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

13. Cassie

13

Cassie

I sit here, with a scarf over my eyes, eagerly waiting for Ryan to come to my door. My heart pounds with excitement. He looks amazing, and I hope tonight goes well. I’m nervous with my stomach feeling like I’m riding on a roller coaster. A really fun, thrilling ride.

The truck door opens. “Ready?” he says.

His hand finds mine, and I take it, allowing him to guide me out of the truck. I move my foot, trying to find the sidestep, but my foot slips. Before I can fall, Ryan’s hands catch me at my waist. Instinctively, my arms wrap around his neck. It’s almost like they belong there.

“Are you okay?” I feel his chest rumble on mine as he laughs.

“I run into people when I can see. What did you expect when I’m blindfolded?” I joke, still laughing as he sets me down gently.

With my feet on solid ground, Ryan leads me forward a few steps with his hands on my shoulders. Gently, he unties the scarf from my head, and I blink a few times to adjust to the light.

I gasp in amazement at the breathtaking view before me.

We’re standing on a hill overlooking Meadowbrook, filled with autumn-colored leaves.

“How did you find this place?” I keep my eyes peeled on the scenery in front of me.

“I had a little help from Mitchell.”

“I didn’t even know we could come up here. It’s beautiful, Ryan.”

“I’m glad you like it. Want to sit?” He splays his hand back toward the truck.

The bed of the truck is filled with blankets and pillows with a breakfast-in-bed tray in the center.

My jaw drops as I walk closer to see the whole tray filled with food and treats.

“I thought having a picnic overlooking the town while the sun sets would be a nice setting for our first date.”

It takes a moment to sink in, then I find myself giddy thinking how sweet and official that sounds. Our first date. And hopefully not our last.

“I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”

The smile he gives me makes all my worries melt away, and all that matters is right now, here with him.

He helps me into the truck bed before climbing in himself. He, of course, looks a lot more graceful than I did.

I look over the food spread at sandwiches, cheeses, fruits, and cookies.

“I hope you are hungry.”

“I’m starving. I was so busy, I skipped lunch.” My stomach rumbles right on cue.

“Good, there’s plenty.”

We settle in as we talk and eat while the sun dips below the horizon. His eyes crinkle, and his laughter fills the air as he tells me about the chicken in the bakery incident. And I tell him the story of the goats in the town square.

“Do you miss being in the big city?”

“Surprisingly, no. I don’t. I really like it here. I love the community—even the nosy Madame Cs.”

I chuckle. “You get used to it after a while.” I shrug.

“What about you? Ever thought of moving out of here?”

“I did, briefly. When my parents decided to leave, I didn’t know what to do and thought maybe taking my business elsewhere. Then I decided to stay and felt a peace about it. Things started falling into place, and slowly, I was getting more clients. I wouldn’t dream of it now.” I grab a handful of grapes.

“Sounds like you’ll be traveling quite a bit now.”

“I think it’ll be fun for a little while, at least. Get out of Meadowbrook and see a few places. What brought you here anyway?” I pop a grape into my mouth.

“I was looking for a change of pace, and this job came up. They were looking for a K9 officer, and I jumped at the opportunity. I thought, why not?”

“That’s a big gamble. You didn’t know anyone here.”

Ryan turns towards me with his green eyes and a soft smile that sends butterflies to my stomach. “Sometimes you need to take risks in life, Cassie. You never know until you try.”

“Those are some wise words, city boy,” I say with a playful smirk, nudging him with my elbow.

He chuckles and pushes me back. “Hey, I’m more than just good looks.”

I let out a genuine laugh.

He reaches into a bag and pulls out a thermos. “Hot chocolate?”

“With marshmallows?”

He grins and holds up an entire bag of mini marshmallows. “Of course.”

A chilly breeze blows through, causing me to snuggle against the pillows and wrap myself in a warm blanket. Ryan pours the steaming hot cocoa into two mugs and tops them off with a handful of marshmallows before handing it to me. As he slides in next to me, he wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me in close to him. The warmth of his touch sends shivers down my spine.

“Thank you for making today memorable, Cassie,” Ryan says softly.

