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

5. Cassie

5

Cassie

I’m deliberating on what I should tell Ashley about the…events…of last night. Eventually, I text her.

Ash, I’m in trouble.

After last night, I really am in trouble. I don’t know if I’m more desperate than I think I am and simply falling fast for the first guy to catch my attention, or if this really could turn into something. I know it’s early still. I don’t even know why he’s here. I know, I know. It seems like an obvious question to ask. “What brings you to Meadowbrook?” But it wasn’t. It never even came to mind.

We talked hobbies, and he made me laugh. I wasn’t thinking about anything, including work which I thought was impossible. I was enjoying being with him, and on top of having a great personality, he is insanely handsome. Put-him-on-a-billboard handsome. Out-of-my-league attractive. He could play the real-life version of Prince Charming. Okay, you get the point.

Three little dots appear immediately.

Oh no, is the goat-astrophe worse than it sounds?”

Goat-astrophe. haha that’s a good one!

Leave it to her to make me laugh in the middle of a crisis.

Right? Ryan said it.

YOU SAW RYAN?

My heart is pounding inside my chest.

He came by Coffee Loft, and he was scanning the room. Probably looking for you.

Looking for me ? I feel a little lightheaded.

Did he say anything?

No, but he looked disappointed that you weren’t here.

Even sad, he still probably looked like a supermodel.

I’m disappointed I wasn’t there.

You need to fill me in on last night! Mom told me about the wallet. Details, Cass. I need details.

I’ll be by in an hour or so.

The goat-astrophe is as bad as it sounds. The goats have eaten most of the scarecrows. I’m not sure whose idea it was to use real hay instead of artificial. That was mistake number one. And leaving them out overnight? That was asking for this goat-astrophic event.

Several people are here helping clean up, which is a huge plus to living in a small town. Everyone rallies together, no matter what we need. It’s like a huge family. That’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed here even after my parents left. They are traveling the world in their RV. After my dad retired, they picked up and left. My brother had already left for the Air Force several years before that. He’s stationed overseas right now. So now, it’s just me living in my parents’ house that they, thankfully, left for me.

Sometimes it’s hard being here without them, but that’s why I love this community so much. I’ve grown up here, and this is my family too. And now I have the privilege of planning events here and keeping traditions going. I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Right now, I desperately need to get things moving for this event. Vendors to confirm, marketing to finalize, and a team meeting. But first, my meeting with Chief Dobbs, which is…I check my watch…in ten minutes.

“I have to run to the station. Y’all got this handled?” I shout out to those here helping me clean up.

“We got it, Cass!”

I wave and pick up my bag by the gazebo and head to the precinct. I’m desperately missing my coffee already. I was on my way to work at Coffee Loft a bit before my meeting when I saw a group of people gathered in the town square. And here I am, starving and coffee-less, and I need to be alert for this meeting.

The police station seems a little lively today.

“Hi, Cecilia. How are you today?”

“I’m fine, honey. You’ve been busy, huh?”

“Very, you heard about the goat incident?”

“Among other things.” She gives me a sly grin.

“I have a meeting with Chief Dobbs. Can I head back?”

“Absolutely, have fun.”

I squint my eyes at her. She’s acting suspicious. Well, more suspicious than usual.

I hear the buzz of the door, and I walk through the bullpen straight to the chief’s office. The chief doesn’t make me nervous, but this festival does. This is a make-or-break kind of event for me. If it doesn’t do well, I disappoint the whole town and ruin my chances of keeping this job. If I do well, I keep doing what I love in a town that I love—and potentially more, like those few jobs out of state.

I knock on the door, and his deep voice calls me in.

“Hey, Chief, I’m a little early. Are you ready for me?” I ask as I enter his office.

“Absolutely, Cassie. I have something I wanted to run by you.”

He’s asking for my opinion? I’m already crushing this meeting, and it hasn’t even started.

“Of course. Happy to help. What is it?”

“Well, I’m not getting any younger and thought I might let one of the other guys run this one. He’s experienced—actually, he’s more than qualified to run security on this. But you’re running this event, so I want your opinion. What do you think?”

“I think that’s a great idea, Chief.” I love the idea. Give someone else the chance to show themselves. And if he’s experienced then it won’t put my job at risk. It might just make it even better. “Who did you have in mind?”

He stands up from his desk and holds up one finger. He walks to the door and shouts, “Mitchell, can I have a moment?” He nods his head then turns and walks behind his desk again.

“Ethan Mitchell?” I repeat.

I’ve known Ethan all of my life, but I didn’t know about his extra qualifications. He walks into the room and trailing behind him is none other than Ryan Hayes. My Ryan. I mean, not my Ryan, but the Ryan. The Ryan Hayes.

