a beautiful blonde at the local shop would brighten anyone’s day. Even though it was a small interaction with her, she was intriguing and polite. Well, besides the staring, but I thought it was cute. I could barely hold in my laughter with her flustered fake typing.

I just got in yesterday and am temporarily staying at the bed-and-breakfast here in town. I was supposed to be renting a small house right on the border of town, but it fell through. Something about an infestation of goats. Yeah, I’m not so sure if that’s the actual reason or if the owner didn’t want an out-of-towner staying in their home.

Now, I need to find a new place to stay. I’ll be on the hunt after I meet with the chief today. That was him calling right now, asking if I could drop by earlier than planned. He wanted to welcome me to town and asked if I could come in before my first shift to meet everyone. I know this is a small town—things are going to be different than the city—but I might have underestimated how different they’ll be. In a good way. Everyone has been so polite and kind.

I wanted a change, and change is what I’m getting. Coming from a big city to a small town will do that to you. Granted, I’m not coming from Los Angeles or anything, but it’s still different.

It seemed like the right time to choose a slower pace of life, and when this job opportunity came up, I had no doubt that this was my next step.

I pull into the parking lot for the police station.

“You ready, Max?”

His ears perk up, and he gives me a little bark.

I hop out and open the back door. Max jumps out and immediately comes to my side. I scratch behind his ear.

“Okay, let’s show them what we got.”

I take a deep breath and open the doors. While it’s slower than the station back home, it’s still busy. The reception desk has one older woman, probably in her sixties, and a few townspeople are waiting in the lobby. An officer comes through a door off to the side, and a mixture of voices comes through.

“Hi, how can I help you?” the woman behind the desk asks.

“Hello, ma’am.”

She waves her hand at me. “Oh, nonsense. None of that ‘ma’am’ stuff. I’ve got decades more life in me. You can call me Cecilia.” She adjusts her glasses on her nose.

“Hello, Cecilia. I’m Ryan Hayes. I have a meeting with Chief Dobbs.”

“The chief was just telling me all about you. You’re coming to test out the small town life, huh?”

“I’m ready for a change of pace and happy to be where I’m needed.”

“Well, I’ll tell you something—everyone has been anticipating your arrival.”

“I hope that’s a good anticipation.”

“Are you kiddin’? You’ve been the talk of the town! Here, I’ll buzz you through. You can’t miss his office. Just straight through there.”

“Thank you, ma—” I pause as she raises her eyebrow. “Thank you, Cecilia.” I dip my head slightly in a nod and start walking toward the door.

I open the door to see the bullpen off to the right. Officers are scattered about chatting. There are enclosed offices along the outside of the room. I scan the room until I find the office labeled “Chief” straight ahead of me.

I knock on the door.

“Come in!” a deep voice on the other side shouts.

I open the door and walk in. “Hello, Chief Dobbs. I’m Ry—”

He immediately stands up from his desk and shakes my hand. “Ah, Ryan. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person, son. We’re so glad to have you here in Meadowbrook.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“And this must be Max. It’s a pleasure to meet you, hero.”

Max lifts his paw to shake the chief's hand.

“Ah, he’s also a gentleman.” He laughs in a deep raspy tone. “How are you settling in? Are you all unpacked?”

“I just arrived last night. I’m temporarily staying at the Cozy Nook Inn until I find a place. My original accommodations fell through.”

“Oh, sorry to hear that. Well, we’ll put the word out, and I’m sure we can rally and help you find a place to stay.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I wanted you to come in today to see the place and meet everyone. It’s more than a job here. It’s a community. And with us being a smaller town, well, community is important here. And everyone can’t wait to meet the Ryan Hayes either.”

“I’m honored to be here, sir.”

“Let’s go meet the team.” He pats me on the shoulder then we leave his office.

We walk through the bullpen, and the chief introduces me to a few officers and a firefighter.

“Ryan Hayes, this is Officer Gabe Lawson and Firefighter James Bennett.” I shake their hands. “And this is your partner, Ethan Mitchell.”

Mitchell looks about forty, a few gray hairs popping through. “Chief Dobbs has been bragging about you for weeks. Nice to finally meet you.”

We shake hands. “You too, Mitchell.”

“Ryan’s original housing fell through so if any of y’all hear of a place, let him know. I’ll leave you to it. Mitchell will show you around.”

“Thank you, Chief Dobbs.” I nod.

“Oh, was it Old Man Tiller’s place?” Mitchell asks.

“Uh, yeah, actually. How did you know?”

“There’s always something repopulating near Old Tiller’s. Last year, the rabbits took over.” Lawson chuckles. “What is it this time?”

I clear my throat. “Well, he said it was goats.”

“Sounds about right,” Bennett chimes in. “He might as well stop trying to rent it and just turn it into a petting zoo.”

So the goats are real…Not that I really thought he’d be lying but also…goats? And apparently rabbits too. I might have dodged a bullet with that rental.

I really must be in for a treat with the kinds of calls we’ll be getting out here. Probably less stalkerish and more “rabbits are invading my home” type calls.

Ethan taps me on the arm, breaking away from the conversation. “Hey, I actually might know a place. Let me make a call and see if it’s still available.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that.”