“I should be saying that to you,” I reply, tilting my head up towards him with a smile.

Big mistake. As soon as I see his face right in front of mine, my breath hitches. I quickly turn my head toward the view. “This place is beautiful.”

I’ve been on dates before but nothing as thoughtful as this one. Being with Ryan brings all sorts of emotions out of me—the butterflies in my stomach, the giddiness in my heart, and the nervousness in every move. We sit under the stars, wrapped under a shared blanket, drinking our hot cocoa, and I don’t want this to end.

But like all things, it does. We pack up and head back down the hill to Meadowbrook. The closer I get to my house, the more quiet I get. I try to maintain a calm fa?ade, but my mind is racing with questions. Will he try to kiss me? Should I tell him that it’s my first kiss? Do I want him to kiss me right now? And what if I’m terrible at it?

As we pull up to my house, Ryan’s hand rests on mine bringing a sense of calm over me. He walks me to my door as I fumble with my keys and unlock the door.

“Are you okay, Cass?” His gentle touch brushes a stray hair behind my ear.

“I just don’t want this to end. I enjoyed tonight.”

A charming smile forms on his face. “I feel the same way…and I would love to do it again.” His eyes hold a question.

I smile and nod eagerly. “Yes, let’s do it again.”

He returns a smile. “Goodnight, Cassie.”

“Goodnight, Ryan,” I reply before opening my door and disappearing inside.

I lean against the door and take a deep breath. I’ll be replaying every moment of this magical night as I fall asleep tonight.

The Meadowbrook Autumn Festival is finally here. I love event days. All the planning and prepping is done, and now, I get to watch all my hard work come to fruition. It’s always a little chaotic and issues tend to arise, no matter how much planning I do. But there’s a community of people who rally together and manage to overcome them. Thanks to my mentor, Mrs. Whittaker, I’ve learned to have a “go bag” filled with all sorts of things we might need. My trusty iPad holds all the documents and lists I’ll possibly need today. It’s going to be wonderful.

Looking at the scene before me, I smile as I watch the town square come to life. The buzz of excitement as the vendors start setting up their booths, children running around, and my day-of volunteers putting everything in place.

“Good day, Miss Cassandra,” Old Man Tiller greets me as he pulls up in his old blue truck.

“Hello there, Mr. Tiller!” I wave and walk towards him. “Thank you again for letting us borrow your truck today.”

“Happy to help in any way. Apologies for those pesky goats gettin’ into the scarecrow. I try to keep them inside the fence, but they like to roam.”

“It’s no problem. They just wanted a little treat,” I tease.

He laughs. “Where do you want me to park?”

“Just drive through here, and my assistant will direct you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He tips his head. “The family is looking forward to the festival.”

“I hope y’all enjoy it.”

He drives off through the makeshift barrier and into the town square.

I click on my radio. “Hey Millie, please show Mr. Tiller where to park his truck.”

“Copy that, Boss,” she responds over the radio.

I feel so official now that I have an assistant. With the new clients, I knew I was going to need help so I spoke with the ASB director. I would allow high school students to gain experience outside of school functions while assisting me and taking some of the tedious tasks off my plate. She thought it was a fantastic idea, and Millie was the first one to express interest in it. So this is a trial run, for both of us to see if we work well together.

I watch her guide Old Man Tiller to the designated spot while I walk towards them.

My radio crackles. “Cassie?”

“Go for Cass.”

“We have a problem over at booth 14. Can you come by?”

“On my way,” I report back to them before turning to Millie.

“Can you start setting up the photo booth? I’ll be back in a few.”

“You got it, Boss,” she replies, earnestly.

I chuckle at her serious demeanor. Despite being a high school student, she possesses a level of maturity and drive that reminds me of myself at her age—eager to do well.

Glancing down at my watch, I make my way to booth 14. Nine in the morning and it’s the first of many issues we’ll run into today.

After quickly resolving the crisis with booth 14, I get called over to two more booths. When I finally catch a break, I radio Millie that I’m on my way and begin walking to Old Man Tillers’ truck when I see Ryan heading towards me.