Oh my Meadowbrook . An attractive man in a police uniform. Need I say more? Probably not, but I will. It fits him phenomenally, hugging his muscles. He’s clean shaven showing off his jawline that could cut you like a knife.

“Ryan?” I gasp.

“You two met already? Fantastic!” Chief Dobbs, who is clearly oblivious to my shock, says.

“Yes, we have,” Ryan says, with a smirk on his face. Clearly not oblivious to my shock…and seems to be enjoying it.

No, he can’t be enjoying this. I can’t be falling for someone right now. This event is too important to be distracted by him.

“Hayes will run point, and Mitchell will be here if you need anything.” The chief nods his head. “Great, then I’ll leave you three to it.” He walks out of his office, and I can hear him rallying the rest of the officers together.

That’s when I notice Max sitting next to him. Poor Max; he’s adorable, but his human is a wildly more adorable distraction. He wags his tail slightly, raising his ear. His feet patter, like he wants to move, but he doesn’t. He’s so well trained! After a light whine, Ryan whistles to let him move from his spot.

Max walks up to me happily as I bend down and give him scratches behind his ears.

“You two already know each other?” Ethan asks, wrinkling his brow.

Ryan nods. “Yeah, we ran into each other at Coffee Loft yesterday.”

“And he left his wallet so I checked with Aunt Clara to see if he was staying there, which he was, and then she made me give him a town tour.” I cross my arms over my chest.

Ryan scoffs. “Made you? I thought I wasn’t that bad of company.”

It definitely was good company.

“Made me.”

“Well, I thought the evening turned out well,” Ryan says confidently.

Correct again.

“You never mentioned you were a cop.”

Ryan shrugs. “You never asked.”

I give him a glare with an eye roll. Ugh, he got me there. I was nervous with his green eyes staring into mine all dinner. Then he asked me what I was haphazardly typing up, and my Meadowbrook love just blurted out of me.

He was sweet and caring. Asking me questions. Laughing together. It was a really nice evening. He said “see you around town,” but I just figured it was like a metaphor or something. Not that he actually lived here now.

Ethan clears his throat. I completely forgot he was here.

“Right! Let’s get to the specifics. Ethan, is there an empty room we can use?”

I stand, and Max goes back to Ryan.

“Yes, this way.” Ethan walks out of the office, but Ryan doesn’t move.

“You lead. I’ll follow.” He playfully winks at me.

If being around him isn’t already killing me, that wink just put me six feet under. I will my feet to move, but it feels like my legs are asleep. Is this what they mean when they say “weak in the knees?” I force one foot in front of the other.

We go into the conference room to give the chief his office back, and I fill them in on what we are expecting for the Autumn Festival. It takes everything in me to stay focused on the task at hand, but it’s really hard when I want to ask Ryan all the pressing questions. Why is he here? Does he live here in Meadowbrook? Or is he just visiting? Why didn’t he say anything? He knew I was working on this event.

We walk through the attendance we’re anticipating, where to place the vendors, and a few security measures I’ll need to keep in mind while finalizing the layout.

Another officer peaks his head in. “Mitchell, someone’s here about the missing mailbox?”

Ethan nods. “Hayes, sounds like you know what you’re talking about. So I’ll leave you to it. Cassie, good to see you again.”

“You too, Ethan.” I smile in return as Ethan exits the room.

Ethan leaves while Ryan looks intensely at the town map spread across the table.

“So…you’re a police officer. Here . In Meadowbrook.”

He nods. “Today’s my first day.”

“Wow, how’s it going so far?”

“Great.” He smiles. “Everyone’s really cool here. Mitchell is my partner for now while I get the lay of the land.”

I fidget with the pen in my hand. “It’s a big deal that Chief Dobbs gave you this assignment.”

“Yeah, I’m a little surprised he did since I’m new.”

“He said you were overly qualified. What qualifications would that be, Mr. Big City?”

He lets out a laugh. “I’ve run point on several events before.”

“And Max is always with you?”

“Yeah, he’s the best partner.” He pats Max on the head then points at the map. “What do you normally have here?”

“Last year, that was our entrance, and we blocked off these walkways.”

“I suggest making this the entrance. It’ll give us more space for the expected crowd. If we need fire or paramedics, their trucks can fit through here also.”

“That sounds good.”

Now, I can unashamedly stare at him with no one else here to notice. Okay, maybe a little shame. It’s not just his looks either. He makes me feel safe, and comfortable, and he listens so intently. I guess that’s part of his job as an officer, but I think it’s more than that. I think it’s just who he is. It makes me want to know everything about him which is dangerous…and scary.