You Mocha Me Crazy (Coffee Loft: Fall Collection)

10. Bradley

Chapter ten

Bradley

“Mom,” I say when she answers the phone.

“Good to hear your voice,” she says. “You don’t usually call me in the middle of the day. Everything okay?”

I take a deep breath. “Do you remember Aurora Maxwell?” Her joyous giggle catches me off guard.

“Do I remember Aurora? Of course, dear. She was your first crush. Poor thing, you were in knots about her.” She chuckles. “Have you seen her?”

I shake my head. Of course Mom would find delight in how tangled up I was over Aurora. “I have. She’s the owner of the Coffee Loft in town.”

“Oh,” she says, her tone softening. “The one you’re renovating?”

I sigh and rub my hand through my hair. A habit I’ve not been able to break since grade school. “No. Well, kind of. We’re working on a build-out of the space next door, but we will connect the two businesses soon. Probably next week once we finish the framing and drywall.”

“Well, that’s nice.” She waits. Mom’s always been good at waiting for me to spill my guts. I wonder if that’s a skill moms get during pregnancy. Is it part of the package? Like eyes in the back of their heads or something?

“It is. It would be. I don’t know, Mom.” I frown when I remember the way Aurora’s hands shook passing Miley her coffee. “It seems she blames me for being bullied.” Mom’s shocked gasp makes me feel a little better.

“Bradley Paul Jameson, you better not have bullied that girl.”

I pull the phone from my ear. Is she serious? “Mom, you know I’d never, ever bully anyone.” I shake my head. “Apparently, some things I said to her, in a misguided attempt to get her attention, were used against her by some mean girls at school.”

Mom huffs. “Then why does she think it’s your fault?”

I sit on the bench outside and take a deep breath of the cool afternoon air. “I don’t know. She shuts down every time I try to talk to her, but that’s not the worst part.”

Mom groans. “What could be worse than that?”

I relay the details of Miley’s surprise visit.

“Wow,” Mom says when I’m done. “That’s just mean, and she asked you to stay away?”

“She did. What can I do? I would really like the chance to get to know her again.” If Mom can’t help me, I’m really out of luck. Mom doesn’t answer right away, and my nerves kick up another notch. “Mom?”

“I’m here. You’re not going to like this, but I think you should respect her wishes.”

“But . . .”

Mom cuts me off. “No, son. You respect that woman’s wishes. If she doesn’t want you coming into her coffee shop for a while, give her space. Find other ways to show her you care.”

My shoulders slump in defeat. “You’re right. I just don’t know how.”

Mom clicks her tongue. “You’ll figure it out. If she’s worth it, you’ll find a way.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I say, lifting my head and looking through the window into the Coffee Loft. “I’ll start thinking on what to do. I’ve got to run. I have a meeting soon.”

“Keep me posted. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Ma.” I hang up and slide my phone into my back pocket. The weather’s beautiful today, so I decide to walk the few blocks to the old bank building to meet Caleb Miller and see what he has in mind.

The downtown streets of Piney Brook are lined with brick storefronts. Huge display windows hint at what’s inside each one. I pause outside the florist shop. A huge bouquet of fall-colored flowers draws my attention. They are beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as Aurora.

Wow, when did I get so sappy?

Checking my watch, I see I have a few more minutes to spare, so I pop inside the flower shop.

“Hello,” an older woman with flowers in her graying hair greets me. “How can I help you today?”

I point to the flowers in the window. “Do you think you could make three big bouquets like that with Gerbera Daisies?”

The woman smiles. “Let me check my stock.” She slips through a door at the back of the room. She’s gone for just a few moments before coming back. “I should be able to do that if you don’t mind me adding a few other things to fill it out.”

“That would be perfect, thanks.”

She gets out an order pad and starts writing up the order. “Special occasion?”

“No, just a special person.”

She smiles and slides me a card. “For your personal message,” she says.

I grab a pen from the cup on the counter and pause. What could I say to let her know how I feel?

After filling out the card, I pass it and my debit card to the woman. “Thanks so much for this.”

She chuckles. “Thank you! I’ll make sure these are delivered this evening.” She gives me the debit card back and pats my hand. “I’m sure she’ll love them.”

“I . . . Thanks. I hope so.” I say goodbye, step back out onto the sidewalk, and hurry along to the old bank building, arriving just in time for my meeting.

“Caleb?” I ask, as I approach a gentleman standing in front of the doors.

“That’s me,” he says. He’s dressed in dark navy scrubs with “Dr. Miller” embroidered on the breast pocket.

