Page 5 of By Any Beans Necessary

Winston didn't budge, and it only made Jeff more furious. He glanced down at his watch. Great, officially late. On his first day. How could it get worse?

Winston then did the most unexpected thing. He bolted toward the door of the classroom, causing it to swing wide open with unintended force. The obstinate bundle of fur and muscle made his grand entrance with Jeff trailing right behind him. The leash in Jeff's hand was pulled taut; a lifeline stretched to its limits.

"Easy, Winston," Jeff hissed, though his command fell on deaf ears—or perhaps defiant ones.

"Whoa, looks like someone's eager for class," Danny quipped from the front, his grin spreading across the room like wildfire.

"Or maybe just eager to leave his handler behind," Hunter chimed in, clearly unable to resist the jab.

Jeff shot them a look that could sour milk, but it was no use. Their laughter rippled through the room, a wave of mirth at his expense.

"Control your partner, Parker," Charlie Buckworth called out from beside his two best friends, clearly not amused like the rest of them.

"Trying," Jeff gritted his teeth, pulling back on the leash as Winston sniffed vigorously at a stack of textbooks, perilously close to toppling them. "Winston, heel."

"Guess that's one way to make an entrance," a voice muttered from the front. Jeff didn't need to look to know whose voice it was—Hunter's jesting tone was unmistakable.

"Part of the training," he shot back, trying to inject some levity into the moment. His attempt at humor felt as shaky as his grip on Winston.

"Training the dog or you?" Hunter's retort was quick, slick with sarcasm.

"Both," Jeff admitted under his breath. He gave another tug on the leash, and finally, Winston complied with a grudging step forward.

"All right, everyone, let's settle down," Danny announced, but the smirk playing on his lips betrayed his authoritative tone.

"Sorry about the...uh, disruption," Jeff said, his face hot enough to fry an egg on. He guided Winston toward the back of the room, hoping to become part of the furniture—a coat rack, maybe, or a particularly large potted plant.

"Nothing to see here," he murmured to Winston, who seemed utterly unrepentant. The canine simply plopped down, tongue lolling out as if he hadn't just caused a minor spectacle.

"Sure, nothing to see except for your grand performance," Hunter added, unable to resist one final poke.

"Sit tight, Winston," Jeff instructed, more a plea than a command. He sank into a chair at the back, wishing it would swallow him whole. The last thing he needed was negative attention on his first day.

Let's hope the rest of the day is less eventful, Jeff thought, stealing a glance toward the front. New beginnings, he reminded himself. As he sat there feeling the weight of every pair of eyes, he couldn't help but wonder if some beginnings were meant to start with a bang—or in his case, a crash.

Chapter Three

Just like every morning, the Coffee Loft buzzed with the morning rush. The scent of freshly ground beans mingled with the sound of milk frothing and cups clinking. Michelle perched behind the counter like a queen surveying her kingdom, serving up smiles and caffeine with equal zest. Above her, the loft's exposed beams, a small nod to the building’s history as a turn of the century mercantile, gave the space a cozy embrace, while the gentle hum of conversation provided the soundtrack to her domain.

"Man, you wouldn't believe it," Jeff's voice carried over from a corner table, cutting through the morning mayhem. His lanky frame was hunched over a cup of coffee that looked too small in his large hands.

"Hit me. How bad could it be?" Hunter leaned back in his chair, the image of casual ease with a smirk playing on his lips.

"Bad? I'm talking 'stepping on a rake' kind of day. You know, the kind that smacks you right in the face," Jeff groaned, his thick head of brown hair flopping as he shook his head.

"Sounds like my first date with Avery," Hunter quipped, earning a chuckle from Danny.

"Come on, don't leave us hanging," Danny prodded, his sureness evident even in the tilt of his head, his short brown hair catching the light. "We were there for the end, but we didn't get to witness the beginning."

"Let's just say my time here yesterday was less...heroic than I would have preferred. Working with that dog is like trying to herd cats. Cats with sharp teeth and a taste for bartender flesh." Jeff's exaggerated grimace drew a hearty laugh from his friends.

Michelle couldn't help but eavesdrop from her post at the espresso machine, the steam whistle a cover for her prying ears. She remembered all too well the sting when Jeff had blindsided her with the breakup. A part of her savored witnessing his misfortune because of it, yet as she watched him now, noting the way his shoulders drooped and a softening around his brown eyes she hadn't seen before. She couldn't help it when a bit of sympathy sneaked its way into her heart.

"Everyone has off days, man. Just dig into that grit I know you have deep down. You'll get there," Danny said, slapping Jeff's back in encouragement.

"Yeah, just avoid any actual rakes," Hunter added, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Har har," Jeff muttered, but there was a small smile tugging at his lips, one that seemed sincere, almost vulnerable.

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