He gives me a nod and offers to show me around the station. We walk through the rest of the precinct. He shows me the locker room, interrogation rooms, training room, and the kitchen. We walk through an overview of what my first day might look like.

Everyone is nice, easygoing, and welcoming. The chief is more down-to-earth than I expected. He was always nice on the phone, but my last chief was a man of few words. He wasn’t cruel by any means; he just did what was needed to get the job done.

Max and I head back to the Cozy Nook Inn to call it a day. Hopefully, the place Ethan mentioned is available so I can get settled in. Even though I didn’t bring much, it would still be nice to not be cooped up in a bed-and-breakfast. It’s not all bad, though. The breakfast this morning was phenomenal. And the coffee at Coffee Loft was better than any coffee shop in the city. I’ll definitely be going back, and maybe Max can distract the pretend-I’m-typing blonde again.

I park outside the inn and head inside. It’s an old farmhouse in need of some TLC, but the old woman who runs it has been sweet, just like everyone else in this town. I walk through the front door which lets out a little chime. And the elderly woman comes out from the living room.

“Back so soon, dear? You’re young and hip. I thought you’d be out on the town, exploring.” She walks over to the front desk and starts cleaning it up.

It’s an antique desk with little trinkets all around. A check-in book and a bell sit at the front. She moves the trinkets and wipes them down with a towel.

“Well, I’d say we had a successful day. Didn’t we, Max?” I look down at him and pet his head. “We went to Coffee Loft down the road, and I had to stop by the precinct.”

“Did you walk down Main Street?” she asks as she continues to wipe the desk off.

“No, not yet.”

“Oh, you should! Especially at night. The twinkling lights under the twinkling stars.” A wistful smile spreads across her face.

“That sounds wonderful. Maybe I’ll go after my shift tomorrow.”

“And don’t forget to take that blonde with you.”

My brows furrow together. “Take who?”

“Don’t be shy, dear. It’s a small town, we talk. Cassie is such a sweet girl. And she’s single, too.” She winks at me.

“Ms. Abrams,” I chuckle, “I’ve met several people today. Everyone has been very nice and welcoming.”

“Mr. Hayes, it’s not every day you meet a single beautiful girl in the local coffee shop. My sources say you two looked very cute together.”

“We talked briefly before I got called in for work. Speaking of which—my first day is tomorrow so I need to do some prep. Good afternoon, Ms. Abrams.”

She gives me a look that tells me this conversation is not over. “Goodbye, Ryan.”

I head upstairs to my room and plop down on the bed. Max follows suit and lies right next to me. I don’t have any prep to do and feel terrible for fibbing. I open the book that I’ve been reading when my phone rings.

“Hey, big brother. How’s the first day in Stars Hollow?”

“It’s Meadowbrook, Sadie.”

“It was a Gilmore Girls reference. You should know that.”

“I may have watched them with you, but I may not have been paying attention.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t love it,” she counters. “You were rooting for Lorelai and Luke as much as I was.”

I’d do anything for Sadie, including watching reruns of Gilmore Girls with her. And she’s not wrong—Luke all the way.

“Anyways,” she continues, “how’s Meadowbrook ?” She adds extra emphasis, with a dash of sass, to the town’s name.

“So far, so good. They have a great coffee shop, Coffee Loft, and I met some of the guys I’ll work with. Everyone seems cool.”

“ The Coffee Loft!” she exclaims. “I love their coffee. I went to one when we were on our honeymoon! Get the lofty size. Although, it still won’t be enough caffeine for you.”

“Already did. It was the best coffee I’ve ever had.”

“And maybe you’ll find your Lorelai while you’re there!” she squeals.

“You’re such a romantic, Sadie. The right girl will come at the right time.”

“And maybe that time is now! Just be yourself, and she’ll fall head over heels in love with you.”

“We don’t even know who she is.”

“Who knows! You may have met her already. Maybe you passed by her on the street. Or she works at the coffee shop. Or maybe she’ll—”

“Okay, Sis. I got it,” I interrupt her. “I might fall in love while I’m here. I’ll be on my best behavior. How’s little man?”

“Kicking up a storm.” I can hear the exhaustion in her voice. “It was cute at first, but now, he’s just doing martial arts in there, and it’s uncomfortable. Once he comes out, he’s sure to give me trouble. He’ll be running before he crawls.”

“Hang in there, Sis. You’re almost there.”

“I know. I wish you were here, Ryan. We miss you. Mom’s already planning the next family dinner.”

“I miss y’all too. I bet she is. She’s probably texted me ten times in the last hour.”

“Aw. It’s hard for her. A lot has happened in the last year, and this move was a surprise to all of us.”

“I know. But it felt like the right next step.”

“I know it is. This is a good opportunity for you. We’re proud of you.”

“Thanks, Sis. See you soon.”

My stomach grumbles reminding me I haven’t eaten yet and I need to feed Max. He’s lying on the floor next to the bed with his head on his front paws.

“Want some dinner, buddy?” His head perks up.

“I saw a diner down the street. I’ll grab us some grub, and we’ll call it an early night.”