Page 42 of Espresso Your Love

“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 thesteaming 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 façade, 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.

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