We shake hands. “Nice to meet you. I’m Bradley Jameson. Allen told me you wanted to discuss a project. What did you have in mind?”

Caleb opens the door and steps back for me to enter first. “I’m moving back to Apple Blossom Ranch, and I’d like to open a veterinarian office and grooming space here in town. I know the Cobb County Animal Shelter is offering some basic care, but to get to a more comprehensive office is a bit of a drive.”

I nod, turning around in a circle to take in the space. “So you’d like to split this space in two?”

“I was thinking something like thirds with two-thirds being the vet space, and a third for a grooming area.” He steps to the side. “I’d like to have the front open to both, so we could leave that counter for the office staff.” He points to the existing counter space. “Here would be a waiting area, and then I’d like two or three exam rooms, and a surgery area in the back. The rooms would need to open to the back, and to the front.”

I make notes on my phone while he talks. “This all seems doable. Would you like to hire someone to draw up the plans?”

Caleb stuffs his hands in his pockets. “I was hoping you’d have a recommendation.”

I nod and shoot him a friendly smile. “I do. I’ll send you Reid Douglas’s information. He’s who we usually recommend.”

“Thanks,” he says. “So, do you think it’s realistic?”

I take a minute to look around. The space seems large enough to me. “I think so. Let’s get Reid in here and see what he thinks.”

Caleb lets out a relieved breath. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it. My brother thinks I’m nuts and would rather I set up shop at the ranch, but that’s just not realistic.”

“Where is Apple Blossom Ranch, if you don’t mind me asking?” I’d seen some jars of jam set out at local stores, but I didn’t realize it was close to Piney Brook.

“Just outside of town, on the way to Barberville. Closer to Barberville, honestly, but Piney Brook’s charm is hard to resist.”

I nod. That’s not the only thing in Piney Brook that’s hard to resist.

After our meeting, I decide to text Tim.

Up for meeting me at McFadden’s for a burger?

I’ve got to do something. Otherwise I’ll be sitting outside the Coffee Loft waiting for the flowers to get delivered and I will officially be a creepy stalker. Not a good look.

Sure. Five okay?

I glance at the clock. It’s 4:15, that should be plenty of time.

See you then.

I walk back to the job site. Looks like the guys have packed it up for the day. With as early as we usually start, I don’t blame them for being ready to go at four. Besides, they made good progress today.

After cleaning up my makeshift desk space, and checking to make sure it’s all locked up, I hop in the truck and head toward Lost Creek and dinner.

The parking lot is packed when I pull in. That’s what I get for trying to go out on a Friday night. I see Tim’s truck in the lot. Hopefully he’s got us a table. I find a space and hop out. The gravel crunches under my boots as I make my way to the big wooden doors. Once inside, I let my eyes adjust to the dimmer lighting.

“Can I help you?” a pretty woman, probably in her early twenties, asks.

“I’m meeting a friend,” I say, looking around. I spot Tim in the corner waving his arm. “I think I just found him, thanks.” I step around the hostess stand and make my way through the tables to the booth in the back. “Hey, man. Thanks for meeting me.”

Tim grins and passes me a menu. “No problem. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Piney Brook keeping you busy?”

Tim and I used to meet up for dinner a couple times a week. Both single, and neither one of us interested in dating, we clicked and kept each other company. “Yeah. This project’s been interesting, that’s for sure.”

The waitress approaches the table and takes our orders. Tim watches her walk away, shaking his head slightly. “I knew her in high school,” he says quietly. “I always figured she’d leave town and never come back.”

I glance in the waitress’s direction. “Sometimes home is better than anywhere else.” I shrug. “I moved back to Piney Brook because it’s where I always felt the most at home, you know. Maybe when push came to shove, she realized she didn’t want to leave.”

Tim sighs and leans back in the booth. “Yeah.”

He’s quiet. “You okay?”

He looks up from where he was staring at his water glass. “Yeah. So, what’s new? Met anyone interesting since you moved?”

I must make a face, because suddenly, he’s leaned forward and is interrogating me.

“Okay, let’s hear it. I need her name and how you two met. Is it someone I might know?”

I hold my hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay, you got me.”

The waitress comes back to the table and drops off the sodas and burgers we ordered. “Thanks,” I say before digging in.

Tim waits for me to finish my bite. “You gonna spill, or what?”

I shrug. “Or what.”

He shakes his head. “All right, but when you’re ready to talk, I’m ready to listen.”

I laugh. “Thanks man.” I take a look at the time. Aurora should be getting her flowers about now. I just hope she likes them . . . and the message.