Page 24 of A Box of Wishes
Ben grinned at her antics, amused by how quickly he’d become comfortable in Ryan’s domain, and how quickly Morris had won over not just Ryan, but Paula, Connie, and Rebecca as well. All it had taken was Morris’s half-shorn fur and his‘please, may I have food?’ high-five, and they were as wrapped around Morris’s paw as Ben was.
As if he knew the kitchen was off-limits, Morris spent much of his day in Ryan’s office, out of the way of customers and staff. Now and then he ventured into the break room, and once, when it had been quiet, he’d stepped into the main room of the coffeehouse, scrutinising every nook and cranny. The few customers present at the time had been delighted to see him.
Ben took Morris into Ryan’s office. The tabby had returned to his sure-footed ways, and the chemical burns on his skin were healing. His fur still stood in ragged tufts, but Ben didn’t care about that. Fur grew back, and health was more important than appearance. He watched Morris settle on his bed for a nap, then hung up his jacket, and headed to the kitchen to bid Ryan good morning.
Ryan was hyper. He bounced to the music, arranging cakes on one plate and iced buns on another before crossing the room to check on the oven. The grin on his face could have doubled as a floodlight.
Ben watched him from the doorway. “You’re cheerful.”
“That’s because it’s Christmas!” Ryan sang, not interrupting his work. “Happy Christmas to you.”
“And to you.” Ben stepped into the kitchen. “You weren’t joking when you said you started early.”
“I never joke about that. The night shift workers will turn up any minute and then, in about an hour, it gets properly busy.”
“Right.” Ben rolled up his sleeves. “What can I do?”
“Have a cup of tea.” Ryan nodded to the small table beside the oven where a pot of tea stood on the warmer beside a row of cups.
“I meant, what can I do to help?”
“I heard you. But I bet you haven’t had tea yet, so do that first. Then Paula will be grateful for a bit of brawn to shift the last of the furniture.”
“She mentioned that when I came in.”
“Because it’s important. I’ll not have anyone sit by themselves on Christmas Day.”
Ben submitted to Ryan’s dictate and poured himself a mug of Christmas tea. This time it sang out its flavour at full strength, so delightful that Ben didn’t even bother with milk. He drank the first mug slowly, enjoying the sight of Ryan at work, then poured himself a second mug and took it with him as he went to find Paula.
The next half hour passed with shifting tables and chairs, placing decorations, and assembling napkins and cutlery. The first night shift workers arrived as Ryan had predicted, and Ben helped serve tea, cakes, croissants, and toasties.
“If you ever need a job, I’m sure Ryan will employ you,” Paula teased when he returned to the bar with a tray of used dishes.
“Reminds me of my school days,” Ben said. “I helped in our local during the summer holidays. Do you enjoy working here?”
“Love it. Rebecca was the one who met Ryan first. She brought us on board.”
“Is this why she has today off when you and Connie are working?”
“No. Her husband’s folks live in Brighton. That’s why.” She took the tray from his hands and disappeared through the swinging door, leaving Ben alone behind the bar. The banter and the smiles on all the faces left him feeling warm, inside and out. Every so often, he went to find Morris, just to give him a hug. He wished he could hug Ryan, but Ryan was still whirling like a dervish.
“Does he ever slow down?” Ben asked when Connie danced past with a fresh tray of mince pies.
“On Christmas Day? Not much. He’ll sit down when his parents get here.”
Ben flinched. The whirl and bustle of looking after people had made him forget that Ryan’s parents would arrive at some point. “Thanks for reminding me,” he grumbled.
Connie settled the tray on the bar, then merged the contents of two half-empty trays to make room. “You’ll get on like a house on fire, don’t worry. Ryan’s… well, he’s the odd duck in that family.”
“How do you mean?”
She scrunched her brows together as she thought. “Would you say he’s a people person?”
“Totally.”
“Just like the rest of his clan. But guess what Ryan loves to do when he has a day off?”
Ben tried to picture Ryan away from his coffeehouse and found that he couldn’t. “I’ve no idea.”