My stomach flutters at the sight of him, and a smile instantly forms. Every time I see him, my heart starts doing somersaults. I’m doodling “Cassie and Ryan” in my mental notebook. It’s like an invisible magnet pulling us towards each other, and I can’t escape him.

“Why hello there, Officer Hayes.”

“Ms. Thompson.” He returns a smile to me.

“And hello there, Max. Can I pet him while he’s on duty?” I ask. I have always wondered how that works when you know a dog outside of the job.

“Just a quick one.”

“Hi, cutie.” The pup’s ears perk up. “I’ll make it up to you with extra pets later,” I whisper to him.

Ryan laughs at our interaction. “So, I didn’t know you’re a firefighter.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What?”

“You’ve been putting out fires all morning.” He smirks.

A laugh bubbles out of me, and I shake my head. “Yes, it feels like one crisis after another. But we’re all good now. I have to set up a photo booth. Will you walk with me?”

“Absolutely.” He falls into step beside me.

“Are you ready for your first Meadowbrook event?” I ask him.

“I am. Will you get a break to enjoy it too?”

I shrug. “At some point, I’m sure I will.”

“Whenever you get a break, come find me. You can show me all the must-see spots.”

“Deal.”

Someone calls out to Ryan as we reach the truck.

“I’ll see you later then.” He gives an excited grin as I wave to him.

“Is that your boyfriend?!” Millie shouts next to me.

“Millie!” I whisper yell then look over to Ryan who’s already looking back towards us.

I bite my bottom lip and wave. He grins and keeps walking. A flush of warmth hits my cheeks, but I quickly brush it off.

While she takes this job very seriously, she’s still a teenager, and I’ll have to remember that. Maybe he didn’t hear her and had just glanced to look back.

“Come on, let’s finish setting this up.”

The rest of the morning goes smoothly with very minor hiccups, nothing serious. But it is one thing after another. When I finally get to breathe, the festival is about to open. I walk over to the center of the town square and go up the stage where we’ll have live music.

“Hello, wonderful vendors!” I say into the microphone. “Welcome to the Autumn Festival. We are so glad you’re here.”

The small crowd erupts in cheers around me.

“We have ten minutes before the gates open so if there’s any last minute details that need to be addressed, now is the time. Otherwise, let’s make this an unforgettable event and give our guests the best day!”

I exit the stage and make my way towards my team of volunteers.

“Here we go! Gates are opening soon. Always keep your radio on you, but don’t forget to have some fun too!”

I glance around the town square. It’s been transformed into an autumn wonderland filled with hay bales, wooden crates, and a variety of fall vegetables. When the sun sets, twinkling lights will illuminate the area, strung from the trees and vendor booths.

I make one last trip by the activity tables and vendors’ booths to see if anyone needs anything. I made sure to include a variety of kid-friendly booths with plenty of games and activities, like pumpkin painting, candy corn hole, and potato sack race.

We also have a variety of food, drinks, and desserts from both local vendors like Coffee Loft and Sweet Sisters Bakery, as well as neighboring towns. And let’s not forget the classic fall activities like a hay maze and bobbing for apples. Plus, a few unique vendors, like the escape-the-mini-trailer experience. Everything looks wonderful as I check in at each booth.

“Cass!” Ash squeals, pointing to the hay maze sign. “Everything looks a-maze-ing.”

I give her a big hug. “Isn’t it unbe-leaf-able?”

She bursts into laughter. “You’re just as corny as I am.”

“Oh, don’t you look gourd-ous tonight?” I wink at her, admiring her chosen outfit.

She giggles. “I had to put a little extra effort into tonight. I mean, you never know who you’ll run into.” She shrugs with a smirk on her face.

“Like an eligible bachelor?” I nudge her playfully.

“There may be someone who’s caught my eye.”

“Really?” I say excitedly.

My radio comes to life. “Cass, can you come by booth 5?”

I let out a sigh before replying, “On my way.” I look at Ashley. “We’ll catch up later, okay?”

“Abso-pumpkin-lutely.”

“Squash you later,” I joke as I walk away.

I can’t help but laugh at her unique sense of humor. She’s unapologetically herself, and I love her for it.